Seattle quintet Motopony, who just released their self-titled debut last month, will headline a show at Neumo’s on July 7th. They will play with two other Emerald City locals, Smokey Brights and Cumulus. Motopony’s sound is a winning combination of Grateful Dead-esque folk music and the funky and soulful voice of frontman Daniel Blue. Listen to one of the album’s highlights, “Seer,” below. - Josh Johnson
In our plans of constant expansion of our coverage towards new music scenes, admittedly Missouri wasn't the top priority, but since we found some seriously committed partners over there (the awesome people at the Midwest Music Foundation) we decided to launch a Deli Kansas City web page! While working on the site we have actually discovered a very lively scene with some really cool bands. Go ahead and explore it!
Making music is an act of devotion for Seattle’s Subaqueous, who brings the mysteries of the subconscious to light in his second full-length album "Immerge". Working with a variety of guest artists from vocalists to udu players, Subaqueous creates fluid downtempo electronica inhabited by tribal drums, deep grooves and vagrant melodies. Using gypsy scales and the blues to create an enigmatic vibe, "Immerge" evokes an inner journey through trance-inducing basslines that roll beneath a heavy beauty.
After years of performing together (originally under the moniker Natalie Portman's Shaved Head), Brite Futures announced today that they will no longer be writing and touring with one another. The announcement comes along with the confirmation that the band will play their final hometown show on June 16 at the Vera Project. Brite Futures posted this note on their Facebook page earlier in the day
Friends, BFFs, everyone,
It is with many bittersweet feelings that we announce that as of next month Brite Futures will cease to be an active band, and we will no longer be creating or playing music together. After almost seven years as a band (more than a quarter of our lives) we've unanimously reached the decision that it's time to move on to other adventures-the irony of which, for a band with our name, is not lost on us. This separation is not due to a falling out or any ill feelings between us personally, but with the band's momentum dying down and other aspirations beckoning, we've begun to look toward the next stage in our lives. And that's exciting at the same time as it's sad to leave behind a pursuit that saw us grow up together, from awkward high school spazzes singing about our first beards to more confident young adults.
Vocalist Hannah Amdahl and guitarist Robert Kemp are living proof that road trips can lead to great things. The duo played music together in Florida under the name of Hannah and the Halfway House, when they decided to pack it up and make the trek to Seattle, listening to “Highway to Hell” upon crossing each state line. Once in Seattle, the pair connected with percussionist Alex Noble, bassist Michael Plotke, and engineer David Miner, forming a new indie pop sound in The Last Temptations. There is something very sassy about the group’s six track Penny Dreadfuls. The record, heavy with witty lyrics, kicks off with “Trigger Finger”. The track immediately sucks the listener in with its straightforward rifts, addictive beat, and satisfying breakdowns. Hannah’s voice is sultry as she sings “I don't want to possess you I just want to caress you sometimes. I don’t want to control you, I just want to own you sometimes.” The delicate strumming of guitar gives way to the clear and clever lyrics “I’m not a social butterfly, I’m barely a social sly” in the moody “Police State”. The tune features a few different change ups which makes for a tantalizing ride. “Southern Charm” is also, well, charming. The drum intro grabs the audience’s attention and creates a build up as each instrument is layered on. The disc also features the somewhat beachy “Big Ben Butcher”, the gritty “Share Your Opinions” and the chill “Predatory Glances”. The Last Tempations have created a brassy and enticing debut album in Penny Dreadfuls and will be following it up with a new single this July. Besides creating more tantalizing tracks, the group has the goal of rockin’ out to “Highway to Hell” in all 48 continental states.
GravelRoad’s latest album Psychadelta sounds way less psych and way more Clutch meets the blues meets jam band meets old time rock ‘n’ roll. Going for an “acid blues” feel, GravelRoad digs deep in the grit, kicking the album off with “Devil Eyes”. The twangy guitar and steady drum serve well with the muddy vocals that are half spoken and half wailed in a classic blues way. “Furry” is a purely instrumental jam that melts into “In The Woods” which has an almost country sound. “Caves” sounds like a loner on the road; the instruments clashing together creating a wild bird sound, the vocals echoing, the guitars sad. The boogie groove in “Let Me Hold You” gives a real glimpse into the Mississippi blues form that GravelRoad prides themselves on. When I first started listening to Psychadelta, I wasn’t in love. The more I listened, however, the more I could picture myself in a dirty saloon type of bar, drinking whiskey with the guys (or alone), and the more I liked it.
There are often times in life when we feel as though we need an escape. Things just aren’t going right, the present is heartbreaking, the future uncertain. Friends, Marshall McLean (guitar, vocals, lap steel) and Adam Miller (guitar, vocals), were going through such a period, a time where everything felt broken. Miller’s marriage of five years had come to an end and McLean felt like he was on the wrong path and wasn’t sure where to go. They sought to make sense of the senseless through music, spawning the natural evolution that is their band the Horse Thieves. Working out their issues through each lyric and chord, the Horse Thieves dropped two albums on the exact same day; Outlaw Ballads, which is largely McLean’s story, and Valley of Decisions which is Miller’s and the concentration of this review. Joined by Tiffany Stephens (drums), Jordan Miller, and Fawn Dasovich (keys, vocals), The Horse Thieves are able to create a sad and beautiful album in Valley of Decisions. “Throw the Dice” is great as an intro, sounding a quiet awakening and setting up the listener for a moody and nostalgia evoking experience. The songs flow together, threaded with the common theme of reminiscing, which makes sense since Miller was looking to his past to make sense of the present. The songs are soft with heavy folk influences and a Mumford and Sons feel. “(I Was) Crazy (About You)” is practically a lullaby; “You’re crazy but so am I. A Smile as bright as daylight shines but hold me tight and I’ll be blind” is barely whispered, yet each note is drawn out fully against the haunting keys and simple yet effective drumming and guitar. In the lyric driven “I Won’t Keep You”, Fawn’s voice is clear and emotional as she purrs, “You said that it would be different now that I’m all you need but I guess I’m just an optimistic fool” . The album is certainly somber, maintaining a subdued sound throughout, and serves as the perfect soundtrack to the rainy day blues.
This summer is shaping up to be a busy one for dreamy psych-pop quartet Beat Connection – while the rest of us can look forward to enjoying the season's sunny days and abbreviated nights, they're set to release a debut LP and launch a North American tour. The group is hitting the road following the release of their Think/Feel single, featuring crystalline vocals provided by Seattle-based graphic designer Chelsey Scheffe. The single is the first suggestion of what's to come on their upcoming summer release, a full-length effort entitled Palace Garden. With rippling, synthetic undercurrents and echoing, faded, and delayed vocals, the track recalls the overexposed, gauzy pastels of a summer photo album (you know, the Instagram kind). Deftly layered beats and harmonies create the auditory equivalent of a swinging hammock – comfortable, hypnotic, and inviting. "I feel too little and think too much", coos Scheffe, but it's likely that the opiating, lullaby-like tune will leave listeners with the opposite problem.
Seattle-based songwriter Debbie Miller will debut her sophomore album, Measures and Waits, with a live performance at the Columbia City Theater on Sunday night. Once regarded as one of New York City's best-kept musical secrets, Miller's relocation to the coast came after the succesful release of her first album, Fake Love, back in 2010. Mixing a folky sensibility with disarmingly honest, and frequently clever, lyrics, Miller has gained followings that bookend the country with enthusiasts on both coasts. Measures and Waits, a six-song EP, is a return to form for the multi-talented songstress, who deftly shifts from strumming an acoustic guitar to navigating a piano's keyboard. As always, Miller blends canny instrumentation and delicate, yet powerful, vocals. A siren chorus opens the album's leading track, "Inch By Inch", and her piercing voice and rousing wordplay work to ensnare the listener within the first few bars. The rest of the album follows that example, with catchy choruses and even more infectious harmonies, ensuring that fans new and old won't be disappointed at its release this Sunday. Opening acts will include folk rockers Haystack Charm, and Sean Neil.
Friday is upon us, and while many music lovers in Seattle will be packing venues to take in a handful of acts stopping by the city this weekend (Cults, Young the Giant and Sleigh Bells, to name a few), there's plenty of local talent lined up over the next few days for those of you without big-name tickets. Tomorrow night, the Vera Project will play host to San Franciscan rockers, Ceremony, Olympia's Milk Music, and the Seattle-based Society Nurse. The trio should provide a high-octane set tailored to the tastes of the city's hardcore audience, for $11 a ticket ($10 with a club card). Doors will be at 7:30. At the Sunset Tavern, blues-rockers the Grizzled Mighty will take the stage with Strong Killings and Consignment on Saturday night. Presented by KEXP Audioasis, tickets for the show are $8, and doors will open at 10:00. Rounding out the weekend on Sunday night, the Comet Tavern presents folk bard Eric Miller, along with Shareef Ali and the Radical Folksonomy, Judd Wasserman, and Kate Graves. Cover for the show sits at $6.
