Tag Archive for: underground music

We Are The Night by Cold Choir

We Are The Night by Cold Choir

This dance song rolls out like a classic Yaz, Depeche Mode, Human League, Japan synth hit from the 80s. “Were Are The Night” drips with attitude and moody cool. The icy synth washes against the hypnotic beat. This is beat, synth and voice. All the choices are right. The synth chord progression is immediately hooky. The vocals are sexy and hold this truth – that Franky and Mario Martinez are the night. They cast the spell that they are the coolest and wherever Cold Choir is playing is the coolest scene in the city.

Want to hear us talk about this song? Check out episode #91 of our podcast at hlycrp.com.

https://coldchoirmusic.bandcamp.com/track/we-are-the-night

Wysteria by Nordista Freeze

Wysteria by Nordista Freeze

Staff Writer: Drew Burgess

An on the road song, a poem about losing your grip, through romantic longings in harmony, the metaphorical personification of wysteria through romantic outings and hand-holding, I come to the conclusion that Nordistra Freeze is in love, though what with, I have no idea.

Wysteria has a similar vibe to 1960’s pop vocal groups, but with a clean aesthetic that distinguishes it from previous acts. This sound is hard to pull off, how do these guys make it so effortless? Restraint prevails, and the open space of the song is as captivating as its organ, jangling guitar, and 3/4 rhythm section.

Want to hear us talk about this song? Check out episode #91 of our podcast at hlycrp.com.

https://nordistafreeze.bandcamp.com/track/wysteria

Female of The Species by The Flytraps

Female of The Species by The Flytraps

Staff Writer: Drew Burgess

In their tune The Female of The Species, The Flytraps begin with a back and forth punk bass riff that completely explodes when the throwback style drums kick in. The guitar riff  next jumps in to create a creepy organ-like octave effect. This is a cast iron cauldron full of all the creepy and cool things I love. The snarling vocal over the top welds the whole thing together as a true rocker. Pure mojo… its the type of punk/garage/surf that borders the rockabilly scene, (on the dark side of course) its all dirty, amazing, and raw.

I love it.

Want to hear us talk about this song? Check out episode #91 of our podcast at hlycrp.com.

https://theflytrapsband.bandcamp.com/

 

Drug Store Supplies by Dead Ghosts

Drug Store Supplies by Dead Ghosts

Staff Writer: Drew Burgess

1960’s counterculture exists in the same dimension as the Dead Ghosts. Their track, Drug Store Supplies, romances the wild and free on the fringe living and self-medicating that any desert traveling biker encounters, through vintage vibey lyrics over shiny guitarwork and tight percussion.

The vocal themes of Defining One’s Self Through Actions, and foundational knowledge (all I really know) feeding present-day and apparent bad ideas (I do it again and again and again and again) are just the metaphysical touch needed to pull this fun garage rocker into the multi-dimensional realms of psych rock. These rebels imply more than they say, and what they say is worth checking out. Holy smokes!

Want to hear us talk about this song? Check out episode #91 of our podcast at hlycrp.com.

https://deadghosts.bandcamp.com/track/drugstore-supplies

Ep 92 – `Snacks/How to Book a Show’ FEAT: Be Cool Cowboy, Space Grandma, New Bomb Turks, None So Vile, Anthony Worden

Ep 92 – `Snacks/How to Book a Show’ FEAT: Be Cool Cowboy, Space Grandma, New Bomb Turks, None So Vile, Anthony Worden

https://music.apple.com/us/album/jukebox-lean/1485036479?i=1485036924

This week we played:

  • Control Yourself by Be Cool Cowboy
  • Dirt Bones by Space Grandma
  • Juke Box Lean by New Bomb Turks
  • Reverse Death Machine by None So Vile (not yet released)
  • What in the World by Anthony Worden (not yet released)


Best of the underground, week of Feb 11, 2020: Advice, both good and terrible, about booking your shows. New concepts in performance art. John eats some grasshoppers. Also, great, great music. (All podcasts and reviews are on our website, www.hlycrp.com, and you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.) Artists! We like you, good work. February chugs along 

Your Disaster, by The Kindest People

Your Disaster, by The Kindest People

Your Disaster rings in with glassy cleans, jangle-y guitars interweaving with a dance-ready bouncing bass and riff-oriented drums, beneath a tiled-bathroom reverb/echo drenched vocal. The takeaway is an innocent perspective on a burgeoning self-awareness, or a retrospective glance to a highlight reel of a bad relationship.

My favorite part is the city-surf style guitar lick, which carries the song into ear-worm territory. The Kindest People keep this one true throughout, and Your Disaster was stuck in my head hours after I heard the track. Kudos to this power-quartet for their efforts, apparent in this hook-heavy summer anthem.Want to hear us talk about this song? Check out episode #89 of our podcast at hlycrp.com.

Donna, by the Beauticians

Donna, by the Beauticians

All the great things of the mid-80’s have culminated their holy spirits into the members of The Beauticians. This is art-rock in its roots, when garage rock got synths and poetic prose lyric content. The driving rhythm of the one-and-two-and drum track parallels the Jesus Mary Chain while the remainder of the tune brings to mind The Cars or Modern English. How can this be a recent song? Its a dance anthem, powerful in its simplicity and huge in it’s swells and footprint.

Donna is either front row and center stage waving her bangle-clad arms, or she’s at home, hurting still over the heartbreak that inspired the tune. Either way, she’s left a mark on one of these boys that you need to take a look at- and a listen to.Want to hear us talk about this song? Check out episode #89 of our podcast at hlycrp.com.

Feel’n Bad by The Side Bets

Feel’n Bad by The Side Bets

I have so much love for The Side Bets and Dougie Ramone. It’s impossible to see a band for the first time and really understand anything of the music and vocals. I mean, you get the essence of whether the lead singer has a certain energy and charisma and if the guitarist can play a million notes – but the challenge for us all is to have people walk out of the club and remember our songs. You have to boil down and boil down your songs until the only thing left is the hooks. You will remember this song!

This is a straight hit. This is the song that you walk out of a show singing. Complexity is easy. It is far harder to take everything back down to the essence of gritty garage rock, dirty sleazy guitar, and being fearless and shouting on stage about “feelin’ bad” and “all the good things we use to have!” This is the haiku of underground rock music!Want to hear us talk about this song? Check out episode #89 of our podcast at hlycrp.com.

Ep 91 – `Body Parts vs. Skills’ FEAT: Grace Joyner, Dead Ghosts, The Flytraps, Cold Choir, Nordista Freeze

Ep 91 – `Body Parts vs. Skills’ FEAT: Grace Joyner, Dead Ghosts, The Flytraps, Cold Choir, Nordista Freeze


This week:

  • Wysteria by Nordista Freeze
  • We Are the Night by Cold Choir
  • Drugstore Supplies by Dead Ghosts
  • Female of the Species by The Flytraps
  • Haze by Grace Joyner

Best of the underground, week of Feb 4, 2020: John figures that his pinkies don’t do much. Cinnamon gets in trouble with her third band. Also, great, great music. (All podcasts and reviews are on our website, www.hlycrp.com, and you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.) Artists! We like you, good work. February already. We are killing this