independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
Last time I spoke with Boston-based alt-folk outfit The Ballroom Thieves, the group had finished an EP collaboration with the Maine Youth Rock Orchestra, and were readying for a short tour with the MYRO’s 25 high school-aged members. “When you bring 25 kids on the road with five adult chaperones, it goes without saying that... Continue Reading →
Jenn Korbee and husband Tom Korbee, who perform together as Los Angeles-based pop duo Korbee, started out as independent artists who sometimes collaborated; “I would write on his stuff, he’d write on mine; we wrote a proper duet together and we talked about releasing it, and it we both were like ‘Why aren’t we doing... Continue Reading →
“We’re a happy uplifting band, and the record comes across that way, but this time, there’s a dark side, and we’re eager to share it,” says Dave Munro of tight-knit Boston-based alt-pop band Air Traffic Controller of their most recent release, Black Box, the long-awaited follow-up to 2012’s NORDO. “Time flew by—we had spent so... Continue Reading →
Punk-infused Canadian rock trio The Dirty Nil started making music together ten years ago as high school students; the band began recording EPs in 2011 and released their first full-length LP, Higher Power, on Dine Alone Records in February of this year. The Dirty Nil’s music is enticingly aggressive and deliciously raucous; “It’s never been... Continue Reading →
Woodstock, New York-based rootsy alt-folk outfit The Felice Brothers are currently on an extensive tour supporting the release of their latest album, Life In The Dark, which came out this June via Yep Roc Records. I recently chatted with James Felice, who filled me in on the details: Me: “I heard you recorded the album on... Continue Reading →
Chicago-based alt-folk artist Ryley Walker is currently on tour supporting his newest album, Golden Sings That Have Been Sung, out last month via Dead Oceans; the tour brings him to Nashville on Thursday, September 15th. Right away, I knew we were going to have a fun chat: He: “I hope you don’t mind if I... Continue Reading →
California alt-rock outfit Allah-Las beautifully distills the sun-drenched sounds of Southern California into vinyl grooves. Their new album Calico Review, the band’s third, is set for release on September 9th via Mexican Summer; recorded at the Valentine Recording Studio in Van Nuys, California, the studio’s quirky history melded perfectly with the band’s laid back collective personality and... Continue Reading →
Have you ever had one of those days where everything you touch melts or destroys itself? “I feel like that’s every day for me,” laughs Justin Acee, drummer of rock trio Made Violent, whose beloved tour van, Miss Bugatti’s Gentlemen’s Lounge and Cigar Emporium--Miss Bugatti for short--recently kicked the bucket. “Once we were driving to... Continue Reading →
Besides being enamored with their catchy musical style, I noticed that Columbus, Ohio’s Nick D’ & The Believers sport some snazzy gold tank tops when they perform. I had to know more. “I’ll do my best to explain the gold tank tops. I’m not even sure I really understand it,” says frontman Nick D’Andrea with... Continue Reading →
“The stars just kind of aligned for us,” says Harpooner co-founder Max Mullen, who met bandmates Scott Schmadeke and Josh Morrow while attending college in Bloomington, Indiana. “We were all playing basement shows together in different bands, started hanging out almost every weekend, and Harpooner was born,” adds Schmadeke. A desire to expand their horizons... Continue Reading →
