Nashville – A Foreign Fields show seemed appropriate to go see as an Arctic front moved across the country, leaving Nashville unusually cold. Their atmospheric music is fit for staring at the stars on a frozen night. Like staring at the sky, Foreign Fields’ music makes the human seem small against the washes of sound. Reverberating
Seattle – Big Ups is a four-piece band from New York whose name is ideally indicative of the group’s future. Unlike the band name, however, Eighteen Hours of Static is not so literal and cannot fill almost an entire day with loud, senseless feedback – what a relief. The band’s debut full-length album will be released January 13 via
New York – To commemorate our descent into holidaze, on behalf of BestNewBands.com I threw another showcase/party at Matchless on December 18. Thanks to more of the best new and emerging local bands being part of it, it turned out to be a great nearing the end of the year note to mark how far
Los Angeles – Jamestown Revival will be performing tomorrow morning on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, at 11:15 am PST. KCRW is a recognized tastemaker for new music from around the world and Morning Becomes Eclectic is the public radio station’s signature show, hosted by Music Director Jason Bentley. Watch/listen to the band’s live performance here at 11:15am PST and find it on demand after
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
Chicago – As we say goodbye to 2013, here are five new songs to discover, from R&B to dream pop to something dark and bluesy. There’s something (or two or three) for your first 2014 playlist. Please share these with someone because who doesn’t like to introduce new music to a friend? Blood Orange –
New York – “Sometimes my heart and brain conspire / to set everything on fire / Just to stop the tyranny / of that minute hand on me.” On “Golden Wake,” Mutual Benefit ringleader Jordan Lee lays out his mission statement for the indie folk collective about as plainly as we could hope for. The
Hartford CT – There are events that feel like high school house shows because they’re played in small clubs with poor production and poorer lighting. Then there are events that feel like high school house shows because they’re literally in someone’s basement and at least ¼ of the audience almost definitely went to the same
Los Angeles – The Peach Kings’ Paige Wood and Steven Dies have some kind of onstage love affair. They face each other, he kisses her forehead, and she wipes sweat from his brow. She eyes him for most of the show, singing to the crowd but watching his closed eyes and his crumpled face, playing
New York – Bridging the gap between folk and rock in a way that recalls the great masters of Americana, The War On Drugs need no real introduction. As it has been since the beginning with this band, their work is lyrical poetry of the most transformative sort and a speaker box for the times.