by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Guantanamo Baywatch - Boomerenga (MP3)

Portland, OR does not have a beach but that hasn't stopped trio Guantanamo Baywatch from kicking out vintage-sounding twangy surf rock infused with a twisted sense of glee. And when it comes to a genre like this, enthusiasm counts for a lot. They are also not afraid to give a song a "cha cha cha" ending, something I secretly wish bands would do more. Their new album, Chest Crawl, out now via Dirtnap, is a good time tiki party with extra-spiked punch. You can download "Boomeranga" at the top of this post.

Guantanamo Baywatch are currently on tour and hit NYC on Wednesday, July 11 for a show at Cake Shop with local punks The Numerators. All tour dates are listed at below.

Continue reading "Guantanamo Baywatch released 'Chest Crawl' (MP3), on tour, playing Cake Shop"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Fergus & Geronimo - Roman Tick (MP3)

Fergus & Geronimo will release their second album, Funky Was the State of Affairs, on August 7 via Hardly Art and are having a NYC record release party at 285 Kent on August 10 with openers The Peoples Temple (who were just here playing the Seaport), Family Curse and Mannequin Pussy.

The band, originally from Texas, moved to Brooklyn two years ago and left their '60s soul records at their old apartment and picked up some Devo and Spizzenergi records on the drive here. Funky Was the State of Affairs seems to be some weirdo concept record jam-packed with spiky, skronky keyboard-y new wave with occasional completely over-the-top English accents. I haven't quite figured out what the concept is, exactly, but the songs are all incredibly catchy and inventive. You can tell they had fun making this one. You can download "Roman Tick" at the top of this post.

Cover art and tracklisting for Funky Was the State of Affairs is below.

Continue reading "Fergus & Geronimo get 'Funky' with new LP, playing 285 Kent"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Deep Time - Clouds (MP3)

More than a couple years in the making, Austin's Deep Time (formerly YellowFever, I still forget they changed it) are finally releasing their debut album next week on Hardly Art. Spooky and spare, it's nine songs, 32 minutes with not a second, note or instrument wasted with Jennifer Moore's haunting vocals right up front. Worth the wait, I'd say. And you can get it on opaque green vinyl. You can stream the entire album at the bottom of this post and watch the video for lead track "Clouds." It's a cool listen for a hot Friday afternoon.

Deep Time will head out on tour starting next week and will play NYC on August 16 at the now air-conditioned 285 Kent. (Openers TBA.) All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Deep Time streaming new LP, touring (dates), playing 285 Kent"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Erika Spring - Hidden (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Erika Spring - Hidden [Jensen Sportag remix] (MP3)

Erika Spring (of Au Revoir Simone) will release her debut EP on the Cascine label next week (7/10) and is playing a record release show in NYC on July 12 at the Ivana Helsinki Space (251 Elizabeth St). It's a free show, 8 - 10PM.

Produced by Violens' Jorge Elbrecht (who also plays drums in her live band), the songs on Erika's EP are much more lush, rhythmic and slinky than the minimalist vibe of her band Au Revoir Simone though definitely similar melodically with Erica's distinctive, delicate vocals. You can download "Hidden" at the top of the post as well as the funky '80s vocodered Jensen Sportag remix of the song.

The only other Erika Spring dates we're currently aware of are a few west coast shows with Alt-J (who also have upcoming NYC shows). All of her dates are listed below, along with the EP cover art and streams of both versions of "Hidden."

Continue reading "Erika Spring releasing EP, playing record release show in NYC"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Tacocat - Spring Break-Up (MP3)

Seattle's palindromic indie rockers TacocaT are visiting the East Coast for a quick tour with Philadelphia's Slutever that hits NYC tonight (7/5) at Death by Audio with Mannequin Pussy playing as well. The bands will be back in the city on July 14 at Shea Stadium with TBA openers.

Owing more than a little to '90s riot grrrl as well as Seattle bands like Fastbacks and Young Fresh Fellows, TacocaT make good time indie rock with hooks in the choruses and tongues in cheek. After a few smaller releases, the band have signed with Hardly Art who released their Take Me to Your Dealer EP earlier this year. You can download "Spring Break Up" from that EP at the top of this post.

All TacocaT / Slutever tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Seattle's TacocaT released 'Take Me to Your Dealer' (MP3), touring w/ Slutever, playing Dba tonight, Shea next week"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Jonas Reinhardt - "Auto Grift" (MP3)

As mentioned, Brooklyn's Jonas Reinhardt (the project of Jesse Reiner) will be releasing a new EP, Foam Fangs on July 24 via 100% Silk. It was recorded with Damon Palermo (Mi Ami/Magic Touch) at The Equinoxe earlier this year and recorded/mixed by Jesse. When we first mentioned the EP, all we had heard was a remix of the title track that was posted to soundcloud a year ago, but we've now got the first taste of the EP with the track "Auto Grift." Tou can download that track above or stream below. Sounding like some mix between a Trent Reznor score and fluttery Kraftwerk synths, it'd be a great soundtrack to a late night drive or pounding through the PA at a dimly lit club.

You can catch Jonas Reinhardt live at the previously discussed Brooklyn show at Glasslands on July 7 with Octo Octa and Cuticle. Tickets for that show are available. It's his only NYC date scheduled at the moment, but more to come. Some dates to support the new EP over in California are in the works as well.

The "Auto Grift" stream and EP tracklist are below...

Continue reading "listen to a track from Jonas Reinhardt's 'Foam Fangs' EP (MP3)"

DOWNLOAD: ShadowBox - "A M" (Rudi Zygadlo Remix) (MP3)

ShadowBox (aka Bonnie Baxter), who has been making her rounds on the Brooklyn scene for some time now, is set to release a new EP, Haunted by Colors, on July 24 via PIctures Music. That's the cover art above. In advance of the EP, she dropped the tracks "A M" and "Running Like A Ghost," which you can stream and download (name your price) at her bandcamp. We've also got a nice remix of "A M" by UK producer Rudi Zygadlo, which you can download above. You can also check out a live video of another new ShadowBox song, "CO," below.

Speaking of Rudi Zygadlo, he's got an album of his own coming out titled Tragicomedies, which is due out on September 17 via Planet Mu. Check out the video for "Melpomene" from that album below.

Continue reading "ShadowBox releasing EP (watch a live video of new song), remixed by Rudi Zygadlo (MP3), who is releasing an LP"

DOWNLOAD: Debo Band - Asha Gedawo (MP3)

Boston's self-described "Ethiopian Groove Collective," Debo Band, are readying their new self-titled debut LP for release via Next Ambiance/Sub Pop on July 10th. Grab the first track to emerge off the album, "Asha Gedawo," at the top of this post.

Debo Band will be playing select dates around the country this summer: Bumbershoot is on the books, they are confirmed for the Philadelphia Folk Festival and will join Grupo Fantasma for their previously-mentioned string of East Coast dates in early July that includes an NYC stop at The Bell House on July 13th, tickets are still available.

All Debo Band tour dates are listed below along with video of the band in action.

Continue reading "Debo Band releasing debut LP in July (MP3); touring with Grupo Fantasma (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Paul Banks - Summertime is Here (MP3)

In case you haven't been outside in the last couple weeks, summertime is here. And if you don't believe me, perhaps you'd take the word of a more public figure, like Interpol's Paul Banks. Actually his song is called "Summertime is Coming," but he probably wrote it a while back. It will probably not usurp Carly Rae Jespen from her Queen of Summer 2012 iron throne, but it is a fine bit of Banks-ian melodrama. You can download it at the top of this post.

It's on Banks' new Julian Plenti Lives EP which came out today and features two Banks originals plus covers of J Dilla, Frank Sinatra (he kinda nails Ol Blue Eyes' "I'm a Fool to Want You"), and '80s-era composer Harold Faltermeyer (the guy who wrote the Beverly Hills Cop theme). You can listen to the whole thing below via a Spotify widget. Banks will also have an album out in the fall which seems more his season. He'll also be performing at FYF Fest in L.A. in September.

Continue reading "Paul Banks released 'Julian Plenti Lives' (MP3, stream)"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Shigeto + Exray's - "Yellow Light" (Remix) (MP3)

Shigeto

San Francisco synth poppers Exray's released their new album, Trust A Robot, today (6/26) via Howells Transmitter, and you can stream the entire thing below along with the video for album track, "Ancient Thing." Another of those tracks, "Yellow Light," was just given remix treatment by Shigeto, who really turns the track around, adding murkier bass, clickier snares, and toying with the vocals to a point where they hardly resemble the original. It's a pretty great remix, and you can grab an MP3 of it at the top of this post.

Shigeto is also set to release the Huron River Drive EP later this summer on Ghostly. The track of the same name appeared on Lineage, which was released earlier this year. You can stream that track below. As mentioned, Shigeto has upcoming shows this summer including some support dates for Gold Panda, one of which is in NYC on August 2 at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets for that show are still available.

A list of updated dates, streams, and video below...

Continue reading "listen to Shigeto + Exray's - "Yellow Light" (Remix)"