Los Angeles – West Palm Beach, Florida surf-rock auteurs Surfer Blood have arrived with their follow up to 2013’s Pythons. The band has turned a new leaf by leaving their major label (Warner Bros. Records) and heading back to their D.I.Y. roots by signing with indie label Joyful Noise Recordings. However, an unfortunate situation has
San Francisco – Las Vegas native Shamir Bailey—known simply as Shamir—took appropriate time and care when constructing his debut LP Ratchet. According to Urban Dictionary, ‘ratchet’ refers to a state of mind in which one exudes an illustrious diva persona, though often such entitlement is either misplaced or misguided. When talking about Shamir’s debut LP,
Los Angeles – On one hand, the rise of METZ in the modern underground music scene is perplexing; the influence of electronic and pop music has slowly whittled down the number of acts that flaunt angular guitar riffs and liberal use of distortion. On the other hand, there have been few contemporary groups able to match
San Francisco – It’s hard to find an indie rock band completely free of irony in the 21st century. Rock artists seem to have a cynical chip on their shoulders these days, unable to enjoy the simple pleasures of loud guitars and pounding drums without a detached sense of humor coating it all. Parquet Courts,
Los Angeles – After breaking out in a major way with their rowdy, pub-rock-indebted 2013 debut 180, Palma Violets did what any young buzz band would do: they spent the subsequent months on the road, connecting with old fans and winning over new ones, garnering a reputation for a rowdy live show. After all that
San Francisco – When a band names an album after themselves that’s not their debut, it’s usually an attempt to reimagine a musical identity (check the Beatles bizarrely beautiful self-titled White Album), reestablish a place in the pantheon of rock ‘n’ roll icons (Pearl Jam’s acceptance of themselves as a full-blown arena rock act on
Los Angeles – Virginia Beach indie-rock act Turnover specializes in emotionally driven rock tunes. Formed in 2009, the quartet initially released their first proper self-titled EP in 2011. Turnover, consisting of Austin Getz (vocals, guitar), Casey Getz (drums), Eric Soucy (guitar), and Danny Dempsey (bass), have always worn their influences on their sleeves, but remain
Portland – Odessa’s dreamy pop grows personal with the arrival of her self-titled debut LP. Odessa is an entryway to the artist’s thoughts, aggravations and self-doubts. The LP becomes an experience for the listener, one in which they feel as if they are getting to know Odessa from the inside out. In this way, songwriting
New York – Montreal four-piece Heat, comprised of Susil Sharma (vocals, guitar), Matthew Fiorentino (guitar), Raphael Bussieres (bass) and Alex Crow (guitar) have been a band for the past few years, but have only recently settled into their current four-piece lineup. Currently reissuing 2014’s self-titled EP under new title Rooms, which includes the two new
Chicago – U.K. duo Nai Harvest is back with LP number two, or what guitarist Ben Thompson calls their “proper” debut. Hairball (Top Shelf Records) is a change of pace for Nai Harvest, previously known for making emo girls swoon with 2013’s Whatever (Dog Knights Productions). Thompson and drummer Lew Currie held on to that