haha! i’m publishing this so late i know nobody is ever going to come across it just browsing or looking for 2016 year-end lists, and that’s okay. like i’ve said before, truly i do these just for myself, for posterity, to refer back to later, to remember and look back on the year in a digestible way. i do end up putting these to use at unpredictable future points, like showing an artist years later that their last record was among my favorites of that year, or pointing out to some dude i met that i liked the movie he’s trying to tell me about long before he “introduced” me to it, or in proving in a braggy-nerd way that i was into a band or director before their big future breakout, or in giving an overview of my taste to future entertainment-biz employers. so i’m gonna keep doing that on the faith that something like that might happen again. so here this is!!

2016 was a real garbage fire of a year for the world, between the election and all the celebrities dying. so i don’t mean to brag but it was an alright year for me personally. i lived in the same house in seattle the whole year, and continued on with my previous gigs of the last few years: radio promo as The Band Mom obviously, plus show manager at the Vera Project, door person/box office at my cool neighborhood venue, Columbia City Theater, and i worked for my third year in the box office for the Seattle International Film Festival. i also started a new very part-time gig as door person at another neighborhood haunt, the Royal Room. in March i traveled yet again to Austin (and San Antonio) for my 10^th SXSW in a row. i got to participate (thanks to the Vera Project) in the Seattle music festival Bumbershoot (Sept), and was a leader of Vera’s group of scrappy young outreach volunteers at the camping music fest Sasquatch at the Gorge in May. AND i made cute lil trips to various locations around WA: North Bend/Snoqualmie Falls (several visits to my favorite place), Spokane with a friend to see a show at the Knitting Factory, Vashon Island for their annual Strawberry Festival and another time for a fun housewarming, Tacoma with another friend for a movie at the Grand and my favorite fried rice spot, Kent/Bonney Lake for some family visits, and Ellensburg to serve as a guest judge on KCWU’s “Burgstock” battle the bands(!). And also traveled to Los Angeles in January to visit friends, Princeton NJ for my cousin Nate’s wedding (onto which I tacked a fun lil NYC trip too), and Ohio in both December (usual holidays trip + parents’ retirement party + brief side trip to PA w/fam) and June (for my brother’s wedding!) – and hosted/hung with friends visiting Seattle from LA, Portland, and New Zealand. Like I said, a pretty alright year for me really!

you’ll see my festival and venue work again reflected pretty heavily when we get down to my Top Shows lists, much as they were in my Top Stuff of 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011 (i didn’t have such jobs in 2010 and 2009, but the venues i’d later work at were reflected pretty heavily in those lists as well). i’m maintaining the rule that Band Mom bands are ineligible for the Top Albums list because i couldn’t possibly rank them against each other, but that i can’t rule out shows where i worked the door or box office or show managed or was otherwise professionally involved in for my Top Shows lists, because then there would be almost no shows to consider.

as always, i never claim stuff on this list is the ‘best’ of the year. art is impossible to grade on an objective scale, and it’s insulting and ugly to posture as though one could do so. these are just my favorites:

my top 45 albums of 2016:

1. tacocat – lost time                                                                                                    
2. the thermals – we disappear
3. eric bachmann – eric bachmann
4. nick cave & and the bad seeds – skeleton tree
5. mitski – puberty 2
6. car seat headrest – teens of denial
7. david bazan – blanco
8. lisa prank – adult teen
9. frankie cosmos – next thing
10. childish gambino – “awaken, my love!”
11. yoni & geti – testarossa
12. angel olsen – my woman
13. kishi bashi – sonderlust
14. bellows – fist & palm
15. thao & the get down stay down – a man alive
16. m83 – junk
17. beach slang – a loud bash of teenage feelings
18. LVL UP – return to love
19. mike adams at his honest weight- casino drone
20. told slant – going by
21. animal collective – painting with
22. bear hands – you’ll pay for this
23. the avalanches – wildflower
24. whitney – light upon the lake
25. quilt – plaza
26. the julie ruin – hit reset
27. jordan o’jordan – through tough thoughts
28. conor oberst – ruminations
29. okkervil river – away
30. of montreal – innocence reaches
31. nada surf – you know who you are
32. hey marseilles – hey marseilles
33. yeasayer – amen and goodbye
34. julianna barwick – will
35. aesop rock – the impossible kid
36. sad13 – slugger
37. kid cudi – passion, pain & demon slayin’
38. xiu xiu – plays the music of twin peaks
39. jimmy eat world – integrity blues
40. ty segall – emotional mugger
41. damien jurado – visions of us on the land
42. sound of ceres – nostalgia for infinity
43. half japanese – perfect
44. ra ra riot – need your light
45. american football – s/t / lp2

the top 10 especially this year are albums i care an extra lot about about, but i extra-appreciated all of them enough to make the big recommendation!

while i see my films list below as pretty definitive (with the couple of named possible exceptions and MAYBE like one or two wildcards that came out in 2016 but haven’t yet crossed my radar), i see this music list as much less so. even so far past the end of the year, i still know there’s so much more music that was released in 2016 that never crossed my ears but that may end up being my favorite stuff in the future. so like, in ten years i bet i’ll probably largely stand by my top films list here, but my list of favorite music released in 2016 may look completely different (i’m talking additions, not deletions – the fact that this list of albums had a real impact on me can’t and won’t change retroactively; even if the future brings new information that makes me feel differently about the artists generally, i’ll never be able to change the fact that this music has meant something to me). in fact i’ve got a list of about 40 more albums i just haven’t spent enough time with to include but i bet would be very likely to in a hypothetical distant-future accounting of this year. some of them are embarrassing, like ajj and tobacco and wilco and frank ocean and david bowie and beyonce – what was i even doing that i didn’t have time to spend with those surely-great albums? WHO KNOWS

as mentioned and as always, Band Mom artists are ineligible for this list because I wouldn’t even begin to know how to rank them: this means you (in chronological order), animals of grace, photo ops, tuft, melaena cadiz, seaons, casket girls, the stargazer lilies, prairie empire, like, listen to, and hillary susz. that’s artists from California, Seattle, Nashville, Oregon, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, and beyond (and releases by Graveface, Misra, Bad Friend Records, and several other beloved record labels!!). you all put out FANTASTIC albums that are tied for number one in my heart, and I love you the most.

that list is 5 shows longer than last year, because i just couldn’t bear to cut any more out.:) but it felt to me overall like the year of both third eye blind and pwr bttm. both came crashing in (or back in) to my life unexpectedly and ended up taking up kind of a lot of (positive) space in it!

my 12 favorite comedy/podcast/spoken word shows I saw (couldn’t keep it to 10! in chronological order):

-shitty jobs (dc pierson, dominic dierkes, ben schwartz, ben rodgers) @ ucb franklin (los angeles, january)
-dave hill, tim heidecker, and scharpling & wurster @ sasquatch (the gorge, may)
-harry moroz w/brenton biddlecombe on “the super secret stand up show” @ ‘comedy sportz’ (seattle, july)
-whiplash (aparna nancherla hosting, gary gulman, nick vatterott, neal brennan, jermaine fowler) @ ucb chelsea (new york, july)
-flight of the conchords w/john hodgman, demitri martin, eugene mirman (and guest kimbra on “carol brown”!) @ forest hills stadium (queens, july)
-thrilling adventure hour (guest stars jon hamm, craig bierko, ted leo, & jean grae, w/regulars paul f tompkins, padget brewster, marc evan jackson, mark gagliardi, craig cackowski etc) @ bell house (brooklyn, july)
-night train (michelle buteau hosting, jo firestone, hari kondabolu, beth stelling, graham kay, drew dowdey, and the found footage festival) @ littlefield (brooklyn, july)
-kevin mcdonald w/wallace shawn, and 2 dope queens live podcast taping w/jon stewart, basically simultaneously but i made it to both(!) @ union hall and bell house (brooklyn, july)
-weird & awesome with emmett montgomery, featuring tim lennon, @ the annex theater (seattle, august)
-maria bamford w/jackie kashian @ the moore (seattle, september)
-john hodgman on his “vacationland” tour @ the neptune (seattle, november)
-joe mande w/erin ingle & justin clark @ columbia city theater (seattle, december)  

top 100 movies:

1. hunt for the wilderpeople                                                                                                                                                  

   

2. other people
3. la la land
4. arrival
5. moonlight
6. nocturnal animals
7. don’t think twice
8. swiss army man
9. manchester by the sea
10. a tale of love and darkness
11. middle man
12. high-rise
13. green room
14. under the shadow
15. blue jay
16. 20th century women
17. tickled
18. immortal
19. captain fantastic
20. our little sister
21. midnight special
22. hello, my name is doris
23. 10 cloverfield lane
24. the neon demon
25. ma ma
26. ghostbusters
27. weiner
28. viktoria
29. desierto
30. the handmaiden
31. i am not your negro
32. jim: the james foley story
33. one more time with feeling
34. mascots
35. the salesman
36. torrey pines
37. certain women
38. before the flood
39. tanna
40. l’attesa
41. silence
42. hail, caesar!
43. kate plays christine
44. zoom
45. the pistol shrimps
46. kedi
47. looking: the movie
48. live by night
49. the love witch
50. imperium
51. 13th
52. closet monster
53. julieta
54. voyage of time
55. hidden figures
56. author: the jt leroy story
57. pee-wee’s big holiday
58. loving
59. the bfg
60. moana
61. the lobster
62. gleason
63. fire at sea
64. lion
65. goat
66. allied
67. krisha
68. hell or high water
69. syl johnson: any way the wind blows
70. toni erdmann
71. joshy
72. another evil
73. jackie
74. folk hero & funny guy
75. a bride for rip van winkle
76. land of mine
77. the lovers and the despot
78. american honey
79. tower
80. cameraperson
81. the invitation
82. into the inferno
83. the red turtle
84. my life as a zucchini
85. the birth of a nation
86. goodnight brooklyn – the story of death by audio
87. rogue one: a star wars story
88. fantastic beasts and where to find them
89. keeping up with the joneses
90. miss peregrine’s home for peculiar children
91. queen of katwe
92. love & friendship
93. before the streets
94. take me to the river
95. train to busan
96. microbe and gasoline
97. hardcore henry
98. wiener-dog
99. blair witch
100. paterson

honorable mentions (roughly in order; this whole list was initially a numbered top 204 until I considered how ridiculous that is. but FYI I feel EXTRA strongly this time about the top 30 of the above list, but strongly enough about all of these to mention ‘em. I did see 108 other 2016 movies that didn’t make any list at all!):

life, animated; little men; the vvitch; kubo and the two strings; right now, wrong then; the dressmaker; snowden; american pastoral; search party; miss sharon jones!; neighbors 2: sorority rising; the nice guys; the legend of tarzan; star trek: beyond; the fits; only yesterday; equity; the hollars; elle; money monster; 11:55; the jungle book; zootopia; alone; fences; a man called ove; the magnificent seven; popstar: never stop never stopping; whiskey tango foxtrot; christine; kaili blues; band of robbers; the accountant; april and the extraordinary world; finding dory; free state of jones; the eagle huntress; tiny: the life of erin blackwell; in a valley of violence; the land; equals; deadpool; mountain; kingdom of clay subjects; dough; amanda knox; mountains may depart; remember; come and find me; the light between oceans; burn, burn, burn; denial; jules and delores; the night stalker; morris from america; a monster calls; the family fang; x-men: apocalypse; central intelligence; eye in the sky; the edge of seventeen; henry gamble’s birthday party; the blackcoat’s daughter; the people vs fritz bauer; passengers; worst laid plans; zero days; phantom boy; captain america: civil war; lo and behold: reveries of the connected world; how to plan an orgy in a small town; southside with you; lamb; miss hokusai; i am the pretty thing that lives in the house; cafe society; a hologram for the king; de palma; finding october; vanity; the coop; being 17; demolition; barney thomson; knight of cups; sing street; florence foster jenkins; the first monday in may; the finest hours; all the birds have flown south; the architect; eternal summer; mr. pig; neruda; the innocents; marguerite; the bronze; the shallows; bad moms; the brand new testament; colonia; demon; the autopsy of jane doe; shut in.

top NEW actors of the year (as in i’d never heard their names before/hadn’t noticed them in anything as actors and now they seem like a big deal to me, were each in several things i loved or at least were really impressive in one thing – lots of tv in the mix here too): byung-hun lee (the magnificent seven), johnny pemberton (son of zorn, neighbors 2, superstore), gal godot (keeping up with the joneses, criminal, batman v superman), emily meade (nerve, money monster, broad city), wyatt russell (everybody wants some, folk hero and funny guy, black mirror), devin druid (imperium, wiener-dog), janelle monae (hidden figures, moonlight), maya erskine (man seeking woman, insecure, son of zorn), michaela coel (chewing gum, the aliens), and oona laurence (lamb, bad moms, pete’s dragon)

standout actors of the year (who were not new to me, but were in a bunch of stuff i loved and seemed to have a really big year): nick kroll (knight of cups, loving), michael shannon (loving, nocturnal animals, midnight special), john early (search party, neighbors 2, other people), daniel radcliffe (swiss army man, imperium, now you see me 2), amy adams (arrival, nocturnal animals), michael sheen (nocturnal animals, passengers, masters of sex), mahershala ali (moonlight, house of cards, luke cage, hidden figures), and riz ahmed (the night of, the OA, rogue one)

also as an aside, a few years ago I made up a ‘best sound design‘ category because I felt so strongly about black swan’s and then we need to talk about kevin’s and then upstream color’s and then the babadook’s and then the revenant’s, and was mad that they were slighted in oscar nominations, and this year I feel the same way about the sound in both swiss army man AND in nocturnal animals!

and I created a bunch more superlatives/notes of interest which tend to vary by the year, like this time i wanna talk about best use of a pop song: that barbara lewis song in the jukebox scene in moonlight was an absolute KNOCKOUT. i also really appreciated the crucial use of “every stone” by manchester orchestra in swiss army man.

how about, best soundtracks/scores: i had strong feelings about kid koala’s work in zoom, brian mcomber’s work in krisha, all the jonsi/sigur ros in captain fantastic, and the la la land which managed to be a musical i loved even though i generally truly hate musicals.

I’ve also been enjoying noting oddest coincidences or instances of parallel thinking: this year, marguerite and florence foster jenkins had the same plot, and also there were two oj simpson tv shows why??

also along those lines, there were two songs that were weirdly song by characters, each within two different films: “take on me” was sung in both la la land and sing street, and “pennies from heaven” was sung in both the founder and sing??

some stats notes on movies: in 2016 i saw 297 different movies. (167 of them were 2016-released movies.) 121 of them were in theaters, and to date i’ve seen 311 movies that came out in 2016 (dramatically, by far, an all-time record for me – but i’m publishing this soo much later than i ever have, too, so that’s a wild exception and not a record i’ll reasonably want to try and beat. this includes several that i watched after the year ended, so they’ll be among the total i report having watched in 2017, but they’re also part of the group of 2016 movies i’m counting as eligible for this best-of list because i watched them before publishing this list, today).

as for movies with questionable release dates, the rule i made up is basically that if i saw it in like a festival or limited-engagement special event in 2016, even if it didn’t get even limited national release otherwise, it counts for my list, but if i did not see it in a festival before 2016 and its first limited release (a usa release that’s not a specific festival, even if it showed in fests pre-2016) was this year, then it counts. in other words it’s pretty subjective to my perspective, but it had to have its (limited or wide) release begin in 2016 OR be seen by me in a festival or special event (i saw movies at SXSW, SIFF and a few assorted micro fests and special screenings, and in theaters and homes in New York, Washington, Ohio, and Texas) in 2016.

also of note, i saw 14 2016 movies in 3d, as well as 6 in IMAX (3 of those overlapped, IMAX 3d). (i also saw one more time with feeling, a 2016 release that made my above list, in 3d, but i didn’t see that screening until 2017.) i continue to think 3d is a stupid cash grab that almost never adds to the film, but I suffer from pretty severe fear of missing out so i keep allowing myself to get suckered in. this year the only ones i’d really make a case for 3d being worth it were one more time with feeling, and the marvel movies and star treks/wars (it does enhance the scale of things to see ’em flying all around with better depth of field i guess) (also i’d note that in passengers, the 3d was really the only thing i liked about it).

i saw two movies twice in theaters this year: la la land (one of the two screenings was in imax) and don’t think twice.

i keep saying this every year but this is once again my longest movie list ever…there are just so many that I truly feel strongly about! also I keep seeing more and more movies every year in theaters, because of this service called Moviepass where I pay a monthly fee for nearly-unlimited movies so that it actually made financial sense to see MORE movies than less, and I was happy to oblige. i also included netflix/other VOD-only releases that debuted in 2016, even if they never showed in theaters.

here’s what 2.33 trips to the movie theater a week (plus a few extraneous otherwise tix) looks like, btw:

although i obviously saw a ton of movies this year, you’ll always miss a few; there are a few that i still intend to see. i feel very good about the above list, really got pretty much all of the serious contenders in for once (like for only my second time ever since beginning to put these lists together, i caught every single feature-length film nominated for an oscar in any category before publishing!). even so, these stragglers might have had a chance at making the above lists had i been able to catch them: cemetery of splendor, aquarius, les cowboys, miles ahead, pride and prejudice and zombies, ordinary world, triple 9, the meddler, the empire of corpses, belladonna of sadness, harmony, tale of tales, demon, madly, and things to come. pretty much everything else, if it had a theatrical release in 2016 and it’s not listed here, it’s on purpose. SO THERE.

saw filmmakers/actors in person promoting:

-a bride for rip van winkle (director iwai shunji, SIFF @ egyptian, may 24)
-the pistol shrimps (director brent hodge, SIFF @ uptown, june 2)
-complete unknown (director joshua marston, SIFF @ egyptian, june 2)
-folk hero & funny guy (director jeff grace and producer ryland aldrich, SIFF @ uptown, june 5)
-the fits (producer/co-writer lisa kjerulff, SIFF @ ark lodge, june 8)
-middle man (writer/director ned crowley, stars jim o’heir and andrew j. west, SIFF @ uptown, june 12)
-11:55 (producer matthew thurm, co-director/co-writer ben snyder, SIFF @ uptown, june 12)
-don’t think twice (writer/director/star mike birbiglia, actor tami sagher, and producer ira glass, moderated by judd apatow, landmark sunshine NYC, july 23)
-transparent (writers’ panel for tv show, with writers bridget bedard, micah fitzerman-blue, and ethan kuperberg, and actor kate berlant, bumbershoot, september 3)
-local sightings “northwest strange” shorts program (6 short filmmakers, including my pal jared steiner with “last caller”, northwest film forum, sept 27)

also these 2 other special film events that weren’t with the filmmakers present but did have special hosts and feel worth a mention anyway:

-the mads are back: glen or glenda (MST3K guys riffing live on ed wood movie, SIFF @ egyptian, may 21)
-rambu: the intruder (b-movie bingo, SIFF @ egyptian, june 4)

favorite new tv shows:

atlanta

stranger things
love
lady dynamite
the oa
one mississippi
braindead
insecure
better things
chewing gum
search party
the night of
dirk gently’s holistic detective agency (us version)
fleabag
the good place
high maintenance
oj: made in america (why did the oscars classify this as a film?? it’s clearly a miniseries?)
american crime story: the people vs oj simpson
the get down
westworld
borderline
the path
baskets
divorce
borderline
wrecked
leah remini: scientology and the aftermath
luke cage
the aliens
dramaworld
horace and pete
marcella
the night manager
you, me and the apocalypse
animals.
11.22.63

plus favorite returning (not new in 2016 but had 2016 seasons) tv shows:

brooklyn nine-nine

bojack horseman
bob’s burgers
last week tonight with john oliver
crazy ex-girlfriend
togetherness
you’re the worst
transparent
broad city
the birthday boys
house of cards
grace and frankie
mr. robot
adventure time with finn and jake
unREAL
portlandia
izombie
casual
please like me
schitt’s creek
catastrophe
jane the virgin
adam ruins everything
drunk history
gilmore girls
superstore
man seeking woman
the mindy project
quantico
new girl
fresh off the boat
sherlock
the last man on earth
you’re the worst
the fall
documentary now!
comedy bang! bang!
black mirror
daredevil
the increasingly poor decisions of todd margaret
wayward pines
scandal
orange is the new black
better call saul
younger
bates motel
lovesick (formerly called “scrotal recall”, v good name change)
bloodline
angie tribeca
x-files (especially that episode with rhys darby and kumail!!)
those who can’t
married
scream queens
scream
peaky blinders

(fell behind on current seasons of marvel’s agent carter, the man in the high castle, girls, luther, masters of sex, penny dreadful, american horror story, ash vs evil dead, and maron that might’ve otherwise made the list; also planning on someday getting around to veep, enlightened, the americans, the leftovers, orphan black, halt and catch fire, the characters, flaked, people of earth, rectify, supergirl, roadies, outlander, jon glaser loves gear…need more hours in the day)

ok fine and a couple other cool things I did in 2016 that didn’t have a spot to be filed under elsewhere:

for a while i was capping off the ends of these posts with “celebrity encounters”, where i’d humblebrag about meeting famous people then post my favorite photo with one of them, but that’s starting to feel kind of gross, and also most of these encounters take place at work and i’m less and less finding impulse and/or opportunity to pose for a pic with someone who’s performing at my job, so i think i might transition this tradition (kind of already did last year) over into just my favorite photo of myself from the year. this year i think the honor goes to this one, with my parents, grandmother, brother, and brand new sister-in-law at their wedding:

THE END! i love you.

The gorgeous HILLARY SUSZ truly rules. If you dug that new Angel Olsen album from last week, you’re going to find a lot to like in this one. She likes to describe her sound as “music for hip lesbians”. Ha! I bet you know some of those!! Also though you don’t have to share any part of those identity descriptors to appreciate it, her music is transcendent. A remarkable, nearly operatic voice coupled with deeply poetic lyrics and some pretty interesting non-traditional song structure. Impose Magazine agreed when they premiered her song “Dead Stars” (Track 3) and talked about her “stunning songwriting talents”. The Wild Honey Pie called her voice “the love child of Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen” (they were talking about “Pollution”, Track 1). You’re gonna love it.

HILLARY SUSZ

THE HEART WILL JUMP (WITH NOWHERE TO FALL)

Self-Released

Hillary Susz is a poetically driven songwriter and guitarist based in Boulder, CO. She draws influence from a variety of genres: freak folk, ambient pop, psychedelic, jazz and soul. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from Western Washington University and is a current fiction candidate of the University of Colorado’s M.F.A. program.

Susz’s distinctive, operatic vocals and angular, effects-laden guitar work feature prominently in her songs, which often eschew conventional structure along the complex twists and turns of their narrative course. Her unique voice is as real as rent, as serious as broken bones and as ominous as both, with the capacity to shift volume with an overwhelming power that balances the immediacy of her pain with the sardonic turns her lyrics often explore. She shifts down in pitch where most vocalists would climb, and the result is a stemming of emotion and mounting of pressure toward a tense anticlimactic mood that is both genuine and haunting.

Coming from a formal background of both poetry and creative writing, Hillary’s lyrics are the defining element of her music, painting striking and memorable imagery within songs that balance blunt commentary on lived experience with an honest, funny, and occasionally sardonic take on both lesbian love and ordinary life. They make poetic leaps that turn natural and organic with the power to evoke the same surprise and often wonder of epiphany. Her arrangements cohesively nurture eccentricities– creating releases and modern sound-scapes that are gigantic, effortless, dreamy and catchy. For a solo act, her sound is full with disciplined instrumental virtue. Hillary Susz is tuneful and full of uproar, out to create songs that are concise, inventive and re-playable.

“She possesses strength in her conviction and vocals, grace and poise in her presentation, and a well-read student of poetry and creative writing, which in turn lends itself to her stunning songwriting talents.”   – Impose Magazine

RIYL: Angel Olsen, Jeff Buckley, Neko Case, PJ Harvey, Julien Baker, Sharon Van Etten

Start With: 3, 9, 5, 1                                                           FCC: 6, 7

Contact me for a download link if you’re a radio rep!

http://hillarysusz.com/

https://hillarysusz.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/hillary.susz/

Twitter: @HillarySusz

Instagram: @hillsusz

How bout that LIKE, LISTEN TO?!! Yeah, their name is a mouthful (the comma in the middle is a part of the name; no punctuation at the end), but their music couldn’t be more easy to digest. This nice Utah band reminds me a LOT of Michael Nau/Cotton Jones/Page France (that’s all talking about the same guy, just depends on which iteration rings a bell for ya) – smart, thoughtful, conscious folky stuff. My favorite track might be track 7, “Take Back the Night” – I’m sure you can guess what that one’s about, a feminist allyship anthem told in a singsongy, almost lullaby-style tone. If you like it, chances are high you can catch this band on tour—dates below, let me know if you wanna meet ‘em! I caught them in Seattle recently, and it was REALLY cool. Drew Danburry (the band leader) ALSO plays drums for his tourmate, Aubrey Debauchery, and then she plays in his band as well. Neat. CHECK IT OUT!

LIKE, LISTEN TO

EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON

Self-Released

Like, Listen To is a musical project that was established by Drew Danburry and Jesse Nicholas Quebbeman-Turley. Adding a few friends to round out the ensemble but limiting themselves to an acoustic guitar, a string quartet and their voices, they entered MetCom Studios in SLC, Utah with one purpose. Time travel…or at least, to record an album in an old-fashioned and traditional manner.

The result, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, was recorded and mixed live, straight to 1/4 tape on a 2 track, then mastered from tape straight to vinyl by Gotta Groove Records. The limited vinyl release represents an attempt to get as close to authenticity as possible.

Drew Danburry is a part-time musician and full-time barber in Provo, Utah. Having spent years on the road playing music, he’s mostly settled down but for the occasional tour where he makes himself known by putting on ridiculously interactive shows sometimes consisting of sing-alongs, Mad Libs and Seven Up (aka Heads Down Thumbs Up). He’ll be touring this fall to promote the Like, Listen To album as well as an upcoming cassette release of anti-corporate commercial jingles.

RIYL: Say Hi, Kings of Convenience, David Bazan, Nap Eyes, Michael Nau/Cotton Jones/Page France,  Bonnie “Prince” Billy

Start With: 8, 3, 7, 11                                                  FCC CLEAN

DREW DANBURRY & FRIENDS (LIKE, LISTEN TO) TOUR DATES

9/22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court*!
9/23 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic*!
9/24 – Richland, WA @ Paper Street Brewing Co.*!
9/25 – Seattle, WA @ Substation!
9/26 – Olympia, WA @ Le Voyeur*!
9/27 – Portland, OR @ Kellys Olympian*!
9/28 – Chico, CA @ The Maltese (and an early show @ The Naked Lounge)*!
9/29 – Costa Mesa, CA @ The Wayfarer*!
10/2 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Bunkhouse*!
10/3 – Provo, UT @ Muse Music*!
10/4 – Denver, CO @ City O’City/The Deer Pile*!
10/5 – Kansas City, MO @ Records with Merritt*!
10/6 – Rock Island, IL @ Daytrotter*!
10/6 – Champaign, IL @ Library House*!
10/7 – Chicago, IL @ Cafe Mustache*!
10/8 – Fargo, ND @ Sudden Service*!
10/9 – Fort Collins, CO @ Surfside*!
10/21 – Florence, AL @ Co-Op Florence*
10/22 – Hattiesburg, MS @ Co-Op: Hattiesburg*
10/23 – Jackson, MS @ The Mosquito (afternoon show)*
10/23 – Oxford, MS @ The Wall*

*! w/Aubrey Debauchery
* w/Ben Ricketts

Contact me for a download link if you’re a radio rep!

http://www.drewdanburry.com/

https://drewdanburry.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/drewdanburry

https://twitter.com/drewdanburry

https://soundcloud.com/ddanburry

For the third week in a row, I’ve got a new add! This week it’s the wonderful PRAIRIE EMPIRE, from my former home of Brooklyn! (I actually currently live in band leader Brittain Ashford’s former home of Seattle, we switched!) I really love this band, and have for a very long time: they’re the only band that’s played not one but BOTH of the two CMJ parties I’ve ever thrown as the Band Mom, the most recent being this past year and the first being way back in 2011. So maybe you’ve even seen them play before; they’ve obviously been a part of the Band Mom family for quite a long time—as is also further evidenced by the fact that Band Mom artist MATT BAUER also sings on this record!! PRETTY COOL. Anyway this record is sooo good. Beautiful lush dreamy folk-leaning (but not just straight folk) indie rock. GET ON IT NOW so you can brag to your friends later!

PRAIRIE EMPIRE

THE SALT

Commodore Trotter

THE SALT, the sophomore album from Brooklyn’s Prairie Empire, is a moving, unexpected departure from their folky, self-titled debut. In the four years between albums, Brittain Ashford and her band developed a more sophisticated sound, one that expands beyond the four walls of the bedroom into cinematic terrain. Calm moments give way to fevered climaxes, strings and reeds humming as Ashford’s mournful, whiskey-soaked alto floats above the chaos. Inspired by the quietude of Elliott Smith and the dynamism of Jeff Buckley, Ashford directs her melancholic vocals through lush, atmospheric arrangements, oscillating between grief and anticipation.

Brittain Ashford (vocals, guitars, arrangements, etc.) and Nim Ben-Reuven (drums, drawings of cats) met by chance while getting copies in Manhattan. They eventually became friends and Ben-Reuven joined the Empire. For this record the duo filled out their sound with Brent Arnold (cello, The Antlers, Reggie Watts, Modest Mouse), Jeff Hudgins (clarinet, sax, bari-sax), Danah Olivetree (cello), Alec Spiegelman (pump organ, Cuddle Magic), Scott Colberg (additional guitar), and Matt Bauer (vox).

It’s fair to say that Prairie Empire has entered a larger world; The Salt surveys the land around them with power and subtlety.

2016 will be a busy year for Ashford. In addition to a cross-country tour in support of The Salt, she’s making her Broadway debut at The Imperial this fall in the acclaimed electro-pop opera Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. Composer Dave Malloy wrote Ashford’s solo, “Sonya Alone,” with her voice in mind; she performed in the Off-Broadway production of Great Comet for two years, earning raves from Variety, New York Daily News, Time Out NY, and The Boston Globe.

RIYL: Dark Dark Dark, Bowerbirds, Mirah, Natalie Prass, The Antlers,  Lost in the Trees, Matt Bauer, Jolie Holland, Dana Falconberry & Medicine Bow

Start With: 3, 4, 7                                                   FCC CLEAN

PRAIRIE EMPIRE TOUR DATES:

6/28 – Milwaukee, WI @ Company Brewing
6/29 – Madison, WI @ House Show
6/30 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Warming House
7/1 – Bismarck, ND @ Side B
7/2 – Bozeman, MT
7/3 – Bigfork, MT @ House Show
7/5 – Walla Walla, WA @ Main Street Studios
7/8 – Seattle, WA @ Gallery 1412
7/9 – Portland, OR @ The Harlowe House
7/10 – Eugene, OR
7/11 – Boise, ID @ House Show
7/12 – Provo, UT @ Studio Studio Dada
7/14 – Boulder, CO @ House Show
7/15 – Denver, CO @ Leon Gallery
7/16 – Denver, CO @ House Show
7/17 – Kansas City, MO @ Records with Merritt
7/18 – St. Louis, MO @ Mt. Thelonious House
7/19 – Memphis, TN @ Murphy’s
7/20 – Nashville, TN
7/21 – Knoxville, TN
7/22 – Asheville, NC
7/23 – Norfolk, VA @ Toast

Contact me for a download link if you’re a radio rep!

www.prairieempire.org

www.facebook.com/prairieempire

www.prairieempire.bandcamp.com

That Graveface Records package I sent a couple weeks ago actually had two albums in it, different but equally incredible. One was Casket Girls; the other is the new album by THE STARGAZER LILIES!! They’re so great. Beautiful shoegaze (or psych/dream pop if you prefer) out of Northeast PA, home state also of their pals Black Moth Super Rainbow which is part of the story of how I met them. Impose also debuted a new music video for the track “Golden Key”, in case you needed another co-signer on this record’s coolness. I saw them play in Seattle last week and they totally rip. (cool visuals too.) (sorry bout the white dude with bandanna/dreads in the foreground, he was unavoidable.) Anyway, this is not their first album—their last was great as well—and also the core of this band previously had a really cool shoegaze band called Soundpool which I actually was a fan of when I myself was an MD at college radio—but this is The Stargazer Lilies’ first album being actively worked to college radio, so they may or really may not be a brand new band to you. Either way listen for about two seconds and you’ll see it’s great, so get on that!!

THE STARGAZER LILIES

DOOR TO THE SUN

Graveface Records & Curiosities

Northeast Pennsylvania-based the Stargazer Lilies are the brainchild of husband-and-wife team John Cep and Kim Field, pioneers of shoegaze’s new wave with former band Soundpool. The Stargazer Lilies is the evolution of their gaze, this time with added psych rock elements (think MBV meets Pink Floyd), and complemented by artwork created by The Seven Fields of Aphelion (of Black Moth Super Rainbow & Tobacco). Cep’s heavy effects-driven guitars are accented by LA based drummer, Tammy Hirata’s minimalist approach, along with Field’s dreamy vocals and drony bass lines. Following their debut album We Are The Dreamers in 2013,their sound was described in Spin Magazine as the “reverb-washed slo-mo assault of Slowdive with the sparkling ambience of Air channeled into a lush, guitar-swollen whole.  Psych-fuzz epic.” PopMatters says, “The Stargazer Lilies possess a truly widescreen, cinematic sound with crescendos that build cascading waves of sound enveloping your whole body.  The music is a bit darker than standard dream pop fare, but that only makes it that much more mesmerizing.”  Brad Laner of Medicine describes them like this: “This is what your so-called shoegaze is supposed to sound like. Incredible melodies and singing plus great guitar work.”

RIYL: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, A Place to Bury Strangers, Medicine, Lush, Chapterhouse, Ringo Deathstarr, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Soundpool

Start With: 6, 3, 4                                                    FCC CLEAN

TOUR DATES:

6/02 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court w/ No Sun
6/05 – Portland, OR @ Rontoms w/ Cat Hoch
6/07 – Seattle, WA @ LOFI w/ TokyoIdaho
6/11 – San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern w/ Cruel Summer + Panda Riot
6/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo w/ Pale Dian + Tennis System
7/01 – Milwaukee, WI @ Quarters Rock & Roll Palace *
7/02 – Champaign, IL @ Institute for Creativity *
7/03 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle * w/ New Canyons + Pale Dian
7/05 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern w/ Pale Dian + Ex Astronauts
7/06 – Wilkes Barre, PA @ The Otherside w/ Pale Dian + The Morelings
7/07 – Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium w/ Pale Dian + Parrot Dream
7/09 – Providence, RI @ News Cafe *
7/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Bourbon & Branch *
7/14 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter *
7/15 – Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor *
7/16 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 w/ Pale Dian + Twin Studies
7/19 – New Orleans, LA @ Siberian *
7/22 – Austin TX @ Empire Control Room w/ Ringo Deathstarr + Pale Dian
7/23 – San Antonio, TX @ K23 Gallery * !
7/31 – Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall w/ BEST COAST
8/1 – Portsmouth, NH @ 35 Artspace w/ BEST COAST
8/2 – Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall w/ BEST COAST
8/15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls w/ BEST COAST
* w/ Pale Dian
* ! w/ Pale Dian & Ringo Deathstarr

Contact me for a download link if you’re a radio rep!

www.facebook.com/thestargazerlilies/

OMG. I can’t believe I got this lucky, to be able to work this record. I’m serious, this one is a BIG BIG DEAL. Not to mention that it marks the beginning of the Band Mom’s working relationship with the longtime dear pals of GRAVEFACE RECORDS!!!

You may remember CASKET GIRLS from their truly fantastic 2014 album, True Love Kills the Fairy Tale (peaked at #55 back then, not worked by me but really really loved by me). They’re back with a new album and it’s just as good! Witchy dark weird stuff built on girl-group pop song structure bones, made by these two reclusive Savannah sisters (and Ryan Graveface) who wear costumes while performing (like matching outfits and blonde wigs, it’s really great and weird). Their live show really is a spectacle to see. Especially because they’re playing their music which is SO GOOD! This album also features drums by TW Walsh (who you might know from Pedro the Lion, Headphones, or the Soft Drugs), and some additional instruments were also played by Bobb Bruno (of Best Coast), in case that pedigree wasn’t enough for you. Stop reading this and go listen already, this album does not need my hard sell, this is seriously one of the best & most exciting things I’ve ever worked—as is evidenced by it having one of the Band Mom’s best add weeks ever last week, clocking in at #5 Most Added!!! SWEET, good job you guys!! This is gonna go so great.

CASKET GIRLS

THE NIGHT MACHINES

Graveface Records & Curiosities

Casket Girls leave the safety of their blackout curtain lair to roam an apocalyptic world, questioning the essence of humanity, where the dreamers, prophets and vampires of the old world work together to forge a new path. The concept is Singularity. Welcome to The Night Machines.

Casket Girls are the virtually reclusive Savannah sisters, Phaedra and Elsa Greene, and Ryan Graveface (Graveface Records, Dreamend, etc). The group’s bond has continuously strengthened over the course of their four releases, culminating in The Night Machines, their third full length LP and strongest effort to date. They wrote, recorded and mixed the record in Savannah and Athens, GA with local hero Andy LeMaster. Drum duties were taken on by fellow Graveface Records artist T.W. Walsh, and additional instruments were played by Bobb Bruno (of Best Coast).

Casket Girls have gained momentum and a substantial cult following due to the unflagging catchiness of their songwriting and the compelling development of their polarizing live show, the likes of which prompted one reviewer to write “Casket Girls are more than just a band; they’re a living art piece. Their descent into the crowd at the end of the show for hugs that culminated in a shared embrace between the sisters was grand. In this final moment, Seeba’s earlier declaration rang true. We were The Casket Girls, they were The Casket Girls.”

RIYL: Youth Lagoon, Purity Ring, Grimes, Dum Dum Girls, Xiu Xiu, Robyn, The Shangri-Las

Start With: 3, 9, 5, 7, 1                                                    FCC: 2

2016 GRAVEFACE ROADSHOW

w/ Casket Girls & Stardeath and White Dwarfs

06.08 – Savannah, GA @ Dollhouse +
06.09 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn +
06.10 – Raleigh, NC @ Slim’s +
06.11 – Washington DC @ Songbyrd +
06.12 – New York City, NY @ Mercury Lounge + %
06.13 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott + %
06.14 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Boot & Saddle +
06.15 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe +
06.16 – Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub ^
06.17 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean ^ $
06.18 – St Paul, MN @ Turf Club ^
06.21 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza *
06.22 – Portland, OR @ White Eagle *
06.24 – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge *
06.25 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place *
06.26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater *
06.27 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge
06.29 – Austin, TX @ The Sidewinder +
06.30 – Dallas, TX @ Three Links +
07.01 – Norman, OK @ The Opolis +

+ w/ Hospital Ships     % w/ TW Walsh
^ w/ Dott     * w/ Night School      $ w/ Maritime

Contact me for a download link if you’re a radio rep!

https://www.facebook.com/casketgirls/

https://www.instagram.com/thecasketgirls/

This is a real interesting one. Check out the cool post-apocalyptos in SEAONS (that’s not a typo, it’s not Seasons, and the album title is APRILIS, not Aprils): a Southern Oregon band telling an epic story with their music. It’s about the survival of humanity in a post-apocalyptic future. High-energy but thoughtful music that reminds me a lot of Anathallo or The Dear Hunter, or one station has already compared it to Imagine Dragons (s/o Mandi @ KCWU!!).

PRONUNCIATION KEY: see-ons (rhymes with “peons”) – uh-PRIL-iss (rhymes with “uh kill us”).

SEAONS

APRILIS

King Monty Records

Our cycle of life has a pattern of destruction and restoration. The fibers of the universe suggest that all existence is prone to end at a certain point. One day, our thriving world will come to an end, its spinning axis will slow to a halt, and begin to deteriorate from the inside out. This will likely be the beginning of the end of our entire solar system.

There is a chance that humanity will witness the destruction of Earth and perhaps there is a small chance that a few survive to see the very last days of its well being, before being blasted into the cosmos. Humans are fortuitous creatures, having the ability to fill themselves with hope and faith; they can often appear immortal in the most detrimental and dooming situations. Sometimes, they can even foresee events before they occur.

These may be incredible traits, but humans are also cursed with an equal arsenal of dark powers. They are capable of terrible things: war, terror, fear, and all other actions of destruction. Humans are gifted with the power to choose paths of good or evil. Unfortunately, they are drawn to the power of the evil paths all too often.

When the inevitable destruction of Earth begins, the majority of life will be wiped out. Leaving only a handful of survivors. Through natural selection, a final leg of humanity will struggle to survive and continue to challenge the hardships of a post-apocalyptic world. This new state of the world is known as Aprilis. In the language of Latin Aprilis means April.

April is known as  a time to plant seeds, and to bring new life into the world. Another Latin translation of Aprilis is “new beginnings”. This newly destroyed world is not only labeled “Aprilis” by the survivors to encourage a hopeful life in a desolate world, but also because the destruction of earth literally occurs in the month of April.

Our reality requires energy to create and sustain, and in this case, the energy of the last leg of the human race carries the seed to new life. A handful of humans hold on to the light of hope as they fearlessly face their demise. The energy of that light is consumed by the world as the life is taken. This expresses why choosing the path of life up to the very end has such a huge impact on the fibers of existence. Over time, the energy consumed by Aprilis fuels the seed for new life, and ultimately, a new reality. Life will always be recycled. This is the story of Aprilis.

SEAONS is Sean Sider (lead vocals), Micah McCaw (guitar solos and riffs of epic proportions), and Grayson Phelps (bassist, exhilarating stage presence), and Andrew John Lee (drums). APRILIS is the Southern Oregon band’s sophomore release.

PRONUNCIATION KEY: see-ons (rhymes with “peons”) – uh-PRIL-iss (rhymes with “uh kill us”)

RIYL: Anathallo, Mutemath, The Dear Hunter, Muse, Annuals, The Most Serene Republic, Led Zeppelin

Start With: 3, 5, 8                                                 FCC CLEAN (8 says “damn”)

Contact me for a download link if you’re a radio rep!

http://www.seaons.com/

https://seaons.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Seaons/

https://www.instagram.com/weareseaons/

My newest album is completely wonderful. Longtime Band Mom supporters will know MELAENA CADIZ (pronunciation key: muh-LAY-nuh cuh-DEEZ) well by now, from her albums Deep Below Heaven that I worked in 2014 as well as Rattle the Windows from 2010 (which hit NUMBER ONE on Earshot’s Folk/Roots/Blues chart as well as climbing to #99 on the Top 200!). But if this new album is an introduction to you, that’s great, it’s a perfect place to start! It’s so lovely, along the lines of a Marisa Nadler or Bill Callahan. Also RIYL my Band Mom artist Matt Bauer, because they’ve got similar sensibilities and also they’re good pals, in fact so good that he directed her new video for Track 1, the “stoned fairytale” “At the Symphony” (watch it in this nice premiere by the Fader)! NPR Music included her in their preview of the most exciting SXSW artists, The Austin 100, and Stereogum premiered a full-album stream along with a glowing review that called the sound “stripped, raw, sparse, and beautifully barren.” I had significantly less hard copies of this one than I generally like to work with (although you were more likely to get one if you were a past supporter of her records and have communicated a strong preference for physical—loyalty, consistency and communication don’t go unrewarded!!) – so make sure you do download this thing, it’s worth it!!

MELAENA CADIZ

SUNFAIR

Misra Records

“It’s hard to make a clean escape,” Melaena Cadiz admits early on in her new album, Sunfair. But it’s been on her mind nonetheless. The songwriter, long based out of New York City, made a break for the West Coast in 2015, and on Sunfair she’s managed a breakthrough as well. Cadiz has honed her technique and stripped away any excess, leaving her haunting vocals and evocative storytelling unadorned, but also unencumbered.

A writing retreat in Joshua Tree earlier in the year, where she wrote the bulk of these songs, was a turning point for Cadiz. The artist, whose voice and prose are at once earthy and ethereal, wistfully recalls the sound of crows flying by. “It was so quiet you could hear the wing flaps,” she says.  “There weren’t a lot of outside distractions so I found myself looking inward, taking inventory of my thoughts and reflecting on the last few years.” The result is a spacious and rhythmic solo album, driven largely by her steel-string guitar playing and swirling vocals. The songs have a brushy, hazy quality to them evocative of the vast open space and brittleness of the desert.

Like the best confessional stories, these nine tracks are deeply personal, but have a universal ring that speaks directly to the listener. threaded together by a desire to “get back to the heart of things”, songs share an inkling that life could be something different. From the opening track that playfully describes getting stoned and falling asleep at the symphony, to returning home and realizing how tethered we are to where we come from (“Goes Without Saying”) to making a break for it, “a blue tidal wave careened over our heads and you said, I’m afraid but I’m glad” (“Last Night in My Dream”); there’s the shadow of escape in its many guises, the struggle to make a break and the looming truth that wherever you go, there you are.

Sunfair is named for the dirt road that led up to the mesa where Cadiz stayed in Joshua Tree. There’s a playfulness and rawness to these tracks that seems accidental, like we’ve caught the singer off guard, singing to herself on the front porch. But the album’s landscape is skillfully crafted. It’s rich and warm and dreamy and an enchanting place to get lost in.

RIYL: Dana Falconberry, Marisa Nadler, Bill Callahan, Jason Molina, Matt Bauer, Jessica Pratt, Emmylou Harris, Joanna Newsom

Start With: 2, 3, 7, 1                                                FCC CLEAN

Contact me for a download link if you’re a radio rep!

http://melaenacadiz.com

http://www.misrarecords.com/collections/melaena-cadiz

http://melaenacadiz.bandcamp.com

http://facebook.com/melaena.cadiz/

http://instagram.com/melaenacadiz/

I’ve been sitting on this TUFT album for quite a while now, and I’m SO excited it’s finally getting out into the world. Honestly it was one of the best albums I heard in 2015, but I couldn’t tell you that back then because it didn’t come out in 2015!! I can’t wait to hear about how much you love it, now, finally. (BTW, that’s spelled in all caps, not just because that’s how I do it in these posts—their name is TUFT)! KCRW is already on board, in case you’re waiting for somebody else to tell you how great this is! There’s a chance you may have heard of this band before, especially if you’re from around LA/the West Coast/been hanging out with me, back when they were called Hi Ho Silver Oh. Or maybe you even recognize a couple of their/their members’ videos from FunnyOrDie, both music videos and comedy ones, like this one featuring a couple band members with DERRICK Comedy (yep, Donald Glover’s group—in fact it was through DERRICK member/Thomas Jefferson impersonator/author/wonderful human DC Pierson that I first met these guys; longtime Band Mom followers might remember HHSO’s song on this mixtape I worked for DC back in 2010!!). Anyway all that stuff’s great and should give you some context, but that’s old stuff, there’s all new stuff to marvel at now!! They’re also out on tour for a bit now (dates below), so check to see if they’re coming to your town, I’d love to hook you up with tix/interviews/etc! We’re a week in to this one and most stations I’m in touch with should have gotten a hard copy, so no more excuses about not getting around to it—this record is seriously a super special one and it deserves to be heard by EVERYONE!!

TUFT

LOOK LOOK

Self-Released

The most unexpected thing happened when Casey Trela packed up his car in North Carolina heading west for Los Angeles. He turned on the radio and heard himself. It was not music he had written or recorded, yet still he knew it to be his own. He heard his voice and the hum of his guitar and recognized them as immediately as he would his own reflection. He changed the station only to find another mysterious song of his own creation. Song after song poured from the speakers; song after song his own.

When Casey grew tired of his own thoughts he picked up a mustachioed hitchhiker, Kevin Manwarren, headed for Oklahoma. The radio remained audible though Casey would not let on the secret of the music’s origin. Instead, after many miles of silence, Kevin spoke up. He said, “You’ll think me mad – I think me mad – but I swear that is me playing bass. In this song. In all these songs. I don’t know how, but it is me.” Of course, Casey did not think him mad. “I am just as certain it is you.” Oklahoma came and went, Kevin stayed with Casey.

At a truck stop in the middle of who-knows-where they met Roxy Radulescu, and immediately knew she was destined to join them. She was less certain, at least at first. But upon hearing a single verse emanate from Casey’s automobile she plucked her personal belongings from the cab and abandoned the 18-wheel big rig she rode in on, joining them on their fateful journey.

The deejay called them TUFT, and so they were, ever more.

Introducing TUFT, the music.

RIYL: Dr. Dog, Islands, Pomegranates, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, David Bazan, Megafaun, Hi Ho Silver Oh

Start With: 2, 4, 6, 7, 3                                                       FCC: 1

TUFT TOUR DATES:

3/4 – Chicago, IL—Subterranean (Downstairs)
3/5 – Canton, OH—Deli Ohio
3/6 – New York, NY—Sofar Sounds
3/7 – New York, NY—Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1
3/8 – Chapel Hill, NC—Local 506
3/10 – Nashville, TN—Sofar Sounds
3/10 – Nashville, TN—The East Room
3/12 – Birmingham, AL—Eclipse Coffee & Books
3/14 – Shreveport, LA—Bears on Fairfield
3/16 – Austin, TX (SXSW) – Carousel Lounge
3/19 – Austin, TX (SXSW) – in.gredients in.session
3/20 – Austin, TX (SXSW) – Tofu BBQ Party
3/22 – Albuquerque, NM—Mountain Dojo
3/24 thru 2/37 – Boise, ID—Treefort Music Fest
3/28 – Moscow, ID—Mikey’s Gyros*
3/30 – Seattle, WA—The Central Saloon*
4/1 – Portland, OR—The White Eagle*
4/3 – Reno, NV—The Holland Project*
4/4 – San Francisco, CA—El Rio*
4/5 – Santa Cruz, CA—Church House*
4/6 – San Diego, CA—Soda Bar*
4/7 – Los Angeles, CA—The Hi Hat*
4/8 – Long Beach, CA—Que Sera*
* = w/ Holiday Friends

Contact me for a download link if you’re a radio rep!

http://www.tuftmusic.com

http://www.facebook.com/tuftmusic

http://tuftmusic.bandcamp.com

http://www.soundcloud.com/tuftmusic

Instagram and Twitter @tuftmusic

This band is so great, and radio already knows it. PHOTO OPS play dreamy, gauzy, Americana-inflected indie pop from Nashville, along the lines of Real Estate or Local Natives or my (2012) Band Mom band Good Field. This record comes via Bad Friend Records, which is run by my good buddies from another beloved Band Mom band, Tereu Tereu. Check out this awesome Paste premiere of “Memories that Glow” (track 5)! That’s a really good one but by far not the only relevant single on this album—honestly this record was a hard one to pin down start-with tracks for (which is why I listed five of them on the sticker!); every track is single-quality and radio-ready! Like “Maybe We’ll Change” and “I’d Be Dead” (tracks 6 and 3), which have each ALREADY racked up over 100,000 plays on Spotify!!! Whaaaat. Get on board with this band now so you can pull the I-knew-them-when brag later.

PHOTO OPS

VACATION

Bad Friend Records

Following the victory and tragedy of 2013’s How To Say Goodbye, Photo Ops returns with their sophomore offering, Vacation, out 2/5 via Bad Friend Records. Masterminded by Nashville’s Terry Price, the dream pop project brings life to the deepest questions and concerns with infectious melodies and lush, often-unexpected textures. At once remarkably accessible and deeply poignant, Price effortlessly weaves hooks and harmonies that force the listener to both sing and think along.

The past half-decade or so has forced Price face-to-face with some of the darkest issues imaginable. His father was diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder, cursed by the symptoms of manic depression and schizophrenia throughout his life. He died in 2011 of a heart attack at age 55. Meanwhile, Price himself woke one morning with one side of his face completely paralyzed and was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy. He eventually recovered movement and his prognosis is positive. Still, the overall trauma combined to inform and inspire his debut work, asking universal questions we all desire the answers to, woven with driving, mesmerizing melodies.

As he returns on Vacation, Price creates soundscapes he hopes to be just that: a departure from daily life and chaos, shimmering with details immediate rather than obscure. Pondering how much thought to dedicate to the past, present and future, he paints mountain and ocean views in a dream pop via alt-country palette. “I’d Be Dead” features classical acoustic guitar and a mesmerizing melody, while “Memories That Glow” holds a bouncing piano hook begging to break free from the past. Meanwhile, “You And Me Driving Cross Country” captures perfectly a moment in time, with Price using his voice as in instrument, layering and harmonizing it with sighing strings.

A Nashville native for the past 15 years, Price was formerly a member of Oblio, who toured extensively for years. As he continues to come into his own with Photo Ops, he has shifted, with a production assist by Patrick Damphier (Mynabirds), from the creation of a live experience to the composition of a pristine and honest record, with songs that both get stuck in your head and bring you to face some of life’s toughest questions. Vacation is a human album that communicates pain but feels like understanding.

RIYL: Real Estate, Local Natives, Beach House, Girls, Beach Fossils, Wild Nothing, The Walkmen, Vampire Weekend, Surfer Blood, Good Field

Start With: 6, 3, 5, 4, 2                                                     FCC CLEAN

Contact me for a download link if you’re a radio rep!

www.photoopsmusic.com