The Gotobeds
Give me a minute or three to extol the virtues of The Gotobeds, the modern rock and roll sensation that has always sounded like they love to play. Never maligned by having the world’s weight on their backs, The Gotobeds – Cary, TFP, Eli and Gavin – return to the fray with their third full lengther, ‘Debt Begins at 30’. The esprit de corps and anxiety-free joy that permeates their other LPs and EPs remains intact. The octane is high-test, the engine still has knocks and pings and the battery is overcharged. The Gotobeds – as Pittsburgh as it gets, the folk music of the Steel City – have more tar for us to swallow. Debt Begins at 30 is an old-fashioned blast furnace and the liquid iron flows. Debt Begins at 30 is not “pub sop” in any way or shape. Though I never considered The Gotobeds a band that needed assistance from their peers, Debt Begins at 30 features outside contributors on every track. The album’s first single, “Calquer The Hound,” includes local buddy Evan Richards, and Rob Henry of Kim Phuc. “Calquer The Hound” has euphony, a sly bridge, plenty of trademark bash, and a spacey outro. It’s a sanguine album opener, more Al Oliver than Starling Marte. On “Twin Cities,” the lads tap Tracy Wilson, formerly of Dahlia Seed and currently of Positive NO!, to share the vox, and the result is an exuberant pop song proving The Gotobeds benefit from women ruling the scene. “Twin Cities” is more Dakota Staton than Don Caballero. “Debt Begins at 30,” the title trackular, includes the wizardry of Mike Seamans and legend Bob Weston. It’s a brooding romp with tribal beats and slash-and-burn guitar, more Rocky Bleier than Le’Veon Bell. Unsurprisingly, The Gotobeds called partners-in-rock-crime Protomartyr a coupla times, with Joe Casey bolstering “Slang Words” and hook-fiend Greg Ahee shredding on “On Loan.” “Slang Words” is a savory wrecking ball with a crunching bite, more of a soft shell crab sandwich from Wholey’s Market than a 4am slop feast at Primanti Brothers. “On Loan” is an anthemic jangle-fest with high-arcing fret work, more Karl Hendricks (rest his soul) than “Weird Paul” Petroskey. Silkworm guitarist Tim Midyett is tapped on “Parallel,” a grand song that enters a world of whimsy, melodic and uncomplicated, more Jaromir Jagr than Sidney Crosby. The likes of 12XU label boss Gerard Cosloy, Tre Orsi’s Matt Barnhart, the wonderful Victoria Ruiz of Downtown Boys, Pittsburgh wordsmiths Jason Baldinger and Scott MacIntyre, and yours truly strut stuff on other tracks. In my case, I just scream “dross” on “Dross” several times. Good judgment on the part of The Gotobeds to know that’s the best I can do, more Max Moroff than Andrew McCutchen. Anyways, The Gotobeds have quickly reached the veteran stage, but, based upon Debt Begins at 30, their best days are ahead of them. It’s a pleasure to be associated with such an excellent band.
Lightnin’ Luke & Yes Ma’am
Soulful, passionate, and sincere are the words used most frequently when describing Portland-raised Lightnin’ Luke. Singer, songwriter, and violinist, Luke’s bluesy vocals, heartfelt lyrics, and wild fiddle playing have made him a versatile musical force. Lightnin’ plays fiddle in the Bridge City Sinners and currently is located in Charleston, SC. Born from the swamps and underpasses of the American South, Yes Ma’am merges Depression Era blues, Jazz and Bluegrass with instrumental virtuosity and the raw, emotional storytelling of early punk rock. Matt’s soulful voice and authentic stage presence have made him a muse for the traveling community and solidified his legendary status as street-corner royalty. His sound has shaped a generation of musicians, whether he’s performing solo or with a rotating ensemble of folk punk’s finest. Yes Ma’am is a force that demands attention.
housewares
housewares is a new project by Fromanhole’s Doug and Daryl Kiser. Jason Koba of Thunder Power on drums, Scott Klemmensen of Reset on vocals, and Andy LaChance on keyboards. melodic, probably technical, with elements of post whatever, jazz, blues and maybe some country. Self-Evident can’t be easily categorized. Sure, the Minneapolis trio’s music includes aspects of punk, indie rock, and post-rock, but the sum of their parts is something more interesting and uncommon. While the band’s career spans two decades, it’s this combination of influences that has gotten them noticed of late. The Sun-Less Trio (often a quartet or duo) is a group out of Omaha that lacks hard definition. Their dark jazz influenced rhythms are often as cold and moody as the films they project behind them. At times straight up eighties. Be prepared for the occasional triangulation a la Barrett-Crazy Horse-R.S. Howard guitar frenzy. Yet at times soft as a pillow. One comparison that crops up duals as an art form; Karate. Recording Styles and Techniques. These sessions were the result of recording live to tape, 8-tracks in particular. A fold-down would generally take place. This is where you record 5-6 tracks of instrumentation live then mix, obtain another 6 tracks of recording. The additional tracks would often contain vastly different instruments remixed along side the initial mix. Not too different from say a late ’60s session squeezing 18-20 instruments onto 8 tracks of tape.
TERRAIN
Under the leadership of vocalist/guitarist Randall Mentzos, TERRAIN has spent the last decade-plus morphing from a scrappy pop-punk band to a solo acoustic project to its current form as a bombastic, charismatic prog-punk powerhouse. Fans of Proper., Bartees Strange, and Honey and Salt would enjoy TERRAIN’s sound. The band will tour the East Coast and Midwest this autumn to promote its upcoming album Chasm, which will be released this year.
Dave Ross Standup Comedy
Dave Ross is a comedian in New York City. Every single person on earth likes him. He’s been on the Late Late Show with James Corden, This is Not Happening, Drunk History, WTF with Marc Maron, Why Won’t You Date Me? with Nicole Byer, Behind the Bastards, The Daily Zeitgeist and many many more. He was a New Face at Just For Laughs Montreal in 2016, and since then has been touring the country, headlining every single type of room — from a tent at Warped Tour to a theater at SXSW to The Hollywood Improv, New York Comedy Club and your basement. His first album The Only Man Who Has Ever Had Sex is really really good and that’s why everybody likes him so much.
David Huckfelt
KISS THE FLOOR
Brooke Pridemore
Brook Pridemore (NYC) – Brook Pridemore is a New York City based songwriter, performer, and frontman, whose early work is affiliated with the antifolk movement. Brook released five albums on the Bronx-based record label Crafty Records, and was responsible for co-producing the much acclaimed Anticomp Folkilation album which has since become an underground cult hit.https://brookpridemore.bandcamp.com/Hemlock Chaser – Hemlock Chaser is a DIY folk-punk band based out of Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Known for their energetic live shows, intricate instrumentation, and witty lyricism, they blend traditional acoustic folk with raw, unapologetic punk rock.https://hemlockchaser.bandcamp.com/Las Cruxes – death rock / indie / post punk from LA / Omaha, NEhttps://lascruxesmusic.bandcamp.com/Not Ben Shin – acoustic folk punk from Omahahttps://notbenshin.bandcamp.com/
Kali Masi
Kali Masi – Kali Masi is a highly emotive, angular punk rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. Known for their heavy DIY ethos and extensive touring, they blend driving rhythms, melodic guitar interplay, and poetic lyricism to create a cathartic sound that appeals to fans of both pop and hard rock.https://kalimasi.bandcamp.com/Ways Away – Ways Away is a California-based melodic post-hardcore and emo-punk supergroup formed in 2019. They are known for a sound that blends driving punk rhythms with emotional, timeless hooks. https://waysaway.bandcamp.com/DSM-5 – Four piece punk band from Omaha, Ne.https://dsm5.bandcamp.com/On Hiatus – Pop-Punk band from Iowa!https://onhiatusmusic.bandcamp.com/
Dead Rider
