San Francisco – There’s always been a hint of sadness evident in the California Dream, whether it was expressed by Warren Zevon coming down from a bad hangover in a seedy Hollywood motel or Sly Stone up in the Bay Area lamenting the sorry state of race relations in America. Cayucas, with roots in the
Los Angeles – In the awakening of ‘90s alt-rock revivalists, Bully has emerged with the most dynamic sound from the long list of their peers. The secret to Bully’s early buzz and success is Alicia Bognanno. The singer/songwriter/guitarist/engineer/producer masterminded her band’s debut record, Feels Like—a collection of fuzzed out tunes that permeate in the mind
New York – North London quartet Wolf Alice, comprised of Ellie Rowsell, Joel Amey, Joff Oddie and Theo Ellis, officially release their debut LP My Love Is Cool June 23rd on Dirty Hit Records. The album is highly anticipated after the release of several EPs, international tours (read a review of their recent Austin gig covered by BestNewBands
Los Angeles – Seattle based band Motopony will release their sophomore LP, Welcome You via eOne Music / Fast Plastic on June 23rd. The record is the follow-up to Motopony’s 2011 self-titled debut LP. It’s the result of the previous four years of shape-shifting, intensive songwriting, transforming, and rejuvenating. Welcome You was recorded live to
Portland – Alpine’s sexy, unwavering pop fusion unravels on their new album, Yuck. The six-piece has no trepidation towards self-indulgence with songs that reveal attitudes about sex, love and all the hazy parts in between. Yuck’s title is apt in that way because Alpine has a tendency toward playfulness, especially when it comes to sexual
Portland – Outfit’s melancholy Slowness is a constantly evolving, whirlwind of sound. The band’s carefully produced second album is gaining recognition for its novelty in the alternative genre, both in uniqueness and its strength in conveying a very specific type of loneliness. Slowness is a quiet confrontation with distance, meant to fill the empty space
Los Angeles – It’s been almost four years since Active Child’s debut record, You Are All I See. Pat Grossi, the man with the searing vocals is behind this moniker as he presents his sophomore album, Mercy. This towering and monumental endeavor features slick production, gorgeous vocals, and deep lyricism. Grossi recorded his second effort
Los Angeles – On their third album, No Joy does not attempt anything that has not been done by the myriad “nu-gaze” bands of the last few decades; they just do it better. Yes, the band loves guitar tones that are dripping with distortion; but they make them more aggressive and engaging. The time signatures
Los Angeles – While there is no question that psychedelic music is making a huge comeback in both the underground as well as the mainstream, it has mostly skewed too heavily in the pop-oriented direction, losing the roughness that gave it an edge over traditional rock. On the other hand, there are bands like Ancient
Portland – J Fernandez is bringing his bedroom pop to fruition with his latest release, Many Levels Of Laughter. The solo artist recorded the entire album alone in his Chicago bedroom, which is an impressive feat since each song’s production requires layers of instrumental elements to accomplish the innovative sound. Fernandez’s pop embraces the experimental