Photo of Lake Street Dive

[Video] Lake Street Dive: "You Go Down Smooth" Live On KEXP

Lake Street Dive is an exceptionally talented, tight, and groovy foursome that met almost a decade ago as students at New England Conservatory in Boston. The band - Rachel Price (Lead Vocals), Mike Olsen (Guitar/Trumpet), Bridget Kearney (bass), and Mike Calabrese (drums) is killing it in a very major way. Promoting their brand new album Bad SelfPortraits, Lake Street Dive has been all over late night television and has received rave reviews from Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and pretty much everyone who has laid ears on them.

Check them out live on KEXP performing "You Go Down Smooth," an original off the new record Bad Self Portraits which is out now and available here.

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Promotional photo of Barber Greene.

[Video Premiere] Barber Greene: "Desires"

Indie-folk rocker Barber Greene AKA Matt Evert is premiering his latest music video for "Desires," the first single off his upcoming record Takes, due out this Spring via Yes Club Records. Evert plays all of the instruments on "Desires,"proving his one man band a continued success with this sunny track.

The video was shot by Jess Price and follows Evert and company around Humbolt park in Chicago, while they shoot hoops with neighborhood kids and run around on the playground. The video matches the sound of  "Desires" perfectly, capturing the carefree vibe and packing a ton of fun into just over two minutes. Evert keeps it short and sweet while convincing me that a little bit of sunshine can go a long way.

Barber Greene will be playing the Public House Records Showcase this Friday, Feb. 21 at The Burlington in Chicago with Landmarks, Ne-Hi, and Richard Album.

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Album art for The Tontons

[Review] The Tontons: "Make Out King and Other Stories of Love"

Hailing from Houston, groovy foursome The Tontons put themselves on the national radar with their brand new, soulful album The Make Out King and Other Stories of Love. Out officially today, the album has been streaming for the past couple weeks, inviting listeners to experience the buzz of The Tontons magnetic record before they can get their hands on a copy.

The band (singer Asli Omar, bassist Tom Nguyen, drummer Justin Martinez and guitarist Adam Martinez) have been together for the long haul, pumping out their seductive rock sound to everyone who would give them a chance. The Tontons don't fit into any one genre, but instead spread themselves over an array of sounds leaving you reeling and wondering how you are going to describe them to your friends.

"Our song is as random as our look. Like, you look at us and people usually don’t know what to expect or what we’re going to sound like, I think we like to keep people on their toes," Omar said during an interview with Ruby Hornet's own Jake Krez at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2013.

Make Out King comes out of the gate with the up-beat single "Magic Hour," which I believe is the best way to start off the album. This song is currently my favorite. It's surfer rock vibe eases you into the song only to blow you away with Omar's powerful, thick vocals. Her voice has a sultry rawness that reminds me of Amy Winehouse at times, mixed with a belty, strong sound of Genevieve Shatz from Chicago outfit Company of Thieves. Weird match up, I know, but oh so good.

The album plays a bit of tug-o-war between a fresh pop-rock sound and steamy, laid back, blues-y R&B ballads like "Kidd Cemetery." This song really stuck out to me because of it's sexy, cosmic sound and revealing lyrics. Omar sings "I hurt, you hurt, but it's all in fun." The album seems to be extremely personal, allowing listeners to envelop themselves in the stories. In "Bones 1," Omar sings about daunting life decisions like having children, getting a 9 to 5 and settling down almost as if she's convincing herself: "Today's not that day, I'm not that girl."

The Make Out King and Other Stories of Love shimmers, radiating strength and sadness, all the while making you want to dance. The buzz and boldness of the bass from Ngyunen, the sick dynamic riffs from guitarist Adam Martinez, and the steady super tight beats from Justin Martinez, operate smoothly with passion and precision allowing Asli Omar to wail and whisper over the tracks with deep lustrous vocals.

You can and should snag the album on The Tontons bandcamp or iTunes today!


The New Diet

[Album] The New Diet: "Basement Minded Thoughts"

The realm of indie music has become over-saturated with too many "me-too" bands aping off of one another's sounds. This notion of independent music is lost underneath layers upon layers of overproduction, shiny bright lights, and a drive to not be "independent," per se, but "dependent" on countless factors. As the Chicago music scene has come to be defined by the rising stars of its hip hop scene, many talented bands have made strides in the shadows of their rap brethren... perhaps embracing this veil of anonymity, never wanting to emerge into a spotlight that is, at times, all too unforgiving. Lost in the sea of Twitter-verified clone bands are the true purveyors of independent music; far away from the multi-layered recording studios are the real bands grinding and doing things their own way, both figuratively and literally.

The New Diet is one such band. Over recent years, the Chicago-based band has been steadily building a fan base with their penchant for lo-fi, DIY aesthetic. With their latest album, the aptly-titled Basement Minded Thoughts, the foursome delivers their first full-length album following a handful of EP releases over the past three years. Recorded live in an Urbana basement during the summer, Basement Minded Thoughts eschews the glamor of an expensive studio for a gritty, real sound that echoes the years spent performing in basements and lofts across the Chicagoland area. The album harkens back to the '90s with its mix of hazy indie/alternative and Midwestern emo sounds. Crooner/guitarist Anthony Focareto's shaky screeches sometimes get lost in the fog of guitar and bass, played by Adrian Serrano and Dillon Kelley, respectively, while drummer Jorge Galvan's hyperactive drumming keeps each song focused... despite a broken leg sustained before recording.

Basement Minded Thoughts extends past the album's sound, as the album has been released by Already Dead Tapes, a DIY record label that specializes in cassette and vinyl releases. Basement Minded Thoughts is available now on limited edition cassettes for only $5.00 (the purchase also comes with an MP3 download code). If you're the type that also appreciates a band's live aesthetic as much as their recordings, The New Diet's next show will be at Quenchers Saloon in Chicago on February 16th. Details for that show can be found here.

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[Video] Angel Olsen: Tiny Desk Concert

Angel Olsen has graciously shared two stellar tracks, Hi-Five and Forgiven/Forgotten, from her highly anticipated album Burn Your Fire For No Witness, out on February 18th via Jagjaguwar. Thankfully, we get another opportunity to hear some of the album before its release. NPR Music presents Olsen playing 4 previously unreleased tracks for their Tiny Desk Concert series.

With no backing band to support her, Olsen strums her guitar longingly, capturing the sorrowful and simple loveliness of her songs. Check out the performance and her upcoming tour dates!

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ANGEL OLSEN TOUR DATES:

Tue. Feb. 18 - Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern

Thu. Feb. 20 - New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge

Sat. Feb. 22 - Nashville, TN @ The Stone Fox

Sun. Feb. 23 - Fayetteville, AR @ JR's Lightbulb Club

Mon. Feb. 24 - Dallas, TX @ Three Links

Tue. Feb. 25 - Austin, TX @ Red 7

Sat. March 1 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar

Sun. March 2 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex

Mon. March 3 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall

Wed. March 5 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios

Thu. March 6 - Vancouver, BC @ Media Club

Fri. March 7 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza

Sat. March 8 - Moscow, ID @ Mikey's Gyros

Mon. March 10 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge

Sun. March 23 - Manchester, UK @ Soup Kitchen

Tue. March 25 - London, UK @ Dingwalls

Wed. March 26 - Paris, FR @ Divan Du Monde [LFSM Festival]

Thu. March 27 - Amiens, FR @ La Lune des Pirates [LFSM Festival]

Fri. March 28 - Koeln, DE @ King George

Sat. March 29 - Berlin, DE @ Hau 1

Sun. March 30 - Copenhagen, DK @ Vega

Mon. March 31 - Stockholm, SE @ Scandic Grand Central

Tue. April 1 - Oslo, NO @ Cafe Mono

Wed. April 2 - Goteborg, SE @ Pustervik

Thu. April 3 - Hamburg, DE @ Haus 73 / Kleiner Donner

Fri. April 4 - Leuven, BE @ Stuk

Sat. April 5 - Rotterdam, NL @ Motel Mozaique

Sun. April 6 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso

 


[Video] of Montreal: "She Ain't Speakin' Now"

of Montreal released their 12th album, Lousy With Sylvianbriar in October of last year and have just released a music video for their second single off of the album, "She Ain't Speakin' Now." Directed by Nina Barnes (wife of frontman Kevin Barnes), the video flashes blurred images of Kevin Barnes and Rebecca Cash saturated in neon colors. The video duplicates the trippy entrancement of their live show but doesn't out-shine the electricity of the track.

Don't miss your chance to see of Montreal live on their upcoming tour and check out the video for "She Ain't Speakin' Now." And if you haven't heard the album, check out Lousy With Sylvianbriar out via Polyvinyl.

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TOUR DATES

02/03 Honolulu, HI @ Republik
03/22 Natchitoches, LA @ DemonFest @ Northwestern State University
03/27 Mexico City, MX @ Vive Latino Festival
03/29 Athens, GA @ Velena's Birthday Party @ The 40 Watt Club
03/31 Greensboro, NC @ The Blind Tiger
04/01 Lexington, KY @ Cosmic Charlie's
04/02 St Louis, MO @ The Ready Room
04/03 Iowa City, IA @ Mission Creek Festival @ The Blue Moose Tap House
04/04 Wichita, KS @ The Crown Uptown
04/06 Memphis, TN @ The Hi Tone
05/02 Little Rock, AR @ Revolution Music Room
05/03 Austin, TX @ Austin Psych Fest
05/04 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
05/05 Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
05/06 St Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre
05/07 Miami, FL @ Grand Central
05/08 Orlando, FL @ The Social
05/09 Charlotte, NC @ Chop Shop
05/10 Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar
05/11 New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
05/12 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
05/13 Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
05/14 Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom
05/15 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme
05/16 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
05/17 Cincinnati, OH @ The Taft Ballroom
05/18 Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle


[Video] The Black Lips: "Boys in the Wood" (NSFW)

The Black Lips today released their latest video viz Vice/Noisey, and it's one you'll probably remember for awhile. The group, which last graced listeners with an album on 2011's Arabia Mountain, commissioned fellow Atlantans The ATL Twins and Matt Swinsky to direct this hell-raising romp through the forest that includes everything from fire dancing and sponge bath in a coffin to "murder and face-pissing". It's a hell of a way to climb back into the public eye after a elongated time away and the song isn't half bad either.  "Boys in the Wood" is the first single off The Black Lips' forthcoming studio project, Underneath The Rainbow, due out March 18 on Vice Records, with pre-orders now available on iTunes. The band also announced a Spring tour, for which the dates can be found below.


[Video] Bibio: "Dye The Water Green"

It's been a minute since we've heard from British producer Bibio, who was essentially indie-king/god a few years ago with a trio of uniquely ear-catching albums in The Apple & The Tooth, Ambivalence Avenue and Mind Bokeh, today returns with a video for his 2013 single, "Dye The Water Green". The video is produced by both Bibio and Michael Robinson and is a montage of nature photos seemingly water-colored for distortion in this five and a half minute ride through the abstract. The video is part of the lead-up to Bibio's next project, The Green EP, due out on January 27. Check out the video below.

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