Chicago – If you haven’t heard of Toronto punk band PUP, it’s time you have. The four-piece has been receiving praise from critics for their wild live shows and their recently released self-titled debut album on SideOneDummy Records. The chemistry between these childhood friends is amazing, and their genuine love for what they do shines
New York – Indie folk rocker Courtney Barnett and her band are beginning a month-long North American tour, co-headlining with avant-garde outfit San Fermin. Hot off the heels of a sold-out run of shows in her native Australia and New Zealand, the singer-songwriter will be playing songs from her critically acclaimed release, The Double
Los Angeles – Milo Greene, an LA indie pop quintet, has returned with their brand new single, “White Lies.” It will be featured on their forthcoming sophomore LP, Control, due out on January 27 via Elektra. Their latest track is a ferociously dark-pop gem that diverges from the band’s previous folk-rock and harmonies-driven resonance. Best
New York – After a bout of laryngitis, a cancelled show in Pawtucket and several days of vocal rest, vocalist/guitarist Mikel Jollett was given a clean bill of health and just in time for The Airborne Toxic Event’s show at Terminal 5. The indie rock band made sure their return to the stage was a
Seattle – The most important fact you need to know about Foxygen’s new album …And Star Power is that it is not simply just a record. It is a complete musical experience. Sam France and Jonathan Rado have come back strong after the success of their first full-length last year and produced a double album
Sacramento – The last day at TBD Fest drew a larger crowd than I had seen all weekend, especially during the evening sets. (Ed., Best New Bands’ Day One coverage is HERE; Day Two is HERE.) The festival was clearly coming to a close, and while I was exhausted, my lungs were full of dust,
Nashville – Ask the average listener to close their eyes and visualize rock and roll and the image will be similar for most folks; vintage Gibson and Fender axes plugged into humming tube amps, long hair and scruffy beards, guitar solos with crunch distortion, and lyrical stories of women and whiskey to tie it all
New York – Hesitant Alien opens with the jarring beeping of “Bureau.” The track sounds vaguely like My Chemical Romance, perhaps only because it features lead vocalist and co-founder Gerard Way’s unmistakable yowl, but there is also something unmistakably different. Like really different. This observation may seem a little “no duh” to some; however, it
San Francisco – The air was electric at The Fillmore the other night, as UK psych outfit Temples celebrated the midpoint of their West Coast tour with their touring partners Wampire, an indie rock group hailing from Portland, Oregon. Having seen both of these bands separately before, just as they were both gaining ground (Wampire
Seattle – Before Brooklyn alt-pop trio, Little Daylight, rocked the Neumos stage, there was a line down the block outside. It was the typical, young Capitol Hill scene: college hipsters, tattooed boys in skinny jeans, and drunken groups of friends. But it was far from that stiff, music-snob feel some shows can have. The vibe