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For fans of: Bikini Kill, The Runaways, Girl In A Coma

If you’re craving a riot-grrrl-esque jam to get your party started, look no further than NYC’s Desert Sharks’ new single, “CrazyCrazy!” Off their upcoming EP “Template Hair,” out June 24th on Manimal, “CrazyCrazy” is the perfect edition to any in-your-face rock playlist. Channeling the great Kathleen Hanna, frontwoman Stephanie Gunther brings the tune to life singing with desperation, “I’m not crazy baby, I’m crazycrazy,” before crooning, “you’ve been untrue, don’t you play me for a fool…I can make things worse for you…” Backing Stephanie are bandmates Stefania Rovera, Rebecca Rose and Sunny Veniero, who provide the perfectly pissed-off instrumental feel for the take-no-prisoners track with unrelenting percussion and steady, rolling guitars that give off a slight surf-rock vibe. You can check out the track here, and be sure to give Desert Sharks a “like” on Facebook here.

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Stockholm four-piece Crucified Barbara has just released their new video for their in-your-face smash, “To Kill A Man,” and the timing could NOT have been more perfect. The aggressive, take-no-prisoners video comes in the wake of endless debate concerning women’s safety and overall rights (triggered by the recent Isla Vista mass shooting), and compliments the kickass track to perfection. The video switches between performance shots of the band, and newspaper clippings of coverage of violence against women. A group statement concerning the song, which is set to appear in the upcoming film “In The Red,” reads:

“We, and many of us, feel a huge impotence and rage when we hear and read about men who systematically abuse and rape women. This type of crime is something that happens every day, everywhere. From anger, we create music. Heavy influences and harsh riffs became the song To Kill a Man, a really heavy song in every sense.”

When asked about the video, they replied:

“One fifth of all the world’s women have been raped or attempted rape in their lifetime. The dark statistics became the basis for the song ‘To Kill A Man’ and our most important of the video. The production company 11frames has captured our vision perfectly and we are proud that we take the opportunity lifting heavy topics such as violence and sexism with a really heavy hard rock video.”

You can check out the video below, although we DO have to put a slight Trigger Warning on it…

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Queens, New York hard grunge three-piece Dead Waves is back to melt faces with their new single, “Oracles of the Grave!” Produced by Steve Albini (Nirvana’s In Utero), “Oracles of the Grave” is the first we’ve heard from Dead Waves since their stellar 2013 EP, “Take Me Away,” and sees the bands already heavy sound get impossibly darker. Recorded in Albini’s Electrical Audio Studio in Chicago, Dead Waves begin the track with steady, unrelenting guitars before blasting into a chorus of head-banging worthy percussion. Vocalist Teddy Panopolous gives the track all he’s got, treating listeners to his distinctive signature wail that would make Kurt Cobain roll over in his grave. Top this all off with a killer guitar solo mid-track, and you have yourself a surefire hit for the ages. You can listen to the track here, and be sure to give Dead Waves a “like” on Facebook here.

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For fans of: Red Hot Chili Peppers, White Stripes, The Darkness

There are a few basic requirements you have to have in order to maintain a successful band: great sound, solid musicianship, and a rad name.

Luckily for us, HolySexyBastards have all three.

The Venezuelan trio will blow you away with their newest album, “Devil Woman,” released independently on BandCamp, here, back in 2013. Kicking off with the raw, gritty title track, “Devil Woman,” HolySexyBastards tell of a gold digger, seething, “I ain’t got the money to pay for luxuries, I ain’t got the time to understand…I ain’t got no soul to give away, the only one I had I gave to her…” The vocals are reminiscent of The Darkness, while the instrumentals sift through mounds of reverb to create the perfectly combative opening track.

Next up is “The Punisher,” a surprisingly tamer track who’s sound can be likened to early The Vines and early White Stripes. “Sick” sees HolySexyBastards back in their musically aggressive element, while serenading listeners with a tale of a toxic love. “There’s a problem with me, something I cannot see, my friends, they tell me that I am sick…Now you have to decide if you want to stay or leave me, hanging like she always used to do…”

The aggressively romantic feel bleeds into “Let’s Make Babies,” and “She’s My Girl,” before slowing it down for the reggae-meets-tango sounding track, “First Love.” “First Love” is an adorable tune dedicated to the bands first, last, and only love: music. “Well, cause I lost my girl to music again, and I’m ready to lose many more,” they croon, “cause music was my first love…”

“Damn Blue Chevrolet” deals with familial issues while noticeably channeling Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis, before going rockabilly in “Better Than Me.” “Good Days,” “Flaws,” and “Waiting For Hell,” all cover the subject of good ol’ heartbreak, before wrapping up with the half-English-half-Spanish “Diablo,” blending the album full circle by embracing the band’s two languages. We can’t WAIT to hear more!

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For fans of: Palma Violets, Jaguar Ma, Sultan Bathery.

We’re feeling particularly spacey on this dreadful Monday, so what better way to come down from the weekend than with the trippy, intergalactic sounds of Seven’s new EP, “Lost In The Deep Sounds Of Space?!” The French quartet’s album comes a little under a year after their first stellar EP, “Beware!,” which was released back in July 2013. “Lost In The Deep Sounds Of Space” fades in with “Pull The Trigger Son…Or You’ll Be Killed,” a wavy, riff-heavy track reminiscent of indie kings Palma Violets and Jaguar Ma. ” Next up is “Mr. Couch Potato,” a fuzz-soaked surf-rock influenced track sounds like a B-Side of fellow European rockers Sultan Bathery, and has an undeniably infectious beat that will have you jumping in no time. Bringing the EP to a close is “Psycolours,” a prismatic track ripe with rich layers, strong guitars, and pleading lyrics of, “baby, give me one more shot!” The desperate begging reads our minds: three tracks just isn’t enough! Hopefully we see more of Seven soon, we NEED more of this in our lives!

You can download Seven’s “Lost In The Deep Sounds Of Space” for free on BandCamp here.

“Lost In The Deep Sounds Of Space” Track Listing:

1. Pull The Trigger Son…Or You’ll Be Killed
2. Mr. Couch Potato
3. Psycolours

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For fans of: Nirvana, Pixies, Breeders.

Pop quiz time! What do you get when you mix citrus, Pixies, and early White Stripes?

If you said Lemonbait, you’d be right! The teenage alt-rockers released their EP back in October, and we’re kicking ourselves for just finding it now! The album kicks off with “Shiver,” a Bleach-era Nirvana-sounding track with the vocals that would make Jack White proud. Next up is “Trying To Read,” a melancholy track about regrets and dealing with consequences. “I’ll be so old,” frontman Sam croons, “that I didn’t know that I’ve lost my mind, and I can’t rewind…” He speaks of hesitation and of what could have been, all while maintaining scratchy, spot-on vocals, and it’s BEAUTIFUL. “Waking Still” sees Lemonbait go in a decidedly dreary direction, channeling a sleepy Breeders with vocals that blend into the background just a tiiiiiny bit too much. Following “Waking Still” is “Outside,” which embraces a more pop-punk sound, before blasting into “Why Think,” a tune with a Clash-meets-Mudhoney vibe that will have you nodding your head in no time. “In Mind” takes the EP’s mood down a bit, with slow, strumming guitars intermingling with fuzzy, faded vocals. “Cold” is a pure cry for help, with Sam wailing, “oh, help me when I’m feelin’ cold, I couldn’t find her and I’m gettin’ old…” Wrapping up the album is “Keeping Steep,” an unusually simplistic track with soft drums and near twangy guitars that bring “Lemonbait” to a nice soft close. You can download your copy of the EP for free here.

Track Listing:

1. Shiver
2. Trying To Read
3. Waking Still
4. Outside
5. Why Think
6. In Mind
7. Cold
8. Keeping Steep

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Woodstock, a town already saturated with musical history was about to host a man who can best be described as progressive rock’s luxuriant magician, Les Claypool. Claypool hasn’t lost any momentum since the early 90’s with the beginnings of Primus. He proves himself to be a real musician’s musician that truly seems to not be afraid of anything.

On the brutally frigid night on February 28th a ragtag group of fans piled into Woodstock’s Bearsville Theatre for a night of good ol’ fashioned country music. Well…not really. Fans came to see progressive rock performed in a way no group has ever quite done before. Due de Twang’s sound is a bit like blue grass meets old school country meets Django Reinhardt. The songs are countrified version of Claypool’s music from previous groups. The album, Four Foot Shack, is half comprised of covers of country songs such as Stompin’ Tom Connors The Bridge Came Tumblin’ Down and Jerry Horton’s The Battle of New Orleans. The rest of the album is a collection of songs from Primus and various other groups that Claypool has been a part of.

The night began by two attractive, mild mannered women dressed in 1950’s style dresses taking the stage with a guitar and ukulele. They sweetly began addressing the crowd to establish a polite rapport and in their southern accents introduced themselves as the Reformed Whores. The crowd loved their brutally honest comedy and obvious irony of two sweet southern gals swearing like sailors and playing songs like Drunk Dial, Birth Control, and Girls Poop Too. Thanks to the intimate venue, the girls were able to ask a young man in the front row about his sexual accomplishments.

After the Reformed Whores finished their raunchy set. A glowing faux fireplace was then fixed on stage between two amps and chairs. The crowd pushed up tighter together in preparation for the two gentleman that would perform next. The crowd, which varied in age, roared together when Claypool and guitarist Bryan Kehoe came on stage. Claypool sat down, reached to the table to the right of him and took a sip of what looked like a very stiff screwdriver. After pulling the drink away from his lips, he made a face that proved that it was. The duo began the set with Buzzards of Green Hill, a cover from yet another Claypool experience, Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade (Frog Brigade). The song has a traditional baseline walk, yet Claypool seems to effortlessly contribute his traditional flair to the reworked song.

Claypool is a true showman and loves to interact with fans close to the front of the stage. He also flippantly, and comedically, stops during songs for a funny quip then without loosing a beat jumps right back into his groove. They continued with the Stompin’ Tom Connors cover, The Bridge Came Tumblin’ Down followed by a crowd pleasing Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver.

One of Claypool’s in between song rants focused around how cold it was in Woodstock that night (12°F) and the effects that leaves on a man’s sperm count. This digression led into the Jerry Reed cover, Amos Moses. Next they played Booneville Stomp. Originally a song off of Claypool’s solo album, it fits nearly perfect into the style of Duo de Twang. Leaving one to ponder if the song should have been written in that style to begin with.

The concert progressed and Claypool began to tinker on his steel plated resonator bass and began to play something vaguely familiar, yet the crowd didn’t completely grasp it at first. He continued to play as he leaned into the mic and said in a subtle, almost serious voice, “This is the most famous thing I’ve ever wrote.” The piece of music began to transform into something much more obvious as the crowd began to kick themselves for not realizing sooner. It was a short little tease of the South Park theme.

They continued next with a surprisingly good Staying Alive originally made famous by the Bee Gees. Claypool has a great ability to almost mock a song but also show reverence for it at the same time. The Duo was joined by Reformed Whores for the performance of Pipeline (The Ventures). The song quickly became a battle of the sexes with a bit of a sing-off. Claypool requested only the girls sing a phrase of the song followed by the men. Word to the wise: while standing in the second row of a Les Claypool concert, always sing when told to do so. Myself and one other girl were called out for not taking part. We were booed. It was awful.

The band finished the concert with D’s Diner (Frog Brigade) and the Primus classic, Jerry Was a Race Car Driver. The encore consisted of American Life, Silly Putty, and the strangely wonderful version of Alice in Chains’ Man in the Box.

All in all, that blistering cold night in Woodstock was a great experience for Les Claypool fans. Most people in attendance that night grew up listing to Claypool, proving his fans very loyal. They would follow that tall, strange, top hat wearing man anywhere.

Set List:

1 Buzzards of Green Hill – Les Claypool’s Frog Brigade
2. The Bridge Came Tumblin’ Down- Stompin’ Tom Connors
3. Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver- Primus
4. Amos Moses- Jerry Reed
5. Booneville Stomp- Les Claypool
6. The Battle of New Orleans- Jerry Horton
7. Rumble of the Diesel- Les Claypool
8. South Park Theme- Les Claypool
9. Stayin’ Alive- Bee Gees
10. Pipeline (w/ Reformed Whores)- The Ventures
11. D’s Diner- Les Claypool’s Frog Brigade
12. Jerry Was a Race Car Driver- Primus

Encore:
13. American Life- Primus
14. Silly Putty- Primus
15. Man in the Box- Alice in Chains

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For fans of: Eddie Vedder, Gaslight Anthem, Parker Millsap

Bruce Springsteen’s latest studio album, High Hopes is both a battle cry for the future while recalling themes from the past. The album’s new material is anchored by older tracks, American Skin (41 Shots) and The Ghost of Tom Joad are reworked and refreshed, thanks to some help from Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello. Morello leaves quite a fingerprint on Springsteen’s 18^th studio venture, appearing on 8 of the album’s tracks. Morello filled in for Steven Van Zandt during some tour dates while Van Zandt was filming (Van Zandt moonlights as an actor). Springsteen was quickly inspired to work with Morello on some tracks. Their collaboration is what led to Morello’s hefty contribution to the album. Also appearing on High Hopes is E Street Band’s dearly missed Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici, due to outtakes from previous albums appearing on High Hopes. Stepping in as Clemon’s touring replacement, and credited saxophonist on High Hopes is Jake Clemons, Clarence’s nephew.

In addition to revisited songs from Springsteen’s repository, there are three covers: Tim Scott McConnell’s title track, High Hopes, The Saints’ Just Like Fire Would, and Suicide’s Dream Baby Dream. In reality, Springsteen’s new effort can be a bit confusing at times. There are brooding tracks like Down in the Hole and The Ghost of Tom Joad juxtaposed with High Hopes, Dream Baby Dream, Heaven’s Wall and This is Your Sword that have themes of persistent hope. It seems half the album drags you down while the other half reassures you to keep pushing forward. The album seems to lack a consistent statement. The obvious crutch with High Hopes is that the older, reworked songs from Springsteen career are what carry the album.

But let’s give the Boss some credit. Inconsistent album flow or not, both songs of desperation and songs of determination are what Bruce does best. There are some adversities with this album, but it’s clear Springsteen is trying to venture away from the rallying anthems of the 80’s. Creatively, Springsteen has shown that he has the courage to lose sight of the shore and that’s what any self-respecting artist who’s had a career as sustainable as Bruce’s should do. Just like any Springsteen work, most songs have strong, blue-collar narratives that are both vulnerable and honest. Springsteen has always been a master storyteller, and in that regard, High Hopes doesn’t disappoint.

Track Listing:

1. High Hopes- Tim Scott McConnell*
2. Harry’s Place- Springsteen*
3. American Skin (41 Shots)- Springsteen*
4. Just Like Fire Would- Chris Bailey (The Saints)*
5. Down in the Hole- Springsteen
6. Heaven’s Wall- Springsteen*
7. Frankie Fell in Love- Springsteen
8. This is Your Sword- Springsteen
9. Hunter of Invisible Game- Springsteen*
10. The Ghost of Tom Joad- Springsteen*
11. The Wall- Springsteen
12. Dream Baby Dream- Martin Rev / Alan Vega (Suicide)*

*with Morello

Released January 13, 2014

Duration: 56:26

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“Giant Tortoise” started off with distorted church bells before going into another Tame-Impala-influenced jam-sesh. White-Stripes-inspired solos weave between wavy melodies and floating vocals. The album’s title track, “Hobo Rocket,” blasts off into a mid-tempo tune with strong folk and middle eastern influences accompanied by vocals that clash in the best way possible. Wrapping up “Hobo Rocket” is “Midnight Mass (At The Market Street Payphone)”, an aggressive track that has no issues grabbing attention. Overall, Pond’s fifth album flows…swimmingly (I had to), and should be heard by psych-rock lovers everywhere. I tip my hat to you, Pond.

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Indie dream-pop lovers, allow us to introduce you to your new favorite band: meet Marathon, a five-piece from Lebanon, PA that’s catching ears with their genre-bending tunes. The best part about Marathon? They just released their debut self-titled LP here for exactly $0! And really, who can say no to that?!

“Marathon” kicks off with the hurried yet relaxed “Off White,” drawing clear influence from bands like The Neighbourhood and Maudlin Strangers. Next up is the riff-tastic “Of Bloom,” which highlights Marathon’s musicianship that very few can successfully demonstrate. “Shine” and “Sea Of Leaves” take a step back from the heavy guitars, before fading into the masterful “Roomfull Of Clocks.” “Roomfull Of Clocks” is incredible, with dual frontmen Zach and Erich Wagner’s voices dreamily floating above fantastically layered instrumentals. “Bath” and “Symboline” are delicious contradictions to one another, with “Bath” being slighly spanish-sounding and “Symboline” channeling the lovechild of Muse and Coldplay. “Mountaineering” reminds listeners of a more complex Moon Taxi, the multi-dimensional track once again highlighting Marathon’s vocals, with the frontmen crooning, “Don’t you feel the cold breeze? / Sleeping like you’re dead in this heat…” “Chapel” is next, starting off with a sharp piano that continues throughout, distracting a bit from the vocals, which is definitely different from Marathon’s previous tracks, and fades into the transition track, “Hall.” The album wraps up with “Ghosts Of Ours,” which showcases a rougher vocal distortion blended with punk-esque guitars interestingly paired together with complex drums that are just faded enough to keep the beat. Overall, a stellar debut from a hugely talented band. Watch out for these guys this year, they’re going places!

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