And we’re back again with another post of new music, with:
Andrew W.K.
Car Seat Headrest
Fidlar
Jeff Rosenstock
Nap Eyes
Enjoy.
Andrew W.K. NYC
“Music Is Worth Living For” from You’re Not Alone due out March 2.
Andrew W.K. (or maybe his doppelganger(WTF is up with that??)) is back with a new inspirational, anthemic,……You know what? Let’s cut to the chase…..ARE YOU READY TO PARTY AGAIN?
tom
Car Seat Headrest Seattle, WA
“Nervous Young Inhumans” from the new Twin Fantasy, out Feb. 16.
So at this point a lot of people know that Will Toledo released a bunch of albums on Bandcamp before signing to Matador records and rising to “Indie Rock Famous”. Well, apparently he always felt that the cult favorite Bandcamp album Twin Fantasy could be better, so here comes the improved version, recorded not solo on a laptop, but with a full band in a studio. The new Nervous Young Inhumans comes with a dorky, but fully endearing and fun video, too.
tom
Fidlar L.A., CA
“Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle”, standalone Nirvana cover.
I’m really digging this fun rendition of one of my favorite tracks from Nirvana’s In Utero. Uhhh, careful….there’s some not quite subliminal NSFW images cut into that video.
tom
Jeff Rosenstock New York, NY
“Post-“
According to so many “think pieces,” rock ’n’ roll (music made mostly on guitar) is dead. The basis for the argument is a combination of data from streaming platforms and physical record sales from last year. Drake’s album, whatever it’s called, was at the top of all the lists. Followed by mostly bad hip-hop. Can someone tell me what a Post Malone is? Anyways, in dissent of the arguments being made, I present Exhibit A: Jeff Rosenstock’s “Post-.“ He dropped the new album, on New Year’s Day on Bandcamp, essentially for free. Although, I paid 10 bucks for it. Worth it. It will receive a full pressing on Polyvinyl Records soon. Rock ’n’ roll is not dead, people just aren’t paying attention. This is a really fantastic, cathartic punk-rock album that muses heavily on the fallout of the 2016 election. It’s a great start to a year I suspect will be ripe with great guitar-based rock music. Like last year was, and the year before, and the year before, etc. —Joshua
Nap Eyes Halifax, Nova Scotia
“Every Time the Feeling” from the forthcoming album I’m Bad Now
When Tom and I went to see Car Seat Headrest last year at The Orange Peel in Asheville, the Canadian 4-piece Nap Eyes opened with a set that I found myself listening more and more intently to. This first single off the band’s new record has the same sort of quietly addictive quality — you’ll find yourself contentedly humming along even while you weigh the bad choices to the hard question the song is asking. – bill
Friday 1/12 Charlie Fog Band – Congress Street Social Club Damon & The Shitkickers – Jinx Danielle Hicks Band – Molly MacPherson’s Riverboat Reunion, Tom Bennett Band – Barrelhouse South
Saturday 1/13 Damon & The Shitkickers – Jinx Happy Hour Train Wrecks & Friends play Tom Petty – Southbound Brewery Concert for Conservation (7p) Brandon Nelson McCoy, Deacon Jones – Sentient Bean (7p, $5) Whitehall, Off Sides, Santi – El-Rocko Andy Frasco and the U.N., Roshambeaux – Barrelhouse South Toxic Oscar – Jinx The Apparitions – Molly MacPherson’s Gaslight Street – Congress Street Social Club
Sunday 1/14 Voodoo Soup – Congress Street Social Club
Monday 1/15 Open Mic – Abe’s On Lincoln
Tuesday 1/16 The Rightly So – Foxy Loxy Cafe (7p) Ben Keiser Band – Bay Street Blues Eric Culberson Open Jam – Bayou Cafe Open Mic – Molly MacPherson’s
Wednesday 1/17 Ben Keiser Band – Boomy’s
Thursday 1/18 Eric Britt, Caleb Warren, Rachael Petit, Miguel Olascuaga, Britt Scott, Josephine Johnson, and Jon Waits – Trinity Church Thursday Night Opry (7p, $20)
This week brings new work from:
Mind Spiders
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
awakebutstillinbed
Titus Andronicus
Enjoy!
Mind Spiders Ft. Worth, TX
“Furies” from the upcoming album of the same name out 1/26 on Dirtnap Records.
Mind Spiders are back with more urgent new wave infused punky krautrock, or maybe it’s punky krautrock infused new wave. Somewhere between Devo, Jay Reatard, and Kraftwerk on a Venn Diagram is an overlap I can definitely dig on. Maybe you can too?
tom
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Melbourne, AUS Gumboot Soup out now on Bandcamp.
Australian psychedelic weirdos claimed at the beginning of 2017 that they planned to release 5 full length albums over the course of the year. Well, sure enough, Gumboot Soup, released Dec. 31, is their 5th album of the year. This one, like the rest of the year’s insanity, is all over the map, flying through genres, tones, and grooves like they can’t wait to get to the next one. Jeez, it’s a struggle just to keep up as a listener, but I’ll try.
tom
awakebutstillinbed San Jose, CA what people call low self-esteem is really just seeing yourself the way that other people see you
If you ever wondered what happened to those bands like Rainer Maria that were influenced by the original roots emo music, look no further. Filled with angst, frustration, and just the right amount of aggression, awakebutstillinbed have combined the punk aesthetics of traditional emo with just enough indie rock to make something completely fresh in the vein of Sunny Day Real Estate. You’re winter album is right here. ~ Petey
Titus Andronicus Glen Rock, NJ
“Number One (In New York)” off of A Productive Cough, available March 2nd, 2018 from Merge Records
The masters of garage punk anthems are back with a new single for the youth to shout along with. Stickles, with his signature gravely rasp and prose like lyrics is an all too familiar staple to fans of the New Jersey DIY scene and although the instrumentation on their latest single boasts a bit more depth, not much else has changed with Titus Andronicus. And that’s okay! ~ Petey
This is the time for the annual best-of lists again and this is yet another one. For those of you that know me, y’all are probably aware that I have a different job this year and it really put a damper on the amount of shows I have been able to attend. I have to go to work at 7am, and I just can’t stay out as late all that much anymore. That, plus I’m getting old. But mostly damn work.
For those who don’t know, I count a band as “seen” if I see one song or ten minutes. I usually try to give everyone at least ten minutes, unless I am really not into it. Sometimes it’s my mood, sometimes it’s just the band ain’t that good.
My grand total this year was – 437 shows. I guess that’s not bad, but it’s a bit of a let-down from my high total of 749 in 2014. Damn work.
I saw the most shows this year at: Jinx – 78 El-Rocko – 59 Barrelhouse South – 53 Molly MacPherson’s Pub – 32 Wormhole Bar – 24 Congress Street Social Club – 23
The bands seen the most times this year are: Train Wrecks – 14 – I was glad to see this band back on top of the list. They are one of my favorite bands to see and are one of the original winners of the “Most Seen Band” award in 2011. I think they have been re-energized by the release of their new album “Once Again” this year and the addition of a regular bass player, Colin Motlagh. Matt Eckstine – 11 – Matt Ecksine is another of my favorite acts to see around town. Matt plays both solo shows around town (occasionally throwing some pretty mean looping tunes) and with his trio, consisting of Marc Chesanow and Vuk Pavlovic/Daniel Malone. Although the Accomplices will always be one of my all-time favorite Savannah bands, Matt is another artist that I think was given another boost of energy with the demise of that band and his pursuit of other directions. I think that many of you who were at the Holiday Hoedown would agree. Ben Keiser – 9 – Ben Keiser is one of the artists that are consistently near the top of my list (somehow never able to hit that number one spot!). Ben is definitely one of the best guitarists in town, as well as being one of the nicest guys you will run into. You will find him and his trio at Bay Street Blues every Tuesday night. You will usually get plenty of classic blues rock and, if you are lucky, a Jeff Beck cover or two. Hypnotics – 7 – The Hypnotics are one of the most enjoyable bands around town and were wnners of last years “Most Seen Bands”. They play 60’s garage-rock (think Herman’s Hermits, old Beatles and Stones, etc) that is sure to get the room dancing. They seem to be playing less shows lately, so if you get the chance to see them, be sure to catch them soon. City Hotel – 6 – City Hotel is another band that I try to see every chance I can. They have recently released their fine third disc, “Don’t Go To The Porch”. I highly recommend picking up that disc and making an effort to catch this fine band. The Mercers – 6 – One of the newer bands on this list. They are the semi-house band at The Wormhole Open Mics. Isaac Smith – 5 – Another newcomer to this list. Isaac released his debut album “” this year. He has a great voice and puts on a powerful show. Magic Rocks – 4 – You will find these guys playing anywhere around town from the Bayou Café to Molly MacPherson’s. This is another fun band that plays plenty of 70’s and 80’s classic rock covers. Velvet Caravan – 4 – These guys are one of the classiest of the bands on this list. They play gypsy-jazz music and play all over the US (and Europe). You can see them at Rancho Allegra on Thursday nights for now. COEDS – 4 – This is one of the rawkinest bands on the list. Anna Chandler and company are sure to keep your butts shaking. Damon and the Shitkickers – 4 – If you think you don’t like outlaw country music, you are wrong and this band will prove it. You can catch them at Jinx Happy Hour every Saturday.
I’m into music. Always have been, always will be. While 2017 was a shitty year for humans, it was pretty decent for music. I didn’t make it to quite as many festivals, but still saw around a couple hundred live sets. Spotify tells me I listened to 54,650 minutes of music, and that’s not including XM, Bandcamp, Youtube, mp3’s or, you know, actual physical albums. Now that I’m totally, 100% sure that nothing else cool is going to happen or be released in 2017, here’s some stuff that I really dug last year.
Favorite Albums, ep’s, singles, downloads, etc., no particular order: Jeff Rosenstock, Worry. Yeah, it’s from 2016, but I played this more than anything else this year. Labeling it makes it sound gross, “mature pop punk”, maybe, but man is it great. Christian Fitness, Slap Bass Hunks. The singer from McLusky/Future of The Left doing his own thing…sardonic, bass forward noise rock of the highest order. The Breeders, Wait in The Car. Is this my favorite Breeders track ever? Nope, but it means there’s more on the way from my favorite band (depending on the day). Thee Oh Sees, Orc. Super shreddy psych that I played a ton. Golden Pelicans, Disciples of Blood. My favorite kind of rock, unadorned, straight ahead and soaked in beer. Pile, Hairshirt of Purpose. It took a while, but this one really grew on me. Spoon, Hot Thoughts. Albums my wife and I both like are few and far between, this one fits the bill. Pissed Jeans, Why Love Now. Nasty and awesome, check it out if you like Black Flag’s My War. Craig Finn, We All Want The Same Things. The Hold Steady frontman isn’t for everyone, I guess, but for my money he’s the best lyricist in the game. God In Chicago may be my favorite song of the year. The Hold Steady, Entitlement Crew b/w A Snake In The Shower. Same as above, except backed by a stellar bar band. These two seem to be a return to form. Sheer Mag, Need To Feel Your Love. A definite 70’s rock vibe here, maybe like The Runaways, kinda, sorta? Faux Ferocious, s/t ep. Wait, maybe Me and Jonny is my favorite song of the year? Killer modern Krautrock. Neil Young, Hitchhiker. Neil with just an acoustic guitar recorded in 1973?? I’m in. Bully, Losing. Feels like “alternative” rock, when that was a fairly specific thing, you know what I mean? Grandaddy, Last Place. Like pretty much all Grandaddy albums there’s some okay songs, some pretty good songs, and a couple fantastic songs. Queens of the Stone Age, Villains. Is this mainstream rock? I don’t know, I like it though, even if Josh Homme isn’t a model human.
Chain of Flowers
Supersuckers
The Gories
Favorite live sets, no particular order: The Gories at The Earl, Atlanta Mess Around. Shoplifters/Tight Genes at El Rocko Lounge. Eric Bachmann (Archers of Loaf) acoustic living room show, Savannah. Pile at Mr. Small’s Funhouse, Pittsburgh, Pa. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at Spirit Lounge, Pittsburgh, Pa. Weaves at El Rocko Lounge, Savannah Stopover. Julien Baker at Trinity United Methodist Church, Savannah Stopover. Date Night at Sulfur Studios, The Space Station and The Jinx. Car Seat Headrest at The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC. Dinosaur Jr. in East Atlanta, Project Pabst, Atlanta, GA. Illegal Drugs at The Earl, Project Pabst, and El Rocko Lounge. Guttermouth at The Jinx. Dark Thoughts at Sulfur Studios. Surfer Blood at The Jinx. Wimps at El Rocko Lounge. Gentleman Jesse and His Men at The Earl, Project Pabst Atlanta. The Pauses at the Jinx. Shroud Eater/Black Tusk/Royal Thunder at The Jinx. The Goddamn Gallows/Reverend Horton Heat/Unknown Hinson at The Jinx. Golden Pelicans at El Rocko Lounge. Cray Bags final show at The Jinx. Hotplate at Sulfur Studios, The Jinx, El Rocko Lounge. CHEW at The Jinx.
Cray Bags
Jeff the Brotherhood
Nightbirds
Cray Bags
Supersuckers
Terry and Louie
Eric Bachmann
Reverend Horton Heat
Spoon
See you at the shows in 2018. Come talk to me about music, I like that.
Now I know what you’re thinking: “Petey? I remember that name! It’s been ages! Didn’t your name used to have two ‘e’s?” And it has (also, yes, it did!)!
2017 has been a busy year to say the least. And not just for me, but for music in general. New breakout bands, band break-ups, stellar reunions, and so on. As we begin to wrap up the year and look towards what 2018 will bring on (Stopover is just around the corner, y’all), I thought I’d drop a few lines on some albums from the year that really knocked it out of the park for me. So, in no particular order, here we go:
Charly Bliss – Guppy
This album is definitely a bitter-sweet one for me. Don’t get me wrong, Charly Bliss is the perfect combo of saccharine vocals over jangly yet infectious, 90’s tinged guitar riffs. No, the reason that they evoke a bit of sadness from me is that last year they joined the ever growing list of “Bands that played Savannah Stopover that I missed because I was too hungover”. Here’s hoping they come back soon so I can correct that mistake. In the mean time, I’ll pull myself out of the dumps by listening to this little gem of 2017.
Cayetana – New Kind Of Normal
If you’re in your 20’s and can listen to a full Cayetana album without having at least 3 songs hit you at your core that you’ve got to take a minute and collect yourself, well, I suppose congratulations are in order. If you can accomplish that, you’ve managed to skip that aimless and rudderless phase that so many 20-something year holds know all too well. For the rest of us, Cayetana’s 2017 release, New Kind of Normal, can offer a bit of solace in knowing that we aren’t necessarily alone in feeling like life has become akin to trying to keep a grip on handful of sand. Boasting a more polished and slightly more mellow tone than their debut album, New Kind of Normal, is a slightly unexpected, yet welcome evolution from Cayetana and has me hungry for more.
Iron Chic – You Can’t Stay Here
Iron Chic will always be my blue collar band. Their newest release is tinged with the full spectrum of emotions: fear, despair, anxiety, hope, perseverance, and, most importantly, the recognition that “this too shall pass”. Gruff vocals and catchy, pop-punk-esque guitar riffs ebb and flow through the album but the singalong aspect of every track is the shining star. The best comparison I can think of would be that feeling of standing around with a bunch of friends, aimlessly drinking and hoping that better things are on the horizon for tomorrow.
Waxahatchee – Out in the Storm
Katie Crutchfield’s “solo” project, Waxahatchee, certainly has a way of keeping fans on their feet. What began as a low-fi, acoustic outlet for the artist’s writings has slowly but surely morphed into a full fledged indie rock powerhouse featuring a full band, soaring vocal harmonies, and heartfelt lyrics that somehow become more gut-wrenching and meaningful with every release. If you’re looking for a showcase of word-crafting and lyricism, look no further than Out in the Storm.
Worriers – Survival Pop
When you break down the lyrics in each track on Survival Pop, it’s easy to see why the album earned such a title from vocalist Lauren Denitzio. As I sit and listen to the album, Denitzio manages to take personal experiences and not only make them identifiable, but they more so put you smack dab in the middle of their emotions, totally immersing you in what they’re feeling. Worrier’s melodic take on punk rock along with Denitzio’s passion filled words make for an incredible effect that grips the listener from the first track to the last.
Bully – Losing
Bully’s 2015 release, Feels Like, was easily one of the best rock albums to come out of Nashville in years. In a scene where the competition is as tough as it gets, Bully managed to cement their status as one of the best modern alt-rock groups around by combining slightly scuzzy, garage rock inspired guitar riffs with the tender yet raspy vocals of Bognanno. Their latest release, Losing, my not be much of an diversion from the sound of their debut album, but when you’re good and things are going well, why rock the boat too much? “Rock” the boat pun totally unintended.
Hiccup – Imaginary Enemies
While Imaginary Enemies might be Hiccup’s first release as a band, it’s far from their first venture playing together. The power pop trio is the result of members of the pop punk house band for the Chris Gethard Show (named The LLC which you should totally check out as well) coming together to write songs a bit more substantial than the 30 second segue-ways used between breaks on the Chris Gethard Show. The pop punk sensibilities shine through but definitely do not overpower the heavy pop-based influences at all.
Paramore – After Laughter
I dare say I don’t think any other band on this list has made as much of a “sonic 180” as Paramore did with After Laughter. Gone is the once iconic punk tinged, pop tunes like Misery Business from the past and in their place are a much more traditionally pop based sound featuring effects laden guitar and synths. But that’s certainly not the only change that’s occurred. Williams lyrics, once bordering on expected punk rock wails are now much more mellow an melodic. Don’t expect there to be a lack of bite when it comes to song content though. After Laughter may be a more traditional pop album, but you can expect the lyrical content to hit like a brick.
Lemuria – Recreational Hate
Oh boy, where do I start with this album. The first release on the bands own label, Turbo Worldwide, Recreational Hate was an unexpected sleeper hit for me really late in the year. What was kept as a heavily guarded secret until it’s surprise release, Recreational Hate shows the most evolution of any of the bands releases to date. While relying heavily on their indie rock/pop foundation, Lemuria also managed to craft a polished sound that shifted the focus from the expected guitar, bass, drums combo to a sound that implemented a much richer complexity via the use of instruments like acoustic guitar and an organ. You won’t find this one in stores just yet but definitely give it a stream online if you haven’t.
Rozwell Kid – Precious Art
If there’s one album on this list that screams “Petey would definitely like this band”, Rozwell Kid’s Precious Art is probably it. Think Weezer (early Weezer that is) meets modern, hooky heavy, punk rock. Tongue and cheek lyrics combined with dual guitar leads and fantastic singalong sections. Precious Art manages to straddle this very odd line of fun yet slightly perpetually anxious at the same time. It’s like standing around in a corner at a killer party; you’re having a great time but at the same time, there’s a little something that’s wrong and you can’t quite put your finger on it.
Jeff Rosenstock – Worry
“Ignorance is bliss until the day the things you ignored all come into focus.” I don’t think I’ve ever actually quoted a track in a review, but Rosenstock’s third solo LP, Worry, deserves it. Rosenstock is a bit of a legend among the modern punk scene, his DIY ethos has been a staple ever since the beginning of his career and he’s worked with a slew of my person favorite artists including Laura Stevenson and Chris Farren. With Worry, Rosenstock’s years of experience all come to a head in his best work yet. Also, I’m pretty sure it’s not every day you hear a kazoo in pop punk, but here it is I suppose.
Welp, there we go. 2017 wasn’t the best year, but at least the soundtrack is pretty rad. Here’s hoping I see all of you in this upcoming year at a few shows! Support your scene, support local artists, and, most importantly, support each other!
Happy New Year’s everyone,
This looks like another pretty good weekend of music coming up. There are plenty of good shows every night, starting on Thursday. I’m looking forward to finally catching Anna Chandler’s new band, Nancy Druid at El-Rocko. Friday brings Cranford Hollow back to Barrelhouse South and West End Motel to the Jinx. Although I have never seen them, I am expecting a good show from the Pink Floyd tribute band, Interstellar Overdrive, at Barrelhouse South on Saturday. Don’t forget, New Year’s Eve is on Sunday this week. Due to a stupid loophole in a stupider law, all bars will be able to be open this holiday. If you are not aware, State Bill 103 allows all bars to be open one designated Sunday per year for alcohol sales. Luckily, God must be asleep this New Year’s Eve, so they designated this holiday to be open for sinnin’. Be sure to bundle up if you are heading out this weekend, there’s some cold weather on the way.
PS – Year-end roundup on the way soon.
Thursday 12/28 Matt Eckstine – Molly MacPherson’s (4-8p) She Returns From War, Corey Kilgannon, Nancy Druid – El-Rocko Call Me Bronco – Jinx Funk You – Barrelhouse South
Friday 12/29 Danielle Hicks Band – Rail Pub (7p) Rachael Shaner (4p), Magic Rocks (10p) – Molly MacPherson’s C2 & The Brothers Reed, Cranford Hollow – Barrelhouse South West End Motel, Blood on the Harp, An English Place – Jinx ($10)
Saturday 12/30 Damon & The Shitkickers – Jinx Happy Hour Ben Keiser Band – Molly MacPherson’s Scaryoke – Jinx Interstellar Echoes – Barrelhouse South DJ Basik Lee – Congress Street Social Club
Sunday 12/31 Wood & Steel – Molly MacPherson’s Voodoo Soup – Congress Street Social Club Zach Deputy – Barrelhouse South ($25)
Monday 1/1 Open Mic – Abe’s On Lincoln
Tuesday 1/2 Ben Keiser Band – Bay Street Blues Eric Culberson Open Jam – Bayou Cafe Open Mic – Molly MacPherson’s
Wednesday 1/3 Eric Culberson Band – Boomy’s Vudu Shakedown Open Jam – Barrelhouse South
Black Tusk is wrapping up their new album at The Garage here in Savannah. That’s where photographer Geoff L. Johnson caught up with the band recently.
Andrew, James, and Corey from Black Tusk are joined in these shots by Scary, Matt, and Colin.
photo by Geoff L. Johnson
photo by Geoff L. Johnson
photo by Geoff L. Johnson
We will obviously have lots more about Black Tusk’s new album as information become available, but in the meantime you should follow the band’s updates on Facebook and Instagram. If you don’t know Geoff’s photography, do yourself a favor and check that out too.
For this week’s post of new music, we have two Savannah bands — Clouds & Satellites and Rude Dude and The Creek Freaks — plus music from Lemuria, N.E.R.D., Craig Finn, The Decemberists, and Guided By Voices.
Clouds & Satellites Savannah
“sad song” from the band’s as-yet-untitled full-length album
Clouds & Satellites — one of Savannah’s most talented, versatile, and unpredictable bands — has just released “sad song” from their upcoming debut album, which was recorded at Dollhouse Productions. Wait, a band as good as Clouds & Satellites hasn’t already released a full album? Surprisingly not. The EP titled simply ep came out over a year ago, and we’re excited to hear the rest of the new work. The b-side “marbleize” is an early demo. – bill
Lemuria Buffalo, NY Recreational Hate now available on Turbo Worldwide
Lemuria has been a cornerstone of the indie rock scene for well over a decade and it looks like they don’t have any plans on slowing down anytime soon. With the upcoming holiday season, they’ve managed to give everyone a little surprise gift in the surprise release of their latest album, Recreational Hate. There’s a definite evolution in sound and even a few surprises when it comes to instrumentation on the latest project, but at its core, Recreational Hate is more of the hook-heavy, indie rock that fans would expect from the trio. – Petey
N.E.R.D. Virginia Beach, VA No_One Ever Really Dies out now on Columbia Records
N.E.R.D. is a band that traditionally defies definition. Funk, R&B, rock, hip hop, electronica; it’s all present in their music and generally gets rolled into one, cohesive, sound. Their latest album, No_One Ever Really Dies, is the culmination of 7 years of work since their last album release and really shows the polish that one would expect. Along with the band’s stellar instrumentation and production, the album also showcases a who’s who of hip hop artists like Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, and more. – Petey
Craig Finn Brooklyn, NY
“Fault Lines” out now as part of the “I Only Listen to The Mountain Goats” series of singles and podcasts
Okay, so this one will be a bit different, but totally worth it, especially if you’re a fan of The Mountain Goats. “I Only Listen to The Mountain Goats”, besides sounding like a phrase I’d utter on any given Saturday night, is an ongoing collaboration between Night Vale Presents and Merge Records where several artists like Laura Jane Grace and Amanda Palmer discuss their relationship with certain songs from The Mountain Goats. The latest episode has Craig Finn covering “Fault Lines” and, if you’re as obsessed with The Mountain Goats or The Hold Steady as I am, the track and the episode are definitely worth a listen to. – Petey
Rude Dude and The Creek Freaks Savannah, GA
“Follow Me Down” video from Acid Bath, out now.
Yo, there’s a new really well done and rad video for Follow Me Down shot at El-Rocko during a Rude Dude show. I’m digging the expanded lineup. You should just mash the link above.
tom
The Decemberists Portland, OR
“Ben Franklin’s Song”, from Hamilton: An American Musical (sorta).
Colin Meloy put music to lyrics that didn’t quite work with the Hamilton musical, and it’s pretty awesome. I’ll be honest, I would love any song that has the lyrics “Do you know who the fuck I am? I’m Poor Richard’s Almanac writing Benjamin Fuckin’ Franklin.” Seriously, if the music was performed by Yanni (is that dude still a thing??) I would still dig this song.
tom
Guided By Voices Dayton, OH
“Space Gun” from album of the same name, due out March 23.
Hyper prolific Robert Pollard releases his 102nd album of his career in early 2018, Guided By Voices 26th proper album. I don’t even know what to say about that. The lead song is prototypical Pollard, semi lo-fi, weirdo lyrics and a brain worm melody and hook. A bit out the norm for the band is the run time of over 4 minutes, but stretching it out suits the song well, allowing it to sink in a bit more than their usual 2 and a half minute epics.
tom
We’re thrilled today to premiere the video for the new song “Steam Powered” by Athens-based stringband The Moonshine.
Some notes from the band: Starting a song with a quote by Marx could seem like a bold statement, but Michael Gerard doesn’t seem to care if it is. The rest of the lyrics to Steam Powered, the latest offering from The Moonshine, posit a world both cut and dry, and open-ended, where the lines of commerce and compassion are intricately, intimately linked. The recording itself is a handcrafted vignette created in the same location as the coinciding video which seems to say that dreams can come true, with impatience, and fishing, and dancing, and seeking, and singing. This is the sound of an ideal being stretched into an ethos without any artifice to get in the way.
Hey everyone,
Pretty good stuff coming up this week. The highlight of the weekend should be the Holiday Hoedown on Saturday. I just read that they still have some tickets. If you are interested in going, I would hurry, as this event usually sells out. If you don’t feel like heading to that show, there is a Veteran’s Benefit show at the Wormhole that looks like it will be fun. There are several shows listed below, I am sure you can find something that suits your tastes.
Friday 12/15 AM Rodriguez – Jinx Happy Hour Kamikaze Hendrix, Minorcan – Sentient Bean ($5, 8p) City Hotel – Prohibition (9p) Charlie Fog Band – Barrelhouse South Squadron, Switchblade Villain, Jeff Two Names and the Born Agains – Jinx Tweed – Congress Street Social Club
Saturday 12/16 City Hotel – DeSota Street Market (5p) Prime Real Estate – Southbound Brewery Damon & The Shitkickers – Jinx Happy Hour 7th Annual Homegrown Holiday Hoedown – American Legion ($25, 6:30p) McLeod, Mr. Wait, The Mercers, Garden Giant – Rockin’ for the Vets Charity Show: Wormhole ($5, 9p) The Last Resort – Stage On Bay ($15, 8:30p) Groovetown Assault – Barrelhouse South Street Clothes – El-Rocko 2 Slices, Gold Light – Jinx ($5) Damon and the Shitkickers – Congress Street Social Club (10p)
Sunday 12/17 Purple Brunch w/ Laiken Love – Barrelhouse South ($12, 12:30p) Maggie and Jackson Trio – Good Times Jazz Bar (7p) Voodoo Soup – Congress Street Social Club
Monday 12/18 Open Mic – Abe’s On Lincoln
Tuesday 12/19 Ben Keiser Band – Bay Street Blues Eric Culberson Open Jam – Bayou Cafe Open Mic – Molly MacPherson’s
We have previously featured the work of The Winter Sounds, including twopremieres, but today we have something different.
The Winter Sounds’ frontman Patrick Keenan has released a new compilation featuring Mr. Rogers to raise money for the Against Malaria Foundation. Check out this great video:
On both YouTube and Bandcamp, Keenan addresses some obvious questions, including this one: why the Against Malaria Foundation? Keenan’s response:
According to GiveWell the Against Malaria Foundation ranks the highest as the charity that most effectively manages their resources and reaches the most people in need. Charities go through an intensive vetting process where their work, costs, and expenditures are analyzed for their effectiveness.
So click on through to Bandcamp, YouTube, or the foundation to learn more, to hear and download the music, and to support a great cause.
Keenan plans to continue promoting charitable causes following this evolving model, so you might want to support him on Patreon.
