The Evens: The Odds (Dischord, 11/20/12)
“King of Kings”
The likelihood of hearing another new Fugazi album grows increasingly unlikely by the year, but for a while, it seemed almost as unlikely to hear another new album from Ian MacKaye and domestic partner Amy Farina as The Evens. It has been six years since the release of Get Evens, which might be due to the two having their first child together — but the benefit of such a partnership is being able to pick up again without missing a beat.
Beastwars: Tower of Skulls seven-inch (Destroy, 11/17/12)
An eclipse is creeping closer. You see a desolate landscape, lonely monoliths in the middle of the desert, and a vague sense of foreboding. Either all that fake Mayan stuff about 2012 was right, or it’s a new video from Beastwars.
Lymbyc Systym: Symbolyst (Western Vinyl, 9/18/12)
What but a video inspired by 1970s and ’80s science specials would you expect from a band named after part of our nervous system? The first single from Lymbyc Systym’s Symbolyst, “Prairie School,” has a driving beat, bright synths, and a feeling of gradual movement upward, forward and inward.
Wild Belle: s/t EP (Columbia, 9/18/12)
Siblings Natalie and Elliot Bergman (also of Nomo) are the duo behind Wild Belle, whose sultry, funky dub pop picked up buzz after the band’s stint at this year’s SXSW. Now, after a deal with Columbia, the Chicago-based group is preparing its major-label debut, Isles, to be delivered early in 2013.
Spread out across venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn, this year’s CMJ Music Marathon provided a glimpse at some of the year’s best emerging artists in addition to a healthy lineup of veteran performers. With five days of showcases and concerts to attend, the festival offered something for everyone, with bands representing a variety of genres.
Since 2010, Lost in Concert has been in the cataloging business. A group of writers and photographers who share a love for live music, the site has made it its mission to attend shows and bring the concert experience back to those who couldn’t be there. Its vivid photography and clear, enthusiastic words give readers the feeling that they were, sharing that special “had to see it” feeling that only a live show can give.
The Octopus Project: Whitby digital EP (Peek-A-Boo, 11/6/12)
The Octopus Project’s new album, untitled at this time, has been described by guitarist Josh Lambert as “equally the poppiest and the weirdest thing we’ve ever done.” The video for the first single, “Whitby,” does its best to live up to this assertion.
Emeralds: Just to Feel Anything (Editions Mego, 11/6/12)
Cleveland trio Emeralds made queasy, sprawling, psychedelic drone music prior to 2010, when it released Does It Look Like I’m Here? That album condensed the music into concise, direct, and absolutely stunning takes on the formula.
Just to Feel Anything is a new mutation in the Emeralds pattern.
Sole: A Ruthless Criticism of Everything Existing (Black Canyon Music, 11/13/12)
DIY rapper and occupier Sole will be releasing his seventh studio album, A Ruthless Criticism of Everything Existing, next week. Titled from a letter by Marx and written as a member of Occupy Denver, the album is a call to arms, with new anthems for grassroots uprisings.
