Alternative-indie rock band Dommengang just released their latest single “Past Lives.” Recorded at Stumptown Coffee, “Past Lives” is an angsty anthem that we can’t stop listening to. The funky track samples a classic rock feel with whiny vocals. “Past Lives” talks on the relationship with a former lover. The relationship clearly isn’t over on Dommengang’s side. “Baby I can’t call you baby anymore,” cries out the regretful track. My favorite line is “I don’t belong to anyone,” describing the epitome of what it means for something to be over and even more so- to be able to acknowledge that. “Past Lives” is full of guitar, drums, and post-love blues. It’s definitely worth the listen.
LGBTQA rockers Carry Illinois announce their new EP Work In Progress which will release May 25th. The band will hit the ground running with show release on May 25th in Austin, TX. In the meantime, the indie-pop rockers have released their latest single off of Work In Progress “Runaway.” “Runaway” dives into the synth-pop world of alternative indie with its electronic sounds. The lyrics tell of an uphill battle between anxiety, body image, and internal struggles. “When did you first begin to hate your body and your heart? I was six or I was seven…wasn’t I too young to feel that way?” proclaims the track. Diving into the chorus, Carry Illinois talks about the one thing that is familiar to them: “I know, I know how to runaway– I know, I know it’s not good to runaway.”
“Runaway” shows off a raw and open emotional narrative with no shame. Inspiration for many of Carry Illinois’ songs comes from the loss of a close bandmate, John Winsor. Frontwoman Lizzy Lehman explains this saying, “After John committed suicide in March of 2016, I decided that I no longer needed to shy away from the real struggles that I face. I decided that writing about it, singing about it, and performing with utmost strength and courage is what I need to do.” The cathartic writing that Lizzy touches on is present on “Runaway” and the latest Work In Progress.
Work In Progress is out May 25th. Keep up with Carry Illinois here.
Following up on his album Home, singer-songwriter Nathan Evans Fox has released his new album Texas Dust. The Atlanta based singer has a penchant for folk, and is bringing his country roots to his latest work. A North Carolina native, Nathan was immersed in the sounds of folk, bluegrass, rock, and country at a young age. He is also well versed with a range of musical instruments such as the fiddle and the guitar. Texas Dust displays all the talents of Fox’s songwriting, instrumentation, and musical inspirations from his hometown.
A natural storyteller, Nathan’s lyrics tell the tale of his difficulty with religion and heritage growing up. The album is composed of eleven tracks, including the album’s title track “Texas Dust.” Out of those eleven tracks, my personal favorites are “Texas Dust,” “Saint Louis,” and “Great Sky.” A bittersweet ballad to a lost love in Texas, “Texas Dust” tells the story of Nathan’s grandfather- a Southern migrant worker turned Army Sergeant who eventually left the military following the death of his young daughter. The opening line sparks personal and political controversy saying “I was raised by violent men- drinking daddy and Uncle Sam.” The chorus keeps its foreboding tone, “I can’t change all my ways, can’t change the laws of grief—back when I was 21, I was Texas Dust and you were Tennessee.”
“Texas Dust” encompasses the salty and sweet of folk, while staying personal. “Saint Louis,” a wanderlust track, discusses all the places Nathan plans to go across the USA. “It’s been a full year in Saint Louis and we still ain’t getting used to it,” sings Fox. With the Midwest blues, Fox goes on “Now I’m dreaming about that boat taking me where I want to be.” “Saint Louis” holds a feeling of hope and longing, even though Nathan is stuck there. To me, “Great Sky” is perhaps the most uplifting track on Texas Dust. With talks of starting new, Fox sings “What more do I seek from this Heaven upon me?” Fox is looking to turn a spiritual new leaf. While those three tracks remain my favorite, Texas Dust has a little bit of something for everyone- even if you are not one for folk, Nathan’s lyrical talent alone will blow you away.
NPR just premiered the latest from L.A. based band Hit Bargain, “Hell Is Real”, which is off of the band’s LP Potential Maximizer, out May 11th. Nora Singh, Hit Bargain’s front woman, found inspiration for the track from her experiences of small-town Ohio. She describes her experiences as a “self-imposed exile.” The frustrations are evident on this punk-rock track as Nora sings “When we’re afraid we shoot, point blank, point blank,” and “What’s far is unknown, what’s unknown makes us afraid.”
Nora further describes the core of “Hell Is Real” saying:
There is a mural in my partner’s Ohio hometown that prominently features this phrase painted in four feet letters on the side of a building. Opposite is a picture of people suffering in a lake of hellfire. I found it a funny declaration, “HELL IS REAL”, like “THE END IS NIGH”, just this warning of this intangible myth juxtaposed with this very American rust belt town that’s falling apart, losing its jobs to automation and outsourcing. The lyrics revolve around xenophobia and Capitalist complacency.
“Hell Is Real” is not an average punk-rock track and draws on reals problems faced today by many.
Tour Dates
April 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Emerald House w/Post Life, Media Jeweler
May 12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Rec Center
June 16 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Explosion
June 18 – Burlington, VT @ Hope All Is Well
June 19 – Boston, MA @ O’Brien’s Pub
June 21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Alphaville
June 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Barbary
June 23 – Baltimore, MD @ Joe2
June 27 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
June 28 – Detroit, MI @ Trixie’s
June 30 – Hamilton, ON @ The Casbah (all-ages matinee)
Tanners just released her debut single “Holy Water.” The New York based songwriter/producer has already engineered several artists’ records and is taking music into her own hand with “Holy Water, which resides in the world of synth psych-pop. With the help of Tanners’ sweet voice, “Holy Water” exudes sensuality. She pulls you in with lyrics like “I can be your Jesus if you let me” and “Come with me and swim into my daydream.”
“Holy Water” is inspired by Tanners’ childhood fondness for the beach. It revolves around of being born again by water in the purest form. Tanners comments on the track: “It’s a thank you song to the ocean for teaching me to embrace vulnerability.”
Chances just released their latest and fourth single, “Fire To Go” which will be released on their debut album Traveler, out April 27th. “Fire To Go” is a post break-up track, however you won’t find any self loathing on this track. The track starts off with sounds of a funky electronic keyboard and transitions in the soothing vocals of Chances. Chances tackles the breakdown of a relationship by saying “You watch the uncertain waters below, the wind sweeping across the horizon, the sky is a wild mess of greys and blues. You feel like you’ve been here before, standing on this very same edge, and yet you know it is a foreign territory. You have no idea how this will go, or where you’ll end up.” Chances is not speaking on the uncertainty of themselves, they are speaking of the uncertainty of the other person. With “Fire To Go,” Chances reclaims the power, which I think is great as this song is applicable to many situations. Be sure to look out for Chances debut album here.
Tour Dates April 26th – Phi Centre, Montreal May 3rd – Le District, Quebec City May 8th – This Ain’t Hollywood, Hamilton (with The Ferns and Calcedon) May 9th – The Burdock, Toronto (with Chelsea Reed/David Macmichael) May 10th – National Arts Centre, Ottawa
Brazilian/American rock band Added Color are excited to release their latest EP Mr. Industry. The Brooklyn-based band has played has played 200 shows since 2014, touring in over 20 states and even internationally in Canada, Morocco, and Brazil. They have even played in festivals such as Porao do Roc in Brazil. With budding success, we’re thrilled to share the follow-up to their Psycho EP with you.
Mr. Industry covers an intense and diverse side of the band’s sound— the angst is in the lyrics and it is evident that this is rock that you can scream or even relax to. The song “My Industry” discusses the darker side music/entertainment industry in a very honest light. “Mr. Industry” discusses how many followers you have, what you can do to sell a band or a product and how is it that I can only live on ten dollars a day? “Mr. Industry” rightfully states “I call bullshit.” “Same Place” is a little different in the fact that it dials back the vibe to a more pyschedlic state. “I had a dream, in a familiar place but all the people that I thought I knew had unfamiliar faces,” sings the band. Added Color is able to keep a balance between chill/funky and “frustrated” rock with tracks that vary such as “Mr. Industry” and “Same Place.”
March 1 – Washington, DC – Songbyrd
March 2 – Philadelphia, PA – Tusk
March 15 – Norwich, CT – Strange Brew
March 16 – Portland, ME – Portland Empire
March 17 – Florence, MA – 13th Floor
April 28 – Layounne, Morocco
May 1 – Safi, Morocco
May 2 – Youssoufia, Morocco
May 3 – Benguerir, Morocco
May 4 – Casablanca, Morocco
May 5 – Khouribga, Morocco
May 6 – El Jadida, Morocco
May 19 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory
June 15 – Portland, ME – Portland House of Music
June 16 – New London, CT – 33 Golden St
Dom Fricot just released a new video for “Echoes”, which follows two young boys running through the city. Shot in the streets of Nepal, the two friends spend the day exploring the city by scaling walls, running on roofs, exploring the city and joking with each other. The video for “Echoes” is almost a mini feature film, as subtitles are used while Dom’s voice echoes in the background. Dom Fricot even incorporates a political narrative about Pakistan by the end of the video. With stunning visuals and peaceful vocals by Fricot, “Echoes” makes out to be a beautiful track and a tasteful video.
Florida natives Deaf Poets just released “Change & Bloom”, a single off of their upcoming EP of the same title which is due out on June 15th. The duo has already enjoyed quite a bit of success, having played with The Growlers, Mac DeMarco, and Matt and Kim just to name a few. Their latest single brings a throwback while incorporating a 90’s grunge style. Sean Waters provides us both the angsty vocals and the guitar on “Change & Bloom”. Bandmate Nico E.P on the other hand, shows off his mad drum skills and does not hold back. So if you are somewhere in between “I like rock” and “not heavy rock”, “Change & Bloom” is definitely for you.
