Nashville – Sylvan Esso is a name that has been popping up on tastemaker music blogs with more and more frequency over the past year. Their music is so electric, so sticky that it’s difficult to declare which of the three songs they’ve released is the strongest. Sylvan Esso delivered on a much anticipated South
New York – Southern solo artist Emily Reo is a weaver of fabricated tones and an artist in the realm of synthesized sonic structures. Imploding in reverb and ornate melodies, this Floridian’s work merits a bit more attention than it has pulled so far. As we transition into the New Year, Emily Reo deserves a
Seattle – Angel Haze is an American rapper. Angel Haze is a profound lyricist. Angel Haze, perhaps most importantly, is a serious rebel. Sure, albums are leaked all the time but it’s not so common that an artist defies her label and pre-releases a sample of her album. This is exactly what Angel Haze did
New York – Californian quartet Trails and Ways are an indie dream-pop outfit whose music resounds in the realm of wanderlust. A pioneering group in new wave world music, their sound and combined outlook on life is infectious. Be warned, their new EP, Trilingual, is capable of throwing a wrench into your best-laid plans for
Seattle – The name Cumulus is just asking for cloud puns, but I’m going to resist because the band is far worthier than even the best pun could deliver. The Seattle trio was born out of singer/songwriter Alexandra Niedzialkowski’s (nee-jul-KOFF-ski) solo project. Lance Umble (guitar) and Leah Julius (bass) joined Niedzialkowski and with that, Cumulus
Los Angeles – A recent review said that the important thing to note about Courtney Barnett is: Girl can write. A succinct and accurate description, this is just one musing in the mass of praise the 25-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist has received since the release of her song “Avant Gardener.” Called a reincarnation of ‘60s Dylan and
Seattle – New Zealand’s Ghost Wave describes itself as “somewhere between the Flying Nun bands of the 80s, the British explosion of the 1960s and the wayfaring dubs of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry” which is simultaneously very comical and surprisingly accurate (although I would probably throw in a twinge of fellow Oceanians Tame Impala to that mix).
Nashville – Fire dancing isn’t the typical back-up career of fledgling musicians. But then, nothing is typical about Naomi Saalfield. This former fire-dancer, who goes by the all-too-appropriate stage name Nai Palm, is the lead singer/songwriter of Hiatus Kaiyote, a four-piece band from Melbourne, Australia. The eclectic band has been on fire (pun intended) since
Seattle – Crocodiles should not be confused with the 1970’s New Zealand pop stars “The” Crocodiles. No one in The Crocodiles is married to Dum Dum Girls’ front-woman Dee Dee Penny; The Crocodiles didn’t have an album produced by Sune Rose Wagner of The Ravonettes; Cat Power has not appeared in any of The Crocodiles
Vance Joy went from 0 to 100 in about sixty seconds. Okay, maybe it was six months, but that’s not a very long time to transform from James Keogh, a pretty average guy from Melbourne, Australia to Vance Joy, an internationally known artist boasting a five-album record deal with Atlantic Records. It’s unclear if James