Brooklyn – Jack Ladder & the Dreamlanders have an unwieldy, confusing name and are an “uncool” band. They may dress ridiculously and even make “unfashionable” music. But being dorky doesn’t disqualify them from being worth your time. Lyrics-driven music is almost always uncool; look at Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker. Jarvis was a skinny nerd who didn’t
Nashville – In anticipation of their latest release, Albany, NY natives Northern Faces have embarked on their first ever U.S. tour and stopped here along the way this past Friday night at the High Watt. Though the tour is set to conclude in less than a month, the band’s debut full-length album will drop shortly
Austin – Jacco Gardner’s solo material has been out for just about a year, but he’s been perfecting his psych-pop craft for a while as a member of The Skywalkers. Choosing to go solo out of a desire for artistic freedom, giving his personality free range may be key to the successful execution of Cabinet
Seattle – Capitol Hill Block Party (CHBP) has just announced the first group of artists confirmed to be part of this year’s installment of the iconic music festival. The festivities are scheduled to take place over July 24-26 in the Evergreen state. Some of the acts appearing will include the multi-talented indie pop artist and producer, Toro y
Los Angeles – Deeper is the third full-length for Oakland-based musician Luis Vasquez’s The Soft Moon, and it sees the one-man project expand upon its gothic rock-indebted sonic palette while still managing to streamline the song structures. Out March 31 on Captured Tracks, these 11 tracks make up a decidedly dark, cold and lean record.
Los Angeles – Three years ago, LA band Lord Huron released their debut record Lonesome Dreams—a vast, ambitious, poignant piece of music that echoed along the borders of Fleet Foxes with its harmonies. However, the band was by far worth more than sheer comparisons to larger scaled bands. As the record caught on, Lord Huron
Chicago – I’ve been sitting in Starbucks, staring at my MacBook, for about an hour, trying to figure out how to best describe what it’s like to witness Diarrhea Planet wreak havoc. There’s a whole lot of stage diving, crowdsurfing, moshing, thrashing, hair flying, hair pulling, beer tossing, sweat dripping, shouting and screaming, stage climbing, and of
New York – The six musicians that make up folk punk band, Skinny Lister (Lorna Thomas, Daniel Heptinstall, Maxwell Thomas, Michael Camino, Thom Mills and Sam Brace), are striking while the iron is hot and have released a new single, “This Is War,” from their soon-to-arrive second album, Down On Deptford Broadway. (Fans of Skinny Lister
New York – Best New Bands is a big fan of Milky Chance, the electro folk act from Germany, whose debut record, Sadnecessary, left contributor Liz Rowley writing an enthusiastic review and also saw them named as one of the bands we’d most like to see this spring touring season. The new dates contribute to the first portion of Milky Chance’s tour; 39 dates of
London – Since her precocious arrival on the scene in 2008, each new album from Laura Marling is accompanied by a sense of anxiety. While no stranger to angst herself, the pressure seems greater on the listener. It runs deeper than simply, ‘will it be as good as the last one?’ You want her to