Laura Pergolizzi, the artist known as LP, has officially arrived. The Long Island native ascended into international indie stardom, having previously penned hits for artists like Rihanna, Cher, and the Backstreet Boys, and now sees the musician releasing her own latest effort… ‘Heart To Mouth’.

LP’s fifth album is a disco drag race, filled with catchy choruses, LGBTQ support, and synthy pop hooks. “When I get on the mic I can feel that direct line from my heart to my mouth… whether they’re sad songs or big anthems, they all come from the same place.”

LP’s climb, which began modestly and mostly across seas, has rocketed into a staple of Vogue magazine editorials, Netflix credits, songwriting compliments with Morrissey and millions of cult followers on social media.

“Girls Go Wild”, one of the album’s singles, is a dreamy bass number full of half-eaten hearts and an anthem of self-rejuvenation. “I always feel guilty about how renewed I feel when I meet someone new. It worries me that that could change my whole outlook. That’s a really delicate place…” It’s all in the name of the Wild Wild West.

Heart To Mouth’ leaves listeners SH-SH-SH-Shaken with anticipation and curiosity. (Just wait for the whistles and operatic range…) Catch LP on her HTM stop in Philadelphia at The Fillmore. Get your tickets in advance, though, as almost half of this tour is sold out. At least I’ll go to Heaven.

Rating: 11/10
Sound: Frosted Whiskey/Confetti

Offical Website http://iamlp.com/

In today’s world, it can be difficult to get lost in an album. A million and one other things compete for our attention and we often have music playing solely as background noise. However, Holy Golden’s latest release, Sleepwalkers in the Milky Way, has a way of drawing listeners in. The captivating music and relatable stories within the lyrics force listeners to escape the world and its distractions for seven songs.

The album was recorded, mixed and produced at Machines With Magnets and mastered by Greg Calbi of Sterling Sound. It will be released on October 26, 2018, via Wallflower Records. Holy Golden consists of musicians Leslie Schott and Andrew Valenti who met in Martha’s Vineyard, where Valenti was working and Schott was visiting from Los Angeles. Their California roots shine brightly in the beach feel of their latest album.

The album starts off with “Lost Island,” which sets the mood for the dreamy feel of the rest of the album. The introduction has a catchy riff that is repeated in various forms throughout the rest of the song. Although the song has a carefree summer feel, some of the lyrics get a bit deep and dark. Schott’s voice continues to be dreamy, light, and smooth despite these darker aspects. This song definitely fits the old phrase, “A bad day at the beach is still better than a good day at work.”

While the overall dreaminess of the album continues, each song has a slightly different feel and a different topic that is discussed, including the loss of a parent (“Seven of Diamonds”). Each song glimmers with a slice of paradise. Even the songs that deal with sadness and pain have a sense of peace about them that shows acceptance of circumstances and can help ease listeners through whatever pain they may be dealing with.

Overall, this album is a breath of fresh air and a slice of paradise in a crazy and chaotic world. Even though the album deals with heavy topics at times, it still offers a feeling of hope and resolution in the pain. Its dreamy island feel is echoed throughout provides a valuable distraction for listeners who are overwhelmed by the stress and chaos that plague the world. It transports listeners to a dream place where there are answers and resolutions, no matter how dark things may feel.

Purchase the album via Bandcamp

Brian Henneman and his band of alt-country veterans the Bottle Rockets aren’t “old,” but they’ve been around long enough to see the futuristic prognostications of their youth fail to come to pass, or do so in unexpected ways. As the rousing title-track opener, of their 13th album, released by Bloodshot Records on Oct. 12, puts it: “In our technicolor childhood / We burned incandescent dreams / illuminating all these future things / that didn’t turn out like we thought they would.”

Bit Logic is that kind of reckoning: a mature artist’s ruminations and occasional exclamations on the good, bad and ugly of our weird, hyper-technologically inflected 21st-century situation. It’s a strange, transitional time marked by science that “ain’t no fiction,” debates with jaded waitresses about “cell phone selfie vanity” that get interrupted by (you guessed it) technology, and Highway 70 traffic jams featuring an odd mix of farmer’s trailers, Nissan SUV’s, and speeding cop cars, where “every big rig bus and Kia” has “got their own idea.”

In this brave new-old world where our scratchy-and-muddy but strangely comforting “Lo-Fi” ways keep getting replaced with challenging “new way[s] of keepin’ it real,” the information overload is so daunting that, as Henneman bemoans in his dark “Doomsday Letter,” “Whatever I can do to keep my chin up is a damn good thing.”

Amidst the disquieting cacophony — topped by the constant bombardment of shrill screeds from “chicken little,” bile-spewing soothsayers — it takes a constant, conscious effort to remain alert to those rare, passing moments of beauty and truth, like the one noted in “Human Perfection”: “Heard a ballgame on the radio In the background playin’ low Crack of the bat and the crowd went wild Looked at my wife and she just smiled Forgot about the damned election Replaced with human perfection.”

For Henneman, such sanity-saving openness is serviced by regular jaunts to old school honky-tonks like “Stovall’s Grove,” along with daily writing sessions in his closet-sized songwriting room in the attic — aka, his “psychiatrist/treehouse composite” (“Knotty Pine”). Such respites can help you keep your wits and perspective about you, he wisely observes.

And if the cultivation of said perspective doesn’t come to fruition on this particular day, the wisdom gained from sticking around reminds him (in “Maybe Tomorrow”) that time’s passage just might save the day — though ironically, Henneman strung together this bouncy pop-blues tune from the hashtags he appended to an Instagram post at the end of a failed songwriting session. One must remain alert to serendipitous messages that fall from the evening’s sky, after all — whatever technology gets ’em delivered.

As for making a remunerative living from music these days — or at least enough of one to be able to cover the unexpected HVAC and car repair bills — well… it probably ain’t gonna happen. As Henneman notes in the wry, Eric Ambel-prompted rocker, Bad Time to be An Outlaw: “That Nashville pop it ain’t my deal Even though the cash’s real But these days “What Would Waylon Do?” Don’t make much money sad but true It’s a bad time to be an outlaw.“

Luckily, the enforced poverty hasn’t (yet) prompted the Bottle Rockets to abandon their almost three-decades-long musical adventure. It’s just shifted their focus to the modest rewards of having a decent-sized fan base and a label that believes in them — not to mention most importantly, being able to write some goddamn good songs that actually mean something to people. “Some things don’t need correction,” as Henneman rightly asserts.

In the end, through benign neglect of the naysayers, a humble awareness of your own limitations and mortality, and the constancy of beloved fellow travelers (as detailed in the lovely “Silver Ring”), it all comes out OK. That’s the survivor’s view from maturity, y’all: having pondered the accumulated bumps & bruises, you’re left with a kind of quiet wisdom and more than a bit of bemusement. On Bit Logic, Henneman and team hit that bent nail firmly on the head.

Minus The Bear, a Seattle-based rock band, have released “Fair Enough,” their final album, amidst touring with their farewell tour. The band, who released their first EP in 2001, announced their breakup in July, citing a variety of reasons for splitting, including wanting to do new creative projects and overall life changes such as family commitments.

Fair Enough was released on October 19, 2018. The album was released by Suicide Squeeze Records, whom the band has made all but two albums with since their start.  Though the album only has four songs, it fills a decent amount of time and it is meaty enough to satisfy the soul with just one listen.

Each song is so different, all while maintaining a signature sound and feel overall. The lyrics are hearty and genuine, giving listeners something to think about and relate to. Most of the album has an indie rock feel to it, with “Invisible” being the exception.

The title track, “Fair Enough,” was originally supposed to be on the band’s LP, VOIDS. According to their interview with Stereogum, the title was a working title, but it eventually just stuck and was not intended to be a commentary on this being their final album. The song does have a message of almost defeat, even if it was unintentional. Its message can be applied to a variety of relationships and circumstances, making it relatable despite its vagueness.

“Invisible,” while it is a remix, is a great ending song. It has a great message, telling listeners that they are not invisible. It offers a glimmer of hope and positivity, even though the song is the last song on their last album. It has a very pop feel to it, but it is more upbeat than the other tracks of the album. It certainly is a stark contrast of the almost defeatist feel of the first track, “Fair Enough.”

Though it is always bittersweet to see a band break up and a huge chapter close, it feels like these guys have more up their sleeves, even if it is solo albums or other creative ventures. This album, though short, provides a nice album to close on, especially since it contains a song that was not on the previous LP.

Photo By: Shervin Lainez

Website: https://www.minusthebear.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/minusthebear

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minusthebear/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/minusthebear

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/omni/952835440?app=music&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Young & Dangerous is The Struts sophomore album and is already being dubbed. The glam follow up boasts crowd ready choruses and true pop-rock riffs due in part to its producers Butch Walker (Weezer, Panic! At The Disco) and Sam Hollander (Neon Trees) Frontman and vintage aficionado Luke Spiller excitedly proclaims, “The goal is always to get everyone dancing and screaming and shouting and to make sure they leave dripping in sweat with huge smiles on their faces.”

The Struts consisting of Spiller, guitarist Adam Slack, bassist Jed Elliott and Gethin Davies on drums, got their name from an offhand comment made at a band rehearsal during many of Luke Spiller’s constant mowing and moving. “You strut around a lot.” From then forward, it was cemented, and music’s newest, boldest and bright knights were born.

Due out October 26^th on Polydor Records, the LP’s lead single “Body Talks” is as retro as it is radioactive and sees mega star Kesha duetting on the remix version with Spiller. The band, hailing from Derby England, keeps their cheekiness in check on Young & Dangerous and shows a maturity in its demeanor.

The Struts, in their short and already streamlining career, have seen the budding performers touring alongside the likes of The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses, and The Who. Their best and most personal accolade yet is Dave Grohl dubbing the young Englanders “the best band opening band we’ve ever had.”

The follow up to 2016’s full length “Everybody Wants” rocketed the musicians to stardom and even inspired renowned Queen designer Zandra Rhodes to create custom onstage attire which the band advertently attributes to their live shows. The spirit of Freddie Mercury surely pirouettes behind the band. Spiller announces, “We want to give the world a big reminder that there’s something else going on out there. If you feel a little of place, there’s always an electric guitar.” And a trail of sequins, too.

Philadelphia’s legendary rock station 93.3 WMMR recently hosted The Struts to an adorning and sold out crowd of over 600 onlookers at the infamous Theatre of the Living Arts and will see the band back on November 19^th as they debut the new songs and sultry outfit changes, strings and sounds onto South Street.

The following collection of songs is a whipping ride through a young band’s rise to Rock and Roll and all that ensues. The extravagant, the vintage nod to their predecessors, the mess of eyeliner and sweat and the excitement of being Young & Dangerous.

Rating: 10/10

Comments: Champagne and Cameras

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‘First it was his vision, then his speech, and then his legs’ Pussy Riot member Pyotr Verzilov is hospitalized in critical condition and friends fear he was poisoned

Pyotr Verzilov, a member of Pussy Riot and one of the publishers of the independent news website Mediazona, was hospitalized in critical condition late on September 11. His partner, Veronika Nikulshina, told Meduza that he’s started losing his sight, speech, and mobility.

Pyotr Verzilov is currently receiving treatment at the toxicology wing of Moscow’s Bakhrushin City Clinical Hospital. Verzilov’s friends told Meduza that his mother came to the hospital on the evening of September 12, but staff wouldn’t let her see her son, and even refused to describe his condition or inform her about his preliminary diagnosis. “[At the hospital] they said they don’t have the right to disclose any information… They sent her away and were rude. They said they can’t admit her. They kept pointing at this sheet of paper, saying that they can’t disclose [any information] until the patient signs a release himself, but he’s unconscious,” Verzilov’s friend told Meduza.

According to Nikulshina, Verzilov started feeling unwell shortly after a court hearing on Tuesday. At six in the evening, he laid down to rest. Two hours later, when Nikulshina got home, Verzilov “woke up and said he was starting to lose his sight.” “Between eight and ten, his condition got exponentially worse. First it was his vision, then his ability to speak, and then his ability to walk,” she told Meduza.

“When the paramedics arrived, he answered all their questions, saying, ‘No, I didn’t eat anything. No, I didn’t take anything.’ He was getting worse even faster, and then he started convulsing. On the way [to the hospital], in the ambulance, he was already babbling. […] He fell into such a half-asleep, half-unconscious state that he stopped responding to me and didn’t even recognize me anymore,” Veronika Nikulshina told Meduza.

Nikulshina says the doctors’ original analysis “didn’t turn up anything bad,” but around 1 a.m. they suddenly moved Verzilov to the hospital’s toxicology wing. Staff refused to tell her if he’d been diagnosed with “poisoning,” explaining that her status as his common-law wife “doesn’t entitle her to any rights.” “The doctor only said that his condition was serious, but his behavior was improving and he’d started responding to his own name,” Nikulshina said.

Pyotr Verzilov became a public figure in Russia in the late 2000s as a member of the “Voina” artist-activist group, where he performed demonstrations with his then wife, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. In 2012, Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich became international celebrities when they were tried and convicted of “premeditated hooliganism performed by an organized group of people motivated by religious hatred or hostility.” During the trial, Verzilov presented himself as Pussy Riot’s “producer.” In this role, he helped generate global media attention for the group, recruiting dozens of world-famous musicians to pledge their support to Pussy Riot. In 2014, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina established the news website Mediazona, with Verzilov as its publisher.

Meduza article with Pussy Riot members as sources:
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2018/09/12/first-it-was-his-vision-then-his-speech-and-then-his-legs

Peter Verzilov’s twitter: https://twitter.com/gruppa_voina
Pussy Riot’s twitter: https://twitter.com/pussyrrriot

Back in 2014, the Hamburg-based and self-described “dream punk” outfit, Seasurfer, arrived on their local scene with their debut LP, Dive In. Formed by Dirk Knight of Dark Orange fame, the roots of the group’s experience and sound are planted deep into the earth of the early 90s when things like dream pop and shoegaze were still in full swing before their dormancy throughout the rest of the decade and resurgence in the mid to late 2000s.

This is a long and roundabout way of previewing the sound and style of their latest EP, Vampires, a back-to-basics approach that doesn’t tire out by assaulting the senses in a wave of glossolalia and reverb but gives something of a retrospective of what makes those genres, dream pop, and shoegaze, addictive.

Each track is a little bit different in its approach to the all-too-broad genre of dream pop. A dollop of darkwave here and a pinch of hypnagogic pop there give dimension to Vampires. It doesn’t escape comparison to some of the stalwart titans of the late 80s and early 90s, namely broad strokes of Cocteau Twins and Slowdive, but it manages to sound fresh, more unique in the push to perhaps not even break new ground but do something interesting with a well-worn palette.

You have your Cocteau Twins callback in “Bring Me His Head.” Here vocalist, Apolonia, has a way of curling her vocals around the intense atmosphere that recall the more lucid meanderings of Elizabeth Fraser. “Into Dust” and “Sad Song” both bring to mind some of the lighter offerings from modern darkwave projects such as Drab Majesty and Them Are Us Too as well as the more classic and mirthful sound of Lush.

This latest EP may not have the grip and bite as some of Seasurfer’s more full-length offerings, but whatever Vampires lack in its staying power it makes up for in excess with personality and production that doesn’t overwhelm or bore.

Buy Vampires on Bandcamp

Nashville indie rockers Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes released their latest album, Fashion, on August 24, 2018. The album was recorded over the course of a year at Nashville’s Elephant Lady Studios. Songs from the album were released as Chapter One and Chapter Two, and Fashion is the complete album. The album was produced, engineered, and mixed by Kyle Andrews and mastered by Steve Fallone. It is being released via Color Party Records.

The band formed in Nashville in 2010 and released their first full-length album in 2011. Fashion is the band’s fourth album. The band is made up of Daniel Ellsworth on keys and lead vocals, Timon Lance on guitar, and Marshall Skinner on bass. The band experiments with a variety of sounds and mixes, pulling each song off with grace and talent.

From the first note of “Paralyzed,” electronic influences are present on Fashion. The song goes on to include rock-sounding guitars and drum while keeping an electronic sound throughout. The intervals between notes resemble the feeling of being paralyzed with lyrics adding a voice to the feeling. The song has a surface level meaning of literally being paralyzed, but it can also be taken on many other levels, depending on the listener’s perceptions.

While the same electronic rock sound remains consistent through the rest of the album’s 12 songs, the songs are all different. They experiment with different rhythms and mixes of sounds in each song. Though some songs are more serious than others, there are no super-slow songs. Instead, the songs use tone and various rhythms to get the mood of the song across.

Overall, the album is relatable, echoing real life. This song has a wide variety of feelings, from party pop songs that make you feel like dancing to more mellow songs that are never overly sad or wallowing in self-pity. The range of the vocals and the versatility of the instrumentalists shows the true talent that is hard to come by in an age of digital manipulation and using technology as a crutch for talent.

Since their start in 2013, Deaf Poets have crept around their subtropical dominion of Miami soaking up the adoration of the local indie scene before reaching more widespread recognition with two solid albums of frenetic alternative rock. Leaning heavy on drums and distortion, the duo of Nico Espinosa and Sean Wouters spent the past few years carving out a familiar space for themselves before leaving the confines of their hometown for New York City. This abandonment of the familiar for the unfamiliar is a common enough thread within the backstories of many up-and-coming musicians, but where that thread ultimately winds up is anyone’s guess.

The duo’s latest release, Change & Bloom is their first proper EP after the release of their sophomore album Lost in Magic City just last year. It’s heavy yet neatly produced with a buffed out sheen on the vocals and drums to magnify their presence against the sludgy feedback of the guitar. Even in a two-person outfit, it’s easy enough for one or the other to get swallowed. An equilibrium throughout the three parts is an achievement in itself.

Tracks like “Monarchs” and “Die With the Young” show off the vigor and excitement of a band renewed by change and growth with “Monarchs” edging slightly ahead with an impressive introduction. That same equilibrium works wonders in keeping the balance of grunge and punk from becoming a parody of itself.  

But this itself hints at one of the major faults of this release. On Change & Bloom, Deaf Poets are entirely beholden to their influences. While it generally treads the waters of garage rock, heavy shades of grunge, 70s dad rock, and Misfits-era punk pour through every inch of the EP. The common elements of this blend work well enough together to create a cohesive, well-constructed, and well-produced release, yet the finished product does little to excite.

Unlike their last LP, the twist and turns on Change & Bloom feel minuscule by comparison. A balanced wave of distortion ripples throughout each of the 6 tracks, but rarely does it ever ebb or flow. Instead, like much of the album, it remains static.

Rating: Semi-obnoxious

They are playing an EP release show tonight in NYC.

Greta Van Fleet blew into Philly Saturday night during a torrential downpour.  Soaked fans filled the sold out and dangerously overcrowded Electric Factory ready to rock.  And rock they did with a tight twelve-song set.

The crowd was a unique mix of fans ranging from young teens claiming the front rows against the barricade up to folks in their sixties excited to hear a band single-handedly reigniting the Classic Rock sound of the past.  There were a number of local and regional musical artists in the house as well as our friend Jacky Bam Bam of WMMR.

Photo by Dan Williams

When the lights went up, the bandmates strolled out with arms full of white flowers and began throwing them out to the crowd.  A nice touch, especially with singer Josh Kiszka dressed in a 60’s style ¾ length tunic. The band launched into “Highway Tune,” their first single with style and power.  Kiszka’s vocal gymnastics were on full display as was his mature command of the big stage.  Just one year after being signed to Lava Records, the band is remarkably professional and ready for bigger things.

Formed in the small Mid-Michigan tourist town of Frankenmuth, Michigan in 2012, the band includes Kiszka brothers Jake on guitar, Sam on bass and Josh on vocals.  Drummer Danny Wagner rounds out the full blues-driven sound that fills venues across the country.  In April 2017, Apple named Greta Van Fleet New Artist of the Week and by September of the same year, they topped Billboard’s U.S. Mainstream Rock for four weeks in a row.  From there, they were on their way opening for fellow Michigan native Bob Segar, went on tour with The Struts, performed with Elton John and hit the headline and festival circuits.

Photo by Dan Williams

In addition to Josh’s acrobatic vocal prowess, brother Jake is a consummate lead guitarist with classic blues-rock chops and showmanship.  During the guitar-heavy “Edge of Darkness,” he stretched out for a long, animated solo complete with behind-the-head shredding.  No shortage of risk-taking with these guys.  Brother Sam was equally adept on bass keeping the twins grounded along with drummer Wagner.

The show is well staged with massive upstage lighting rigs and professional staging from start to finish.  Once this tour ends, the logical next step for the Kiszka brothers from tiny Frankenmuth will be to graduate to 10,000+ theaters and arenas.  Here’s hoping they find new musical directions in their next releases to break free of Classic Rock artist comparisons.

Photo by Dan Willams

Now that they have our attention, let’s see where they are meant to go from here.

More info and upcoming tour dates on GVF’s website!

Photos by Dan Willams