New Music From Opal Eskar (f/ Karl Blau and members of the War on Drugs)
Opal Eskar is the latest convergence of some of Philadelphia’s busiest indie musicians: Karl Blau (vocals), Heyward Howkins (vocals, guitar), and Chet Delcampo (vocals, guitar, bass, keys); on the band’s new self-titled EP, out now via Blau’s Spiral Valley Records, they’re joined by Charlie Hall (drums) and Robbie Bennett (keyboards) of The War on Drugs. Blau met Howkins and Delcampo after […]
No Depression Says Keturah’s LP Is “Gorgeous Stuff”
Keturah‘s new self-titled album is out now from Hen House Studios. No Depression writes that, on the set, the “27-year-old Malawi native Keturah presents a world-class collection of world music. This is gorgeous stuff, harvested from a garden of delights representing an impressive spread of flavors and textures.” Read the full review right here, and get Keturah started now at […]
Duo Brothers Deliver “Wake ‘N Bake” Video
Duo Brothers have delivered a new video for “Wake N’ Bake,” from their album Cream and Sugar. The live clip shows the Tel Aviv-based quartet as they jam together, compiling the smooth and stress-free sound. The band has been pushing their city’s expansive psych-scene to new heights since 2020, when they dropped their first, self-titled LP. See the new […]
Ink 19 Says Fruit Bats’ A River Running To Your Heart Is “Sonically Diverse As Promised”
“A River Running to Your Heart,” Ink 19 writes, “delivers optimism mixed with existential therapy, without tying it up too neatly for those who prefer to dangle. Enjoy!” The site has a review of the new Fruit Bats LP, the first one that has been self-produced by Eric D. Johnson. The site says the album is “sonically diverse as promised, maybe […]
Rough Trade Interviews June McDoom
Rough Trade recently did an On The Rise feature with June McDoom, whose debut EP is at radio now from Temporary Residence Ltd. RT says the Brooklyn-based artist’s “approach to music holds in it a deep connection to home while pushing the folk genre to its limits, incorporating experimentation as the main focus for her debut EP.” The feature includes a […]
Nashville Scene Shares Sunny War’s “Brain-Bombs”
Nashville Scene says, “Singer-songwriter Sunny War is out here throwing brain-bombs with her latest album Anarchist Gospel. Is she talking about Bibles in little leather jackets? Or punk kids retelling the story of Jesus throwing the moneylenders out of the temple? Or perhaps something bigger, more radical, more mysterious? The songs only hint at answers, which is a testament […]
SLC Weekly Calls Fruit Bats’ New LP A “Masterpiece”
Fruit Bats’ tour continues with a few more dates this week. The band played Salt Lake City a couple of days ago, and SLC Weekly previewed the gig with a write up. According to the Weekly, “They take a power-pop approach that’s not only effusive and engaging, but also incorporates an articulate, intelligent and sublime yet sophisticated sound. […]
Alt77 Says Gregory Ackerman Stands Out
“Gregory Ackerman’s ‘OK to LA,’” writes Alt77, is a beautifully crafted piece of modern indie folk that presents itself like a soundtrack to a comedy. It has several things that make it stand out from its numerous folkie counterparts trying desperately to score a commercial for a hybrid car. The lyrics are heartbreaking and funny, the backing […]
Adam B Gives Occurrence A Thumbs Up
Adam B says that “Occurrence’s recipe for “Fudge” includes a mixture of Nine Inch Nails-like production, Shirley Manson style vocals, and a not-so-subtle sprinkling of sexual innuendo… After taking a listen to the song I think you’ll agree that their ‘Fudge’ is a tasty treat.” Read more here. “Fudge” is on Slow Violence, which is at radio now.
New Music From Keturah
Malawian singer and songwriter Keturah, a powerful new voice for Southeast Africa, has announced that her self-titled debut album will be released on May 19 via Hen House Studios. Raised in the rural countryside, Keturah set out on foot at 14 years of age, having lost her parents, and trekked to Blantyre, Malawi’s second largest city, looking for a recording studio. […]
Pop Hits Enjoys Occurrence’s “Unique” Sound
Pop Hits likes Occurrence‘s “Fudge,” writing that “it’s hard to pin down exactly where this sound comes from–maybe it’s all those influences, or maybe it’s just because Occurrence is so unique… The whole thing sounds like something from a sexy film noir: dark, moody, and edgy. If you’re looking for something new from an independent artist who’s doing […]
Right Chord Applauds Matt Holubowski’s “Sandy Cove”
“Sandy Cove,” one of the “dreamy” singles on Matt Holubowski’s new LP Like Flowers On A Molten Lawn, was recently reviewed by Right Chord Music. The site writes, “Blending fuzzy electronics, strings, piano and vocals into an experimental collage akin to early Air, the singer-songwriter creates something so luxuriant that the only thing to do is to embrace […]
New Music From Duo Brothers
Duo Brothers, a Tel Aviv-based quartet, creates psychedelic jazz and instrumental grooves that smooth out any stress. The group formed at the close of 2019, when guitarist Yonatan Levy and drummer Aviv Cohen, better known as Sol Monk, began tinkering with sounds in Levy’s studio. Friends and collaborators Shaul Eshet (keyboards) and Elyasaf Bashari (bass) soon joined, and the Brothers were complete. The band […]
UPROXX Talks To Fruit Bats
In an interview with UPROXX, Fruit Bats’ Eric D. Johnson describes the band’s sound as “emotional make out music” and says he’ll be content to be remembers as “third best to Beatles and Mozart” in the overall rankings of musicians of all-time. Obviously UPROXXX caught him in a playful mood! Read the full interview right here. Fruit Bats’ A River Running To Your […]
Les Oreilles Curieuses Highlights The “Bewitching Melodies” Of Gregory Ackerman
On his new EP Mhm Okay, writes Les Oreilles Curieuses, Gregory Ackerrman “captivates us in the most beautiful way… the Californian manages to combine the sweetness of Americana and indie folk poetry with sumptuous compositions.” According to the site, Ackerman excels at “crystalline and bewitching melodies.” Read more here. Mhm Okay is at radio now from Polymoon Music.
GRAMMY.com Speaks to Fruit Bats
GRAMMY.com recently spoke to Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats – “a band for right now” – about new album A River Running To Your Heart. Fruit Bats has had a great few years since signing to Merge Records, and Johnson has also had success as part of the Bonny Light Horsemen project. “It’s been kind of a weird few years of […]
Dren McDonald Shares “J2” Video
Dren McDonald has released a video for “J2,” from his new album Pterous. The album features McDonald, who is known for composing music for video games as well as for his electronic collaboration project polyheDren, made Pterous by layering copious guitar parts on top of each other for an orchestral effect. The video portrays this artistically, with multiple McDonalds upon […]
TJPL Praises “Fudge,” From Occurrence’s New LP
TJPL News writes that “Fudge,” from Occurrence‘s new album Slow Violence, is “an industrial and dark experimental synth track that boasts all of the features of fudge the confection and more. The heady vocals are bright and tonal, they sit in the sky and sing down from the cloud peaks. The instrumental is where the complexities lie. It […]
New Music From Gregory Ackerman
LA native musician Gregory Ackerman has been recording himself in bedrooms and garages his whole life. In 2018, he teamed up with Pierre de Reeder (Rilo Kiley) to record And Friends, his first studio album. Following a cold-email, Ackerman was signed to Munich/V2 Records in the Netherlands and subsequently toured there twice in 2018. Ackerman’s most recent release, the Mhm Okay EP, is […]
Called “Truly Exceptional” by NARC Mag, Fruit Bats’ New LP Hits #6 At NACC As The Band Resumes Its North American Tour
NARC Magazine says Fruit Bats’ A River Running To Your Heart is “packed with layers of instrumentation and soulful harmonies, detail and nuance which never feels overpowering. A truly exceptional record.” Read the full review of the album here. It hit a new NACC chart peak this week at #6. Thanks to all the stations who have helped the album achieve […]
