Gluttony Is The New

The new Flashing Red Lights, (the solo project of Mack Slevin), is my new infatuation. With hollow, chant-like beats, noisy reverbed psych qualities and vocals in the line of Frightened Rabbit and Whitest Boy Alive, this three song EP will haunt you. It’s not smooth and sexy, or RnB influenced, like so much of the music “trending” right now. Flashing Red Lights twitches and creaks, as the music begins to ripple beneath your skin and slowly creep up into your veins. It’s a kitchy fuzz that I would in most circumstances consider annoying, but this Faster Horses EP has a beautiful performance piece quality to it, that I can only imagine is pretty epic live. It’s beautifully dark and extremely well composed. This is one you will def want to listen to again and again.

Oh and Mack, just an FYI, I will be that girl that shows up at your house unannounced and begs you play a couple songs for me. I’m totally ok being that girl. This is your warning. I know where you live. So bring on that live show buddy. We’re ready for you.

DOWNLOAD “Truck Stops” HERE.

Get Flashing Red Lights EP Faster Horses from his Bandcamp.

I’ve been a fan of Portland natives, Nurses for a couple years now. Glad to see people are starting to dig their sing songy 60’s era do-wop infused brand of noisy pop rock.

Have yet to see them live, but plan on catching their LA show on September 28th. Nurses is on tour with Dominant Legs (meh, not that awesome) now. See dates and peep their latest video for their track “Fever Dreams” below.

*with Dominant Legs
09/27/11 San Francisco, CA – Cafe du Nord*
09/28/11 Los Angeles, CA – The Echo*
09/29/11 San Diego, CA – Soda Bar*
09/30/11 Phoenix , AZ – The Trunk Space*
10/01/11 Tucson, AZ – Solar Culture *
10/03/11 Denton, TX – Dan’s Silverleaf *
10/04/11 Austin, TX – Lambert’s*
10/05/11 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s *
10/07/11 Atlanta, GA – 529*
10/08/11 Charlotte, NC – Casbah at Tremont Music Hall*
10/09/11 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506*
10/11/11 Washington, DC – The Red Palace*
10/12/11 Philadelphia, PA – King Fu Necktie*
10/14/11 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge*
10/15/11 Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands Gallery*
10/16/11 Allston, MA – Great Scott*
10/17/11 Winooski, VT – The Monkey House*
10/18/11 Montreal, QC – Casa del Popolo*
10/19/11 Toronto, ON – The Drake Hotel*
10/21/11 Bloomington, IN – Russian Recording* w/ Stagnant Pools
10/22/11 Chicago, IL – Schubas*
10/25/11 Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry*
10/28/11 Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern*
10/29/11 Vancouver, BC – The Biltmore Cabaret*

Stream Nurses album “Dracula” HERE and buy the album on September 20th via Dead Oceans

Had the pleasure of checking out one of my favorite bay area acts Ganglians a few weeks ago, where they played almost all of their new record Still Living that dropped August 23rd via Lefse Records.

Ganglians “psych folk” energetic live set is one of the things I love about this band, and they definitely did not disappoint with their latest performance. I have to admit though, their new record is a new brand of mellow for the Ganglians. Listening to the record you still get the screeching “fuck this is weird”, sound that defined the band’s first 2009 release, but with much more of a refined take on psychedelic indie rock.

Lefse says the changes to Ganglians sound were stepped up a notch “both stylistically and sonically by enlisting the help of producer Robby Moncrieff, who played a crucial role in the shaping of The Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca.” Take a listen to the track above/buy the record below and decide for yourself.

Download their track “Drop The Act” here. 

Was lucky enough to get in to see the capped capacity  Crystal Antlers Monday night residency show at the Echo last night. Last night was the third week of the band’s residency part of their DIY press to promote their sophomore record Two-Way Mirror that just drops July 19th.

Crystal Antlers headlined the night with a crop of new tracks as well as favorites such as A Thousand Eyes and closing out the night with Andrew from their outstanding 2009 record Tentacles. They have restrained their excessively noisy psychadelic sound just enough to allow a bit more soul to seep through. The result is a tighter, more solid sound without losing the passionate punk rock ballads that vocalist Johnny Bell has come to be known for.

Fuck Pitchfork, the new record is an 8 in my book any day.

First heard about these kids from from 88.7 KSPC Live and immediately fell in love with the raspy harshness of their vocals coupled with the breezy fuzziness of their sound, that is, well kinda hot…in a “I met this chick at a music fest, day two, after not sleeping, minimal food, and doing some drugs that made me want to take my clothes off and touch strangers”. 

These guys can make noisy psych pop for me all day long. I’ll provide the drugs. BYOB. Stay Cool Forever.

This track is from the MJ MJ Compilation. Buy it if you don’t hate fun.