Portland – Author and music aficionado Nick Hornby (“High Fidelity”) wrote that musicians often have two options while crafting their songs. One way is to create something so weird that nobody has ever done it before, but does not warrant a second listen. Alternatively, “You (can) think, write, play, and sing as though you have
Chicago – Lately more and more teenagers have been breaking into the music industry thanks to the power of social media and music sharing sites like YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Bandcamp. However, there’s definitely more to it than exposure. Social networking and the readily available technology have groomed a generation of kids to be industry
Brooklyn – “So many beautiful people here tonight,” Weyes Blood (aka Natalie Mering) observed from the stage during her set on Saturday night. She had the best vantage point to ogle everyone, but it was true from where I stood, too: It seemed like Southside Williamsburg’s handsomest longhaired men and their cute septum-pierced girlfriends had
Nashville – Brooklyn-based super-duo Hank & Cupcakes rocked a blowout performance at the High Watt the other night. Comprised of wife Ariel Scherbacovsky and husband Sagit Shir, The Tel Aviv natives delivered a mind-blowing set packed with pure energy and a hearty serving of the band’s characteristic quirkiness. Their positively unique spin on upbeat electro-pop
New York – Best New Bands and Descendant Records are giving away a vinyl copy of The Lone Bellow’s acclaimed new album, Then Came The Morning, signed by the band members! Our review called the Brooklyn-based trio’s second album “a stunning follow-up to their 2013 self-titled debut.” Zach Williams, Kanene Pipkin and Brian Elmquist, “beautifully
Louisville KY – The Forecastle Festival will return this summer led by Louisville hometown heroes My Morning Jacket; soulful breakout star, Sam Smith; southern rock heavyweights, Widespread Panic; and indie veterans, Modest Mouse. The three-day music celebration, now in its 13th year, will take place July 17-19, at the award-winning Waterfront Park, a sweeping green space on the banks of the Ohio River framed by the
Austin – Six months have elapsed between the U.S. and British releases of Wanted on Voyage, George Ezra’s debut record on Columbia, so that the U.S. release could be synchronized with Ezra’s breakout radio hit, “Budapest,” and his first North American tour. (Ed., Best New Bands spoke with Ezra recently; our interview will be published
Los Angeles – While Alex Calder may be the lesser-known artist to come out of the goofball rock band Makeout Videotape, he is well on his way to carving out his own prominent space in the indie rock world. Calder’s most famous former Makeout Videotape colleague is none other than the crowned prince of slacker
San Francisco – Brooklyn quartet HAERTS burst onto the scene with the release of their 2013 EP Hemiplegia, beckoning listeners into a sugar-tinged realm of bustling pop and heartfelt melancholy. With the release of their self-titled debut last fall, they have already solidified a concrete position as one of the most fascinating new pop bands
Seattle – A second album – particularly following a critically acclaimed debut – can perhaps be one of the hardest aspects of an artist’s career. Many consider it a make-or-break point. As The Lone Bellow’s frontman Zach Williams told Best New Bands back in October, “The sophomore record is clutch.” Fortunately, The Lone Bellow’s upcoming