This week: great indiepop label Slumberland Records is doing a singles club for its 30th anniversary; an essential Fall compilation is getting its first-ever U.S. vinyl release; plus The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Kelley Stoltz, and Warm Drag (Oh Sees / K-holes).
This week in the basement: the return of Ladytron, a wigged-out new single from Wand; Memphis punk cult legends The Klitz; the jangly slacker style of San Francisco's The Love Birds; and Gwenno asks an important question on her terrific new album.
Oakland, CA's Once and Future Band make music that sounds like its been transported from 1977, along with a deep shag rug. Thick funk mingles with orchestral outer space soft rock for the perfect soundtrack to your next fondue party. Needless to say they are not your typical band on Castle face, the label co-owned by Oh Sees main man John Dwyer...
In addition to his great new album Rod for Your Love, Sonny's also working on a web sitcom about a touring indie rock band where his mom plays the drummer.
Kelley Stoltz is a prolific musician -- last year's Que Aura is terrific -- but, apart from his time in the live lineup of Echo & The Bunnymen, he a less frequent tourer, especially on the East Coast.
This week it's the Indie Basement picks for best LPs of 2017, tilting heavily to classic indie, college rock, and more.
SAVAK will be on a short tour in January featuring The Effects (members of Faraquet and Beauty Pill) and North Carolina's fierce, nervy Patois Counselors .
Best of the Year Season continues, having begun last week with Rough Trade Shops' list...
Kelley Stoltz musical life has come full circle. One of his first releases was Crockodials, a song-for-song remake of Echo & The Bunnymen's debut album, and he also fronted a tribute band of the same name that included Pavement's Spiral Stairs and Shayde Sartin (later of The Fresh & Onlys and Sonny & The Sunsets). For the last year or so, he's put his fandom to more formal use as a touring member of the actual Echo & The Bunnymen...
Plus: Amanda Palmer joined Violent Femmes for "Kiss Off" (video).