San Francisco – It’s hard to find an indie rock band completely free of irony in the 21st century. Rock artists seem to have a cynical chip on their shoulders these days, unable to enjoy the simple pleasures of loud guitars and pounding drums without a detached sense of humor coating it all. Parquet Courts,
Los Angeles – After breaking out in a major way with their rowdy, pub-rock-indebted 2013 debut 180, Palma Violets did what any young buzz band would do: they spent the subsequent months on the road, connecting with old fans and winning over new ones, garnering a reputation for a rowdy live show. After all that
San Francisco – When a band names an album after themselves that’s not their debut, it’s usually an attempt to reimagine a musical identity (check the Beatles bizarrely beautiful self-titled White Album), reestablish a place in the pantheon of rock ‘n’ roll icons (Pearl Jam’s acceptance of themselves as a full-blown arena rock act on
New York – Hotly tipped U.K. indie band Coasts played a sold-out show on the Lower East Side at Bowery Ballroom on April 30; a key stop on their first headlining U.S. tour. The Bristol-based quintet, comprised of Chris Caines, James Gamage, David Goulbourn, Ben Street and Liam Willford, are touring in support of the
Chicago – This past weekend, Brooklyn trio The Antlers opened two sold-out shows for Death Cab For Cutie at the historic Chicago Theatre. Best New Bands was fortunate to take in the Friday night performance. We last caught The Antlers over the summer at Lincoln Hall, in support of Familiars (ANTI-). Their Friday night visit
Los Angeles – Over the past few years, Sydney, Australia quintet Gang of Youths have been producing incredible singles, but it wasn’t until just last month that they finally released their highly anticipated debut LP, The Positions. I reviewed the record for Best New Bands noting, “The Positions will haunt you, but console you. It
Los Angeles – Perfect for new music Tuesday, Neon Trees have just released their new single, “Songs I Can’t Listen To.” The new track, written by Tyler Glenn, is sharable on VEVO, is available for purchase on iTunes HERE and also on Spotify HERE. Listen to the audio for “Songs I Can’t Listen To,” below! Front man of Neon Trees, Tyler Glenn, shares
Nashville – firekid, the brainchild of bluegrass artist Dillon Hodges, is a novel idea. Combining his love of Americana music with an electro-indie influence, Hodges has created something surprising and unique in this latest venture. And Nashville, his home of nearly three years, has provided the perfect backdrop for the band. I talked with Hodges
Los Angeles – While The Soft Moon have previously released a pair of solid LPs since their founding in 2009, this year’s Deeper has found the Oakland-based post-punk band reaching ever larger audiences. This increased level of underground popularity was quite evident as the Luis Vasquez-led trio powered through a captivating set in front of
New York – Having just released her critically-acclaimed debut album, Love Stuff, back in February, Elle King, the multi-faceted pop, blues, and rock and roll singer, has now released a new song! King took on the task of covering “American Girl,” a classic song by The Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. King’s interpretation of the track is featured in upcoming film, “Hot