Modern Rivals share two weird, wintry live session videos from On The Mountain series

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Brooklyn quartet Modern Rivals are featured in the second season of The Wild Honey Pie's original video series On The Mountain just released yesterday. The 80's themed series features studio-quality recording sessions with Modern Rivals, The Orwells, Ra Ra Riot and more captured on location at Stratton Resort in Vermont. Watch/share Modern Rivals' chairlift "Pins and Stitches" HERE and poolside "Defenestrate You" HERE.  On The Mountain is the latest original series from The Wild Honey Pie. The full season is available at: onthemountain.thewildhoneypie.com Modern Rivals premiered via Pitchfork the album version of "Pins and Stitches" off of 2014 full length Cemetery Dares. Listen/share HERE. SPIN launched the band's eerie, occult-leaning video for "The Dead Leaves (Danse Macabre Midnight)" previously and is available to watch/share HERE. Modern Rivals' ethereal and dextrous songs share the buttoned-up charm of 60s psych-pop bands like The Zombies, mixed with more technically crafty contemporary artists like Deerhunter and Beach House. Then, all of the elements are given the Nigel Godrich dreamscape approach in which no single sound is exactly what it seems. There is a delicate warmth to Modern Rivals' songs emanating from every meticulously placed note.  Cemetery Dares is available on LP, CD and download as of April 22nd, 2014. Modern Rivals are currently in the studio working on new material for release in 2015.

Artist: Modern Rivals Album:  Cemetery Dares Label: Muy Guapo Release Date: April 22nd, 2014 01. Angel Bones 02. Dead Leaves (Danse Macabre Midnight) (MP3) (VIDEO) 03. Dig Up The Sunset 04. Yvaine 05. The Ice 06. Somnipath 07. Moon Dust 08. A Shade Hesitating 09. In Tuxedo 10. Pins and Stitches (STREAM) On The Web: www.facebook.com/ModernRivals modernrivals.bandcamp.com

Low City premiere new track via Brooklyn Vegan, NYC producer & composer duo feat. members of Dirty Projectors, Bon Iver

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Brooklyn, NY's Low City premiere another track from an ongoing series of singles today via Brooklyn Vegan. The brainchild of music producer Abe Seiferth (Yeasayer, RAC) and composer/musician Jeremy Turner, Low City also features guest performances by members of Dirty Projectors and Bon Iver. The song "All You Can Dream Of" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud link HERE.)

The recently released video for the track "Skyline", directed by Lance Ferguson, is a stunning portrayal of a dystopian future mired in virtual/pharmaceutical reality. Watch/share video HERE. (Direct YouTube link HERE.)

Low City is a new collaboration between longtime friends and former bandmates Seiferth and Turner, aiming to combine the former's electronic production background with the latter's classical and film scoring expertise. The band's lyrically and musically cinematic aesthetic is inspired by the retro-futurism of films like Blade Runner, Gattaca and Fritz Lang's Metropolis, to name a few. While Low City's songs were written, performed and recorded by Seiferth and Turner, the duo were joined by several guest performers to flesh out its sound. 

Turner is a film composer who recently wrote a piece for yMusic's Balance Problems and a former cellist with the NY Metropolitan Opera who has also performed with artists such as Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, David Byrne, et al. Seiferth is a Brooklyn based producer currently working on the upcoming Yeasayer album, who has also worked with RAC, Reggie Watts, Bear in Heaven and many more. He also makes electronic music in the duo Tippy Toes with former Hercules and Love Affair member Morgan Wiley.

Low City's "All You Can Dream Of" and the first single "Skyline" is available via iTunes by Low City Music.

On The Web:

www.lowcity.net

youtube.com/LowCity

Knifight take on David Bowie, announce tour dates supporting new album

Click image above to watch "Breaking Glass" video

Austin heavy post-punk band Knifight premiere their take on a classic song from David Bowie's Low album today via Brooklyn Vegan. Their cover of the song is a unique track not included on their forthcoming album, V. Listen to and share the track HERE. Knifight also hit the road this month for a series of shows in the Southwest. Please see current dates below.

The band previously shared the lyric video for album track "Young Lovers". Watch/share the video HERE. (Direct YouTube link HERE.)

Knifight is not the type of name you'd associate with a synth-rock group. You'd probably think of a rough-and-tumble bar metal band with a name like that, cargo shorts and Mesa stacks abound. Vocalist John Gable did grow up in the hardcore scene of Tyler, Texas, where he saw bands like Hatebreed and Brutal Truth. Perhaps that's where the tough name came from. Knifight started as an industrial project of Gable, and later keyboardist/saxophonist Patrick Marshall would also become part of the group's nucleus. They performed as a noise duo, eventually finding their way into Austin, and formed into a full band, rounded out by guitarist Nick Garrison, bassist John Hetherington, and drummer Nick Cogdill.

Knifight may be the only group that’s played a noise fest and opened for Future Islands and Duran Duran in 2014, and dipping in both of those worlds has worked in their favor. They’re set to release their album, V in 2015, which is their first album with live drums. Last year’s Dark Voices saw them heading in a murkier direction, and while this record is clearer, it ups the darkness in many ways. They’re less focused on pop structures, stretching out so Gable and Marshall’s synths sound more brooding and gorgeous. “A Perfect Day To Die” sounds like it was commissioned for a James Bond film, right down to the title. “Buttons (Slow)” has echo-laden growls from Gable that suggest his metal past isn’t entirely behind him. Knifight haven’t gone completely doom and gloom on us, though. John H dials in some bouncy basslines throughout, especially evident on the brief ray of sunshine in the form of “Broken Feeling.”This still has all the hallmarks to make the goth club go up on a Tuesday; the weekend’s too bright, after all. Dance floors are staging areas for all sorts of desires and danger, and Knifight are reflecting that with this new record.

V will be available February 10th, 2015 on LP, CD and download via KnifightMusic. 

KNIFIGHT LIVE:

01/29  San Antonio, TX @ Jack’s Patio Bar
02/06  Austin, TX @ Cheer Up Charlie’s
02/18  Austin, TX @ Andy’s
02/21  Conway, AR @ Bear’s Den
02/27  Beaumont, TX @ Boom Town Festival
03/26  Tulsa, OK @ SoundPony
03/27  Lawrence, KS @ Frank’s North Star
04/09  Austin, TX @ The North Door (noise set)

Artist: Knifight

Album:  V

Label: KnifightMusic

Release Date: February 10th, 2015

01. Mistakes

02. Everything's Perfect

03. A Perfect Day To Die

04. Broken Feeling

05. Young Lovers (STREAM)

06. Buttons (Slow)

07. Vii

On The Web:

knifightmusic.com

knifight.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/knifightmusic

No Spill Blood share another track from forthcoming full length debut via Noisey

Dublin, Ireland trio No Spill Blood share the second track from their forthcoming full length debut today via Noisey. Listen to and share the song "El Duurto" HERE. (Direct Soundcloud link HERE.)

No Spill Blood previously shared the album track "White Out" HERE. Photos of the band recording in the studio can be seen at TheFarmFamily.com. Album art by Samantha Muljat and track listing below. 

No Spill Blood's ferocious dose of synth-laden aggression, Heavy Electricity comes across with all the brutal heft of underground metal but also with the clever intellect of post-punk bands like Killing Joke and Iceage.

 The band's shared love of Devo's smarmy synths, Trans Am's rhythmic soundscapes and the Melvins' unencumbered experimentalism brought them together to create a beastly noise using just vocals, bass, synths and drums. "The album chronicles a journey," explains keyboardist Ruadhan O'Meara. "It's an elemental pilgrimage emerging from the bowels of the earth, only to encounter savage environments, altered states, and the brutal inhumanity of fellow men." In other words, Heavy Electricity is a dark, but transcendent experience.

 Album opener "White Out" kicks things off with a commanding hi-hat to triplet count-in, as bassist/vocalist Matt Hedigan jumps in to the syncopated fray with growling, distortion-soaked bass. It's a moment of syrupy intensity befitting Masters of Reality-era Sabbath until the band suddenly lunges into a driving post-punk riff. "Back To The Earth" sounds like krautrock cranked to 11, with O'Meara's shimmering synth lines warbling over the churning rhythms. The hypnotic and occasionally hallucinogenic 6-1/2 minute "Now II" (featuring guest vocals by Mike Watt) builds subtly open a simple keyboard line into an epic metallic eruption similar to labelmates Russian Circles' awe-inspiring work. Throughout the album's 9-song, 46-minute duration, No Spill Blood never lets up on its intensity and power while still exploring a variety of sounds. 

 No Spill Blood's debut EP Street Meat was released via Sargent House in 2012. Thereafter, the trio quickly grew from side project to a full fledged band. They hit the studio in early 2014 with original drummer Lar Kaye to capture the raw, eviscerating experience of its live show for Heavy Electricity. Powerhouse drummer Ror Conaty replaced Kaye shortly before NSB toured the UK with Sargent House family band Deafheaven in August 2014, their reinvigorated live show receiving considerable praise in the process.

 Heavy Electricity will be available March 10th, 2015 via Sargent House. 

Artist: No Spill Blood

Album: Heavy Electricity

Label: Sargent House

Release date: March 10th, 2015

Track list:

01. White Out (STREAM)

02. Back To The Earth

03. Now II

04. El Duurto (STREAM)

05. Harsh Route

06. Heavy Electricty

07. Thinner

08. Sweet Beans

09. Endless Drift

On the Web:

sargenthouse.com/No_Spill_Blood

facebook.com/nospillblood

twitter.com/no_spill_blood

Bella Novela share hook-hefty video via Noisey, announce winter shows

"Bella Novela say they love both Iron Maiden and Abba 'with equal levels of intensity,' and it sounds like they probably love Heart and maybe Thin Lizzy too. They also sound a bit like a 'less indie' version of that new Ex-Hex album." -- Brooklyn Vegan

L.A. prog-pop-rock trio Bella Novela premiere the first video from their sophomore album Telemetry today via Noisey. The rock solid clip for the album's title track is available to watch and share HERE. (Direct YouTube link HERE. Cleared for sharing.)

Bella Novela also announce a series of Southern California shows coming up this winter, including a special Valentine's Day performance in the band's Long Beach hometown. Please see complete dates below. 

The trio recently shared tracks from their latest album via Brooklyn Vegan and PopMatters. The wildly dynamic tune "Four Walls" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud link HERE.) And, the title track "Telemetry" is available to hear & share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud link HERE.)

Bella Novela was voted among the 10 best live bands by LA Weekly in 2014, and OC Weekly named them among five most underrated bands in Orange County. The band's latest album Telemetry is once again a concept album, like their previous rock opera The Archeress which chronicled the last woman on earth and her battle for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. The concept of Telemetry is based on a popular 1980's Mexican telenovela entitled "Cuna de Lobos." They've been described in print as "Pat Benatar meets Iron Maiden," "Metallica meets Queen," and "a ballsier Gwen Stefani backed by a guitarist who could be fronting Muse with Meg White on steroids pounding the drums." 

The band released a demo of songs, Battlelines, in 2010 and toured across the United States selling CDs and handmade T-shirts for gas money out of their converted prison transport van, guarded with steel mesh-covered windows. Upon the release of The Archeress in 2013, the title track was featured on L.A.'s longstanding freeform radio station KLOS 95.5's 'Heidi and Frank Show' in their weekly segment "Stay or Go," receiving the highest percentage of listener approval for the entire year. They were later invited to headline the 95.5 KLOS end- of-the-year listener party, SOGFest. 

Telemetry was released November 25th, 2014 on LP, CD and download via Bella Novela Records. 

BELLA NOVELA LIVE:

02/14 Long Beach, CA @ The Prospector 
02/21 Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar
02/27 Long Beach, CA @ Di Piazzas

Artist: Bella Novela

Album:  Telemetry

Label: Bella Novela

Release Date: November 25th, 2014

01. TKO

02. Telemetry (STREAM) (VIDEO)

03. Masquerade

04. Corazon

05. Lenora

06. Four Walls (STREAM)

07. Eye For An Eye

08. Leave It All Behind

09. Catalina

On The Web:

bellanovela.com

www.facebook.com/bellanovela

bellanovela.bandcamp.com 

twitter.com/bellanovela

Blue & Gold streaming entire album ahead of release, NYC album release party this Saturday, 1/10 at Mercury Lounge

"Blue and Gold channel the best and most soulful parts of the classic rock canon...Would be just as much at home on a Black Keys record as it would on a Stax record." -- Blah Blah Blah Science "Nothing overly fancy, just loud guitars, earth shaking drums, and in your face, ass kicking and leave a footprint vocals." -- Pancakes and Whiskey

New York quartet Blue and Gold stream their entire forthcoming album ahead of its release beginning today. Listen to the full album HERE and please feel free to re-post the album widget below:

The 2-girl, 2-guy outfit play a NYC album release show this Saturday night, January 10th, 2015 at the Mercury Lounge. The full album is available for pre-order -- physical HERE and digital HERE (iTunes HERE.) The band previously shared the track "Tommy Gun" via PopMatters. Listen/share HERE. 

Picture a crowded party. It's sweaty, rowdy, and most of all, it's raucously loud. That's the experience of a Blue and Gold show, and it's the atmosphere they've captured on their debut album, In My Head.

The band formed in 2013, but the members of Blue and Gold go way back. Both singers and guitarists, Alex Kapelman and Chloe Raynes, started developing their musical chemistry in their college cover band, serenading drunken coeds with everything from Led Zeppelin and Green Day to Pat Benatar and No Doubt - so long as it rocked hard. Blue and Gold's other half goes back even further. Both students of the pop punk movement, GG Gonzalez and Derek Cabrera have been band-mates since high school. Alex and Chloe recruited GG first, blown away by her heavy-hitting, take-no-prisoners drumming style. Derek rounded out the quartet a few months later, supplying the group with his brand of punk, supplemented by a heavy dose of jazz, which he studied as an undergrad. 

These four musicians developed their chemistry on stage first, playing high-octane shows around New York City. Now with In My Head, Blue and Gold have created a debut bursting with as much swagger as their live show. It's also a meticulously crafted statement from a cohesive team. "I love the way the four of us make music together," Alex says. "It's raw and dirty and every piece fits together perfectly."

You can hear that perfect fit in the album's lead single, "In My Head," a tumult of wailing guitars and interweaving vocals. Shot through with adrenaline and dripping with a treacherous kind of romance, "In My Head" sets the tone for the whole album. The group also blends its influences on its second single, "Tommy Gun." The track starts out with jangly guitars and sunny surf rock melodies. But the band quickly blasts away that mellow mood with crashing cymbals, massive riffs, and pulsing bass. It's a fitting juxtaposition for a song about love in the trenches. Expect earworm hooks and harmonies and fierce blasts of sound - but most of all, expect a party.

In My Head is available on CD and download on January 13th, 2015 via ByrdHouse Records. 

BLUE AND GOLD LIVE:

01/10  New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge (Album release party)

Artist: Blue and Gold Album: Blue and Gold Label: ByrdHouse Records Release Date: January 13, 2015 01) In My Head (STREAM) 02) I Will Not Wait 03) Heartbreaker 04) Bowery Ball and Chain 05) Tommy Gun (STREAM) 06) I Can't Breathe 07) Make You My Baby 08) Wastin' Time 09) Soho 10) Don't Let Me Be On The Web: blueandgoldband.tumblr.com facebook.com/blueandgoldband blueandgoldband.bandcamp.com

Blue & Gold share second track from forthcoming album via PopMatters

"Blue and Gold channel the best and most soulful parts of the classic rock canon...Would be just as much at home on a Black Keys record as it would on a Stax record." -- Blah Blah Blah Science "Nothing overly fancy, just loud guitars, earth shaking drums, and in your face, ass kicking and leave a footprint vocals." -- Pancakes and Whiskey

New York quartet Blue and Gold share the second single from their forthcoming full length debut today via PopMatters. The soulful, heartfelt song "Tommy Gun" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud link HERE.)

The 2-girl, 2-guy outfit play a NYC album release show on January 10th, 2015 at the Mercury Lounge. The full album is available for pre-order -- physical HERE and digital HERE. Blue and Gold previously shared the first single, album title track "In My Head" HERE. 

Picture a crowded party. It's sweaty, rowdy, and most of all, it's raucously loud. That's the experience of a Blue and Gold show, and it's the atmosphere they've captured on their debut album, In My Head.

The band formed in 2013, but the members of Blue and Gold go way back. Both singers and guitarists, Alex Kapelman and Chloe Raynes, started developing their musical chemistry in their college cover band, serenading drunken coeds with everything from Led Zeppelin and Green Day to Pat Benatar and No Doubt - so long as it rocked hard. Blue and Gold's other half goes back even further. Both students of the pop punk movement, GG Gonzalez and Derek Cabrera have been band-mates since high school. Alex and Chloe recruited GG first, blown away by her heavy-hitting, take-no-prisoners drumming style. Derek rounded out the quartet a few months later, supplying the group with his brand of punk, supplemented by a heavy dose of jazz, which he studied as an undergrad. 

These four musicians developed their chemistry on stage first, playing high-octane shows around New York City. Now with In My Head, Blue and Gold have created a debut bursting with as much swagger as their live show. It's also a meticulously crafted statement from a cohesive team. "I love the way the four of us make music together," Alex says. "It's raw and dirty and every piece fits together perfectly."

You can hear that perfect fit in the album's lead single, "In My Head," a tumult of wailing guitars and interweaving vocals. Shot through with adrenaline and dripping with a treacherous kind of romance, "In My Head" sets the tone for the whole album. The group also blends its influences on its second single, "Tommy Gun." The track starts out with jangly guitars and sunny surf rock melodies. But the band quickly blasts away that mellow mood with crashing cymbals, massive riffs, and pulsing bass. It's a fitting juxtaposition for a song about love in the trenches. Expect earworm hooks and harmonies and fierce blasts of sound - but most of all, expect a party.

In My Head is available on CD and download on January 13th, 2015 via ByrdHouse Records. 

BLUE AND GOLD LIVE:

01/10  New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge (Album release party)

Artist: Blue and Gold Album: Blue and Gold Label: ByrdHouse Records Release Date: January 13, 2015 01) In My Head (STREAM) 02) I Will Not Wait 03) Heartbreaker 04) Bowery Ball and Chain 05) Tommy Gun (STREAM) 06) I Can't Breathe 07) Make You My Baby 08) Wastin' Time 09) Soho 10) Don't Let Me Be On The Web: blueandgoldband.tumblr.com facebook.com/blueandgoldband blueandgoldband.bandcamp.com