Chicago – On the night of All Hallows’ Eve, drummer Erik Ratensperger and guitarist Mark Solomich of Junior Prom were enthusiastically describing their costumes over chips and salsa and a bucket of Halloween candy in the green room of The Vic in Chicago. The up-and-coming Brooklyn indie-pop duo was in town supporting Andrew McMahon, and
Chicago – One of the joys of music festivals is discovering new bands. This year Riot Fest introduced Best New Bands to dozens of new acts, including the rock ‘n’ roll five-piece The Unlikely Candidates. At the heart of this Texas band are long-time friends and Fort Worth natives Kyle Morris (lead vocals) and Cole
San Francisco – Shit got loud at the Regency Ballroom as Julian Casablancas and his new band, The Voidz, descended upon an eager crowd. Casablancas, who is best known as the lead singer for the indie rock band, The Strokes, released his first album as a solo artist back in 2009 with Phrazes for the
Baltimore – When Andrew McMahon plays a show, whether it is a Jack’s Mannequin reunion, a surprise Something Corporate gig or his annual Dear Jack benefit concert, there is always a group of loyal listeners in attendance. Of course there’s is variety in the audience, but people who have been listening to McMahon since the
Los Angeles – With a sound that blends an amalgam of influences while retaining a solid psych-rock core, the buzz around the Leeds-based five-piece Hookworms has grown in anticipation for their new release, The Hum. The band’s second widely distributed full-length album, The Hum, is just out on Domino Records imprint Weird World. Since forming in 2010, Hookworms have
Milwaukee – Even though Zeds Dead and Capital Cities were playing shows on the upper levels of The Eagles Ballroom, The Wild Feathers managed to pack the ground floor of The Rave. Wisconsin concertgoers filled out the old dive bar that seemed especially fitting for a good ole Southern rock ‘n’ roll band and presented fans with
New York – Kicking off an early show at Manhattan’s much-loved Mercury Lounge the other night, Avi Buffalo charmed fans with an hour-long set of melody-heavy, rambling tracks. True to this act’s quietly electric identity, the night was both intimate and moving, and offered a perfect pre-weekend mind state to the work-weary New Yorkers who found their
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) your body exists, and needs a lot more sleep than you’ve been giving it. The
New York – Brooklyn’s raucous electro-pop duo Junior Prom is back with a catchy new single, “Cheap Thrills,” out today through Elektra Records (iTunes). The band has also premiered a lyric video for the song. Junior Prom is a music duo comprised of Mark Solomich and Erik Ratensperger. “Cheap Thrills” is their first new single
Los Angeles – Cult of Youth have just released their third full-length release for Sacred Bones this week. Ominously titled Final Days, the record sees the five-piece band from Brooklyn reaching a full-realization of their evolving blend of post-punk and neo-folk. Though the band’s rough-around-the-edges 2008 debut drew comparisons to genre-luminaries like Current 93, the band