Greetings from Laurel Canyon! Night before last, I came home tired from a long week of shuffling from meetings to gigs, gigs to studios, and back to more meetings. Although I thought about "hitting the hay," this week's Idelic Hour weighed heavily on my mind. The truth is I have my issues with the show. The obligation to continue week after week with a fresh and interesting take on "this here hour" certainly can take its toll. It's not an obligation to the hip and laid back Jon Meyers and the TVD family that [...]
The female four-piece look to carry the torch as the next great post-punk revival band for a new generation. "Savages' intention is to create a sound, indestructible, musically solid, written for the stage and designed with enough nuances to provide a wide range of emotions," reads the first line to the fmanifesto posted by the group. The UK band has been making waves since their double A-side single released last year. Now with the debut of their full length LP, Silence Yourself , the band is set to introduce themselves to the [...]
We first heard about Lady Lamb the Beekeeper from fellow Brooklyn darlings Pearl and the Beard. As it turns out, word of mouth is a fabulous way to find new music and in the case of Lady Lamb, this suggestion offered us a musician who engages her crowd with her rawness, sheer musical prowess, and nuanced delivery of powerful lyrics. We had the opportunity to talk to Aly Spaltro, the powerful young songstress behind the Lady Lamb and the Beekeeper moniker, about her first album Ripely Pine (released in February [...]
"Roadshow Revival: A Tribute to the Music of Johnny Cash” is set to take over the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Father’s Day weekend, Saturday, June 15. The fifth annual event will feature outlaw country, rockabilly, bluegrass, rock 'n' roll, and Johnny Cash tribute bands, as well as a pin-up girl pageant, hot rods, custom cars, and motorcycles, Johnny Cash memorabilia, and vendors offering food, beverages, and collectibles. There are a lot of great talents on the roster this year including Chris Shiflett [...]
It’s hard to believe but this weekend marks the 7th edition of the annual three-day music festival and celebration of Mid City. As usual, the organizers have some great music in store for you. Here are my picks. The full schedule is here . You can’t go wrong with the whole lineup on Friday afternoon and evening. Corey Henry and the Tremé Funktet get things started on the National Endowment for the Arts stage. The band features Travis “Trumpet Black” Hill [...]
Those with a serious jones for power pop might already be hip to the Numero Group label’s dandy 150-gm repressings of the early work from the killer Illinois group, Shoes. However, interested parties new to the band of John Murphy (vocals and bass), Jeff Murphy (vocals and guitar), Gary Klebe (vocals and guitar), and a whole lot of drummers should begin with their still massive 1977 album Black Vinyl Shoes. It’s quite a stunner, and the fact that it’s freshly available is a surefire antidote for many ills, including creeping cynicism. [...]
Their live shows are referred to as "rituals." They wear masks and robes and remain anonymous. Nearly every song is a celebration of Satan. The mystery that is Ghost B.C. continues to grow every day. The Swedish metal band burst onto the scene in 2010 with their debut album, Opus Eponymous . Soon they were all the buzz, with people talking about the retro-metal sound, or about their image and keeping their identities hidden. 2013 saw the release of Infestissumam , with the band experimenting with different styles rather than sticking to the [...]
From nu metal to dubstep, there's really only one act that comes to mind when you say the band whose name is a misspelled fruit*: Korn . The rockers who helped defined pre-millennial guitar music are coming to The Fillmore Silver Spring on May 21st and we've got tickets to give away. How can you get your hands on 'em? It's as easy as saying "I totally had the Follow The Leader CD in my Discman in 1999." Other than being regulars [...]
"Whatever you want to ask me, I’m an open book of honesty right now," Laura Stevenson tells me, laughing. And there was lots of laughing during our chat. For someone whose music has been called melancholic and dark, Laura Stevenson is remarkably cheery about her songwriting and her career. The former sorta-punk turned country-tinged songstress released her third album in two years, Wheel , on April 23. It's a treatise on the modern-day anxieties and deep musings of a gentle, introverted soul—with an extroverted voice. Uninterested [...]
We're delighted to premiere the brand new video from Washington, DC's Black Dog Prowl, "No Robots." The video and single will both be available on May 21. —Ed. "How many times have you looked back at a seemingly insignificant decision only to realize you made a catastrophic mistake? Some probably have more experience with this than others. The most memorable of these ninja regrets for me has to be selling my father’s record collection…for next to nothing…then spending the money on candy." "In my defense, I was 10-years-old and [...]
Greater Manchester’s most in the know radio host Shell Zenner broadcasts the best new music every week on the UK's Amazing Radio. You can also catch Shell's broadcast right here at TVD, each and every Thursday. Advertise here with BSA
While not forgotten, the late-‘60s group known as Rhinoceros seem to be remembered less for their music and more for the circumstances of their formation. In the end that’s no great crime, but they did knock out two very solid LPs in ’68-’69 (and a final one in 1970 that frankly isn’t so good.) The first one was self-titled and anyone with a strong inclination for the music of the period should look into its contents. Even though they got into game a bit late, the Elektra label was responsible for some of the biggest rock [...]
This Sunday, May 19, Virus Recordings , 2Tuff and The Vinyl District present Inject the Virus. A celebration of the 15-year run of Virus Recordings, this eponymous event will feature drum and bass legends Ed Rush and Optical as well as artists of 2Tuff and local internet streaming station Expansion Broadcast . And this will all happen at U Street Music Hall . Virus Recordings, the UK-born drum and bass record label, has targeted “techstep” and “neurofunk” sub-cultures around the world. Started in 1998, the legendary label made way for the futuristic, albeit [...]
Stuart Gadd is a promoter in London, and runs monthly night Club Radio Free Europe. Stuart is also a freelance writer for Artrocker magazine, and in the past has written for Record Collector magazine. Writing for such publications has helped nurture a love for discovering the old and the new, and has honed his skills as a promoter in the discovery of music further afield across Europe and beyond. Club Radio Free Europe highlights the best of emerging music in a different country, from Europe and beyond, each month. [...]
What do you get when you mix a benefit for D.C. Central Kitchen, a mixologist competition, food tastings from area restaurants and food trucks, and kickass bands to groove to while stuffing your face? It's the Sound Bites DC Central Kitchen's Festival of Local Music, Food, and Change of course. We've got a pair of tickets to give away courtesy of the 9:30 Club and yours truly. "Sound Bites is an outdoor street festival at the historic 9:30 Club that celebrates local food and music while raising funds to [...]
We've been following this new band led by guitarist Blake Quick since their inception. This week they continue their weekly residency at the Maple Leaf Bar during the month of May. If you haven’t seen Blake’s new band yet, this is the time to check them out. Pedal steel phenom Dave Easley , who has been keeping a relatively low profile lately (and shaved off his trademark beard), joined the band last week. Easley is known around town for his involvement in a variety of projects including his Grateful Dead tribute band, [...]
Glaswegian indie boys Cherri Fosphate have just released their debut EP "Burning Youth" this week. The video for "Losing Teeth" is a track taken from the EP and a perfect little slice of Cherri Fosphate's perfectly formed indie rock. Comparisons have been made to bands like Franz Ferdinand and The Strokes, "Losing Teeth" definitely feels like an homage to the latter with smatterings of old-skool Biffy Clyro in there for good measure. The video itself features a lovely looking young lady getting ready for a shoot with the band, painting them gold as [...]
Up ‘til now, Austin, TX’s Pure X has largely been associated with noise pop, but on the band’s second LP they stretch the previous boundaries of their sound with very positive results. In previously summarizing them, a person might’ve very likely said: “you’ll love them if you’re into that sorta thing.” With this new record, it’s become more difficult to tidily encapsulate exactly what Pure X’s thing actually is. The growth is substantial but cohesive, and Crawling Up The Stairs is a very good, and very good-looking, LP. Pure X have are often described [...]
On Saturday, May 11, the 4th annual Sweetlife Festival was held at Merriweather Post Pavilion . Almost two-dozen acts and thousands of fans came out to praise the salad gods. On the Main Stage, Solange had more soul than a sneaker factory. Actress, model, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, she took the stage and proved that she does not stand in her sister's shadow. Sporting a funky 'fro, Solange played songs from her 2008 album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams , her 2012 EP True , as well as covers by Selena [...]
Enjoy earthy tones and warm sounds? Warp Records staple Bibio has probably made your day before and is sure to do so again with today's release of his seventh album Silver Wilkinson . Bibio's effortless ability to combine analog warmth with modern-day beats creates an intriguing sound, juxtaposing crunk with melancholy. The result is a brain-feeding experience heavy on nostalgia but still full of head-nodding and the desire to flail limbs in some sort of rhythmic manner, which is what my friends accuse me of doing instead of "dancing." Emotive and [...]
The Vinyl District
MS MR- “Hurricane (CHVRCHES Remix)”
Lana Del Rey is the “Queen of Disaster” on New ‘Born To Die’ Leak
