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Rock

Gold Fields – Happy Boy

Check out the subdued R&B-informed tones of b3 faves Gold Fields’ excellent latest track, “Happy Boy”. Replete with tidal washes of synth & guitar, 80’s soul-style production, aerophone percussion & a great live strings track “Happy Boy” indicates a further high water mark for the Aussie band. If you’re in the US, and in a place like our hometown of Cleveland (!), get psyched because Gold Fields have just announced their first headlining American dates, which you can scope out below.

Gold Fields U.S. Dates:

02/04: Washington @ U Street Music Hall
02/05: Baltimore @ Rams Head Live
02/06: New York @ Bowery Ballroom
02/07: Philadelphia @ TLA
02/08: Boston @ Brighton Music Hall
02/09: Providence @ The Met
02/11: Toronto @ The Drake Hotel
02/12: Detroit @ The Shelter
02/13: Columbus @ The Basement
02/14: Cleveland @ Beachland Ballroom
02/15: Chicago @ Lincoln Hall
02/17: Minneapolis @ Triple Rock Social Club
02/19: Colorado Springs @ The Black Sheep
02/20: Denver @ Larimer Lounge
02/22: Salt Lake City @ In The Venue
02/23: Missoula, MT @ Elks Live
02/24: Seattle @ Crocodile Cafe
02/25: Portland @ Crystal Ballroom
02/28: Los Angeles @ Troubadour
03/02: Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
03/05: San Diego @ The Casbah
03/06: Phoenix @ Crescent Ballroom
03/08: Las Vegas @ Hard Rock Cafe

Gold Fields australia (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

reviewed by
01-30-13

Rare Monk – Drumhead

Portland band Rare Monk announce debut album Sleep/Attack and debut single, the crunchy riff-heavy hook-heavy “Drumhead”. “Drumhead” sounds a bit, at least melodically, of the Jack White school of writing. The comparison and similarity ends there, though, as there’s a definite uniqueness about the mix of sounds and palette of influences Rare Monk employs. Under a different instrumentation “Drumhead” could be an indie pop song, it’s not difficult to picture the track’s chorus on top a Cults or Sleigh Bells track. Give the excellent “Drumhead” your ears below and look for Sleep/Attack February 26th.

Rare Monk oregon (Bandcamp)

Rating 8.4

reviewed by
01-29-13

The ACB’s – Record Store

Little Leaves will be the second LP from KC indie guitar band The ACB’s. The melodic buzzsaw that is second single “Record Store” is a definite must listen. Each of the song’s component melodies (verse, prechorus, chorus) could each be a really great chorus on three really great different songs; but meld and combine the three as The ACB’s have so brilliant done here and you’re faced with a juggernaut of a track that will render your faculty to resist toe tapping, humming along, and nodding your head completely useless.

The ACB’s – Record Store

The ACB’s missouri (Bandcamp)

Rating 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
01-29-13

Dear Blanca – Havana Tonight

Anytime a band can mix in harmonica with a “Besame Mucho” reference as South Carolina band Dear Blanca do on new track “Havana Tonight”, they’re going to (at the very least) have our attention. The Columbia, SC band dial up the grit, rawness, and soul and do indeed “Dance to Besame Mucho” in the track’s irreverent singalong-inviting hook. Dear Blanca have a new album due in a couple weeks called Talker and you can count the b3 team as among the psyched. Spin “Havana Tonight” below.

Dear Blanca (Facebook)

Rating 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
01-29-13

Laura Stevenson – Runner

“Runner” is new from Long Island songwriter Laura Stevenson. The bouncy jittering indie pop track will appear on both Stevenson’s upcoming April-due debut LP Wheel as well as a three-song 7″ out next month. “Runner” earns its bread on its giant, singalong-inviting chorus “This summer hurts! This summer hurts!”; expect that refrain to eat your heart, brain, and eardrums out (in that order) with each repeated listen.

Laura Stevenson – Runner

Laura Stevenson (Official)

Rating 8.0

brown8

reviewed by
01-28-13

Crash and the Coots – Don’t Kill Bugs

Here’s a free download from the young and enthusiastic Crash And The ‘Coots taken from their forthcoming EP Hill Rise – named after a housing estate where their dad grew up and recorded in a bedroom at their mums house. “Don’t Kill Bugs” sounds like they’ve borrowed Scroobious Pip’s moral compass and vocal delivery and altogether exudes an array of flamboyant childhood influences. Hill Rise EP will be available from 25th March on One Upon A Time. By Nathan Hetherington

Crash and the Coots – Don’t Kill Bugs

Crash & The ‘Coots (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
01-28-13

Misun – Battlefields (produced by Nacey)

“Battlefields” is the next offering from DC crew Misun and producer Nacey. A jangly rocker with just the right touch of surf. Get familiar below.

Misun – Battlefields (produced by Nacey)

Misun maryland (Facebook)

Rating 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
01-28-13

The Black Angels – Don’t Play With Guns

Preview below is “Don’t Play With Guns” the first single from Austin psychedelic fuzz rockers The Black Angels’ April-due LP Indigo Meadow. The “Don’t Play With Guns” sports an infectious, hypnotic groove and plenty of the genre’s requisite crunch. Get into it below (and don’t play with guns, kids).

The Black Angels – Don’t Play With Guns

The Black Angels (Official)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
01-25-13

Iceage – Ecstasy

Iceage, straight outta Copenhagen, have a new track and video entitled “Ecstasy”. Crunchy rhythms & lots of aggro painted together by a melodic brush (maybe more like industrial strength melodic paint blaster) frame a track that at any one moment could burst from out of your headphones in a kind of fiery conflagration (which sounds painful for your ears) but manages to maintain some sort of forward motion and order by the sheer centripetal force of its great (and dare we compare) Thin Lizzy-esque melody.

Iceage – Ecstasy

Iceage (Official)

Rating 8.342

reviewed by
01-24-13

Dune Rats – Ratbags

Get psyched on some next level melodic rock and roll via Aussie budstep band Dune Rats and get their b3sci rec’d “Sexy Beach” EP while they’re hot. (R&G)

Dune Rats – Ratbags

Dune Rats (Facebook)

Rating 8.0

brown8

reviewed by
01-24-13

Hotel Cinema – Haunting

“Haunting” is new from LA duo Hotel Cinema. Excerpted here from the band’s just released S/T EP (which you can stream in its entirety here), “Haunting” succeeds on its hypnotic slow burning groove and evocative mood and atmosphere, that and a solid vocal performance by singer Keeley Bumford. Cheers to our man Jason Kramer for the tip on the track.

Hotel Cinema – Haunting

Hotel Cinema california (Official)

Rating 8.17

brown8

reviewed by
01-24-13

Review: Parquet Courts @ The Echo in Los Angeles, 1/15/2013

I recently caught Brooklyn-based, and punk-influenced, Parquet Courts as they stopped by The Echo in Los Angeles last Tuesday night. The band were on the west coast leg of their first national tour in support of their debut album Light Up Gold. That night PC exuded a noteworthy and raw energy, fitting nicely with the likes of Cloud Nothings and Metz. While the set began somewhat on the ragged side with an instrumental jam, things kicked-in full force by the time the band launched into their single “Borrowed Time”. From that point on the show was tight and the musicianship stellar as Parquet Courts blasted through their set of short, well-crafted tunes. Set finale, “Yr No Stoner” surprised me with its approximately 10-minute bluesy jam which showed off another side of the band. These guys can definitely play. Parquet Courts’ onstage vibe is southern in an earthy way.

Highly unassuming, the guys didn’t interact much with each other or with the crowd. They didn’t come off as aloof. It was more like a bunch of guys with integrity who might work at Whole Foods or Google. Guitarist-vocalist Andrew Savage commented that the crowd was very still and he was right. The half-capacity throng was quiet, but this band held their attention and the after-show assessments tended to be very positive. By Bruce Rave

* Links and playlists from Rave’s weekly new music show can be found on his blog and be sure follow Bruce on Twitter too!

Parquet Courts – Borrowed Time

Parquet Courts (Official)

reviewed by
01-23-13