Northampton-based Darlingside has a sound seeped in tradition, yet with a spritely pop momentum. Cello, violin, acoustic and bass guitar blend together elegantly, with crisp front-and-center percussion driving it forward, and soulful, impassioned vocals that break out into glorious 5-part harmony. Featured at times are are violin and cello duets; mandolin and pennywhistle add to the traditional and timeless feel.
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Professor Epstein and his librarians (photo by Kelly Davidson)
The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library is the sort of band (yes, it’s a band) that makes one nostalgic for the Baroque Era. Ah, those were some heady days, weren’t they? It all started when Prof. Epstein (of Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, Neutral Uke Hotel, The Motion Sick, The Positronic Rays, and oh yes, he actually *is* a Professor of Audiology – and a scientist) decided last year that he wanted to do something different. He’d conduct an experiment, gathering together a large group of musicians (through advertisements on Facebook and on Craigslist, which sounds scary enough in itself), with the stipulation that they never before performed in a rock band, and would put together a rock band. Or rather, a Baroque-pop orchestra. Make that an all-female (well, except for him) Baroque-folk-alt country-pop orchestra. When he first advertised this new ensemble, I vaguely recall seeing the facebook page and band name, and thought that it might be some kind of geeky music archival project he was starting. Not even close.
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Leftover Cuties, New Numbers, Sore Eros, Withered Hand, and The Morgansterns
In part two of my band roundups, there’s Leftover Cuties, straight from the Cotton Club, with their charming song & video, “Game Of Live”. Sore Eros lays on some cool vibes (literally), and Scottish lo-fi folk artist Withered Hand makes his U.S. debut. New Numbers harkens back to late 70s Bowie and Iggy – always a sound near and dear to my heart – and rootsy Los Angeles band The Morgansterns releases a warmly inviting debut on Microhits Music Corp.
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Sonny Smith, Gregory and the Hawk (photo courtesy of mostlyjunkfood.com), Danielle Ate The Sandwich, Woodsman, and Infantree
Welcome to the first band roundup of the year, though we won’t say how long I’ve had these fine bands sitting in my inbox… In this first installment, there’s the dreamy space jams of Woodsman, beautiful harpist and folk singer-songwriter Meredith Godreau a.k.a. Gregory and the Hawk, and the mysterious desert music of Infantree. A warm, acoustic, both serene and haunting ‘comfy as an old pair of shoes’ EP from Sonny & the Sandwitches, and someone I’ve been impressed with for some time now, Danielle Ate The Sandwich.
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White Sea, Wax Fang, Darwin Deez, Glass Vaults, Mutual Benefit, and Christopher Paul Stelling (photograph by Clarence K. Photography)
High time for another band roundup. We have the latest project from Morgan Kibbyh of M83, White Sea, whom I heard were fantastic at (the club formerly known as) Spaceland in Los Angeles Saturday night. Hope they come to Boston soon. There’s an amazing guitarist/singer-songwriter by the name of Christopher Paul Stelling, some dreamy New Zealand soundscapes from Glass Vaults, and prepared piano à la John Cage from Düsseldorf-based Hauschka. Prog rock and psychedelia from Louisville’s Wax Fang, the quirky pop of the oddly-named Mutual Benefit, and bizarre (but rather sweet) showman Darwin Deez. And oh yes, while we’re on the subject of strange band names, Boston’s own WhiteShoeBrownShoe.
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Some 'roundup 2' bands: Tallest Trees, The Drums, Wartime Blues (photo by Russel Daniels), and Vincent Minor.
Here’s part two of my latest band roundup, featuring Soft Cat, Tallest Trees, The Drums, The State Arcades, The Wild Complete, Vincent Minor, War Tapes, and Wartime Blues. This time, we have several states represented: Maryland, Tennessee, New York, Arizona, California, and even (Missoula) Montana. Plus London, England (The State Arcades). And yes, there are two bands with the word “war” in their name. It’s been that kind of year. Maybe next time I’ll do a feature with only war bands. Please send in your requests.
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Gram Rabbit, Nice Purse, Kaiser Cartel (photo by Tony Nelson), and Setting Sun (photo by Amber S. Clark - ambersclark.com).
It’s time to do another of my “band roundups.” Here’s part one, featuring Apache Beat, Gram Rabbit, Kaiser Cartel, Nice Purse, not an Airplane, Phantom Power, Sebastian Blanck, and Setting Sun. That’s a whopping five New York bands, two Californian, and one Minneapolis (something of an unintended geographical focus; we’ll have to see about mixing it up a bit more next time). Stylistically, there’s tribal stew, sinister cowpoke, upbeat pop, folky lo-fi & traditional, atmospheric ambience, and a modern take on ’60s psychedelia.
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Red Tide, Yim Yames (My Morning Jacket), Walter Schreifels, Satellite Crush, The Morning Pages (photo by Ginny Maxwell), and Straylings (photo by Robert Burton).
Here’s part two of my latest “band roundup”, with ambient/electronic L.A.-based Red Tide, Yim Yames’ (My Morning Jacket) label, Removador Records, some heartbreak and yearning with Satellite Crush, seductive melodies of Straylings, rootsy and soulful New Yorkers, The Morning Pages, and introspective singer-songwriter (he’s performed in metal and hardcore bands??), Walter Shreifels.
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Dustin O'Halloran (photo by stafano.masselli@fastwebnet.it), Mevansa, Julia Nunes, Evelyn Evelyn, Laminated Cat, and Moga.
Time for another one of these. Way past time, in fact. Here’s a handful of folks who ‘jumped out at me’ from a pile of email in January and February. Hopefully I can catch up with this delightful onslaught so I can get to March’s mailings before the summer. Though if anyone is coming through the Northeast on tour, I’ll try to be more timely than that. In part one of two – contemporary classical pianist Dustin O’Halloran, the quirky and cool duo of Boston’s Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley, giving birth to Evelyn Evelyn, quirky (yes, I like quirky) singer-songwriter Julia Nunes, cool and buzz-worthy Boston/Georgia/Maine-based Laminated Cat, a pretty and folky L.A. band called Mevansa, and folk/psych peeps from Providence RI, Moga.
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One Trick Pony (photo by Zoe Ruth), Princeton (photo by Laura Heffington), The Sweet Hurt, The French Semester (photo by Olivia Hemaratanatorn), Sara Lov (photo by Paige K. Parsons), and Wait. Think. Fast.
Here’s “part two” of my latest installment of really awesome Eastside L.A. bands (see part one, in case you missed it). Please forgive the brevity, but there’s just so much amazing music going on out there, I want to mention as many as possible. As I become more familiar, I’ll do larger profiles and maybe review new music when it comes out. And certainly, if any of these guys make the cross-country journey to these parts, I’ll be sure to let everyone know! As always, if there’s anything or anyone I missed who deserves mention, please pass it along.
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