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
London – Songwriters have a heads-up on most of us. They are able to work through all kinds of emotions in song: setting records straight, sending coded or not-so-coded messages to lovers or ex-lovers, embellishing truths for heightened effect, exorcising ghosts, seeking change and more. The result can be a kind of freedom; a release
Los Angeles – Formed in El Paso, Texas, the Greg Gonzalez led quartet, Cigarettes After Sex had a breakthrough in 2015 with their single, “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby,” growing to 55.8 million+ views on YouTube. While the song was a couple years old, it was seemingly an overnight sensation. The now Brooklyn based band
London – New York’s MisterWives has returned with Connect The Dots, employing origami-style versions of the various ‘spirit animals’ adopted by each of the six band members on the striking cover art. Indeed, a common spirit clearly binds them as humans too. With this follow up to its 2015 debut album, Our Own House, MisterWives
Los Angeles – It’s been four years since we last heard anything from Brooklyn indie rockers, Beach Fossils. While such a wait can seem grueling for fans, it was a necessary withdrawal for lead singer/founder, Dustin Payseur. He’s debuting his long-awaited return, Somersault, on his own new label, Bayonet Records, which he co-owns with his
London – The sense that you are uncovering something precious hits you just a verse or so into “Light Blue”, the opening round of ten songs that make up Rosewood Almanac, the new album by California-born New Yorker Will Stratton. The record is Stratton’s first for Bella Union and, notably following a career composed of
Los Angeles – Future Islands broke through to the masses in the later part of 2014. The band’s wild performance of “Seasons (Waiting On You)” on The Late Night with David Letterman went viral that summer. It turned the Baltimore synth-pop trio into an over night sensation. They formed in 2006 and had been touring
Los Angeles – Little Rock, Arkansas alt-pop-rock group, Knox Hamilton caught some well deserved attention in 2015 with their EP, How’s Your Mind. This led to a slew of gigs performing with bands like Colony House, Young the Giant, and The Head and The Heart. This time around, Knox Hamilton is looking to breakthrough all
Los Angeles – Hippo Campus is already making a name for themselves before their first LP even hits the streets. The Minnesota indie rock quartet had an impressive 2015 and 2016 with addictive singles such as “Suicide Saturday” and “South”. While barely in their early 20s, Jake Luppen (vocals/guitar), Nathan Stocker (guitar), Zach Sutton (bass),
London – Any day now and we’ll have to get used to writing down 2017. But before we are quite there it’s time for a quick reprise. So, settle down and listen to 10 songs you might have missed in 2016 that you won’t find on too many year-end lists. Give you yourself marks if