Posts Tagged ‘Brooklyn’

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The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Alexi Murdoch’s second recording, “Towards the Sun”, follows his 2006 breakout indie release, “Time Without Consequence”. Murdoch’s debut cemented him as an Artist to Watch from Alternative Press, and was hailed as “a timeless folk-pop record that’s likely to endure” by NPR Music.
Fiercely independent, and supported by a word of mouth groundswell, Alexi Murdoch chose to self-release Time Without Consequence. It has to date sold over 100,000 copies — and continues to sell briskly almost a half decade after initial release.

Though his second record has had a long gestation, Murdoch’s reputation as a serious musical force has been growing apace. With no marketing and little fanfare, his debut quietly became one of the most licensed albums of the decade, receiving placements in countless films and television shows, making Murdoch one of those rare artists who is known primarily for how his music actually sounds. Most recently Murdoch was tabbed by director Sam Mendes to helm the soundtrack for the acclaimed 2009 indie film “Away We Go”, contributing nine songs alongside songs by the Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, George Harrison & the Stranglers.

Murdoch tape-recorded the majority of Towards the Sun in Vancouver in a single night while on tour in North America in 2009. Revisiting the tape months later in a basement studio in Brooklyn the arrangements were kept poignantly spare; calling on a small handful of local musicians, the record was finished in a few days. The result is a compellingly stark and raw document of quiet, visceral folk songs that are at once dark and immediate.

SAN FERMIN – ” Jackrabbit “

Posted: February 5, 2015 in MUSIC
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San Fermin is the brainchild of a Brooklyn songwriter and pianist named Ellis Ludwig-Leone, but he’s no frontman:  The Three singers share lead-vocal duties on the chamber-pop band’s self-titled debut, and he’s not one of them. Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig also sing in Lucius, but they don’t harmonize so much as sing in unison; the third vocalist is Allen Tate, whose grim, deadpan baritone recalls that of Smog’s Bill Callahanor or The National‘s Matt Berninger.

The three singers’ voices swap out and intertwine throughout San Fermin  debut album which sets their contributions against orchestral arrangements that sweep and swell with a pitch-perfect mix of forcefulness and delicacy. Over the course of 17 songs in 55 minutes, Ludwig-Leone and San Fermin craft one of the year’s most surprising, ambitious, evocative and moving records; around every corner lies a sweet moment or a sucker punch, or both at once.

Ludwig-Leone came of age in classical music — he’s worked with similarly inventive composer Nico Muhly, and it shows throughout San Fermin. But he’s got a fully formed gift for wringing emotion out of many musical forms: In “Renaissance!” and “Methuselah” and elsewhere, he empties out his folk and classical toolboxes — complete with all of his assembled vocalists — and tucks gorgeous touches into every moment along the way. The result, a jarringly accomplished debut, is as easy to love as it is to admire.

SLOTHRUST – ” Crockpot “

Posted: February 2, 2015 in MUSIC
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This three-piece grunge revivalist group are often compared to Sonic Youth and Nirvana, but lead singer Leah Wellbaum’s charismatic lyrics and on-stage ferocity make them a band of their own. Also in the same vein as fellow Brooklyn risers Sharkmuffin, Wellbaum sings on universal themes (alienation and awkwardness, for example), but she does in a way that brings harder punk lovers together with guitar rock (and indie rock) fiends. We fit into the latter category, but we love their 2014 release “Feels Your Pain” nonetheless. They gear up for a month long tour supporting fellow alt-punk rockers Cymbals Eat Guitars later this month .
For fans of: Speedy Ortiz, The Breeders, Pavement

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New York’s best purveyor of dreamy rock ‘n roll is Kanine Records, and they’ve found sonic gold in Beverly. We’re not too surprised, though, as the Brooklyn-based group got their start with local indie rock starlet ex-Vivian Girls’ Frankie Rose behind the mic. Rose collaborated with Drew Citron to produce sun drenched harmonies amongst simple, reverb-friendly riffs, but has since departed the band to give Citron full reign.  Not to worry, though, as Drew now performs alongside Jamie Ingalls (of Chairlift, on drums), Scott Rosenthal (of Class Actress, on bass) and Caitlin Frame. Songs like “You Can’t Get It Right” are the perfectly hypnotizing companion to a late summer’s jaunt on the beach. Or just maybe the remembrance of one.

 

HONDURAS – ” Borders “

Posted: January 31, 2015 in MUSIC
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This four-piece Brooklyn band of punk rockers who have English punk rock heroes and  with the garage rock revival to thank (think the Buzzcocks, Dead Kennedys, The Hives and The Libertines). Lead singer Pat Phillips’ infectious energy, tight, fiery guitars, and boisterous stage presence drive the band. Behind him, guitarist Tyson Moore, drummer Josh Wehle and bassist Paul Lizarraga create fierce post-punk noise. Songs like frantic adrenaline boosters “Ace” and “Borders” as well as the fuzzy, introspective “Jetlagged” have them well on their way to success. You just have to see their gut-punching spirit live to believe it. If you like The Libertines, The Hives, The Dead Kennedys then this band Honduras are for you,

 

Music video by Sunflower Bean performing “2013”,For Sunflower Bean, three New York City teenagers who released their debut EP “Show Me Your Seven Secrets” this week, they’ve played their hazy, psychedelic garage rock in over 50 shows in the city this past year. And they’ve already caught the attention of the New York Times, NPR and Interview Magazine. In a Brooklyn sea of dream-pop and indie-rock, Sunflower Bean wants to bring back some good, old-fashioned rock-‘n’-roll. The trio—comprised of Julia Cumming (also a runway model), Nick Kivlen, and Jacob Farber—have taken it upon themselves to make up their own version of rock-‘n’-roll for the digital age. Drawing from lo-fi sounds and dark rock and psychedelic undertones, Sunflower Bean’s music is not as delicate as the band’s name might lead you to believe: it’s sultry and hypnotic.

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The Brooklyn duo Courtship Ritual make spare, hushed, minimal indie-pop, like Beach House with a slight dance-music edge, or like the xx with a little more old-school 4AD reverb in their sound. That’s a simple, durable sound, but on their debut album “Pith”, they’re already exploring its edges, changing its definition from song to song. Pith has been out on cassette for a little while now, but it’s about to get a proper wide release. My friend Nick Sylvester produced the album, and he’s putting it out on his Godmode label. And when I say that this is one of the best indie albums you’ll hear this year. I’m saying that because that’s what it is. You can, and should listen now,

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Parquet Courts have set a “live” album for release in March 2015 which was recorded at Jack White‘s Third Man studios in Nashville.
With a title designed to allay any confusion Parquet Courts: Live at Third Man Records the album will be released on March 3rd and features audio recorded at Jack White’s batcave in June 2014. We were witness to Parquet Courts live when the band played UK festival slots last year, with the album to be one of our essential listening albums of 2014 and superb live sets made them one of the best guitar bands around.

“For most bands the rules of playing live are quite simple: 1. Turn up 2. Play 3. Run for the exit. Admittedly some also find time to thank the crowd. But then for most bands music is written, not created. And what is exciting about them comes from practice and planning, not experimentation and actual excitement.”

“So the excitement of the crowd is palpable when Parquet Courts take to the stage, for it’s not very clear to anyone what is about to happen, but something is definitely about to happen.
Parquet Courts brought a sweltering performance to the hallowed grounds of Third Man’s Blue Room on June 5th of last year and very fortunately, Third Man Records were able to lovingly capture it with their one-of-a-kind, direct-to-acetate recording process. The set included a dynanmic selection of songs from last year’s critically acclaimed album Sunbathing Animal, as well as the 2013 EP, Tally All The Things That You Broke.

The Brooklyn trio and friends performs “Then Came The Morning” on the David Letterman Show . We had the chance to play Late Show with David Letterman last night on the precipice of a winter storm that wasn’t. It was an incredible experience all around, from playing a TV show in our backyard, sharing the stage with amazingly talented musicians, and well, Dave gave us the horns.

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This band, live, is incredible. They played Newport Folk Festival in 2013,  One of the best gigs I’ve heardon NPR radio. I will really miss Letterman promoting these non-mainstream acts such as Jason Isbell, The Lone Bellow, Trampled by Turtles and St. Paul and the Broken Bones. the Show features Blues, rock, gospel, country, folk -all of which the Lone Bellow does them all, on this record. Fresh melodies carry the same familiar flavor of their first release, and the same emotional lead vocals and delicate harmonies are just as present here. This band plays pure, raw music that comes from talented musicians and songwriters in a world where mainstream music is all over-produced,  Great sophomore record from an incredible band. I hope they continue to make music for many years.

The Favourite Sons are an indie rock band from Brooklyn, made up of Ken Griffin (former member of Rollerskate Skinny) and four members of Jagjaguwar‘s Aspera. They have released one full length album, “Down Beside Your Beauty”,  The four other Sons (guitarist/keyboard player Justin Tripp, guitarist Carmine Degennaro, bass guitarist Matt Werth, and drummer A.J. Edmiston were formerly part of the band Aspera before relocating to New York in 2004 after parting ways with their singer. Werth and Tripp tracked down Griffin in the summer of 2004, only to learn that he had spent the last four years crafting a new repertoire of songs focusing largely on his unique vocals and melodic sensibilities.

Vice Recordings, who had expressed interest from the earliest demos, offered the band a long-term deal. The Sons recorded “Down Beside Your Beauty” in Brooklyn in January, In 2006, they toured with The Drones and Devastations, but pulled out of the tour due to illness. In 2007, they undertook a national US tour with Au Revoir Simone . The band have recently completed work upon a new album. entitled “The Great Deal of Love” which has been released on Low Rent Records.