Austin – Everyone recovered from ACL? Cool. It’s time for Fun Fun Fun Fest. Austin’s third-favorite festival starts this Friday, November 7, and while the name is trying a little hard, the lineup is enticing. The headliners are a mix of old favorites and new bands. Modest Mouse, Nas, Neutral Milk Hotel, and—big “Oh My
Austin and London – Indie folk has always been a slippery label for me. I understand the desire to connect with an older musical tradition; it’s the execution that’s been throwing me off. Good songwriting, passionate performance, crooning backup vocals, banjo shredding, etc., seems to sacrifice the hardship it wants to reproduce. Which is fine,
Los Angeles - Ben Howard‘s quick success is well deserved. The British singer-songwriter’s performance at the El Rey Theatre on Monday showed off minimalism at its finest. His show is a model for how indie-folk should be presented — intimate, grabbing, and powerful enough to bring tears to the eyes. Though his latest album, I Forget Where
Seattle – Boston trio PVRIS will be releasing their debut album, White Noise, this Tuesday, November 4, the follow-up to their acoustic EP that was released in April. Since then, this band has been unstoppable. In June, they signed to Rise Records, a label mostly known for its metalcore bands. They became the first female fronted band on Rise,
Nashville – Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas may have named their debut LP Secret Evil, but once they hit the stage the other night, their secret was out . . . for no-holds-barred soul, with high energy and a passionate diva at the helm, call the Deltas. The Detroit-based group took a small divergence from
New York – Indie folk-rock band Roadkill Ghost Choir have released a video for their song “A Blow To The Head,” from their recent album, In Tongues, just in time for Halloween. About the video, lead singer Andy Shepard said: “We found a box of old VHS tapes at this thrift shop in Deland, Florida. One was
New York – Indie band Walk The Moon have announced the release of their second album, Talking Is Hard, on December 2 on RCA Records. The album is produced by Tim Pagnotta (Neon Trees, LP, among others). “Shut Up and Dance,” the first single off the album, was released last month and held the #1
Austin – Ultimate Painting was introduced to me as a supergroup. Not in those words, but there must have been some hope that name-dropping Veronica Falls and Mazes would entice me to listen to their music. I’m not sure if, by the strictest definition, there can be such a thing as an indie supergroup. The
Los Angeles – Kenny Vasoli of Vacationer is the happiest guy I’ve ever seen on stage. When I saw him perform with his band this past Sunday night, I took notice of how he plays every song with a huge, infectious smile. He’s finding his own relief, which coincidentally happens to be the title of
New York – Mark Foster commanded the stage like a cult leader at Friday night’s Foster The People show at the historic United Palace. Such a grand venue was the perfect setting for the band’s brief CMJ stop. The gilded stage was populated by synths and drum sets creating a visually staggering environment within the