Best New Bands » review http://www.bestnewbands.com News, Reviews and Interviews Wed, 07 Feb 2018 02:08:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.41 Jagwar Ma’s ‘Every Now & Then’ is Quite the Ride http://www.bestnewbands.com/album-reviews/jagwar-ma-every-now-and-then/ http://www.bestnewbands.com/album-reviews/jagwar-ma-every-now-and-then/#comments Mon, 31 Jul 2017 14:55:50 +0000 http://www.bestnewbands.com/?p=33571 San Francisco – “Can we be real?” OK, let’s be honest – how often is it, in the most honestly painful scope of reality, that someone actually asks this question of oneself?  Hmmm?  Would I be terribly cynical/naïve/clueless if I were to say…er…almost never? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Ok, broader inquiry: how often is

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  1. Jagwar Ma Previews New LP at The Independent San Francisco – “Don’t worry, prosperity will knock on your door soon,” bassist Jack Freeman of Jagwar Ma happily read from a fortune cookie fortune during a lull early on in the band’s Wednesday night set, briskly followed by an impromptu reggae...
  2. Catfish and the Bottlemen Returns with ‘The Ride’ London – UK rock band Catfish and the Bottlemen is loved by fans somewhat more than by critics; which is probably the right way round if you are keen to sell out venues rather than simply bask in hype. Despite some critical...
  3. The Head and The Heart Explores New Territory London – What’s in a band name? The Head and The Heart perhaps takes a little less unravelling than most, offering a choice juxtaposition of the rational and the sometimes rash. Signs Of Light is the third album from the Seattle six-piece,...
]]> http://www.bestnewbands.com/album-reviews/jagwar-ma-every-now-and-then/feed/ 0 Ra Ra Riot Graces LA with Beauty and Light http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/ra-ra-riot-graces-la/ http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/ra-ra-riot-graces-la/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2016 17:00:28 +0000 http://www.bestnewbands.com/?p=33584 Los Angeles - Syracuse band Ra Ra Riot set the stage on fire Friday night, at the Greek Theatre, opening for Young The Giant. As far as openers go, Ra Ra Riot could have easily been the headliner, considering the band’s 2016 record, Need Your Light, is the quintet’s liveliest and most enthused material to date.

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  1. Ra Ra Riot ’s ‘Need Your Light’ Shines On Its Own Los Angeles –  Need Your Light, the new record from indie-pop vanguards Ra Ra Riot, is the band’s brightest and most inspired work yet. The once baroque-pop, Brooklyn quintet is now utilizing synthesizers more than ever before. This was quite apparent...
  2. Five New Bands at Day Two of Riot Fest Chicago – Day two of Riot Fest went off without a hitch. That is to say, Morrissey showed up and performed. Although, he did go on late after projecting video clips for over thirty minutes straight… but according to his...
  3. Christine and the Queens Graces the Cover of ‘Time’ New York – French phenom Héloïse Letissier, of Christine and the Queens, has been awarded the incredible honor of gracing the cover of Time magazine. In an eye-opening article, Letissier discusses her childhood, music, redefining gender norms and the notion of “pop-stardom.” Christine and...
]]> http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/ra-ra-riot-graces-la/feed/ 0 New Bands at Treasure Island 2016 http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/new-bands-treasure-island-2016/ http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/new-bands-treasure-island-2016/#comments Fri, 21 Oct 2016 00:40:27 +0000 http://www.bestnewbands.com/?p=33491 San Francisco – Every October, for ten years, concert fans in the Bay Area have been flocking to the Treasure Island Music Festival, a small oasis located in the heart of the San Francisco Bay promising a weekend filled with music and celebration. Plagued by several last-minute artist cancellations and a very rough period of

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  1. 6 New Bands to See at Treasure Island 2016 San Francisco – Well, it was a good run, but you can’t outrun the cruel hand of overdevelopment forever, it seems. That’s right folks: after ten years the Treasure Island Music Festival—billed as “the Festival in the Bay”—will be celebrating...
  2. 5 New Bands At Treasure Island – Day 1 San Francisco – Ah, Treasure Island Music Festival.  It’s such a glorious event: beautiful weather, no overlapping sets, minimal panic-inducing crowd swarms.  The annual two-day event is a great festival for locals, due to its conveniently close-to-everything location smack dab...
  3. 5 New Bands At Treasure Island Music Festival – Day 2 San Francisco – Sunday at Treasure Island 2015 started out much sunnier than the previous day, but the wind was constantly blowing throughout the day.  It was a much stronger breeze than Saturday’s, so much so that I could’ve sworn I...
]]> http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/new-bands-treasure-island-2016/feed/ 1 Black Angel Drifter Offers a Brave Debut http://www.bestnewbands.com/album-reviews/black-angel-drifter/ http://www.bestnewbands.com/album-reviews/black-angel-drifter/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2016 18:56:09 +0000 http://www.bestnewbands.com/?p=33403 London – Perhaps it’s no accident that the acronym of new spin-off band from the UK’s Morton Valence, Black Angel Drifter, is BAD. Not that its eponymously titled debut album is at all bad – far from it – but it is typical of the black humour that MV’s front man Robert “Hacker” Jessett employs.

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  1. Radkey Announces Debut Album “Dark Black Makeup” Los Angeles – After nearly five years of playing and touring together as a band, all of Radkey ’s hard work comes full circle on their debut album, Dark Black Makeup. Recorded primarily in the UK alongside producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, The Fall, Jarvis Cocker),...
  2. More New Bands At Fun Fun Fun Fest: Angel Olsen, Deafheaven And More Austin – Reaching the end of Fun Fun Fun Fest was downright depressing. It was a bummer saying goodbye to festival friends after three short days, and remembering that 1) you don’t do something enviably cool every night and 2)...
  3. Jib Kidder Offers Psychedelic Indie Pop On ‘Teaspoon To The Ocean’ New York – Jib Kidder’s bandcamp bio reads “no genre, no hometown, hard to pin down since Y2K.” This is true: Sean Schuster-Craig has lived all over the country (grew up in Georgia, spent time in the Midwest and on...
]]> http://www.bestnewbands.com/album-reviews/black-angel-drifter/feed/ 0 Finding Comfort in Consistency with Phantogram http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/phantogram/ http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/phantogram/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2016 01:32:58 +0000 http://www.bestnewbands.com/?p=33315 Oakland – We all have that friend… you know the one: that one guy or gal that claims that the title of the best band they’ve ever seen live, or the best studio sessions they’ve ever surrendered to happen to belong to some random, semi-esoteric duo or trio, despite the fact that you know they’ve

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  1. Phantogram Shares New Single “You’re Mine” Chicago – Today New York electronic duo Phantogram released the single “You’re Mine,” just hours before kicking off its North American tour, which begins with a sold-out show in Las Vegas tonight.  You can catch Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter live across...
  2. Phantogram Becomes Nocturnal with Nightlife It’s been two years since Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter, better known to the masses as electro duo Phantogram, released their breakthrough debut LP, Eyelid Movies. In that time, the two-piece focused on touring in support of the record, leaving...
  3. Kaleo Brought Chicago Some Southern Comfort Chicago – Despite it being a cold and snowy Wednesday night, fans packed Bottom Lounge in Chicago’s West Loop to see Kaleo. After witnessing the Icelandic band live, I completely understood why. The four-piece indie-folk band, comprised of Jökull Júlíusson...
]]> http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/phantogram/feed/ 0 Public Access T.V. Celebrates Debut Release http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/public-access-tv/ http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/public-access-tv/#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2016 19:54:52 +0000 http://www.bestnewbands.com/?p=33294 New York – Public Access T.V. may be better known as “the band whose apartment exploded,” but the New York band is quickly garnering acclaim for its energetic live shows, around the country. This popularity was in full force on a Fall Friday night, as Public Access T.V. performed in front a packed crowd at the

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  1. Public Access T.V. Share New Track, Debut LP Out 9.30.16 Los Angeles – Public Access T.V. is excited to share their new track ‘End of an Era’, which premiered on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 show yesterday (August 31st.)  The track, off forthcoming album Never Enough, is out September 30, 2016 on Cinematic. The garage band successfully nabbed...
  2. Watch Some New Public Access T.V. Before They Go On Tour! New York – NYC band, Public Access T.V. Has just announced the US release of their debut EP via Terrible Records. The Public Access EP will be available digitally on May 12, 2015 and on vinyl June 16, 2015. In anticipation of these releases,...
  3. Stranger Cat Celebrates the Release of Their Debut LP at Rough Trade in New York New York - Stranger Cat celebrated the recent release of their debut LP Into The Wilderness (out on Joyful Noise Recordings and reviewed by BestNewBands here) at Rough Trade May 20th.  The duo, comprised of Cat Martino and Sven Britt, demonstrated...
]]> http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/public-access-tv/feed/ 0 East London Takes Flock of Dimes to Heart http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/flock-of-dimes/ http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/flock-of-dimes/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2016 11:32:30 +0000 http://www.bestnewbands.com/?p=33264 London – The Victoria in Dalston, East London is one of those little gems of live music venues that the city specialises in; a traditional pub with the added excitement that you enter the modestly proportioned, black walled gig room via a bookcase. Harry Potter, eat ‘ya heart out. This particular night, it was hosting Flock

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  1. Lucius Takes London By Storm London – “Good evening, London! What a beautiful theatre… so many beautiful places here,” was how Jess Wolfe of Lucius responded to the reception afforded to the band’s two opening songs. Lucius loves London, and the city seems to hold the Brooklyn five-piece...
  2. The Head and The Heart Packs Hoxton Hall London – Hoxton Hall is almost out of an Old Curiosity Shop of London venues. The 150 year-old building has acted at one time or other as a music hall, Quaker mission, WWII air raid shelter, theatre, and youth arts...
  3. Shilpa Ray Brings Superb Savagery To The Lower East Side New York – Would that the contemporary music scene depicted an equal number of female and male leads, it’d be incongruent to mention the importance of an act like Shilpa Ray. But until that proverbial stage reflects the natural balance...
]]> http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/flock-of-dimes/feed/ 1 The Daydream Club Thinks Big with ‘Lux’ http://www.bestnewbands.com/album-reviews/the-daydream-club-lux/ http://www.bestnewbands.com/album-reviews/the-daydream-club-lux/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2016 02:54:21 +0000 http://www.bestnewbands.com/?p=33256 London – With critical approval and a diehard fan base on board, the English duo of Adam Pickering and Paula Walker aka The Daydream Club has carried one of those “hotly tipped” mantles for some time. The release of Lux should find the recently married couple pitched on the verge of a bigger breakthrough, with

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  1. The Black Queen – Fever Daydream Los Angeles – While at first glance, the idea of an electro-pop band fronted by Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato sounds a bit unexpected. But, when the layers are peeled away it actually makes a whole lot of sense. Rounding...
  2. Interview: The Magnetic Boys of SUN CLUB Chicago – The Baltimore boys of SUN CLUB have begun to turn heads with their cheerful indie rock, energetic live shows, and goofy personalities. Songs like “Beauty Meat” and “Summer Feet,” off the debut EP Dad Claps at the Mom...
  3. Palma Violets Blossom With ‘Danger In The Club’ 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...
]]> http://www.bestnewbands.com/album-reviews/the-daydream-club-lux/feed/ 0 James Blake Ignites a Fire at Radio City http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/james-blake/ http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/james-blake/#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2016 17:38:23 +0000 http://www.bestnewbands.com/?p=33245 New York - “I request another dream / I need a forest fire,” James Blake sings on his latest album The Colour In Anything. Playing to a sold out audience at Radio City Musical Hall, Monday night, he demonstrated another dream: igniting a fire, demonstrating what a concert can and should be like in a 6,000

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  1. James Blake to Tour with Vince Staples New York - Grammy Award-nominated artist James Blake has announced that Vince Staples and Moses Sumney will join him for select dates on his recently announced Fall headlining tour. Staples will join the New York and Los Angeles dates, while Sumney joins all dates minus Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Tickets...
  2. James Blake’s Pleasant Surprise: ‘The Colour in Anything’ San Francisco – I’ve always wanted someone to throw me a surprise party. It just never happens though. I tend to blame sitcoms for this yearning; they just make it look like so much fun, and there are always seemingly endless antics...
  3. Vance Joy Unveils A Brand New Single “Fire And The Flood” New York – Australian singer-songwriter, Atlantic recording artist and Best New Bands favorite, Vance Joy has announced the release of a brand new single, following his recent MTV Video Music Award nomination for the highly anticipated “Artist To Watch” category....
]]> http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/james-blake/feed/ 2 The Head and The Heart Packs Hoxton Hall http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/the-head-and-the-heart/ http://www.bestnewbands.com/live-reviews/the-head-and-the-heart/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2016 02:48:22 +0000 http://www.bestnewbands.com/?p=33189 London – Hoxton Hall is almost out of an Old Curiosity Shop of London venues. The 150 year-old building has acted at one time or other as a music hall, Quaker mission, WWII air raid shelter, theatre, and youth arts centre. On this particular night, it was hosting a sold-out show by The Head and The

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  1. The Head and The Heart Explores New Territory London – What’s in a band name? The Head and The Heart perhaps takes a little less unravelling than most, offering a choice juxtaposition of the rational and the sometimes rash. Signs Of Light is the third album from the Seattle six-piece,...
  2. The Head and the Heart Releases New Song “Colors” New York – Today The Head and the Heart released a third track from the band’s forthcoming album Signs of Light, out Sept. 9th on Warner Bros. Records. “Colors” is the third song released off of the album and is available to stream here and...
  3. ACL Late Night Brings The Head and the Heart To Emo’s Austin – “Are you going to ACL this year?” Since 2009, my answer was always “No.” I could never remember which day I’m supposed to spend refreshing the page for ticket sales, and I could never remember to save the...
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