For Denver-based garage rockers Danny (vocals, guitar), David (bass, vocals), Chris (drums), and Zach (keys, vocals), running a punk-tinged collective named …And The Black Feathers seems strangely easy. Their new song “Scandalous” brings the kind of high octane energy that this autumn so desperately craved, and the soulful, edgy guitar drives us right into a new troublemaker mindset.
Try to stop us.
Keep up with …And The Black Feathers here.
Do you appreciate music videos packed to the brim with humor? How about smooth vocals, eighties vibes, and soft lighting? If you checked all of the “LOVE LOVE THIS THING” boxes next to those items, then go ahead and take Minneapolis musician Lady Lark‘s “Bad Thoughts” video for a spin. Actually, since we have the exclusive premiere and we’re totally into showering this hilarity and musical genius in views and shares, why don’t you go ahead and watch it several times? We are anyway, because the song is so damn catchy. While you’re at it, why not show all of your coworkers?
Thanks!
Keep up with Lady Lark here.
Brisbane-based indie artist MARLOE. is coming in hot with new music, and we emerge from the experience as though spring is on its way. But truly, allow yourself to melt into this premiere. You just might find yourself reminiscing on that gorgeous warm weather love, or perhaps you’re ready to explore your feelings in the autumn months as things quiet down. Whatever the case may be, you’ll find that fresh new feeling of love in “Ruminate”, a silky smooth pop masterpiece, which perfectly captivates its audience, primed for new beginnings.
Keep up with MARLOE. here.
![band of silver, “little talks” [of monsters and men]](https://imperfectfifth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1-1080x675.jpg)
Nashville-based pop/rock trio Band of Silver – comprised of siblings Avery, Alex, and Evan Silvernagel – releases the video for their cover of “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men today. We’ve got your first look, and it’s a fun one. A gorgeous song in its own right, Band of Silver decided to add a little more rock guitar and an exponential amount of energy to the track, leaving us moving and grooving a little bit more. Shot beautifully and simply in a warehouse setting, this video also delivers a hint of what the band’s live stage presence is like. In fact, it’s that captivating stage presence that led to this video. Expands the collective:
A few months ago, we saw The Sweet Lizzy Project perform “Little Talks” at Bourbon Street. The crowd really lit up when the song started and we thought, “Hey, we have a male and female singer. We could cover this.” The band did a great job, but we wanted to make our rendition different from theirs as well as the original. We thought it would be fun to mess around with signature melody by playing it on keyboard and guitar rather than horns. Every time I hear this song, it brings me back to art class my sophomore year of high school. Our teacher would play music while we worked, and this is one of the songs I remember most distinctly.
Keep up with Band of Silver here.
With this freshest release, songwriter Jeremy Ferrara sounds as if he’s lived through his own life a few times before, only to come out wiser. Melancholy, observational, yet still bright; “This Trouble” weaves influences both sedentary and explorative, sketching a freewheeling character borne from folk-rock classics such as Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers, and Wilco. Twangy electric guitar leads stir Ferrara’s migration on to the next place he’ll call home, while sporadic trickles of piano fall like midmorning rain. “This Trouble” breathes of Ferrara’s desire to roam. He sings, “Like the weather in south California, some things they never change.” Though nature cycles without end, this letter to venturing peaks with a compelling guitar solo that is an essential, fulfilling catharsis.
Ferrara has a growing accruement of EPs and singles released, with 16 total tracks released over a two-year span.
Tour Dates
9/5 – The Liquor Store
9/26 – Kreuzberg California
9/29 – MadeWest Brewing Company
10/4 – Neck Of the Woods
10/5 – Shanty Shack Brewing
10/10 – Bunk Bar
Follow Jeremy Ferrara here.
The Lampshades, while facing their final hours together as a band, show no shame in succumbing to the mundane: The group’s latest music video release for single “Forget Me Not” tours through barren pastures, abandoned car lots, and woodland ruins in a battle with complacency and nostalgia.
The track, marked by early 00’s grunge and mid-tempo moodiness, is rife with undulating bass and bleak acceptance. The first few bars of “Forget Me Not” are quick to ignite and churn steadily, as frontman and lead guitarist Jaren Love reflects aloud to no one but the stretch of highway passing in the side view mirror: “It just doesn’t matter / It all keeps moving on”. During the first chorus, quick jump cuts of rusting abandoned cars and pick-up trucks switch in time with drummer Dane Adelman’s punching kick drum. In a wistful drone, Love laments, “So many photographs / I’ll never see them all / Just a bunch of paper / There’s no porcelain doll”.
Imagery of Love ambling solo through the rural landscape under massive open skies deliver a sense that he is the last man on Earth. No irony is spared in a shot where he explores the crumbled ruins of a building ensnared in weeds, the group vocals of the chorus ringing, “Forget me not, I’ll always be around”.
In what is arguably the most pointed scene in the video, Love’s drive down the highway shows the paint-peeled barns and old warehouses strewn in the tall grass as if left by a passing storm. One such structure bears massive white letters, projecting a branding slogan that is cheerless against the beige landscape: “Delivering the American Dream…”. The camera focuses on these words as Love reveals resentment for terrene interactions, singing “[I] adjust the volume on family and friends / Shake a million hands / But have no conversations”.
A tense moment just before the bass solo and guitar break depicts a steep cliff, with Love’s sneakered feet the only visible part of his body. A ladybug flies away from his pant leg where it was resting, begging the question of just how long Love stood contemplating the chasm. The scene switches, the break sweeps in, and Love’s self-reflection is tangible as he wanders a depleted pasture under a setting sun. Sonically and visually, this scene delivers some of the most potent emotionality of “Forget Me Not”.
With this music video, The Lampshades’ attitudes are bleak, but their sincerity palpable. “Forget Me Not” only gains traction as it progresses; the scenes flickering faster and faster between shots of Love wandering the field at twilight, swimming in a murky lake, and meandering on a dock under the intense sun. Bassist Chris Kibler thunders through each chorus, sparks flying at the song’s close, as the climax peaks and fades out. In the last scene, Love descends a flight of stairs into a basement and disappears from view, returned home yet still alone.
Preceding “Forget Me Not”, The Lampshades released 2018 album Astrology. Their discography also features three additional albums, three EPs, and four singles. With the release of this music video, the Pittsburgh trio has announced their disbandment, and we’re sad to see them go.
Stream The Lampshades’ music here.
Today, Dallas-based rock collective The 40 Acre Mule releases their latest full-length, a 10-track album titled Goodnight & Good Luck. Filled to the brim with incredible chord progressions, guitar riffs that will melt your face down to your teeth and cheekbones, and an undeniable energy that just simply will not quit. Their musical prowess has them dipping the journey into a smooth, natural slow roll a couple of times – how else can you do bluesy ballads like “Be with Me” and “Hat in Hand”? – but for the majority of this release, we spend our time checking our increasing heart rates.
The band – comprised of J. Isaiah Evans (Vocals/Guitar), John Pedigo (Guitar), Tim Cooper (Bass/Backing Vocals), Robert Anderson (Drums), Chris Evetts (Bari Sax/Percussion), and Chad Stockslager (Keys/Backing Vocals) – effortlessly blends the sounds of their great predecessors (Chuck Barry, Little Richard) and modern influences (J.D. McPherson, Nathaniel Rateliff) to create a sound that is simply undeniable, and truly one all their own.
If you’re looking for album favorites, we’re very into the clear nostalgia that rolls through us while listening to “Shake Hands with the Devil”, and are thoroughly drawn to the title and danceability of “Bathroom Walls”. Perhaps both songs present the sense of a thrill for a moment, thematically tying us to the album as a whole as it takes us on a thrilling ride.
Peep Goodnight & Good Luck below, and be sure to nab your copy soon!
Keep up with 40 Acre Mule here.
On Friday, lo-fi garage pop musician Balue is set to release his new album Suburban Bliss. We’re lucky enough to have your first listen to the release in its entirety, starting with the sound bites that intro the title track. Jam packed with leisurely tunes perfect for your next road trip, Suburban Bliss leads you on a sonic journey that both urges you to open your mind and keeps a moderate tempo that tends to keep your emotions at bay. Moments of 70’s-inspired, glittery soundscapes are nestled amongst futuristic chord progressions and reverb for miles. It’s beautiful and fun and quirky, all wrapped into one wonderful collection that will easily make the “summer to autumn” transition with you.
Get your first listen below, and keep your eyes peeled for that album release on the 23rd!
Keep up with Balue here.
Today, indie pop musician Nicholas Altobelli releases the music video for his track “Tell Me What I Got To Do”. A leisurely pace and a sincere host of lyrics give this song impact, as Altobelli lays vulnerable his desires. The video is interestingly shot, with warmth applied as if you’re viewing the world with rose colored glasses. But the subject matter is much more melancholy, matching the pace and composition of the track.
Get your first peep below, and let us know what you think on Facebook!
Vertigo was released August 2. Keep up with Nicholas Altobelli here.