August 30, 2013

Ty Segall played Music Hall of Williamsburg



There hasn't been such a consistent songwriter in music, let alone rock and roll, over the past few years as San Francisco's Ty Segall. In 2012 alone, the man released three full length records and this year he hasn't showed any signs of slowing down. Forming a new band, Fuzz, and a split record with friend Mikal Cronin was just the tipping point. Last week, Ty released Sleeper, an acoustic album recorded after the loss of his father. Tonight, Ty brought the Sleeper band to Brooklyn where the group played the album in full. Seated(!) and armed with two acoustic guitars, an electric bass, and minimal drums, the group lined-up across the stage remaining relatively calm and low-key, the band had little banter between songs and the only movement came when Ty took over on drums so the drummer could deliver the only electirc solo of the night. Although Sleeper might feature a softer side of Segall, the album is not anything to yawn at. The performance was about as unplugged as Nirvana's infamous MTV recording and there was plenty of head-banging and hair flipping to make everyone aware just how much Ty and company can really rock. While typically known for his abrasive Stooges-esque straight-forward rock and roll, the more mature sounds of Sleeper seemed on par with recent acoustic records from guitar shredders and noise legends J Masics and Thurston Moore and the fact that Ty has released something so advanced at this stage in his career, really highlights his song writing capabilities. Distorted solos were in abundance and even before he laid down some old hits, the crowd was bursting at the seams. "Girlfriend" and "Sad Fuzz" from 2010's Melted lifted the audience to new heights and I've never seen such intensity from an acoustic setting. If anything, the release of Sleeper has shown that while we all knew Ty could really pack a punch with loud fuzzed-out garage punk, there are layers to what he does and this could be just the beginning of what else he has in store.

August 28, 2013

Keep Shelly in Athens - "Flyway"



Slowly but surely, Keep Shelly in Athens has been sharing new tracks from their debut full-length album At Home. Today, it's "Flyway". Another dreamy endeavor that showcases the duo's ability to blend chillwave-like synths with more immediate beats before combusting in ambient bliss.

August 20, 2013

Grooms - "I Think We're Alone Now"


Brooklyn's Grooms have traditionally blended no-wave with noise driven rock that recalls heyday era Sonic Youth. Now the group is set to release their third record Infinity Caller on September 3. Recently, they shared "I Think We're Alone Now" (not a Tiffany cover). A track that shows a more matured side of the band while still offering up some excellent bursts of guitar towards the end.

August 16, 2013

These New Puritans - "Organ Eternal"



British avant post-rock band These New Puritans released the divine Field of Reeds this past June and have now shared a new video for album highlight "Organ Eternal". Directed by Willy Vanderperre, the video encompasses ariel footage of the band, sun sparkling through trees, and a woman running endlessly into the great wide open.

August 12, 2013

Nine Inch Nails - "Copy of A"



Have you heard? Nine Inch Nails are back! Their monstrous tour is already underway (the current incarnation was heavily inspired by Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense) and on September 3, Trent will release Hesitation Marks, the band's first new album since 2008's The Slip. Today, he shared another new track "Copy of A" in the U.K. and it will hit Amazon in the U.S. tomorrow. You can check it out now, thanks to the wonders of the internet.

August 6, 2013

Keep Shelly in Athens - "Oostende"



Following the recent single "Recollection", Grecian dream duo Keep Shelly in Athens have offered another sparkling gem, "Oostende", from their forth-coming (and long-awaited) debut At Home. This track follows the same hazey sounds as their previous efforts and ads some shoegaze elements that are reminiscent of some of M83's latest work. At Home is out September 17 and head to GorillavsBear to check out their upcoming tour dates.