Ayo River
Premiere: Ayo River - “Porcelain”
Jun 27, 2017
Back in 2014, Atlanta, GA based songwriter Weston Taylor began recording indie pop songs with Athens, GA producer and multi-instrumentalist Matt Martin. The fresh fruits of their creative endeavor was entitled Ayo River and the debut album Failed State is set for release in August. Under the Radar has the premiere of the lead single “Porcelain”, a lean and flowing example of Ayo River’s music, akin to early Death Cab for Cutie. Take it for a spin below.
Always a storyteller at heart, Taylor has found an engaging channel of expression with Ayo River, a musical outlet that has allowed him to find organic balance in the often overbearing push through modern existence. As stated in the bio, it’s ”.. a project that intersects deeply personal lyrics with the inescapable connectedness of the modern world…These songs are Weston’s internal tales of loss and miscommunication in the wildly connected age of the internet, brought to life with sweeping indie-pop influenced writing and production.”
Taylor had this to say about “Porcelain”: “This was the first song we recorded mostly live in the studio, so I think it has a much rawer feel than some of the other tracks. I have always seen it as being a kind of witchcraft or spell, starting very ominously as I’m lyrically conjuring up some commands for my life and what I want to happen with it, and then putting them together in a brew. Then it transforms midway through, as if the spell had functioned correctly, and things get sunny. It’s a song about suddenly being alone, getting older and wanting to change things.”
Failed State was produced at Chase Park Transduction Studios (Deerhunter, Bright Eyes, Queens Of The Stone Age, Animal Collective, REM) and was mastered by TW Walsh (Sufjan Stevens, The Shins, Cold War Kids, Death Cab For Cutie). It was recorded in the studio with Josh Crusa (bass) and Evan Seeds (drums), who have begun performing in Ayo River’s live band. We’ll be checking for them in August.
FAILED STATE - TRACKLISTING
01. Porcelain
02. Jolts
03. Mercedes
04. White Dress
05. Porches + Patios
06. Waking Up
07. 11 Likes
08. Tantrum pt. i
09. Tantrum pt. ii
10. Snakes
11. Failed State
Ayo River Links
Facebook
Twitter
Soundcloud
Bandcamp
Instagram
Youtube
Michael Nau
Listen: “Wonder”
Jun 22, 2017
Sometimes you need a lil’ soothing. Enter Maryland born songwriter Michael Nau. Last week, Nau put out his second album in two years, Some Twist via Suicide Squeeze / Full Time Hobby, after a period of artistic indecision - and it’s quite welcome. The soft breeze of “Wonder” represents the overall tone of the new work, keeping you company like a laid back friend. Listen Below and check out his upcoming tour dates:
TOUR DATES:
SAT JUL 1 - Westerly RI, United Folk Festival @ Wilcox Park (12p-9p) - FREE
WED JUL 19 - Brooklyn NY, Rough Trade (TICKETS)
THU SEP 21 - Brighton UK, The Greys (TICKETS)
FRI SEP 22 - Bristol UK, The Louisiana (TICKETS)
SAT SEP 23 - Glasgow UK, The Hug & Pint (TICKETS)
SUN SEP 24 - Leeds UK, Brudenell Social Club (Games Room)
MON SEP 25 - Manchester UK, Gullivers (TICKETS)
TUE SEP 26 - London UK, The Lexington (TICKETS)
WED SEP 27 - Paris FR, Espace B (TICKETS)
THU SEP 28 - Rotterdam NL, V11 (TICKETS)
FRI SEP 29 - Amsterdam NL, Paradiso (Upstairs) (TICKETS)
SAT SEP 30 - Gent BE, DOK Kantine (TICKETS)
MON OCT 2 - Berlin DE, Privatclub (TICKETS)
TUE OCT 3 - Hamburg DE, Häkken (TICKETS)
WED OCT 4 - Köln DE, Bumann & SOHN (TICKETS)
THU OCT 5 - München DE, Feierwerk (Orangehouse) (TICKETS)
FRI OCT 6 - Luzern DE, Neubad
SAT OCT 7 - Schorndorf DE, Manufaktur (TICKETS)
Quiet Hollers
Premiere: Quiet Hollers - “Funny Ways”
Jun 13, 2017
Ahead of the new album from Louisville’s Quiet Hollers, Amen Breaks - out July 7th via indie label sonaBLAST!, Under the Radar has the premiere of their second single “Funny Ways”. It’s an inviting stream of classically tinged rock that highlights the group’s evolution, guided by the silky vocals of singer/guitarist Shadwick Wilde.
The new album follows the group’s 2013 alt-country styled debut I Am the Morning and 2015’s resonating self-titled sophomore effort Quiet Hollers. Amen Breaks is thematically concerned with existential issues fought both internally and externally and they’ve turned to vintage drum machines, strings, brass and samples to reflect these tensions. As stated in their bio “The album draws parallels between the modern entertainment landscape and the cultural crossover of the 1970s—another decade marred by division, political corruption, and terrorist bombs.”
The conscious Mr. Wilde had this to say about the new song: “Funny Ways is about criminality, and the self-perpetuating prison-industrial complex. Have you ever had a friend that just can’t stay out of trouble? That’s who I wrote this song for. I’ve got a bunch of those—used to have more. I have a problem staying away from crime in my writing. But we have a problem in this country, wherein we have 4 percent of the world’s population, and 22 percent of the world’s prisoners. Is our country more violent or thieving than others because we built it on genocide and slavery, the theft of a person’s life? Maybe. Or are we over-policing our communities of color and using their minor drug offenders for slave labor? Maybe. I’m just out here trying to encourage some dialogue.”
Upcoming Quiet Hollers Tour Dates:
6/23 – Summer Solstice Festival – Yorkville, IL
6/30 - The Basement – Nashville, TN
7/14 – The Forecastle Festival – Louisville, KY
7/28 - Riverwest - Milwaukee, WI
8/03-06 – Mile of Music Festival – Appleton, WI
8/24 - WBJB Songwriters on the Beach - Belmar, NJ
8/25 - Pioneer - Indianapolis, IN
Follow Quiet Hollers: Website // Facebook // Twitter // Spotify // SoundCloud // YouTube // Bandcamp // Bandsintown // Instagram
London Grammar
Listen: London Grammar - “Big Picture”
Jun 09, 2017
Chris Martin recently included London Grammar’s “Big Picture” among “the tracks I am listening to all the time at the moment”. It stands to reason. The soaring, spiritous track sends shivers to the same sensory zones as the ones awoken from the best of Coldplay. Hannah Reid’s voice is triumphant and makes you want to run to listen to their new album, Truth Is a Beautiful Thing, released today.
Moon Duo
Stream: Moon Duo Red Vinyl Reissue - Killing Time
Jun 02, 2017
So this is rad - Portand Oregon psych-krautrock duo, Moon Duo is reissuing their classic 2009 EP Killing Time on red vinyl with three bonus tracks contemporary to the recordings on the original release. “Bopper’s Hat,” “Run Around,” and “Dead West Pt. II,” have never been widely available on vinyl before. The announcement prompted listen and its one fun and fast trip through a murky tunnel. Stream away below.
The expanded classic follows the release of Moon Duo’s two-volume Occult Architecture suite, released in February and May.
Moon Duo return to the road next week, kicking off a European tour including festival stops at Beaches Brew in Ravenna and Roskilde Festival.
“Killing Time” EP Expanded Edition Tracklisting:
1. Killing Time
2. Speed
3. Dead West
4. Ripples
5. Bopper’s Hat*
6. Run Around*
7. Dead West Pt. II*
* = bonus track
Moon Duo On Tour:
June 5, 2017 - Dachau, DE @ Kultursommer Dachau w/ Dinosaur Jr.
June 8, 2017 - Ravenna, IT @ Beaches Brew
June 10, 2017 - Barcelona, ES @ Upload Club
June 11, 2017 - San Sebastian, ES @ Daba Daba
June 12, 2017 - Bilboa, ES @ Kafe Antzokia
June 13, 2017 - Madrid, ES @ Caracol
June 14, 2017 – Biarritz, FR @ Wheels and Waves Festival
June 15, 2017- Montpellier, FR @ Le Rockstore
June 17, 2017 - Luzern, CH @ B-Sides Festival
June 19, 2017 - Antwerp, BE @ Trix
June 20, 2017 - Brussels, BE @ Les Ateliers Claus
June 21, 2017 - Tel Aviv, IL @ Barby
June 30, 2017 - Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
Aug. 18, 2017 - Paredes de Coura, PT @ Paredes de Coura
Aug. 25, 2017 - La Tour-de-Peilz, CH @ Nox Orae Festival
Sep. 1, 2017 - Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot Festival
Do Make Say Think
Stream: Do Make Say Think - Stubborn Persistent Illusions
May 26, 2017
May certain things missed not go unrecognized. Without much publicity or fanfare, OG’s of instrumental ‘post-rock’, Do Make Say Think, released Stubborn Persistent Illusions, their seventh full length album, and first in eight years, last Friday. Apologies are in order on this end for not giving this release its deserved shine. But hey, you can stream it here now (or run out and get the vinyl/cd) and let it carry you through the weekend.
The Toronto band has been self-sufficiently recording, producing, and performing some of the most fearlessly inventive instrumental rock for over two decades and their newest effort is as substantial and gratifying a listen as ever. The band members continue to be Ohad Benchetrit, David Mitchell, James Payment, Justin Small and Charles Spearin.
Their bio description so consicely frames the group: “Do Make Say Think have consistently released superlative and critically acclaimed instrumental rock albums that feature highly original hybrids of psych, jazz, punk, prog and electronica. They shatter the all-too-familiar confines of generic post-rock with every album, and forge compelling instrumental rock with just the right balance of noise, melody, narrative depth, compositional acumen and inventive mixing and editing.”
Chris Cornell
“Seasons” Chris Cornell (R.I.P)
May 18, 2017
Goodbye Chris Cornell. The melancholy fire of your voice was a guide in the dark. You will be missed. “Seasons” embodied his musical spirit perhaps more than any other…Remember.
Big Thief
Listen: “Shark Smile”
May 08, 2017
“Shark Smile” is the next song from Capacity, the highly anticipated sophomore album from Big Theif to be released June 9th on Saddle Creek. It follows the first single “Mythological Beauty”.
Explains vocalist/guitarist Adrianne Lenker, “‘Shark Smile’ is the story of a car accident in which one dies and one lives. She recalls her lover leading up to the moment of the wreck, wishing she’d been taken into the next realm, too.” The new songs emanate a maturity and refinement that sounds of a group of musicians truly hitting stride. The rolling warmth of bass lines wrapped around muffled snares invites repeated listens. And you surrender to the sweet sadness of Lenker’s voice. Check it out here.
Their press release on Pitch Perfect sets up this next chapter for Big Theif best: “Capacity comes just one year after the stunning debut of Masterpiece, which brought Big Thief ever-expanding audiences and critical acclaim…recorded in a snowy winter nest in upstate New York at Outlier Studio with producer Andrew Sarlo, who also produced Masterpiece. Sarlo worked intimately with the band to arrange most of the songs for the first time at the studio”
“In Capacity’s eleven songs, Lenker introduces us to many different women…Lenker’s characters are often spooked and then soothed in a remarkably short amount of time, regenerating back into a state where they can once again be vulnerable. The band breathes with this swell, gasping in synchrony, hyperventilating with volume, and then suddenly the crisis passes and the band exhales with mutual relief.”
“There is a darker darkness and a lighter light on this album,” Lenker says. “The songs search for a deeper level of self-acceptance, to embrace the world within and without. I think Masterpiece began that process, as a first reaction from inside the pain, and ‘Capacity’ continues that examination with a wider perspective.”
