Image

Rock

Body Language – Well Absolutely

body language

Yesssss. Body Language make their much-awaited return to B3SCI with the summer in the city bounce of “Well Absolutely”. The first single from BL’s upcoming Grammar LP due out in September, “Well Absolutely” is floor to frame loaded with hooks; hook after hook after hook (It’s like aw shit, that verse was great, and damn @ that prechorus, and then the chorus pushes the track into some previously unrealised 6th or 7th gear or something and then forget it, it’s all toe taps and hip shakes from there on out.) Get into “Well Absolutely” now before everybody on yr block is bumping out their boombox below.

Body Language (Facebook(/a>)

Rating 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
07-08-13

Rave’s Fave: Bloc Party – Ratchet

block party ratchet

Bloc Party have announced another indefinite hiatus, to begin following their summer tour dates. Before they leave us, they will add a new EP Nextwave Sessions to the party. The first single is “Rachet”, which brings to mind the offbeat rhythms we heard on their Silent Alarm debut. They are planning six different festivals this month. By Bruce Rave

Bloc Party england (Official)

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

reviewed by
07-08-13

Bruce Raves Interviews Tribes

TRibes

Here’s my full chat with the English rock band Tribes, recorded during my recent visit to Brighton, UK’s The Great Escape Festival (full coverage here). Tribes had a high-profile gig while at The Great Escape, which was two days prior to the late May UK release of their second album Wish to Scream. Expectations were high for the band following their top ten debut album Baby, and this new release is another fine album. Together we talked about the evolution of the band, some specific tracks on Wish to Scream, and also their experience recording the album at the legendary Sound City studios in L.A. Yes, the place that Dave Grohl’s recent documentary was about. We lamented the fickleness of the British press and hit on other relevant topics as well. Have a listen to our conversation below. 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!

reviewed by
07-03-13

WOODS – Be All Be Easy

Woodsist

“Be All Be Easy” goes down easy with an always classic makeup of soothing harmony and folk rock roots music. The NY collective Woods will release the song as a new single on July 9 and be sure to catch them on tour throughout this summer and fall. Sample “Be All Be Easy” below along with a B-side cover of “God’s Children” from The Kinks.

Tour Dates

Fri-Jul-12 Hudson, NY – Half Moon
Sat-Jul-13 Boston, MA TT – The Bears *
Sun-Jul-14 Portland, ME – Space 538 *
Mon-Jul-15 Burlington, VT – Signal Kitchen *
Tue-Jul-16 Montreal, QC – Il Motore *
Wed-Jul-17 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern *
Thu-Jul-18 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
Fri-Jul-19 Chicago, IL – Pitchfork Music Festival
Mon-Jul-22 Louisville, KY – Zanzabar *
Tue-Jul-23 Charlottesville, VA – Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar *
Wed-Jul-24 Philadelphia, PA – Morgan’s Pier *
Thu-Jul-25 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar *
Sat-Jul-27 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom #
Thu-Aug-01 Berlin – Berghain Kantine
Fri-Aug-02 Katowice – Off Festival
Sat-Aug-03 Vienna – Flex
Sun-Aug-04 Nürnberg – Folk im Park
Mon-Aug-05 Hamburg – Aalhaus
Tue-Aug-06 Köln – King Georg
Wed-Aug-07 Sibenik – Terraneo Festival
Sat-Aug-10 Helsinki – Flow Festival
Sun-Aug-11 Amsterdam – MC Theater
Wed-Aug-14 Luxembourg – Exit07
Thu-Aug-15 Paris – Plage de Glazart
Fri-Aug-16 St. Malo – La Route du Rock
Sun-Aug-18 Powys – Greenman Festival
Mon-Aug-19 London – Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
Mon-Sep-16 Vancouver, BC – Electric Owl %
Tue-Sep-17 Seattle, WA – Barboza %
Wed-Sep-18 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios %
Fri-Sep-20 San Francisco, CA – The Chapel %
Sun-Sep-22 Big Sur, CA – Woodsist Festival @ Henry Miller Memorial Library
Wed-Sep-25 San Luis Obispo, CA – SLO Brew %
Thu-Sep-26 San Diego, CA – Casbah %
Fri-Sep-27 Los Angeles, CA – Center for the Arts Eagle Rock %
Sat-Sep-28 Pioneertown, CA – Woodsist Festival @ Pappy and Harriet’s %#

* = w/ Parquet Courts
# = w/ Alex Bleeker and the Freaks
% = w/ The Fresh & Onlys

Woods (Official)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
07-03-13

Smooth Hound Smith – Get Low

smoothhoundsmith

Smooth Hound Smith, the male/female duo out of Venice, CA, ably connect the roots of rock and soul to the more modern palette with their just released debut self-titled LP. A favorite of ours (of many) from the album is the stomping, compact, blues-in-motion sound of “Get Low”. You can stream stream Smooth Hound Smith in its entirety on bandcamp.

Smooth Hound Smith california (Facebook)

Rating 8.5

brown8

reviewed by
07-02-13

Major Major Major – Scream Queen

major major major

Major Major Major a new rock and roll duo out of Austin score major B3 points with the 60’s pop-informed crunch of awesome debut single “Scream Queen”. Get into Major Major Major before all yr friends (inevitably) do RIGHT NOW.

Major Major Major texas (Bandcamp)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
07-01-13

Holograms – Meditations

meditations

Ooh yeah, we likey. The well-worn genre of “dark brooding post-punk” comes and goes (as all genres in the larger rotation of the literati do) among the turnstile consciousness of the indie literati. July 2013, scene: The United States, neither the time or place are particularly friendly (at least broadly) to post-punk and the genre’s charms. It’s awesome to find a band that in addition to playing great music in the face of its current trends; but the the fact that Swedish band (where post-punk is still alive and well apparently) Holograms do it so well and so convincingly is something truly worthy of admiration (& a spot on B3). “Meditations” is single #2 from Holograms sophomore Forever LP.

Holograms sweden (Facebook)

Rating 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
07-01-13

Twin Peaks – Irene

twin peaks

“Irene” is the lead single from Autumn Tone (Aquarium Drunkard) teenagers Twin Peaks. Excerpted from the Chicago band’s upcoming Sunken debut, “Irene” walks the well-done-to-get-there line between a song poppy enough that the melodies are sing-a-long-able while still being laced with enough rock history (most definitely The Velvet Underground) and interesting instrumentation and arrangement (we like how the lead vocals are a little bit mixed back) to flatter the tastemaker sensibility. Sunken is due July 9th.

Twin Peaks (soundcloud)

Rating 8.1

reviewed by
06-28-13

Trevor Dickson – Summer Legs

trevor dickson

We dig New Yorker Trevor Dickson’s new track for “Summer Legs”. Recalling in a strange way early Bowie (if he were way more fun to be around and got out in the sun a little more) not only vocally but thematically, there’s also a generous bit of other early 60’s and late 70’s influences and sounds to be had here. “Summer Legs” is the title track from Trevor Dickson’s new EP which is available now via Swoon Records.

Trevor Dickson (Bandcamp)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
06-28-13

The Preatures – Revelation

ThePreaturesIsThisHowYouFeel_AliMitton_EditorialShot_zps7b314586

We loved Aussie band The Preatures excellent soulful-in-half-time single Is This How You Feel?. The Sydney-based act follow up with the darker, a bit tougher to crack (dare we say Fleetwood Mac-y), but certainly no less soulful groove of “Revelation”. So that’s two fabulous singles down for Preatures, we can only hope an album (or at the very least an EP) is not too far in the offing.

The Preatures australia (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
06-28-13

Rave’s Fave: Franz Ferdinand — Right Action

Franz Ferdinand — Right Action

It’s been years and Franz Ferdinand is finally back upon us with a new single from their forthcoming late-August Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action album. It’s got the bouncy hooks and jangly strums you’d expect from the Glasgow boys. This track was produced by Joe Goddard and Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip. Look for a US tour this coming October. By Bruce Rave

anz Ferdinand — Right Action

Primal Screen scotland (Facebook)

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

reviewed by
06-27-13

Temple Songs – Dinosaur Alley

temple songs

Temple Songs, not to be mistaken with Temples, (well actually it wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen as you’ll probably like them both) is a great little noisy psych band from Manchester. “Dinosaur Alley” is the b-side to “Passed Caring” another swirling lo-fi pop gem which is out July 1st on RIP Records. Let Temple Songs soundtrack you morning/afternoon/evening and be happy. By Nathan Hetherington

Temple Songs (Facebook)

Rating: 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
06-27-13