Monthly Archives: February 2013

Listen: Brave Bird – “Maybe You, No One Else Worth It”

Brave Bird
Emo math outfit, Brave Bird have officially released their debut album Maybe You, No One Else Worth It after making a tear-jerking EP back in November of 2010. The album was recorded under the label Count Your Lucky Stars Records, known for twinkly emo bands such as Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) and Dowsing.

Compared to their EP this release has a much fuller sound with studio quality production, however it maintains its’ raw sentiment and emotion-driven vocals. Furthermore, much to my delight, three of the tracks from the EP have been revamped and are included on the release. You can buy the album as a 12″ LP or CD from here, and stream it below or on Bandcamp. They also have a spring break tour planned which you can see the dates of below.

Tour Dates:

2/28- Ann Arbor, MI (Hometown Record Release Party)
3/1 – Columbus, Ohio
3/2- Pittsburgh, PA
3/3- Salisbury, MD
3/4- Richmond, VA
3/5- St. Augustine, FL
3/6- Orlando, FL
3/7- Birmingham, AL
3/8- Atlanta, GA
3/9- Bloomington, IN

 

Listen: Hoodie Allen – Crew Cuts

crew_cuts_cover_final
Before he embarks on a 28 city tour, the always-hard-working Hoodie Allen first made sure to drop his new 11-track album Crew Cuts. I say this every time Hoodie releases a new project, but it’s clear that he’s been working hard on polishing his sound, diversifying his style (even adding some doo-whop influences in), and improving on his craft. This time around, the former Googler lines up quite a few of his big-name friends (Chiddy Bang, Chance The Rapper, G-Eazy, Skizzy Mars) to rap all over his melodic, laid-back beats. Oh, and it’s free, so be sure to download the MP3s or stream on Soundcloud below.

DOWNLOAD: Hoodie Allen – Crew Cuts

Stream: Hesitation Wounds – “A. Smith (The Death Of A Teenager)”

Hesitation Wounds
Jeremy Bolm of Touché Amoré has started a new band with Jay Weinberg (ex-Against Me!), Neeraj Kane (The Hope Conspiracy), and Stephen Lacour (ex-Trap Them) called Hesitation Wounds. The band is set to release a self-titled 7-inch on Secret Voice Records, and is streaming a new song called A. Smith (The Death Of A Teenager). Check out the stream here or below! Preorders of the digital EP and 7″ are available on Secret Voice’s website.

Bolm released this statement regarding the background and formation of Hesitation Wounds:

“Hesitation Wounds is the combined sound of different backgrounds and 5 hours of song writing. In May of 2012, the idea was to combine friends (some of whom had never met) from different bands and see what could happen in one afternoon. Jeremy Bolm, vocalist of Hesitation Wounds (and Touché Amoré), commented, “I told Neeraj Kane (The Hope Conspiracy, Suicide File, Holy Fever), Jay Weinberg (ex-Against Me!), and Stephen ‘Scuba’ LaCour (Ex-Trap Them, True Cross), ‘Let’s write as many songs as we can on Sunday and record them on Monday.’ Jay was in town and Scuba agreed to come out from Arizona for the weekend. What we came up with was three songs and an intro. We recorded them Monday afternoon with long time friend and always-available-for-my-stupid-shit, Alex Estrada. Lyrically, the songs are about witnessing the murder of a friend, the life and death of the inspirational underdog folk singer Phil Ochs, and the overall reality of life. Sonically, it’s an abrasive / no strings attached outpouring of fast and heavy hardcore not far off from the bands we’re already responsible for. We’re proud of the outcome and we hope you enjoy.”

Listen: R.L. Kelly – “Life’s A Bummer”

R.L. Kelly
R.L. Kelly today released her debut solo album accurately titled Life’s A Bummer. The album was mastered by Warren Hildebrand of Foxes In Fixtion and reminds me of the works of Elvis Depressedly and Ricky Eat Acid albeit with female vocals. R.L. Kelly covers one of my favorite Alex G songs titled Change, which I was content to see on the release. The other five original songs emotionally draw you into the lyrical lo-fi atmosphere  and leave you mesmerised. R.L. Kelly will also be featured on the new Coma Cinema release. The album is available to download from her Bandcamp page and you can stream it in its’ entirety below.

Watch: The Front Bottoms – “Mountain”

The Front Bottoms
The Front Bottoms, acoustic punk band from New Jersey have released a video for their track Mountain from their 2011 self titled album. Known for frontman Brian Sella’s relatable lyrics, The Front Bottoms have recently finished recording their sophomore album and now fans are eagerly anticipating a release date.

Here is what Matt Uychich, drummer of the band had to say about the video. “We had picked up a bunch of fireworks on tour and when we got home we had a few days off. So, we called up our good friend Mark Jaworski and asked him if he wanted to bring his camera along, drink Four Loko and light them off. This is what happened.”

You can purchase their self titled album digitally from iTunes, or purchase a 12″ vinyl version of it from Bar/None Records. For more information about the band check out their Facebook page.

Tour Dates:

Feb 19 @ The Sinclair Cambridge, MA

Feb 20 @ Bowery Ballroom New York, NY

Feb 21 @ World Cafe Live Philadelphia, PA

Feb 22 @ The Recher Theatre Towson, MD

Feb 23 @ Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC

Feb 24 @ New Brookland Tavern West Columbia, SC