New Stuff from Old Friends: Lowlight, Dentist, Screaming Females

Friends & Family

Some CoolDad Music mainstays have been putting out some cool stuff lately, and I decided to get off my ass and tell you about it.

Lowlight, "Coastlines"

Lowlight had a big summer. August saw the band head out on a jaunt around the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. They released their fantastic Endless Bummer LP on September 13th, and they capped everything off with a triumphant weekend at Asbury Park's Sea.Hear.Now. Festival just as the summer was officially drawing to a close.

Well, there was one more thing. As September gave way to October, Lowlight released the video for Endless Bummer and live set standout, "Coastlines." Using footage gathered from that August tour, the band give us a glimpse into life on the road and time spent with friends. The song is a twangy, rocking rambler that I've loved from the moment I first heard it. It's the perfect soundtrack to Lowlight's mini road movie and, really, to any of life's literal or figurative journeys.

And we get some bonus RockNRoll Hi-Fives in there, too.

Lowlight will be at The Saint in Asbury Park on Halloween with America Part Two, Shred Flintstone, Idle Wave, and Blaise.

Endless Bummer is out now on Telegraph Hill / Gruesome Twosome.



Dentist, "Someone Like You"

At our show with A Giant Dog, Dentist, and The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at The Saint back in July, Dentist treated us to a new song they'd been working on. They took "Someone Like You" into Oceanport's Simple Sound Studio; and, yesterday, the band released the single accompanied by a new video.

"Someone Like You," like a lot of Dentist tracks, presents a sunny, smiling face to the world; while something slightly more melancholy sits just beneath the surface. Dentist have their sound so dialed in at this point that creating dreamy, reverby, crunchy pop seems almost effortless for them.

The Sean Bell-directed video reveals that Dentist's pop expertise doesn't translate to home improvement. The clip features power tools, an attempt to hammer a screw into a block of wood, and comedic gore. It's also probably the only 3-minute song to feature a lunch break.

Dentist are currently out on tour with Brick + Mortar. That run makes its final stop at the new Lanes on 11/2.

"Someone Like You" is available now from Cleopatra Records via your digital platform of choice.



Screaming Females, "Ancient Civilization"

Here's something I probably should have told you about by now, but I'm getting in just under the wire. This Friday, 10/18, Screaming Females will release Singles Too via Don Giovanni Records. The collection brings together around 15 years' worth of non-album tracks including early 7-inches and digital-only releases. Download and CD versions of the album will add 6 covers, including songs originally done by Neil Young, Taylor Swift, and Patti Smith.

This morning, Screaming Females released the final pre-release track, "Ancient Civilization." The song originally appeared, I think, on a 2013 split with Wisconsin's Tenement (which I own). It's a doomy storm of Marissa Paternoster guitar heroics from right around that time when I took my buddy to see Screaming Females, Tenement, and Waxahatchee at the old Asbury Lanes and he just about lost his shit.

Screaming Females have a couple of area shows this weekend. They play a set at OctFest 2019 at Knockdown Center in Queens on Saturday, 10/19. On Sunday, 10/20, the band headline the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market after party at Championship Bar and Grill with Dusk and Freya Wilcox & The Howl.

Singles Too is out Friday, 10/18, via Don Giovanni.

Interview: Screaming Females (VIDEO)

Wow. I Don't Think They Know What's Happening Right Now.

This past weekend, Screaming Females played two, sold-out shows at Asbury Park Brewery. Each set clocked in at just about an hour; and, over the course of two nights, the band did not play the same song twice. Both shows maintained a relentless energy as the band powered through more than a dozen songs per night with minimal banter save the requisite thank yous and calls to support the openers. Selections ranged from "Baby Jesus" off of 2006's Baby Teeth and "Limbs" from 2007's What If Someone Is Watching Their T.V.? to many of the tracks off of 2018's outstanding All at Once like "Agnes Martin," "I'll Make You Sorry," "Glass House," and "Black Moon." The New Brunswick, NJ trio have this uncanny knack for achieving that "always leave them wanting more" feeling, while also sending their crowds home completely satisfied.

Since I started here at CoolDad Music -- since the very first post actually -- I've written quite a bit about Screaming Females. I've probably seen the band upwards of 30 times since that first post, and they've been an important source of inspiration and motivation for me over the past 7 years. Screaming Females are a touring machine and one of the hardest working bands in the business. They are deeply committed to a DIY ideal. They choose supporting acts for their shows -- like Algebra II and Penetrode this past weekend -- in an effort so support up-and-coming bands who they love and who they believe deserve more attention. Marissa Paternoster, King Mike Abbate, and Jarrett Dougherty are always accessible to their fans; and they've cultivated a fanbase that is inclusive, respectful, and that absolutely loves to rock with the band.

With all of that in mind, I was super-excited and more than a little nervous at the prospect of getting to interview one of the bands without whom there would be no CoolDadMusic.com. We spent a little while on Saturday afternoon having a chat at the Asbury Park Music Foundation. Our discussion ranged from some reminiscing about the very first time we crossed paths to the new direction Marissa's art has taken to "dad bands." Rose Lamela and Sarah Wrede shot the whole thing, and Rosi did all of the editing.

Check out our conversation below.



Screaming Females head over to Europe on tour at the end of this month.

All at Once is out now on Don Giovanni Records.

Screaming Females on Tour

Feb 15 State House, New Haven, CT
Feb 16 Paradise Rock Club*, Boston, MA
Feb 26 Supersonic, Paris, FR
Feb 27 Le Zinor, Montaigu, FR
Feb 28 Urban Rock Concept, Vitoria, ES
Mar 01 Wurlitzer Ballroom, Madrid, ES
Mar 02 Pergola de La Marina, Valencia, ES
Mar 03 Almo2bar, Barcelona, ES
Mar 04 Le Sonic, Lyon, FR
Mar 05 Bad Bonn, Düdingen, CH
Mar 06 Rote Fabrik, Zürich, CH
Mar 07 Bronson, Ravenna, IT
Mar 08 Astro Club, Pordenone, IT
Mar 09 Klub Mocvara, Zagreb, HR
Mar 10 Durer Kert, Budapest, HU
Mar 11 Chelsea, Vienna, AT
Mar 12 Unter Deck, München, DE
Mar 13 Klub 007, Prague, CZ
Mar 14 Klub Re, Krakow, PL
Mar 15 Hydrozagadka, Warsaw, PL
Mar 16 Cassiopeia, Berlin, DE
Mar 18 Plan B, Malmö, SE
Mar 19 Revolver, Oslo, NO
Mar 20 Hus 7, Stockholm, SE
Mar 21 Loppen, Copenhagen, DK
Mar 22 Vera, Groningen, NL
Mar 23 Rotown, Rotterdam, NL
Apr 08 PhilaMOCA+, Philadelphia, PA

* w/ Bob Mould Band

+ w/ THOU

New Single from Laura Stevenson. Album out 3/29 on Don Giovanni.

Cover art for The Big Freeze out 3/29 on Don Giovanni

"Living Room, NY"

Laura Stevenson has long been a favorite around here. Her deeply personal songwriting and stunning voice won me over long ago. 2015's Cocksure, produced by Jeff Rosenstock, featured a full-band, rock n roll sound and remains one of my favorite records. On the upcoming The Big Freeze (3/29, Don Giovanni Records), Stevenson takes a quieter approach and allows her voice and her guitar to take center stage.

That comes across masterfully in today's achingly beautiful single about missing someone and reconnecting, "Living Room, NY."



Stevenson will be touring over the coming months, including a sold-out stop this Saturday at Bowery Ballroom and a trip down to South By Southwest in March before returning to our area with shows in Philly and Brooklyn in May.

Laura Stevenson on Tour

2.7 – Gainesville, FL @ Changeville Festival
2.9 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (sold out)
3.14 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
5.3 – Washington DC @ Black Cat
5.12 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
5.14 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore
5.15 – Seattle, WA @ Vera Project
5.17 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
5.18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theatre
5.22 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair
5.23 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
5.24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
5.25 – Burlington, VT @ Arts Riot
5.29 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
5.30 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
6.3 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
6.5– Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
6.6 – Madison, WI @ Memorial Union Terrace / University of Wisconsin

Coupla New Videos: Exmaid & Wax Idols

Spring Break Friday

Spring break started for the cooldaughters today. We're all gonna be kicking it together locally for a few days before I head to Japan (more on that later). They'll be shuffling off to sunny Buffalo. In the meantime, here are a pair of cool videos from cool bands that came out earlier this week.

Exmaid, "Vamp"

Exmaid, fronted by Miranda Taylor (Black Wine / Full Of Fancy) and rounded out by Psychic Teens' Dave Cherasaro, Joe DeCarolis, and Larry Ragone, will be releasing their debut LP, Fair Sex, via Don Giovanni Records / SRA Records next Friday. Earlier this week, they gave us the video for "Vamp."

Shot and edited by Joe Evans at Flemington DIY, the clip features an appropriately DIY wedding reception with Exmaid as the entertainment. The song is the noisy, heavy, doomy punk that Exmaid are known for; but the video shows that they don't take themselves too seriously.

The band will be celebrating the release of Fair Sex with a show at In The West in New Brunswick on April 14th. That show also features "Vamp" video stars Secretary Legs and Decoration.



Wax Idols, "Mausoleum"

Oakland's Wax Idols bring together the sounds of dark post-punk and catchy pop. Fronted by songwriter Hether Fortune, the band's whole aesthetic harkens back to images from my youth as an 80s kid living in the 'burbs. Nowhere is all of that more evident than their latest single and video "Mausoleum."

Dalton Townsend shot the clip with the band in Oakland's Mountain View Cemetery on a Sony Hi8 camcorder. Wax Idols ride around the cemetery in a Volkswagen convertible similar to the kind that filled up the parking lot of my old high school and have a pretty good time among the headstones.

The visuals are a nice metaphor for the song. "Mausoleum" wraps its lyrics about the ways in which random moments can suddenly rekindle feelings of grief for those we've lost in hooky, upbeat pop.

"Mausoleum" is off of Wax Idols' upcoming, Happy Ending, which is due May 16th via the band's own Etruscan Gold Records.

Screaming Females, All at Once, 2018

Album Review

This was a weird weekend. A few months ago, I'd bought tickets to all three nights of Screaming Females' release shows at Monty Hall in Jersey City. Then, I ended up booking a show at The Saint on Thursday. Contributor Rose Lamela went to Monty Hall in my absence. I'll include some of her shots here. I stayed out chit-chatting way too long on Thursday, and Friday ended up being a wasted day. Some picture-editing and that was it, really. As I dozed on the sofa at about 7pm, I knew that a trip up to Jersey City wasn't in the cards for me; plus, I always had Saturday.

CoolMom was leaving for a weeklong business trip on Saturday evening but would be around long enough to cover the first day of CoolDaughter #2's swim meet. I'd hit the show, and take the Sunday swim meet shift. We thought.

Early in the day, we found out that the meet would be going a lot later than we originally calculated. CoolMom would have to leave for her flight, and I'd be on evening duty. By the time, I'd gotten CoolDaughter #2 home from Princeton, fed, and squared away, there was no time to head to Jersey City. I was bummed (at myself for missing Friday and at the world for Saturday's turn of events), and I'd been being kind of an asshole about it for the whole day.

I've been listening to Screaming Females' latest, All at Once, for a while now; and I listened to it tight-lipped and angry for most of Saturday. The band once again worked with producer Matt Bayles; and they've put out a record that may be their strongest to date.

Much of what's written about Screaming Females focuses on Marissa Paternoster, her earth-shaking vocals, and her blistering guitar. All at Once, though, is clearly a full-band effort. And while Paternoster remains the centerpiece as frontperson, the rhythm section of Jarrett Dougherty (drums) and King Mike Abbate (bass) are as integral to the sound here as those distinctive guitar tones.

Marissa Paternoster at Monty Hall, 2/22/18. By Rose Lamela.

Dougherty and King Mike are pretty reserved until the outro to opener and social media hellscape, "Glass House." Then they're off and running with Paternoster. The band have said that "Black Moon" is about the earth's break-up with humanity. Paternoster's voice and guitar wind and bend themselves around some thundering bass and drums. Taken together, things sound appropriately huge and planetary.

Jarrett Dougherty at Monty Hall, 2/22/18. By Rose Lamela.

King Mike at Monty Hall, 2/22/18. By Rose Lamela.

All at Once, hits on each one of Screaming Females' strengths as a band -- from the spare and sad "Deeply" to the jammy "Chamber for Sleep," parts 1 & 2. To me, one of the things the band do best is the big, 90s-inflected pop song (like "It All Means Nothing" or "Rotten Apple" from Ugly). "I'll Make You Sorry" has a hooky, singalongable chorus; but it also possesses the distinctively serrated chords and flourishes of vintage Screaming Females. Album closer, "Step Outside" incorporates lots of this stuff all at once, if you will, starting out as a meandering jam before switching to bouncing pop punk.

There are even a couple of things here that I'm not sure I've heard Screaming Females do before like the classic-rock-sounding ballad, "Bird in Space" or the AC/DC-ish opening to "My Body."

All of that is kind of whatever, though. I can spend all the time in the world with a Screaming Females record, but it often comes down to the fact that the band are a primal punch in the gut for me. The things that Marissa Paternoster can do with her voice and the guitar amaze me (and Bayles has really brought out the best qualities of both on this record), and Dougherty and King Mike can carry me along like I'm shooting river rapids. Even as I drove around, fuming over the fact that I'd miss every one of the release shows, just listening to All at Once on repeat started to unwind whatever was knotted up inside me. I got a little emotional, even, at times; and I realized that maybe it wasn't just missing the shows that was bugging me, but other stuff that's always there in the back of my mind lately.

I sat in the bleachers with CoolDaughter #2 as we waited for her last event to come around.

"I'm sorry you have to miss your concert, Dad."

"Yeah, well. At least I get to sit here with you. I really do enjoy that."

"Yeah."

All at Once is out now on Don Giovanni Records.

Bat Fangs, Bat Fangs, 2018

Album Review

Yesterday was a weird day for me. Without going into too much detail, I'll just say it was full of lows and highs, lots of stress, and a ton of driving. If you see me out and about at some point, I'll tell you all about it. After a day like that, sometimes it's good to get bashed over the head by some simple but electrifying rock music. So I turned to the debut, self-titled album from Bat Fangs.

Bat Fangs are guitarist / vocalist Betsy Wright (Ex Hex) and drummer Laura King (Flesh Wounds, Speed Stick). The pair make glam-fueled, metal-dusted rock and roll that harkens back to a time when I'd spend my afternoons watching videos on MTV. The songs on the 25-minute Bat Fangs have a sound that can crack the facade of even the most cynical and jaded 21st-century music nerd.

Opener "Turn It Up" demands that the listener do just that. By the time the guitar solo rolls around, you can almost see the pyrotechnics blasting up from the stage. "Rock the Reaper" and album standout "Boy of Summer" are examples of classic pop-hard rock songwriting. Your head bounces involuntarily, and there's an irresistible urge to thrust your arms into the air. The only thing missing from "Boy of Summer" in particular is the sound of an arena full of cheering fans.

Things get darker on "Wolfbite." "You're like a wolf bite / Yeah you turn my day into night" conjures some of those occult images that I always associate with the pop metal of my youth. "Heartbeat" brings in another unapologetically huge guitar solo from Wright, and closer "Fangs Out" is a chugging blast of a finale.

When I saw Ex Hex in Brooklyn a few years ago, I loved all of the band's rock and roll theatrics. Wright and guitarist Mary Timony played back to back or executed epic high kicks. With Bat Fangs, Wright and King have taken that aesthetic to another level, into the world of over-the-top, arena-sized hard rock. In less-skilled hands, this could all just sound derivative; but Wright and King keep it absolutely fresh and badass. Bat Fangs is full of fist-pumping hooks, and it doesn't waste a second of its 25-minute runtime on filler.

And, sometimes, that's just what I need. After a day that I'm still struggling to make sense of, it's refreshing to have something as invigorating, as straightforward, and -- quite simply -- as well-executed as Bat Fangs.

Bat Fangs, the album, is out now on Don Giovanni Records.

Bat Fangs, the band, play Union Pool in Brooklyn on February 16th with Beech Creeps and Simon Doom. I'll be there.

Screaming Females Released Their A.V. Undercover Sessions (Taylor Swift, Sheryl Crow) for General Consumption Today

Screaming Females at Paul's Tavern, Lake Como, NJ in 2017

"Shake It Off" / "If It Makes You Happy"

We're big, big fans of Screaming Females over here. They're a great band made up of some awesome people, and they blow the doors off of anywhere they play. You knew all of that already. You may have also known that the New Brunswick trio have made a couple of stops at the A.V. Club studios over the years where they gave their take on a pair of other people's songs as part of the "A.V. Undercover" series.

Screaming Females put their own, unmistakable stamp on "If It Makes You Happy" by Sheryl Crow and, a few years later, "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift. Both of these disappeared from the A.V. Club site at some point which was really sad, but Screaming Females have made both available digitally today. People who pre-order Screaming Females' upcoming, seventh studio album, All at Once, will receive a limited-edition 7" that includes both songs for their troubles (Hoping that also applies to fanboys who pre-ordered this album several months ago).

All at Once is due from Don Giovanni Records on February 23rd; and Screaming Females are setting out on a big, huge tour in support of the record. That tour brings the band to Jersey City's Monty Hall for three nights of release shows from February 22nd through 24th. They make their way back to this neck of the woods in April with shows at Union Transfer in Philly and at Brooklyn's Market Hotel. They set off for Europe in May.

You can stream both covers via Spotify (or anywhere else, I'm assuming), and all the tour dates are below.



Screaming Females on Tour

Feb. 22: Jersey City, NJ @ Monty Hall (w/ Teenage Halloween)
Feb. 23: Jersey City, NJ @ Monty Hall (w/ Snakeskin)
Feb. 24: Jersey City, NJ @ Monty Hall (w/ Spowder)
March 2:  Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
March 3:  Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
March 4: Morgantown, WV @ 123 Pleasant St
March 5: Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club
March 6: Nashville, TN @ The End
March 7: Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
March 8: Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
March 9:  St Paul, MN @ Turf Club
March 10: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
March 11: Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
March 12: Pittsburgh, PA @ Roboto Project
March 13:Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk
March 14: Toronto, ON @ Smiling Buddha
March 15: Montreal, QC @ La Vitrola
March 16: Winooski, VT @ Monkey House
April 4: Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel *%
April 5: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer  *%
April 6:  Brooklyn, NY @ Market Hotel *%
April 7: Hamden, CT @ The Space *%
April 8: Providence, RI  @ AS220  *%
April 9: Rollinsford, NH @ Sue's  *%
April 10: Portland, ME @ SPACE - *%
April 11 Easthampton, MA  @ Flywheel *%
April 12:  Ithaca, NY@ The Haunt *%
April 13: Detroit, MI @ El Club *%
April 14: Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *%
April 15: Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight *%
April 16: Masquerade - Atlanta, GA *%
April 17: Gainesville, FL @ The Wooly *%
April 18: Tallahassee, FL @ Mickee Faust Club %
April 19: Pensacola, FL @ City Arts Center %
April 20: New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa %
April 21: Austin, TX @ Barracuda %
April 22: Dallas, TX @ Club Dada %
April 23: Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry's
April 24: Chattanooga, TN @ Sluggos
May 19: Liege, BE @ Kultura
May 20: Ramsgate, UK @ Ramsgate Music Hall
May 21: Manchester, UK @ Soup Kitchen
May 22: Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast
May 23: London, UK @ Oslo
May 24: Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana
May 25: Brighton, UK @ The Hope & Ruin
May 26: Paris, FR @ Espace B
May 27: Amsterdam, NL @ Sugar Factory
May 28: Köln, DE @ Buman & SOHN
May 29: Berlin, DE @ Kantine am Berghain
May 30: Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang

* = w/ Thou
% = w/ HIRS

New Videos from a Couple of Our Faves: Charly Bliss and Screaming Females

Screaming Females announced their 7th studio LP.

With Bonus Buffy and Shellshag

It's been a pretty cool couple of days in terms of new videos showing up on the YouTubes. Two of my absolute favorites released new videos recently, and I had to share them with you.

Charly Bliss, "Scare U"

So, take a band I've been enjoying all year. Mix in an homage to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That's pretty much all it takes to win me over. Charly Bliss put out the album -- Guppy -- that I've probably listened to the most so far in 2017. It's unabashedly pop. It's sugary sweet while still retaining some big rock and roll sounds.

The band themselves show a pretty good sense of humor in both their songwriting and in their videos. The Andrew Costa-directed video for "Scare U," released on Friday the 13th, is a two-and-a-half minute sort of remake of the Buffy episode, "Doublemeat Palace."

"Doublemeat Palace" is the 12th episode of Season 6, a season that finds the Scoobie Gang dealing with some adult problems like depression, addiction, and fraying relationships. To me, "Doublemeat Palace" is far from the season's (or the show's) strongest episode; but part of that could be because it's intentionally kind of boring as it tries to convey the mind-numbing effect of being stuck in a job at a fast food restaurant.

Charly Bliss's video, on the other hand, like much of Guppy, doesn't suffer from a lack of energy. And it got me going back to check out some of my favorite Buffy episodes over the weekend.



Charly Bliss continue their quest for world domination during their tour with the reunited Wolf Parade. That tour brings them to Philly's Union Transfer on 10/19 and to Brooklyn Steel this Saturday, 10/21.

Screaming Females, "Glass House"

Screaming Females made it official today by announcing that they'd be releasing their 7th studio LP, All At Once, with Don Giovanni Records on 2/23. The band, once again, headed to Seattle to work with producer Matt Bayles (Rose Mountain, Pearl Jam, Mastodon) on the album. They accompanied the announcement with the release of the video for single "Glass House."

Directed by Kate Sweeney, "Glass House" finds the band sitting stoically while taking glassware to the head. It took me a minute to notice, but the blows are delivered by none other than John "Shellhead" Driver of Shellshag. The song goes from subdued to thunderous, growing progressively more manic as the band remain stone-faced. Bayles's deft hand for the heavy rock and roll is apparent on the track.



Screaming Females are currently on tour with Street Eaters, a tour that made its closest pass to us on its opening night in Philly; but fingers remain crossed for a NY / NJ area show sometime soon.

Wednesday Evening Things from Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires and Daddy Issues

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires at Asbury Lanes in 2015.

Cool Stuff for a Hot Wednesday

Been running around a bit with some CDMHQ- and automotive-related annoyances today. My Internet connection has been acting up too, but I did manage to come across a couple of cool things to make it bearable.

This past March, at South By Southwest, I spent an afternoon at Side Bar where I got to catch sets from Alabama's Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires and Nashville's Daddy Issues. Both of those bands were impressive on that day, and they both released some interesting stuff today.

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, "Underneath the Sheets of White Noise"

Lee Bains III at Austin's Side Bar

I've had the chance to see Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires play live several times, including that afternoon in Austin; and, just about every time, they get my heart pumping and a lump welling up in my throat as they deliver a heartfelt message about breaking down society's power structures and resisting oppression. This all comes wrapped in the sounds of fiery southern rock.

With the first single from their upcoming release, Youth Detention, the band keep that up. "Underneath the Sheets of White Noise" rails against the systems, narratives, and stereotypes that are reinforced every day by TV news, tabloid journalism, and pop culture; while it acknowledges those people -- especially those people in Bains's home city of Birmingham -- who push against the inertia of those age-old systems every day. And like everything else Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires do, the song simply rocks.



Youth Detention is due from Don Giovanni Records on June 30th.

Daddy Issues, "The Boys of Summer (Don Henley)"

Daddy Issues inside at Side Bar

One of the first live shows I ever saw in my life was Don Henley on his Building the Perfect Beast tour with Katrina and The Waves. Back then, as a 14 year-old, I was in love with the Mike Campbell (Tom Petty's main Heartbreaker)-penend "The Boys of Summer." And, whatever you think of Don Henley, it's still a damn good song.

Daddy Issues lent their take on the song to the Cover Your Ass Vol. 1 compilation. According to a press release, "This first volume of The Cover Your Ass series is a tribute to the dedication shown by countless doctors and nurses who make real measurable differences in millions of people's lives." The series aims to support the goals of preserving women's reproductive rights and ensuring access to healthcare for those who need it. This first installment features additional contributions from Speedy Ortiz, Hinds, Porches, TEEN, and lots more. 100% of the profits from Volume 1 go to support Planned Parenthood.

Daddy Issues transform the cold distance of the original into something more lo-fi and organic. "The Boys of Summer" also appears on Daddy Issues' upcoming, Jake Orrall-produced Deep Dream; and the song displays a clear family resemblance to other stuff coming from the Infinity Cat label (Colleen Green, JEFF the Brotherhood). I like that.

Anyway...

Here's the song. Cover Your Ass Vol. 1 will be out via Lionfish Music on May 26th, and Deep Dream comes out on Friday.

Kissing Is A Crime, Kissing Is A Crime, 2017

Album Review

A couple of years ago, I spent a Friday afternoon going down the rabbit hole of some new and interesting bands and ended up ordering a cassette from UK label Very Gun Records called Fuzz Pop. That comp included tracks from acts like Lisa Prank, Expert Alterations, and The Daddyos. One track that always stood out to me was "Crown Royal" by a band called Kissing Is A Crime. The tape was a compilation of 20 bands, and I never really paid much attention to who was who; but I'd slap it on from time to time and often skip to that song.

Fast-forward to almost three years later, and I received a review copy of the self-titled debut from Kissing Is A Crime. The name sounded familiar; and, then, when I saw "Crown Royal" at track 7, I started to get excited. There's nothing particularly "fuzz poppy" about the song. On the other hand, like much of Kissing Is A Crime, it's a jangly, chimey, forward-moving bit of post-punk pop.

Founded by New Jersey native Matt Molnar, Kissing Is A Crime didn't really start to come together until Molnar hooked up with singer / bassist Beatrice Rothbaum. He shared several of the literally post-punk (Molnar had previously performed in several hardcore / punk bands, but wanted to try something different) bedroom recordings he'd been working on, and the pair started writing together. The band expanded to a four-piece which, here, includes amazing guitar and drum work from Liz Hogg and Alex Feldman respectively.

I say this all the time; but one of the things I find so appealing about music like this is that, underneath the cool detachment of the staccato drums, prominent basslines, and sometimes deadpan vocals, there is all this urgent emotion straining to push through. That's evident on opening track, "Nervous Conditions," where Molnar and Rothbaum alternate between subdued verses and an exuberant chorus.

Kissing Is A Crime is solid from front to back, and it's hard for me to write about it without saying simply, "This song is great. So is this one. Oh, yeah, and this one, too." "Sheila's Gone" is airy and atmospheric. "You Make Me Shatter," and its Belle & Sebastian-like chamber pop, could be my favorite song on the record. "Someone Who Needs No One" is in the same vein, Rothbaum's vocals lending a sweet tweeish-ness to the chorus. Ode to skateboarding, "Kids," is, at times, one of the "fuzzier" songs on the album. It swings and sways and is meant to flood the headphones of anyone engaged in any kind of movement. Closer "Unanswered Prayers" opens with Rothbaum's bass, which continues to drive the song as Cure-inspired guitars and and the duo's vocals start to soar.

Over at Kissing Is A Crime's Bandcamp, Molnar says, "Basically, I was trying to do this band during every band that I've been in. This is the band I’ve been trying to do for a long time." Kissing Is A Crime is a truly amazing realization of that effort.

Kissing Is A Crime is out now on Don Giovanni Records.

SXSW, Days 4 & 5: Labels, Beach Slang, Mastodon

Mastodon

Saturday Catch-Up

I'm going to try and cover the last two days here so that I can get back on track. Sunday is going to be a travel day, and I just don't know if my brain could take recapping Thursday on Monday.

Anyway.

My hotel is a relatively short walk from what's arguably known as the best barbecue in America, Franklin Barbecue. I walked over and stood on the then pretty short line for a few minutes until someone from inside came out and told us they were out of food. Huh. Oh, well.

I made my way down Red River St. and got a not-the-best-barbecue-in-America brisket sandwich from a food truck. From there, it was over to the Merge Records Showcase at Barracuda.

Sneaks (a.k.a Eva Moolchan) were just setting up, Moolchan on bass and her partner on beats. Spare, short, jagged, confrontational songs that Moolchan delivers while playing bass or dancing to the beat. It was a good pick-me-up for a set that was, as Moolchan repeatedly described it, "early as fuck."

Sneaks

Coco Hames followed, and so did one of the annoyances of Barracuda. Hames and another guitarist played through a set of her country-tinged pop while the Secretly Canadian party went on outside. Every time someone opened the doors separating the spaces, Hames was nearly drowned out by the drums and rock happening on the patio. Still, she persisted; and her set was pretty enthralling. Similarly, Mark Eitzel -- solo, with just acoustic guitar -- had to compete with the noise outside, but his fans up front didn't seem to mind.

The final two acts of the day were two that I'd specifically identified as ones I had to see while here. Allison Crutchfield and The Fizz were great during a set that featured many of the songs from Crutchfield's excellent Tourist in This Town. The day, though, and maybe the whole festival belonged to Austin's own A Giant Dog.

Allison Crutchfield & The Fizz

A Giant Dog

The band tore through their 30-minute set of glam punk with an abandon I haven't seen in a long time. Singer Sabrina Ellis -- despite saying, "I'm pretty docile today" -- was absolute manic energy. Guitarist Andrew Cashen may not be as front and center as Ellis, but a glance over in his direction reveals that he's almost as kinetic. Their set was relentless with Ellis declaring that she nearly dies every time during one song or saying, "Ooooh, you really don't like me today," when the band called out another. I got a little choked up by their passion.

Sweaty and pulse still racing, I headed a block over to Velveeta Room to meet Brooklyn's Baked for an interview (yet another thing I have to edit). A couple of slices of from Hoboken Pie (not bad -- for Texas) and it was back to Velveeta for the Exploding In Sound Records showcase. I finally got to check out some Brooklyn bands that my buddy Joe is always raving about (Jackal Onasis, Stove); and I caught the set from Baked, whose Farnham, I've been enjoying immensely over the last couple of weeks.

Baked

It was nearing midnight, so I bopped over to Valhalla for the set from Aye Nako. I caught the tail end of Sammus's set; and, with fans in the crowd rapping right along with her, Sammus rode a real wave for those  last few minutess.

Sammus

Valhalla was bathed in red like some pizza joint from the fifth circle of hell, but that didn't phase Aye Nako who played through a set of their angular indie-punk to close out my evening.

I decided to give Franklin another try on Friday, heading over well before anyone would consider eating lunch, only to find a line of people who'd obviously been camped out in lawn chairs for hours. Defeated, I headed towards downtown and happened upon free breakfast tacos and beer provided by Comedy Central. Score.

Then, it was over to the Midgetmen's annual showcase at Side Bar for Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires. I could have seen them the night before in Satan's Sbarro, but I knew this one was on the schedule. A combination of southern rock and punk politics, they're another band that put a lump in my throat; and you just have to check them out when you can.

Lee Bains III

I hung around for the set from Colleen Green, who's been one of my personal favorites for the last couple of years. She was playing to tracks on her iPad but had to cut her set short when the device overheated in the sun.

Done there, I met High Waisted for another interview I'm going to have to edit and then took a dinner / shower / nap break to refuel for the evening.

It was back to Barracuda for a set from Louisville's White Reaper whom I've been trying to see again since they blew me away at Asbury Lanes a couple of years ago. I caught a few minutes of one of their SXSW sets last year from behind a bunch of Joe Jonas fans, but this was my real second time seeing them. Just good stadium-sized rock from a band in a bar. Fun.

White Reaper

Finally, I crossed the street to the Mazda / SPIN / Stereogum / Whatever space to catch Potty Mouth, Beach Slang, and Chastity Belt. Mastodon were headlining the evening, and almost every band I'd seen that day had asked the audience, "Are you seeing Mastodon tonight?"

I hadn't planned on it because I thought the crush would be too huge, but... ...It turns out I had access to the photo pit. I was thrilled to be able to bypass the crowds -- for the first three songs each anyway -- and get shots of all the bands. As usual, for Beach Slang, I was screaming along behind my camera.

Beach Slang

The crowd went absolutely apeshit for Mastodon. I'm not a metal fan; but, damn, were they good.

Mastodon

Things cleared out a bit for Show Me The Body. I'd shot the Queens hardcore band once before when they opened for Single Mothers at Baby's All Right. There wasn't a Mastodon-level crowd there, but the SPIN stage in front of the couple hundred people who remained was still an impressive step up from two years ago.

Show Me The Body

I lumbered back to my hotel and absolutely crashed. This afternoon, I'll head over for some pancakes and rock at Little Dickman's Saturday showcase. Tomorrow, it's back to frozen Jersey.

New (ish) Stuff from Sunflower, The Courtneys, and Aye Nako

Aye Nako at last year's New Alternative Music Festival in Asbury Park's Convention Hall

All Dug Out

After a pretty lazy -- except for the excruciating driveway shoveling workout -- day yesterday, I wanted to share with you some of the cool stuff I've been hearing over the past few weeks. If today's group of songs has a theme, I'd say it's probably that all of these draw on some 90s sounds that I've always loved. Check them out and see what you think.

Sunflower, "World of Porcelain"

Cedar Grove's Sunflower released their latest single back in January. The band's 2015 self-titled EP had the organic feel of the music that was coming out of the Elephant 6 Collective back in the 90s, and "World of Porcelain" captures that vibe as well.

Employing piano, ukulele, and strings with a more traditional guitar, bass, drums set-up, the song is simultaneously folksy, poppy, and psychedelic. It twirls, round-style, as the layers build. Like much of the most interesting stuff coming out of NJ these days, "World of Porcelain" was recorded and mixed by one Max Rauch.



The Courtneys, "Minnesota"

I've been obsessively listening to Vancouver's The Courtneys for the last month or so. Earlier this week, the band released the third single from their sophomore LP -- and their debut for New Zealand's legendary Flying Nun Records. The Courtneys II is due next Friday, February 17th; and it will be the first release of a non-New Zealand band for Flying Nun.

"Minnesota" is fuzzy, grungy power-pop. The song chugs forward on Courtney Loove's guitar and Sydney Koke's bass. Drummer / lead singer Jen Twynn Payne's vocals help to place the song somewhere between gritty and dreamy. The Courtneys (like so many others) are clearly influenced by the bands who preceded them on Flying Nun -- The Clean, The Chills, Chris Knox -- and are a perfect fit for the label. This one is shaping up to be one of my favorite releases of 2017.



Aye Nako, "Particle Mace"

Earlier this week, Brooklyn queer-punk four-piece, Aye Nako, announced their forthcoming album for Don Giovanni Records, Silver Haze, by releasing the jagged and explosive "Particle Mace." The band say, "they are actively seeking a planet where those who fall in the margins can feel OK about being themselves."

That comes through in the song as singer / guitarist Jade Payne deadpans, "...with a sigh of relief that we're finally safe here. That's what I want to believe." Aye Nako are political and bring a perspective that is all-too-often overlooked by genres that profess to be inclusive and progressive. That, and they flat out burn it up on "Particle Mace."

Silver Haze is due April 7th.

Thursday 2/2 at The Gutter and Friday 2/3 at Knitting Factory Brooklyn

Shellshag at Knitting Factory Brooklyn

Second Wind

I just wanted to say a few things about the shows I attended on Thursday and Friday nights last week.

On Thursday, I headed up to Brooklyn's Gutter Bar for Ex-Girlfriends' / Fruit & Flowers' tour kickoff show. The evening doubled as the release party for You're Next, Ex-Girlfriends' Little Dickman Records debut, and also featured Kino Kimino and The Off White. I'd been planning to attend ever since we had to cancel our Kino Kimino / Fruit & Flowers show at The Saint a couple of weeks ago; but, as the prospect of getting up to Brooklyn and coming home in the wee hours of the morning loomed, I began to lose my resolve. When Chris & Amy Dickman offered to handle driving duties, I bucked up and went for it.

The Off White

Kino Kimino

It was the right call. The Off White's loose and gritty charm has only been enhanced by their decision to bring Pat Brenner out from behind the drums to shepherd things as wild lead vocalist / ring master. Kino Kimino blew me away again with their off-center, 90s-inspired art rock. Ex-Girlfriends brought the riot grrrl punk as they slashed through the tracks on their burner of an EP. And Fruit & Flowers just mesmerized with their post-punk surf noir. More than all of that, though, the overall vibe of the evening was an uplift. Little Dickman, their bands, the friends of the label, everybody comes together in a beautiful, little community at all these shows; and it's a nice reminder of why I do all the stuff I do here at CoolDad Music.

Ex-Girlfriends

Fruit & Flowers

On Friday, I was beat. The second night of Don Giovanni Records' annual showcase was happening at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, and it was coming down to a game-time decision as to whether I was gonna make it or not. Vacation, Shellshag, Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires, California X, though, are all bands I love; and I wanted to finally catch Painted Zeros and Peter Stampfel. Off I went.

Painted Zeros

California X

Vacation

And -- I gotta say -- once again, the sets by each of the bands gave me a second wind. Vacation were relentless. One of the best punk bands going right now. Period. There's something very special about seeing Shellshag in a room full of people who know every song and adore the band. Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires leave everything on the stage, as they say; plus, they're this refreshing combination of straight-up southern rock and political awareness. Peter Stampfel is joyfully old-school, lefty, freak folk. California X bring the 90s fuzz I love so much, and Painted Zeros earned a new fan in me following their set of dream-, shoegaze-pop.

Peter Stampfel

Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires

Like Thursday, the music was only part of the experience. It's always fun catching up with the folks at Don Giovanni. The label has been super-supportive of CoolDad Music over the years; and, like Little Dickman, they've built a real sense of family and community. I felt it in the music and I felt it in all the time I spent chatting with people throughout the night.

I'm not the 42-year-old spring chicken that I was when I launched CoolDad Music back in 2012. Humping it into Brooklyn, standing at shows, and taking pictures for several hours can sometimes take a toll on me physically and mentally. So it's nice to spend a couple of days like I did last week singing along and chatting with people who are out there making art and giving it a chance to thrive for all the right reasons. It's the kind of thing that keeps me coming back... ...in a few days... ...after I've had a chance to rest up a bit...

Photos from both nights are up in the Flickr galleries.

Bad Moves, Bad Moves, 2016

EP Review

I've been doing pretty much two things this morning: continuously watching all the videos I posted a little while ago and playing Bad Moves' self-titled EP on repeat.

Bad Moves are a quartet comprised of David Combs, Katie Park, Daoud Tyler-Ameen, and Emma Cleveland. Combs's Max Levine Ensemble put out a new album at the end of last year; and the rest of the band have roots in several Washington, DC-area bands, making Bad Moves a DC supergroup of sorts.

Thematically, I guess, Bad Moves deals with a world that's basically pretty lousy. Opener "Shitty Tomorrow" could be the theme song for January 19th, 2017. The bouncing guitar and upbeat delivery mask a  resignation about a pretty bleak future: "They're coming for the future, yeah. They're coming and they're taking it all."

"Drain Me" gets at the feeling of trying to grow up and move forward when the deck is stacked against you.

"Get Slow," at this late point in 2016, is definitely in contention for one of my favorite songs of the year. The post-punky bass and slow build grab you and pull you in as Bad Moves try to convince you of the virtues of packing it in and leaving the rat race.

That temptation seems to be working on the narrator of "The Verge," stuck in a soul-sucking job and plotting escape.

This is all delivered in the form of infectious, cathartic, and amazingly wonderful power pop. Damn, I wish this EP were longer.

Bad Moves came out today, and it's available on cassette / download from Don Giovanni Records or as a download from Bad Moves' Bandcamp page.

2016 Year-End Mini Catch-Up Review: Giant Peach, Tarantula

Album Review

There were lots of albums and EPs that I'd planned on mentioning throughout the year but never got around to for one reason or another. Whether it was just laziness or my tendency to put things off, I'm not sure. There's also this feature (bug?) of the music blogverse where we tend to forget about things once they've been out for a few months, and I don't want to be one of those people. So... I'm going to try and do smaller, quick-take reviews of some of the stuff I really enjoyed this year.

I'm not quite sure how I found out about Giant Peach. It was, most likely, via a post from Don Giovanni when Tarantula came out back in January. Solo artists Frances Chang and Mike Naideau came together in 2008, bringing with them what they saw as their disparate musical tastes. They expanded to a quartet with Dave Shotwell on drums and Luke Holstein on bass.

I'm not sure how different Chang and Naideau were when they started out, but their sounds either mesh really well together or the pair found a way to make things work. Tarantula is a fuzzy, guitar-heavy, noisy collection of songs that, more than once, had me thinking back to some of my favorite bands. On opener "your blood" and mid-album track "invisible ceiling," Naideau's vocals are low in the mix and carry the hint of a nasal twang similar to J Mascis. Chang is more out front on songs like "deserted" and "spike." Those songs display a little bit more of a direct pop sensibility, but everything on Tarantula achieves that combination of noise and songcraft that I always love so much.

Tarantula is an album that I spent a bunch of time with early this year, and I'm glad I've re-discovered it. It's out now on Don Giovanni Records / Shitty Present Records.

Fake Limbs, Matronly, 2016

Album Review

by Ken Geiger

I need to admit that underground music I hear today lacks a certain element of organic danger. Sure, you have plenty of your GG Allin knock-offs harming themselves onstage every night. Then, there's the macho hardcore culture that always promotes that everyone moshes until they drop dead. But that's not what I mean when I think of organic danger. Those tropes have reached the point of boring predictability. Where are the new bands that make you think, "Holy shit! This has attitude" when you listen to them? Where are the songs that make you want to unleash that pent up anger that you've bottled up for the duration of your work week in the most animalistic way possible? I find myself going to or playing shows far too often in hopes of finding something like that, only to be met with disappointment. But, thankfully, Mr. CoolDad Jim himself dropped off the new Fake Limbs album to me this week, as if he knew this was what I needed to hear.
 
Matronly kicks off with an absolutely savage opener in "Murderbar." The quirky guitar riffs, pounding drum beats, and vocals that resemble something along the lines of a drunken ramble make me immediately think of bands like The Jesus Lizard and Halo Of Flies, who reveled in that type of sound over 20 years ago. But do not take that as a sign of second-rate imitation on Fake Limbs' part. The heaviness and jarring dissonance they add to these songs make for a sound that is unique to them.

If I had to mention a highlight on this album, it would probably be the track "ICE 2 C U." The guitar work here manages to combine some absolute moments of noisy chaos with some cool high-end melodies thrown into the mix, particularly at the song's climax. I love the use of the galloping drum beats on this track, as that is a personal preference of mine in more rock / punk styles of music. But I have to say that the vocals layered with reverb and distortion in the middle of the song were probably what sold this track to me as a favorite that I would point out to first-time listeners of the band. I just think they add to that aspect of insanity Fake Limbs possess, and they fit the mood of that particular song very well.
 
For anyone who does feel as hopeless as I do at times in search of weird, yet rocking music in the underground, then look no further. Fake Limbs are your solution.

Matronly is out now on Don Giovanni Records.

The New Alternative Music Festival at Asbury Park's Convention Hall, Night 2, 9/17/16

Downtown Boys closed out the New Alternative Music Festival at Convention Hall.

You Can't Start a Fire without a Spark

Strangely, given how much I enjoy eating, I usually forget to eat during shows. I get kind of wrapped up in what's going on, and I don't make time to have dinner or whatever. Friday night was no different; so, after Screaming Females' set, I made my way over to Cookman Avenue to get a Korean burrito.

Asbury Park is actually a pretty small community; and, on a busy Friday night, you're likely to run into someone you know. I bumped into Gentleman Jim Norton outside of House of Independents, and we ended up chatting for a while as we've been known to do. When I finally made it to Mogo for some food, Renee Maskin (more on Renee in the next post) walked in; and we lingered over burritos discussing all manner of things. All of this is to say that it was pretty frigging late (or early, depending on your perspective) when I got home. I woke up the next morning and squeezed in a little photo editing before heading back to Convention Hall for Day 2 of Don Giovanni Records' New Alternative Music Festival.

Vagabon were just finishing up as I walked inside, and Jamie Kilstein and The Agenda were up next. Kilstein made it a point to acknowledge the importance of what the festival represented while delivering a politically charged and hilariously funny set.

Vagabon

Jamie Kilstein and The Agenda

Upset were next. Founded by Ali Koehler, formerly of NJ's Vivian Girls, the band are based in LA and rarely make it out this way. The lineup has changed since I last saw them a couple of years ago, and the focus has shifted from Koehler to be more evenly distributed among the rest of the band. Upset still feature the legendary Patty Schemel (Hole, Death Valley Girls, Sharkmuffin [on Chartreuse], and more), and one of the big thrills of the festival for me was awkwardly saying hello to her over at the merch table. The new, more democratic Upset were great; and I look forward to their new music.

Upset

Other standout early sets for me were those turned in by Philadelphia duo Trophy Wife, San Jose's Try the Pie, Baltimore's Outer Spaces (whose A Shedding Snake will be very high on my personal year-end list for what that's worth), and Dyke Drama (the solo project of G.L.O.S.S.'s Sadie Switchblade). Anti-folk hero Jeffrey Lewis took us into what would have been the dinner break had I remembered to eat.

Outer Spaces

Throughout the day, I saw the members of P.S. Eliot and Screaming Females among the crowd enjoying all of the bands. It's a testament to the community that surrounds Don Giovanni Records that headliners from the previous day would clear their schedules to stick around for Day 2 of the festival.

Things then really ramped up with evening sets from Mal Blum, Aye Nako, Sex Stains, Rye Coalition, Laura Stevenson, Girlpool, and Downtown Boys. Mal Blum was as charming as ever, easily chatting with the crowd between their upbeat, singable songs about depression and self-doubt. Aye Nako, a band I've wanted to see for a while now, were worth the wait. They draw from a well of 90s influences and challenge listeners with songs about sexual and racial identity.

Mal Blum and The Blums

Aye Nako

I wasn't prepared for Sex Stains. Fronted by Allison Wolfe (Bratmobile, Partyline), the band gave us probably the wildest set of the entire festival. I couldn't stop snapping pictures as Wolfe and co-lead vocalist Mecca Vazie Andrews bounced, twirled, high-kicked, and rolled around on- and offstage. At one point, they invited audience members up to dance with them (No surprise, Ed the Punk was first to take them up on the offer.). Short, intense blasts of punk / post-punk. Beer raining on me from somewhere as I was taking pictures. Just amazing.

Sex Stains

Immediately following her band's set, Wolfe was right down front going wild for the reunion of Jersey City hard rock band, Rye Coalition. They played one of the longest sets of the night, and the Jersey crowd ate it up along with band-provided cupcakes.

Rye Coalition

Laura Stevenson. One of my favorites. She and the band took the stage after 9, and that's when I got this weird feeling -- after having spent about 7 hours in the windowless box of Convention Hall -- that I didn't really know whether it was day or night anymore. Anyway, Stevenson's set was wonderful, as expected, if a little too short for me. It was hard taking pictures as I just wanted to close my eyes and listen to the music, but I managed. Stevenson's last two records -- Wheel and Cocksure -- are stunning in different ways, and all of that came across during her set.

Laura Stevenson

Philly via LA duo, Girlpool, had the penultimate Convention Hall set. Harmony Tividad (bass, vocals) and Cleo Tucker (guitar, vocals) stood at either end of the stage right setup, their voices weaving around each other as they sang. The pair's friendship comes through on 2015's Before the World Was Big, and they brought the whole audience into that during their set.

Girlpool

Finally it was time for Providence, RI's Downtown Boys. I've written before here about the band's passion. Singer Victoria Ruiz delivers rousing calls to action as intros while the sounds of the sax and the rest of the band build up behind her. The tension rises until everything explodes into "Wave of History" or "Monstro." At times, Ruiz held the mic to members of the audience who shouted "She's brown! She's smart!" along with the band.

Downtown Boys

Downtown Boys included their cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" towards the end of their set, and the line "You can't start a fire without a spark" seemed appropriate for the entire weekend. Yes, the festival ended up having to cancel its scheduled third day. No, there probably weren't as many people in attendance as Don Giovanni Records (or even I) would have liked. But something important happened over those two days. For a weekend, bands had the chance to play not to help sell beer or energy drinks or to up some corporation's street cred with millennials, but simply to share their art with people who cared about it. They got to play as part of a bill that included women's voices, LGBTQ voices, the voices of people of color -- voices that are often lost in the white, male-dominated bills of major "Indie" rock festivals.

Following the festival, bands went back out into the world of gigs sponsored by beer companies and huge music-industrial complex gatherings. But, for two days in Asbury Park, they got to see that an alternative is possible. The New Alternative Music Festival didn't burn the corporate music industry to the ground, but maybe it was a spark.

Pics are all done. I'll be uploading them to the Flickr galleries this afternoon.