EULA Plays Fort Useless on Dec. 10th and Cake Shop on Dec. 15th

Punk rock trio EULA have posted videos from recent appearances on WFMU and BreakThru Radio and the band is playing a couple local shows next month.The band released their latest disc, Maurice Narcisse, this past May which Paper Garden Records described as "a playful treatise on pretension, part lamenting part castigating the metaphorical ‘character’ for his egotism. Alyses’ punching lyrics find their match in aggressive drums and plunging melodies,...

Read More

Bugs in the Dark Post New Video for "Serpents and Wine" / Show at Cake Shop on Dec. 17th

Brooklyn's Bugs in the Dark released a strong EP, "Hang It On The Wall", in October which shows their sound moving in a direction that is comparable to PJ Harvey and/or Sonic Youth. The disc's four tracks run just shy of 20 minutes and the overall sound is moody and atmospheric.The band just released a video for the leadoff track, "Serpents and Wine", which is indicative of the overall sound of the disc.Bugs in the Dark toured Europe and played...

Read More

The Residents - "Ozark" CD Review (Ralph)

It has been tough to keep up with the volume of discs that The Residents have released around their The Bunny Boy and Talking Light projects. Ozark came out in July but I finally had some time over the holiday to catch up on some discs that slipped through the cracks.Ozark's 25 tracks run 70 minutes and long-time Residents fans are likely to already have the majority of these tracks. The disc contains 11 country-scorched instrumental tracks from...

Read More

Paper Thick Walls: Chicago Indie-Folk band Play Spike Hill on Dec. 10th and Pianos on Dec. 11th

Paper Thick Walls presents an elegant mix of deep, reflective, and at times haunting music, which captures elements of sound similar to acts like Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens. The almost orchestral arrangement of piano, upright bass, guitars, drums, fiddle, mandolin, and other various instruments has a fascinating way of complimenting the profound fictional story lines that Paper Thick Walls portray through their lyrics.The band was last in town...

Read More

Savage Messiah (Earache) Release Forthcoming Album, "Plague of Conscience", as Free Download

DOWNLOAD: Savage Messiah - "Plague of Conscience" (free download of full length album)Savage Messiah was formed in 2007 in London, England. The band consists of lead guitarist/singer Dave Silver, lead guitarist Joff Bailey, bassist Stefano Selvatico and drummer Mauricio Chamucero.In late 2010 the band was signed to Earache Records and set about writing and demoing a new record and also appeared at the 2010 Earache Christmas Party. After months of...

Read More

Fort Wilson Riot Plays Fontana's on Dec. 12th / "Generation Complex" EP Out Dec. 3rd

01 For All The Little Things by Fort Wilson Riot 02 All My Friends by Fort Wilson Riot Indie dance-rock duo Fort Wilson Riot have a new EP, "Generation Complex", coming out Dec. 3rd and are playing Fontana's on Dec. 12th. This new 6-track EP is coming out on a double EP split-vinyl release with psychedelic rockers Phantom Tails.The new EP pulls you in right away with its dark and catchy rhythms but there is a lot more complexity and...

Read More

Maria Taylor (Azure Ray) Releases Video for "Matador" + Bootleg Video from Cleveland, OH 11/12/11

In August, Maria Taylor released her fourth solo disc, Overlook. This new disc is rawer, both in sound and emotion, than Taylor’s work with Azure Ray and Now It’s Overhead. The music on Taylor's latest disc is a compelling assortment of songs that range from wispy dream-pop to Michelle Shocked-style ragtime Americana to alt-country/folk to pulsing, jagged, alt-rock.Taylor just released the first video from her new disc, which is for the song "Matador"...

Read More

Fear (Lee Ving) Returns with "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" / Re-recording of "The Record" Due Out Next Year

STREAM: Fear - "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"I'm having trouble with this one...I'm glad to see Fear back in action but their music shouldn't be something that my grandmother would be comfortable listening to alongside Elvis' "Blue Christmas". It seems hard to believe that this is the same band the released the song "F*ck Christmas" and almost caused a riot 10+ years ago when the cops tried shutting down a Fear show at The Continental...

Read More

Deleted Scenes (D.C. Post-Punk) are Playing Brooklyn Bowl on Dec. 2nd and Pianos on Dec. 3rd

DOWNLOAD: Deleted Scenes - "Bedbedbedbedbed" (from Young People's Church of the Air)D.C. post-punk band Deleted Scenes released their second disc, Young People's Church of the Air, in September on Sockets Records. Their newest collection of songs originated in frontman Daniel Scheuerman's basement and assumed a live identity over the course of 300 tour dates. Recorded at the Garden Center in Hockessin, DE, with Nick Krill (The Spinto Band) and Birdseed...

Read More

School of Seven Bells Announce Third Disc, "Ghostory", Out Feb. 28th (Vagrant Records / Ghostly International)

School Of Seven Bells are back with their third release, Ghostory, out February 28 on Vagrant Records/Ghostly Inernational. The highly-anticipated album finds the band’s lineup has evolved along with the music; formerly a trio, the band is now a duo: guitarist / producer Benjamin Curtis and vocalist Alejandra Deheza Recorded in-between tours, Ghostory exemplifies a fervent progression of SVIIB’s growth as artists, preserving the common themes found...

Read More

Canon Logic Post Cover of Cinderella's "Don't Know What You've Got (Til Its Gone)"

DOWNLOAD: Canon Logic - "Don't Know What You've Got (Til Its Gone)"I've got a backlog of postings and CD reviews to finish and yet I spent too much time this evening trying to Photoshop Tim Kiely's head onto a mid-80's photo of Tom Keifer. The Canon Logic have the lead-off track on the new Engine Room Recordings' Guilt By Association compilation. The theme of Vol. 3 is 80's hair metal and The Canon Logic deliver a rocking power-pop cover of Cinderella's...

Read More

Dead Meadow - Live Photos & Review from Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 10-30-11

Dead Meadow's blissful, psychedelic stoner rock was a great way to follow Spindrift. Original drummer Mark Laughlin returned to the band last year and the Dead Meadow is currently working on their next studio disc, which is a follow-up to 2008's Old Growth.The band's set ran about an hour and here is my best guess at a set list:01 Intro > I Love You Too 02 What Needs Must Be 03 Till Kingdom Come 04 1000 Dreams (??)05 Good Moanin' 06 Indian Bones...

Read More

Spindrift - Interview with Kirpatrick Thomas and Photos from MHOW, Brooklyn, NY 10-30-11

Video: Spindrift - "Space Vixens"Spindrift has been around for almost twenty years and the band just released its fourth full-length disc, Classic Soundtracks Vol. 1, early this year. This disc shows the band continuing to follow its Western / Morricone muse and "the album featured 14 theme songs to various film scores they are set to and up to 8 different directors participated in the project. The film clips, music videos, and movie trailers were...

Read More

Maria Taylor (Azure Ray) Plays Solo Show at Mercury Lounge on Nov. 17th (Saddle Creek)

In August, Maria Taylor released her fourth solo disc, Overlook. This new disc is rawer, both in sound and emotion, than Taylor’s work with Azure Ray and Now It’s Overhead, and Taylor produced this disc herself after coming off a year-long writing dry spell. The music on Taylor's latest disc is a compelling assortment of songs that range from wispy dream-pop to Michelle Shocked-style ragtime Americana to alt-country/folk to pulsing, jagged, alt-rock.Note:...

Read More

Peter Gabriel: Watch 70 Minute "Live on Letterman" Concert, Recorded Nov. 9, 2011

I had no clue that CBS was posting near full-sets of artists who appeared on Late Show with David Letterman. Below is a 68 minute set from Peter Gabriel that was recorded on Nov. 9th.The show consists of performances from Peter Gabriel's most recent album, New Blood, which features revamped, orchestral versions of fan and personal favorites from his solo career.New Blood is available in a 2-disc edition for ~$13 (so there is no reason to get the...

Read More

Lissie - "Covered Up With Flowers" CD Review (Fat Possum)

After generating a buzz with the her full-length debut, Catching a Tiger (2010), and a sold-out CMJ show at Hiro Ballroom, Lissie's back with a five-track / 25 minute EP of covers, "Covered Up With Flowers". The disc includes covers of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance", Kid Cudi's "Pursuit Of Happiness" and Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" (which are well familiar to fans through Lissie's YouTube videos) in addition to previously unheard covers of Joe...

Read More

Meat Puppets - "Meat Puppets II" CD Review (MVD Audio)

DOWNLOAD: Meat Puppets - Instrumental Rough Mixes from the "Meat Puppets II" Sessions(Note: Download link posted to MeatPuppets.com by Meat Puppets drummer Derrick Bostrom)The Meat Puppets' second disc, Meat Puppets II (originally issued in 1984), has aged well. This disc was a major leap forward, both sonically and musically, from its predecessor and started the band down the acid-drenched, country-punk path that defined their later releases....

Read More

Detroit Fans Start Online Petition to Replace Nickelback as the Halftime Show for the Lion's Thanksgiving Game

I almost fell over laughing when I read about Detroit Lion fans protesting the choice of Nickelback as the halftime act for the Detroit Lion's Thanksgiving Day game. I'm not laughing though at the Detroit fans though (I was born in downtown Detroit) but that someone finally had the b*lls to call out Nickelback and it hit the mainstream press (CNN). UrbanDictionary.com defines Nickelback as "Another mediocre somewhat popular nu-metal band, this time,...

Read More

Drunken Sufis (Conspiracy Prog-Punk) Play Fontana's on Friday, Nov. 4th

Death Cult Summer Camp by Drunken SufisIt is bands like Drunken Sufis that make me miss CBGB and the old Continental where you could see 5 - 6 bands on a weekend night and there would always be a band that you hadn't heard of that would catch your ear. I remember being impressed the first time I saw The A.K.A's (who opened for The Dwarves) and Drunken Sufis sound like The A.K.A's crossed with the Dead Kennedy's.Drunken Sufis recently released Death...

Read More

First Aid Kit Release Video for "The Lion's Roar" / Show at Mercury Lounge on Nov. 16th

First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar by Wichita Recordings First Aid Kit - Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg - premiered the video for "The Lion's Roar", the title-track of their upcoming sophomore album, on SPIN.com earlier this week. Directed by Mats Udd, the moody and mystical video is embedded below. "The Lion's Roar" single is now available exclusively on iTunes and will be found at all major digital retailers, and sold as a 7-inch...

Read More

Meat Puppets - "Meat Puppets" CD Review (MVD Audio)

DOWNLOAD: Meat Puppets - First Album Session Outtakes (first session)(posted to MeatPuppets.com by Meat Puppets drummer Derrick Bostrom)I can't imagine how today's RIAA-fueled culture of paranoia would have reacted to the hardcore bands of the early 80's giving away songs to fanzines and one-off cassette compilations. MVD's reissue of the Meat Puppets self-titled full-length debut contains the original 14 track disc (from 1982), the band's first...

Read More

Guided By Voices Post "The Unsinkable Fats Domino" from Forthcoming 7" as Free Download

DOWNLOAD: Guided By Voices - "The Unsinkable Fats Domino" (out Nov. 22nd on Matador Records) Guided By Voices - Doughnut For A Snowman by FIRE RECORDS (out Nov. 28th w/ 4 non-LP B-sides)After a fifteen year hiatus, the "classic line up" of Guided By Voices finished off its year-long reunion tour by recording an album of 21 new songs, making a deliberate effort to return to what bandleader Robert Pollard calls the "semi-collegial" approach of...

Read More