San Francisco – This week saw the very beginning of an extensive tour in which indie mainstays The Dodos share the stage with Bay Area newcomers Springtime Carnivore. Springtime Carnivore is the ‘nom de tune’ of Greta Morgan, a circus performer-turned-chanteuse after a three-story fall from a tightrope broke her fibula. Luckily, she has made
Nashville – There’s so much to love about PHOX and their refreshing take on folksy indie rock, and there’s so much love that goes into their striking, addictive music. From lead vocalist Monica Martin’s subversive charm, to the band’s flawless self-titled debut LP—which Best New Bands called “Phenomenal”—that dropped last June, PHOX has a good
Seattle – The energy was palpable last week at the Neptune Theater as the crowd buzzed with anticipation, knowing that they were about to learn who would be playing at the biggest music festival in the Northwest. The 2015 Sasquatch! Music Festival Launch Party, presented by Washington Healthplanfinder, featured music by Seattle-based acts The Young
Los Angeles – There is no doubt that Father John Misty is the most interesting person living in Los Angeles. Okay, perhaps the previous statement is a bit overreaching when one considers the sheer density and diversity of artists dwelling in the oft-maligned metropolis. But the yarns which are spun on I Love You, Honeybear
Chicago – The line outside The Riviera Theatre slowly snaked its way inside the double doors, or at least the women’s line did. The men in attendance quickly walked through security, while the largely female congregation put a kink in the chain. The ladies sure do love U.K. folk artist Ben Howard. They were out
Oakland – This past Monday, ambitious garage rocker John Barrett’s project Bass Drum of Death played a raucous set at the stylishly small Club Leo’s in Oakland. Bass Drum of Death’s set was preluded by sets by local bands War Cloud and Pookie & the Poodlez, but the stars of the show were definitely the
Nashville – It’s difficult to pin down Breakfast In Fur, a four-piece outfit from New Paltz, NY. To put it simply, the group is soft-spoken but powerful, and their newest album, Flyaway Garden (via Bar/None), is certainly no exception. As ethereal as the title suggests, their full-length debut is a dreamy escape that combines whimsy
Los Angeles – Despite being released on riff-worshiping Exploding in Sound and kicking off with a Nevermind-worthy opening riff, the latest release from Los Angeles’s-by-way-of-Boston band Dirty Dishes is not just 40+ minutes of sheer aggression. Instead, Dirty Dishes follow in the footsteps of a variety of influences throughout Guilty. Of course, like a great
New York – Quarterbacks are based in New Paltz, New York, a cute little college town an hour and a half north of New York City. It’s even smaller than comparable college towns with lively music scenes like Olympia, Washington or Northampton, Massachusetts, but has still managed to support two independent record stores for more
Austin – It was a minor tragedy when, sometime between ’05 and ’08, emo was scorned into early retirement. The label was nebulous in the first place, applied to any rock music with enough juvenile male pathos. On that basis the critics were mostly unfair—exceptions granted only for anyone who questioned the scene’s under-recognized privilege