Chicago – Between Kongos’ phenomenal stage presence and their outstanding debut album Lunatic, it is no surprise the single “Come With Me Now” went platinum. Hands down, Kongos put on one the strongest sets at Lollapalooza this year! From Dylan jumping around the stage bare foot while playing his bass to Johnny wowing the crowd
Portland – There really is something special about seeing a musician experience a rebirth, taking the essentials of his craft and adding a daring splash of vitality to the mix. Portland musician Benjamin Tyler has been involved in the Portland music scene for a while, recording and playing shows under the name Stepkid. He has
New York – What is it about “girl bands” that makes us feel the need to include the gender qualifier? It’s not like all girl bands are super rare or play any differently than a band with all guys, or guys and girls. Or is it? What’s the difference? Sure, it’s not impressive unless the
New York – Brooklyn’s Silent Barn is not your typical concert space. Part art space, part living space, the Silent Barn looks more like a frat house than a music venue—except instead of Kappa Sigs, the rooms are inhabited by full-blooded Brooklyn hipsters. The walls are painted with sprawling murals that jump from one aesthetic
Brendan Benson has had a busy past years, but that’s what happens when you run with Jack White. As we reviewed his show last week, Benson has the chops to cut it live and has learned how the handle a crowd from the reigning king of indie rock. It’s hard to believe that the singer/songwriter
The first band of the weekend I caught was Caged Animals at Cameo. This is the project of singer/guitarist Vincent Cacchione, along with his sister Talya on bass, Patrick Curry on drums, and Magali Francoise on synth and awkward dance moves. Together they make fun psych surf pop rock about young love and the New
After a successful few days, the dust is settling on the music run of Northside Festival 2012. Once again, it was often hard to decide what show to see when, but it was also hard to make a bad choice. Here are some highlights from Friday: After a second full day of shows, Zambri, the
Good news for fans of new music: FYF Fest is proud to announce its return to the Los Angeles State Historic Park in downtown Los Angeles, where it’s been held for the past four years. Taking place on Sept 1 and 2 (which is Labor Day weekend), the festival will include performances by the newly
Longtime BestNewBands.com faves Grouplove have done it again. The Los Angeles-based quintet and our official “Best New Band of 2011″ have hit number 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Radio chart for their hit single, “Tongue Tied,” which you may have heard quite a few times on an Apple commercial and several television programs. If
It’s been a good few years for Maps & Atlases. The Chicago-based math rock quartet’s acclaimed 2010 debut full-length, Perch Patchwork, gave it the push it needed to become a heavy hitter in the indie scene, and its sophomore effort, Beware and Be Grateful has allowed the band to regain momentum. The four-piece is currently