Dawes + Shovels and Rope @ Mr. Smalls Theatre, Pittsburgh 6/18/13
Dawes bring their Laurel Valley sound to a sold-out Pittsburgh crowd, defying already-high expectations with strong musicality and emotional lyrics.
“Bass Drum Of Death” by Bass Drum Of Death
What’s punk without exhilaration? Bass Drum Of Death’s sophomore album, where loud and fuzzy means monotonous and muddled.
“The Olms” by The Olms
As The Olms, Pete Yorn and J.D. King search for old-time folk rock and find some pleasant sounds but nothing new or exciting.
HEAR THIS: Barbarossa
On its new singles “The Load” and “Turbine,” Barbarossa makes electronic music a sparse, intimate affair.
FREE TICKETS: Ariel Pink @ Irving Plaza, NY 6/6/13
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti will be at New York City’s Irving Plaza, and we have free tickets for a lucky reader.
HEAR THIS: Le Boum
On their debut EP, Brooklyn synth-pop band Le Boum serves more pleasant surprises than indie music conventions.
HEAR THIS: Hortlax Cobra
John Eriksson of Peter, Bjorn, and John claims a second life with the synth-pop alter ego Hortlax Cobra, embracing the abstract and sinister.
HEAR THIS: Leonard Friend
Leonard Friend invokes memory and modernity with the gorgeous, often danceable synth-pop on his second EP.