“HEAR! HEAR!” EXCLUSIVE: The Winter Sounds’ “The Sun Also Rises” Video and MP3
The Winter Sounds (credit: Laura Meek)
The brightest spot in New Orleans’ pop music scene has to be The Winter Sounds, a band which brings the best of Arcade Fire, Mumford and Sons and Snow Patrol together into one meaty sound worthy of repeat listens. The band’s latest, Runner, comes out November 27. Today we have an exclusive on their brand new video for single “The Sun Also Rises,” a shiny pop nugget with the pop hooks of Snow Patrol merged with the sonic heft of “Intervention”-era Arcade Fire. You can watch the video below, and download the mp3 for free here!
When it comes to crafting memorable hooks, The Racer won’t “Settle” for anything less than the best
If Dexter Morgan had The Racer’s album as his dark passenger, he wouldn’t need to settle for serial murder — they’ve got “killing it” handled!
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Don’t let the first thirty seconds fool you. Monroe (New York)’s The Racer delivers with their latest single “Settle” from their sophomore album Passengers, due out November 11. At first the song echoes classic Coldplay — heavy on the pianos but advocating the tried and true slow build. No doubt, however, they deliver the payoff — the subtlety of the keyboards and vocals during the first verse makes way for the blistering chorus. Instantly there’s no doubting the band much more comfortably compares to Matthew Good. You won’t escape the earworms once the band drops all pretense and lets Steve Kondracki’s blistering guitar solo take over. “Tell me, who are you?” Pete Marotta wails on the refrain, and quite frankly, I’m asking the same question about them. I can’t wait to delve into the whole album!
“HEAR! HEAR!” EXCLUSIVE: From Mumbai to Los Angeles, Natania’s “Cherry Love” will tie your heart in knots
Stream and Download Natania’s single “Cherry Love,” exclusively here at “Hear! Hear!”
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Two years ago Natania left her home in Mumbai for Los Angeles, with a guitar and a dream. She’d always thought of her music as a hobby, but arriving in the US, she took a leap of faith, enrolled herself in Berklee College of Music’s five-week summer program, then followed that with Musician’s Institute’s vocal program. From there, a hobby became her way of life.
Now she’s ready to take the indie-pop world by storm with her ear-catching blend of Ingrid Michaelson and Sarah Bareilles. “My cherry love / you taste like chapstick on my tongue / when you tie a stem I come undone,” she sings over a melody crafted of acoustic guitar, tasteful keyboards and slightly off-kilter percussive riffing. It’s just the kind of pop confection to give you a perfect pre-Thanksgiving sweet tooth, with a singable hook you won’t easily extract from your head … or your tongue.
Download the song through the SoundCloud app above, and sound off below in the comments — what do you think of Natania’s first single?
Mixed Blood Majority ready to take 2013 by storm, Mayans be damned! If you’re not listening to “Fine Print” on repeat, you’re doing it wrong
The best thing about rap music today is how, among underground collectives, there’s been a trend toward collaborating on entire records. A rapper might work with several fellow collaborators on material, allowing for a constant stream of amazing music to reach the listeners. Get ready, because the next big super-collaboration has arrived, in the hands of Mixed Blood Majority, which brings together Crescent Moon (Kill the Vultures), Joe Horton (No Bird Sing) and the ever-talented Lazerbeak (Doomtree). The group’s first single, “Fine Print,” heralds the eventual arrival of a full-length in early 2013.
Now we’re all fine with the words that confine us
Defined by the climate designed by the fine print
Did you read the fine print?
No, but I signed it
Soon you’ll be reciting it like poetry
Lazerbeak’s thundering beat flips the switch to midnight as Horton and Crescent moon flip consistently incendiary verses which showcase the state of music today — seemingly trapped by a previous generation’s ruined paradigm, these three use their collaboration to flip convention on its ear, “staggering their tracks to wake the sleepwalkers.” No more need for frustration or fatigue — fuck the fine print, it’s a new hip-hop revolution. If you’re not playing this song over and over, steeping in Mixed Blood Majority’s dark twisted view of where modern hip-hop is headed, you’re doing it wrong. Get in on the ground floor — based on what this single offers, the full-length should be required listening.
Everybody needs a Hero (Jr) — Alt-rock Revivalists Take Indianapolis, With Eyes on America
Proof from the Hoosier Heartland that Hero(e)s do exist.
I love Hero Jr guitarist Ken Rose ‘s explanation of what his band’s song “Ann Boleyn” really means. When you get down to it, he says: “When the going gets rough, don’t lose your head.” These Indianapolis alt-rock darlings, having received accolades from the Indy Star and Nuvo Weekly, are now ready and willing now to take on the rest of the country. And the music they bring on Backup Plan is more than worth some serious exploration.
Remember when rock and roll seemed to have it all? The band strives to bring together passion, power and chemistry to craft “timeless songs people can relate to.” Lead singer Evan Haughey is gifted with magnificent pipes, his vocals soaring over a guitar-heavy alternative groove which reminds instantly of a cross between nineties-era Tonic and pretty much anything by the Black Crowes or Cracker. Check out “Ann Boleyn” below — if you like it, download it, it’s free and legal! And if you happen to be in the Midwest, check the band out at one of these dates. I hear they bring the roof down every time.
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10/25: The Hideaway Saloon (Louisville KY) – w/ The Delta Routine
10/26: Hamilton St. Pub (Saginaw MI)
11/02: Fearless Radio Unplugged Studio Session (Chicago IL)
11/02: The Bird’s Nest (Chicago IL) – w/ The Delta Routine, The Hawkeyes, Glendenning
11/03: Radio Radio (Indianapolis IN) – w/ The Delta Routine, The Hawkeyes*
11/04: Scarlet & Grey (Columbus OH) – w/ The Delta Routine
11/05: World Café Live (Philadelphia PA) – w/ The Delta Routine, The Hawkeyes
11/06: HeadHouse Restaurant (Philadelphia PA) – w/ The Delta Routine, Boy Wonder
11/08: Fontana’s (New York NY) – w/ The Delta Routine
11/09: The Monkey Wrench (Louisville KY) – w/ The Delta Routine
11/10: Lemmons (St. Louis MO) – w/ The Delta Routine
11/11: High Noon Saloon (Madison WI) – w/ The Lucas Cates Band
11/16: Czar’s 505 (St. Joseph MI) – w/ The Delta Spirit
11/29: Old Haunts (Akron OH) – w/ The Hawkeyes
11/30: Legendary Hobbs (Philadelphia PA) – w/ The Hawkeyes, Late Ancients
12/01: The Place (Indianapolis, IN) – w/ The Hawkeyes12/07: The Crack Fox (St. Louis MO) – w/ The Lions of Gatwood
12/15: Rock House (Indianapolis, IN) – w/ Phoenix on the Fault Line, Veseria, Bullet Called Life
01/05: Uncle Slayton’s (Lousiville, KY) – w/ Po’ Brothers
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* Backup Plan CD release show
Wax Fang’s “Mirror Mirror” is an incisive cut of demonic-edged rock, relishes the sinister in life
Another Louisville band front and center for you today: Wax Fang puts serious flesh into the game with their latest single “Mirror Mirror,” which will sink in deep and demand to be spread like the aural virus it is. The instant we hear singer-guitarist Scott Carney’s first haunting vocals, the trap is set. There’s no release but to play more, devouring the rest of what Mirror Mirror EP has to offer (out October 30 via Karate Body Records).
Once the percussive guitars slam into play ninety seconds into the song, there’s a gleeful sense of dark tent revivalism at play — Carney lures us under the guise of some deeply twisted ritual to wield a poisonous snake or two in the name of alternative salvation. It works, the melody digging its way in, insisting there’s no escape. All’s fair in the search for amazing new music. Skip the genre comparisons and simply check out the video below. And if you’re going to be near Louisville on the 17th of November, you’d be insane to miss the band’s homecoming at Headliners Music Hall with Old Baby and Anwar Sadat — only $10, with tickets still available!
Single “Harbour Lights” proves A Silent Film is definitely no one hit wonder
A Silent Film rocketed into this critic’s consciousness when the Oxford, UK-based band issued “Danny, Dakota and the Wishing Well” back in April. The post I made here on this site extolling the virtues of that track and dubbing the band’s at-that-time-unreleased full-length “the indie pop album to watch for this summer,” quickly became the most popular “Artists To Watch” post ever!
Since that time, Sand & Snow, the band’s sophomore album, came out in early June. And though it is unfortunate the band still remains mired in obscurity here in the US, the album has launched a new single which builds on the potential of “Danny, Dakota and the Wishing Well,” upping the ante on Robert Stevenson’s stadium-worthy vocals. Comparisons to Snow Patrol and Bell X1 are still valid when aimed at “Harbour Lights,” but the band is quietly making its mark and proving they’re ready to dominate the same stages. It is past time for this band to get a push here in the US. Radio won’t play it, but “Hear! Hear!” will — lap it up in a stripped down live version below (you’ll really hear the “Rocky Took A Lover” comparisons in that version) or enjoy the full single version here.
The Zolas tie themselves up in knots to create amazing alt pop hooks and win hearts
If I’d heard this one a few months ago it could have easily been my song of summer. Okay, actually I did hear this song a month ago, but it fell off my desk only to earworm its way back in, and I’m damned glad for it. The Zolas have a distinct sound — “Knot In My Heart” opens with an oddly familiar strain akin to touches of Flight of the Conchords mock folk, but twists off-kilter keyboards and haunting vocals quickly enter the mix, crafting a pop hook as warped as anything you’ve heard this year. The band’s latest album, Ancient Mars, came out this week on Light Organ Records, and is definitely an album you’ll want on your Fall driving radar. If you enjoy music by the Wombats, with hooks taking modern techno-pop touches and merging them with 90s alt-nostalgia, the Zolas will be your new favorite.
Throwing deft lyrical punches, Jason Myles Goss is alternative music dynamite
Of bad nights and bruises, Jason Myles Goss’s songs show, rather than tell.
I was born in the gutter from a mother just seventeen
No father or a brother in a world so hard and mean
I learned to fight before I learned to read
I could could throw my hands with a devilish speed
And someday, Mama, you’ll see I’m gonna be somebody
For this 90s-music veteran, having cut my teeth on Counting Crows’ August and Everything After and whetted my appetite for roots-alternative via the Wallflowers’ Bringing Down the Horse, it’s refreshing to hear a songwriter with the honest songwriting ability of Jason Myles Goss. The Massachusetts songwriter who is equally indebted to similar influences, owes a great deal to the former Dylan’s ability to craft a memorable lyric, coupled with Joe Pug’s amazing modern folk delivery. Couple that with an amazing pop-rock hook which instantly reminds of Tonic’s Emerson Hart, and “Black Lights” is a stunning discovery which serves as a perfect introduction to the songwriter’s fourth album, Radio Dial, an album which works as hard as this song’s boxing protagonist to craft meaningful music which resonates like a brutal right-hook.
All I have are bad nights
Wrapping knuckles, taping hands tight
The calm after a fistfight is the hollowest sound I know …
Almost like the hollow sound you’ll briefly hear between your ears before you hit play and dig up a copy of this stellar album so you can hear a dozen more just as good.
http://soundcloud.com/mt-press/jason-myles-goss-black-lights
FEATURED SONG: Eyes Lips Eyes – “Don’t Blow It”
Maybe it’s not too broke to fix
It’s a thrill to give you (what you want)
It’s everything you dreamed of (what you want)
Put everything on plastic if you just don’t blow it
Everything’s going down …. whoooooooooooooooh!
But you just can’t stop it
Opening with a series of Ramones-esque “Yeah!”s, Eyes Lips Eyes’ impressive “Don’t Blow It” follows its own mantra by morphing immediately into a melodic pop romp through everything eighties. It’s a hook made from B-52s surf-pop with hints of Beach Boys in the background vocals, coupled with a tune which draws just enough from Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself” to be immediately tip-of-the-tongue memorable. The song is currently streaming for free at Spinner, so you can hear for yourself, Co-produced by the band alongside John Goodmanson (Death Cab for Cutie, Nada Surf) and mixed by Mike Roskelly (Kaskade), the single is the perfect lead-off from What You Want (If You Want), the band’s four-song follow-up to their debut project Blue Red, which is sure to be the perfect blend of seventies-era post-punk, eighties new-wave hooks and the modern rock energy of the Strokes. This Los Angeles by way of Utah fouresome warrants some serious watching!
FEATURED SONG: LP – “In The Pines”
When you hear her voice, you’ll understand …
There are some things which are simply beyond words. You’ll understand when you hear LP’s magnificently full voice resonating as she strips Lead Belly’s “In The Pines” down to its rawest fury. I haven’t been literally forced back in my seat by a voice since I first heard John Jacob Niles sing. The whole solo ukelele thing is so played out, I wanted to say, but that voice! I can’t stop listening to it. If the rest of her Into The Wild: Live at EastWest Studios album is as good as this, I may just have to be committed to an asylum where it’s just me and that voice. Excuse me while I listen again a few more times. Listen below yourself, and you’ll know why I can’t help myself!
FEATURED SONG: Mörse – “Le Bannissement”
For those about to rock out to Mörse, “Salut!”
I get some fun stuff in my email-box these days, but nothing has rocked quite as much as this song I got from French punk-rockers Mörse. “Le Bannissement” doesn’t waste any time. In 110 seconds they storm into town, trash the place, steal your woman and leave you with nothing but hard-edged thrash rattling around in your head as you hope they’ll play the song again and let you bask in it. It’s a shame to say I don’t know much about this band, but hearing songs with this much power and grit, I think that needs to change. Fast.
FEATURED SONG: The Royal Concept – “Gimme Twice”
The Royal Concept’s latest video takes infectious pop to a new level!
Stockholm’s The Royal Concept has a ripping new video for “Gimme Twice,” which features the band being forced to perform like puppets under the total control of their handlers. The song itself is so mindlessly infectious, it instantly reminds one of the Wombats’ This Modern Glitch, which was dominated by hook-filled nuggets “Tokyo” and “Anti-D.” The key to enjoying the Royal Concept, however, is understanding they’re not taking themselves nearly as seriously as Wombats lead singer Matthew Murphy. To the contrary, this is dance-infused pop to set your feet on fire. There’s no time for serious considerations. “Come on, say it out loud so they all can hear!” their lead singer howls at the chorus “I’m the one for you …” By the end of the listen, you’ll believe it, and you’ll want to hear more. Thankfully, their full self-titled EP is available to provide exactly that.
FEATURED SONG: Clockwork Radio – “Feel It Up”
Clockwork Radio
Something about this new song “Feel It Up” by Clockwork Radio makes me think of a sonic alliance between Vampire Weekend and Crowded House. It’s an invigorating pop listen which builds its reputation more and more as you play it. Featured prominently on their new EP Unbuntu, which is available via purchase at Bandcamp, or for free if you choose to “Pay With A Tweet” by sharing the EP on Twitter or by suggesting the EP to your friends on Facebook.These alt-rockers, based in Wales, have had a measure of success in parts of Europe, but to this point have been an undiscovered gem here in the States. Here’s hoping they don’t stay that way for long — songs like this need to be spread around!
FEATURED SONG: JEFF The Brotherhood – “Sixpack”
JEFF The Brotherhood (credit: Jo McCaughey)
They’ve got a six-pack and they’re here to save us from another drawn-out summer with nothing to get excited about. With a fuzzed-out blend of modern indie with hints of 90s-era Weezer and just the slightest touch of Jack White’s brand of forced genre fusion, Nashville’s JEFF The Brotherhood definitely bring the goods! Their debut album for Warner Bros. Records, Hypnotic Nights, comes out July 17th should see the Orrall brothers finally get some notice after their six underground albums which got them here. You can pre-order the album via the band’s website.
FEATURED SONG: Matthew E. White – “One of These Days”
It’s hard to look away from such a subtle track as “One Of These Days,” which demands repetition to expose its deepest layers. The languidly subtle track isn’t going to hit you over the head with its rewards, but once you hear it you’ll know you want to hear more from this guy who channels the likes of Allen Toussaint and Dr. John so effortlessly, even if it means you have to work for those rewards. Matthew E. White’s Big Inner has already been championed by the music behemouth which is Pitchfork, so I was immediately predisposed to dislike the music as pretentious indie bullshit, but White’s charms instantly revealed themselves, making me thoroughly ready for more from this “formidable” debut. The album comes out August 21st on the newly joined labels Hometapes and Spacebomb, and features Spacebomb’s house band, choir, string, and horn sections which should make for a positively headphone-quality experience. There’s nothing like a little of “the sweetest thing the Lord has ever made” (his words, not mine!) to brighten up your listening day!
FEATURED SONG: A. Wolf and Her Claws – “Zero To 60″
A. Wolf and Her Claws' Aby Wolf
This is some wild ragga-elecro-pop you’ll soon be unable to get out of your head, and it’s all thanks to the vocals of Aby Wolf. From the self-titled debut A. Wolf and Her Claws, “Zero To 60″ blasts into the dub stratosphere with a boost by synthesist / programmer Jesse Whitney’s twisted arrangement, but Wolf’s voice is what wins you over in the end. What is immediately clear is that the band wants to push the envelope of what inspires modern electronic pop, and their energy is immediately contagious. Not that it should be a surprise, with Wolf hailing from Doomtree, the groundbreaking hip-hop crew responsible for some of the most innovative albums not to come from Rhymesayers. A. Wolf and Her Claws is available now as a free stream via AOL’s Spinner, so there’s no excuse — groove to the video below, then check out the full album. It is definitely worth the listen.
FEATURED SONG: Onward, Soldiers – “Cinder Blocks”
Onward, Soldiers! There's music to be conquered.
“Darling, Cinder Block eyes, you put me in a coma,” Sean Thomas Gerard sings, delving into a dream he had about Medusa. The track which resulted from said dream is the perfect introduction to this Wilmington, North Carolina band, which revels in a blend of alt-folk and rock which is akin to combining the tunefulness of a band like Gin Blossoms and throwing it into a blender with Will Hoge, Ryan Adams and Wilco. Even then, the end product stands out as something truly stamped with their own experiences, a perfect example of building on your influences to then go off in your own direction.
If you enjoyed the Hoots and Hellmouth song I posted this morning, you’ll absolutely love “Cinder Blocks.” Which means their latest album, Monsters, should be required listening. Regardless of how long you listen, the music most certainly will not put you in a coma. This is music you shout about from the rooftops … or at least you should.
FEATURED SONG: Lonely Patrol – “Bittermint”
Tell City, Indiana's Lonely Patrol
Somebody sign this band! Call it a Facebook Find, but I stumbled today upon one of the best hidden treasure bands I can guarantee you haven’t already heard. But you NEED to hear them. Open with the fuzzed out bass which introduces “Bittermint,” which sounds like it came straight out of 1995. By the time Sam Snyder’s vocals come in and the drums ratchet up to full throttle, you won’t be able to get this one out of your head. The song doesn’t come even close to wearing out its welcome; by the time these 135 seconds are over you’ll be hitting repeat and wondering where this band’s been all your life.
FEATURED SONG: A Silent Film – “Danny, Dakota & the Wishing Well”
A Silent Film
Bringing together the best of Bell X1 and Snow Patrol with an immensely danceable pop backdrop, A Silent Film has a real winner on its hands in “Danny, Dakota & The Wishing Well.” The acclaimed Oxford, UK four-piece has built a reputation for itself with this type of expansive, blow-your-mind epic pop, and though it’s a cliche to say it, there’s something for everyone on this wide-reaching track. An accidental hybrid of Bell X1′s “Rocky Took A Lover” and Noah and the Whale’s “Tonight’s The Kind of Night,” the song spills over with ear-catching hooks and singable moments, creating a song just itching for the chance to go viral. With their new album, Sand and Snow, coming out June 5th, this is a tantalizing first taste of what should be the indie pop album to watch for this summer.
FEATURED SONG: Jonny Diaz – “Scars”
Contemporary Christian songwriter Johnny Diaz
She holds for dear life to the ends of the sleeves in her handsCovering up lies that she wrote with a razor sharp penAnd the sting of the blade is no match for the pain
Of the loneliness that she’s going through
But we’ve all been there too
FEATURED SONG: Jameson Elder – “Take Me Back”
Nashville songwriter Jameson Elder
If you’re among those who feel a new Emerson Hart album can’t come soon enough, this new single from Nashville songwriter Jameson Elder comes along just in time. A sunny melody propped up by hook-infused vocals, “Take Me Back” would have been a surefire mainstream hit in the 90s, but should still warrant word-of-mouth praise even in this “here today gone tomorrow” music climate. “It’s taking me back again from my heart down to my skin,” Elder sings, and his praise of second chances seems fitting, considering the nostalgia these days for hook-filled pop without hidden motives. With summer looming months ahead of schedule, this is the perfect track to play with the windows down and an arm out the car window, a breezy example of alt-pop done right. Whether you’re into roots-rock, pop or Americana, Jameson Elder’s got somethign for you; The Home I’ve Never Known, his upcoming studio EP, can’t come soon enough.
FEATURED SONG: Regina Spektor – “All The Rowboats”
Regina's back and she's going for blood ...
It’s official: I can’t wait to hear the rest of what’s to come on What We Saw From The Cheap Seats, Regina Spektor’s upcoming album — which, I must predict, will surely be among the most original and invigorating pop releases of 2012. “All The Rowboats,” her latest single (which you can hear above), is the first song I’ve heard since Soviet Kitsch that fully encapsulates her unique vocal stylings. With pure pop verve and the sense of chaotic inventive inspiration which has always kept her best work just out of reach of the fans who prefer her poppiest songs, “All The Rowboats” is like a twisted ride down the river Styx, but with Spektor’s sultry voice filling in for Charon as ferryman. “Welcome to the tombs,” she sings: “The living dead fill every room / God I pity the violence,” as thundering propulsive percussion and frenetic piano give her vocals the perfect heft to steal your mind away. This is one of Spektor’s strongest singles yet, and if the rest of the album builds on this level of twisted deliciousness, the album’s going to be a juggernaut.
What do you think? Sound off in the comments!
Killing us not so softly, Amanda Palmer’s taking listeners over by sheer force of will
I’m not a member of the Church of Amanda Fucking Palmer, and I only have a passing acquaintance with the Dresden Dolls. Her recent splash on Kickstarter aside, I’ll admit to having not heard much of her actual music, but the word-of-mouth on the internet won me over and I discovered this astonishingly addicting nugget from her latest album. Palmer may not be the killing type, though she does a smashingly good job of contradicting that via the arresting images in the video, but she kills via her music. This is one of the strongest songs to come out this year on the strength of the hook alone, but Palmer kicks it up to twelve with her all-in performance. If you haven’t heard it, stop reading and listen now — and if you have already heard it, another ten times won’t hurt. Then buy a copy of Theater is Evil featuring her full band, the Grand Theft Orchestra, because Palmer’s got a lot more going for her than just mere hype.
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October 4, 2012 | Categories: Artists To Watch, Commentary, Featured Songs | Tags: artists to watch, featured song, kickstarter, Amanda Palmer, The Killing Type, Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra, The Dresden Dolls, Theater Is Evil | 2 Comments »