Archives for May 2018

Headed by the piano-poundin’ and vocal chord crunchin’ frontman Adam Weiner, Philadelphia rock sextet Low Cut Connie has already earned attention and acclaim from the likes of Elton John and former President Barack Obama. Following the departure of two of the three founding members (after the second and third album, respectively) Weiner soldiered through with a binary-record project entitled Dirty Pictures. Dirty Pictures (Part 1) graced listeners after its release in May of 2017, and the second installment came out just last Friday. Check out Dirty Pictures (Part 2) in its entirety on NPR’s First Listen and grab a free download of Part 2‘s second song – “Beverly“.

–Jack Anderson (Host, Monday-Wednesday 8-11pm, Saturday 6-10am)

Back in 1983 a tenacious, young high school student named Hope Sandoval went to a Rain Parade show. Afterwards she went up to guitarist David Roback and handed him her demo tape. He produced that (still unreleased) album and when the singer of his then-project Opal departed, Sandoval stepped in, and the rest is history. At this point, it’s crazy to think that Hope Sandoval’s voice has been simultaneously haunting and gracing our dreams for nearly three decades. Alongside Roback the two have won over audiences around the world as Mazzy Star with their signature dreamy sound laced in minimal layers with Sandoval’s angelic voice permeating every corner.

Never feeling or feeding the pressure to release music on anyone else’s timeline but their own, fans have had to exercise patience through Mazzy Star’s dormant periods, the most recent of which has been since the release of 2013’s Seasons of Your Day. Now the Star has reemerged in our sonic hemisphere with the upcoming release of “Still” a 4-song EP out June 1st. Melancholy piano chords resonate under Sandoval’s smoky, delicate vocals before Roback’s trademark guitar twangs slip in to add texture, but preserve the song’s fragile constitution. The space between the layers is brilliantly used as a darkgrey canvas for the instruments to lay upon, and it’s lovely.

“Quiet, the Winter Harbor” appears on the “Still” EP, out June 1st, via Rhymes of An Hour.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Photo by Andrea Garcia

Lauren Burton is a force of womanhood. In person, she is an unapologetic, razor-tongued feminist and a stalwart champion of social justice and Austin’s music scene. Her powerful aura and agenda translate seamlessly to Lola Tried, an excellent rock-and-roll outfit that sometimes waxes a little pop-punk and other times a bit more power pop. Regardless of the song’s subject matter, Burton has an uncanny ability to tell an interesting story and pen music to it that’s contagiously catchy without being at all pedestrian. Sometimes that story is about depression, sometimes it’s about being angry and exhausted (heard that), and other times it’s just a cool story. Picking one song to showcase from their debut full-length is difficult; each track has that “no wait, this is my favorite song…” quality, exemplifying the incredible talent bubbling from Austin’s underground music scene. Speaking in metaphors and exploding with momentum, “Steam” sits squarely in the power-pop category. Check your pulse; it’s about to spike.

“Steam” appears on Lola Tried, out now. Check out Lola Tried’s recent Studio 1A here.

You can catch Lola Tried today at 5PM at Waterloo Records, and at their album release show tonight at Hotel Vegas sharing a bill with Blushing, Duncan Fellows, and Ringo Deathstar.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

Nick Diaz, best known locally for fronting Buenos Diaz is back with some lo-fi loveliness! Tomorrow marks the release of Buenos Diaz’s fourth studio album, Gringo Novelas – ten original compositions that initially found their sound in Diaz’s bedroom over the course of 30 drum tracks. Instead of re-recording those drum tracks in a fancy studio, Diaz simply re-mastered and refined the pre-existing files, then filled in the blanks into the analog excellence that is Gringo Novelas. The full record drops tomorrow but feel free to fill that void right now with “Empty Head”.

–Jack Anderson (Host Monday-Wednesday 8-11pm, Saturday 6-10am)

22-year-old community activist and Southside Chicago resident Ric Wilson has already made a name for himself selling out venues and opening for the likes of The Roots, Public Enemy’s Chuck D and DRAM. Wilson found his origins with the renowned Young Chicago Authors organization that also helped kickstart the careers of Jamila Woods and Chance the Rapper.

Following 2016’s The Sun Is Out and Soul Bounce and 2017’s Negrow Disco, Wilson released his third EP Banba just today – a six pack of soul-soliciting tracks, packed with a ton of features. One of such feature-frenzy tunes appears halfway through Banba and gives voice to Kweku Collins, Nick Kosma and Rane Raps. Watch out, A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario” and Wu Tang Clan’s “Protect Ya Neck” – here’s a modern day posse cut with a lot more lyrical depth – “Sinner”.

–Jack Anderson (Host Monday-Wednesday 8-11pm, Saturday 6-10am)

Each song Amber Mark creates is weighted. Her first EP 3:33AM  detailed Mark’s emotional state in the aftermath of her mother’s passing with each track tackling a different facet of the black diamond of grief. Her new EP Conexão is a cogent four-song effort that chronicles something almost every of us can relate to: the fire of a relationship from ignition to last fading ember. A short, but powerful glimpse into Mark’s own story of a love that went from explosive passion to burning out to ending the chapter altogether. To punctuate the emotion of the work, Mark even includes a cover of Sade’s “Love Is Stronger Than Pride.”

“Love Me Right” is the second track in the four-chapter story, and already we’ve hit a rock, or a wall as Mark puts it. Where once there was passion, mutual satisfaction, and emotional understanding, now there’s dissonance. Mark puts her heart on the line and communicates her needs, but is continuously left feeling unheard and unfulfilled. Clinging to the good she sees is still prevalent in the relationship, she starts to blame herself for the problems, causing a mild identity crisis. Set to a minimalist bed of downtempo keys and machine-engineered beats, the overlaying of Mark’s purple-velvety voice carries not only the emotional weight of the lyrics, but the majority of the song’s musicality as well. For anyone who’s shared this experience, prepare to get hit right in the feelings.

“Love Me Right” appears on her Conexão EP, out now via PMR/Interscope.

-Taylor Wallace// host, Thursdays 8-11P & Saturdays 2-6P; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli