-
Bandcamp Friday : Autumn Shopping List
It’s September, so basically fall. This list includes a lot of pre-orders, which I suppose is sort of a way of storing away sustenance for worse weather. And luckily, there’s a lot coming that’ll keep you warm and maybe less sad about shorter days and no longer being able to drink in the bike lane. I love ordering a record hella in advance, totally forgetting about it, ordering it again, and being completely surprised when a few copies arrive in the mail. Or maybe you’re more organized and don’t do that. Pre-ordering albums gives you something to look forward to…
-
Pacific Range : Tune In
Pacific Range is possibly the platonic ideal of a Californiana band – not in name alone, but their psychedelic combination of surf, country, and jammy sounds that peak and crest like the waves depicted in the imagery that reflects their origins (Chico State) and chosen home (the Santa Monica Mountains). The band released their excellent album High Upon the Mountain in March through our favorite label Curation Records. Their high energy shows, as well as their rigorous schedule, have helped Pacific Range cultivate quite a following. Unfortunately, the pandemic made the tour originally planned to promote their record an impossibility,…
-
TOF Productions presents: Neal Casal Music Foundation Benefit
TOF Productions has announced an evening of music and conversation to benefit the Neal Casal Music Foundation on Thursday, July 9th at 8:00 PM EST. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite. Gary Waldman, Neal’s lifelong friend and manager, will host the event live from Applehead Recording in Woodstock. He’ll be joined by the full Kenny Roby Band, featuring Jeff Hill, Tony Leone, Jesse Aycock, and John Lee Shannon. The evening will open with the world premiere of Roby’s version of “Too Much to Ask” for Highway Butterfly, the upcoming tribute album boasting a star-studded lineup of Neal’s closest friends and…
-
Neal Casal Music Foundation
The Neal Casal Music Foundation (NCMF) will be raising funds to provide instruments and lessons to students in Neal’s home states of New Jersey and New York, as well as supporting MusiCares, Backline, and other mental health organizations for musicians, as Neal expressly requested in his parting note. The foundation, spearheaded by Neal’s longtime friend and manager Gary Waldman and other friends, has announced two projects to raise funding: a 30-song tribute album featuring many of Neal’s friends, and a 240-page hardcover coffee table of photos from Neal’s private collection, entitled “Tomorrow’s Sky: Photographs by Neal Casal” after a song on Neal’s 2009…
-
Bandcamp Friday : Spring Shopping List
Bandcamp is doing it again! This Friday, May 1st, and every first Friday through July, the streaming and purchasing platform is once again waiving their revenue share. Many artists are releasing special live albums, compilations, EPs, singles, etc. to further tempt you to buy. Several record labels are also waiving their share, so 100% of sales will go directly to the artist. You can view a comprehensive list from Bandcamp here of who’s who. Lots of second waves of stimulus checks will be hitting on April 30th (allegedly, we’ll see!) and it’s time to stimulate each other, baby. More importantly,…
-
Farewell, Tres Warren
I was pretty late to the game with Psychic Ills but when I started listening to them a few years ago, I never stopped. I can’t count how many times Inner Journey Out was stuck on repeat as I sat alone staring at mountains as the sun melted across the valley. The songs on that album, in particular, stir something inside me so deeply, I hesitate to attempt to describe or disclose it. Tres’ words, his voice, his prowess, his playing, made Psychic Ills one of the most unique and consistent bands of the millennium. There is something so intimate…
-
5 Ways to Support Artists Right Now
The music industry’s been turned on its head as record sales have fallen by the wayside and touring has become the main source of income for musicians. And thanks to our current situation, thousands of tour dates have been canceled and artists of all calibers are facing uncertain financial futures. They’ve also been some of the first to act, planning live streams of intimate, acoustic online concerts and even mini online weekend-long festivals immediately after tucking themselves into quarantine, bringing much-needed light and comfort during a dark time. Music adds so much richness to our lives, so how can we support artists…
-
GospelbeacH : On Tour
GospelbeacH is bringing the sunshine to Europe this February. You can’t miss it, especially if you’ve never seen them. They’re the reason I go to shows in an almost insatiable, they brought me to so many other artists I love, Brent is probably the reason you’re reading this website! I’m listening to Let It Burn while I relay this story. After seeing hundreds of whoever came through my small town when I was a teenager, I’d been burned out from music for a while. For years I wasn’t curious or excited about new music and I went to see a…
-
Vetiver : On Tour
In the wake of the release of the astonishingly gorgeous Up On High, Vetiver just announced their east coast tour dates. Andy Cabic and his band, a tight-knit 😉 four-piece, put on a stellar show, one that I rearranged massive plans and traveled state lines to see again. Understated but intricate, they perform a lovely blend of old and new material. Despite Vetiver’s mellow, laid-back melodies, the band certainly rocks out and the new material translates into a mesmerizing performance of both enchanting, quieter down-tempo moments interlaced with danceable, up-beat foot-stompers. Don’t miss them!
