Oh, Hey! New Songs from Heart Bones, Waxahatchee, and Wye Oak

...And They're All Stopping Nearby

So, wedged in with going to swim meets, obsessing on CoolDaughter 1's college search, not taking pictures at shows, and catching up on movies I missed over the last couple of years (Hereditary and The Lighthouse are both bonkers and truly amazing), I've been trying to keep up with new music coming down the 'pike. Here's some stuff.

Heart Bones, "Don't Read the Comments"

Heart Bones is a collaboration between Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog, Sweet Spirit) and Sean Tillmann (aka Har Mar Superstar). Each is a lay-it-all-on-the-line performer, and the combination of their powers produces infectious pop that draws inspiration from influences as varied as doo wop and electronica. "Don't Read the Comments," the second single from the duo's forthcoming Hot Dish (February 21st), is good advice in an age when people anonymously tear each other apart. The song encourages ignoring toxicity and hanging onto your self-worth.

I've seen a few Heart Bones live performances at this point, and I have to say that the experiences have been full of community and life-affirming energy. That's why I'm happy to say that Little Dickman Records and I have Heart Bones coming to The Saint in Asbury Park on Saturday, March 7th, along with our bestest besties in Dentist and Lowlight. Grab tix and come on out.



Heart Bones on tour:

2/14 - St Paul MN -- Turf Club (SOLD OUT)
2/28 - Milwaukee WI -- The Cooperage
2/29 - Moline IL -- Rust Belt
3/1 - Chicago IL -- Empty Bottle
3/3 - Columbus OH -- Rumba
3/4 - Brooklyn NY -- Knitting Factory 
3/5 - Philadelphia PA -- Johnny Brendas
3/6 - Millersville PA -- Phantom Power
3/7 - Asbury Park NJ -- The Saint
3/8 - Boston MA -- Great Scott
3/10 - Baltimore MD -- Metro Gallery
3/11 - Carrboro NC -- Cats Cradle Backroom
3/12 - Atlanta GA -- The Earl
3/15 - Houston TX -- White Oak Music Hall
4/4 - Fargo ND -- The Hall
4/5 - Omaha NE -- The Reverb
4/6 - Kansas City MO -- Record Bar
4/7 - Denver CO -- Globe Hall
4/8 - Salt Lake City UT -- Urban Lounge
4/10 - Seattle WA -- The Sunset
4/11 - Portland OR -- Jack London Revue
4/12 - San Francisco CA -- The Chapel
4/13 - Palm Springs CA -- The Alibi
4/14 - Los Angeles CA -- The Echo
4/15 - San Diego CA -- Soda Bar
4/16 - Phoenix AZ -- Valley Bar
4/17 - Marfa TX -- Lost Horse Saloon
4/18 - San Antonio TX -- Paper Tiger

Waxahatchee, "Fire"

As unbelievable as this is to me, Katie Crutchfield has been making music as Waxahatchee since before there ever was a CoolDad Music. Waxahatchee has been a big favorite around here since 2012's American Weekend, and Crutchfield has evolved with each successive release. "Fire" features Crutchfield's heartbreaking Alabama lilt and soul-baring songwriting. Crutchfield calls the song a "personal pep talk" about loving herself unconditionally despite past mistakes and regrets. Sonically, the song peels back some of the more rocking sounds of 2017's Out in the Storm in favor of a softer, Americana vibe.

"Fire" is the lead single from Waxahatchee's Saint Cloud, which is due from Merge on March 27th. Waxahatchee will be at Philly's Union Transfer on April 14th, and at Elsewhere in Brooklyn for two nights on April 18th & 19th.



Waxahatchee on tour:

4/10 - Detroit, MI -- Jam Handy *
4/11 - Pittsburgh, PA -- Rex Theater *
4/14 - Philadelphia, PA -- Union Transfer *
4/15 - Holyoke, MA -- Gateway City Arts *
4/16 - Boston, MA -- Royale
4/17 - Providence, RI -- Columbus Theatre *
4/18 - Brooklyn, NY -- Elsewhere ^
4/19 - Brooklyn, NY -- Elsewhere ~
4/23 - Washington, DC -- 9:30 Club *
4/24 - Saxapahaw, NC -- Haw River Ballroom *
4/25 - Nashville, TN -- Mercy Lounge *
4/26 - Atlanta, GA -- Terminal West *
4/27 - Birmingham, AL -- Saturn *
4/29 - Baton Rouge, LA -- Mid City Ballroom *
4/30 - Houston, TX -- The Satellite *
5/1 - Dallas, TX -- Sons of Hermann Hall *
5/2 - Austin, TX -- Scholz Garten *
5/4 - Tucson, AZ -- Club Congress +
5/7 - Pioneertown, CA -- Pappy and Harriet's +
5/8 - Los Angeles, CA -- First Congregational Church of LA +
5/9 - San Francisco, CA -- The Castro Theatre
5/10 - Sonoma, CA -- Gundlach Bundschu Winery +
5/12 - Portland, OR -- The Old Church +
5/13 - Portland, OR -- Aladdin Theater +
5/14 - Vancouver, BC -- Christ Church Cathedral +
5/15 - Seattle, WA -- The Neptune Theatre +
5/20 - Maquoketa, IA -- Codfish Hollow Barn
5/21 - Minneapolis, MN -- Fine Line Music Cafe *
5/22 - Madison, WI -- Majestic Theatre *

* w/ Ohmme
^ w/ Radiator Hospital
~ w/ Bonny Doon & Shamir
+ w/ Mirah

Wye Oak, "Fear of Heights"

The North Carolina via Baltimore duo of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack have come a long way from the 90s-infused indie folk of 2011's Civilian that initially drew me to Wye Oak. On "Fear of Heights," their collaboration is expansive and dreamlike. Wasner's voice and guitar work are still centerpieces, but side projects like Wasner's Flock Of Dimes and Stack's Joyero have clearly helped to stretch Wye Oak's sound into new directions.

Wasner says the song "likens the deepening of a relationship to the feeling of ascending to the top of a very tall place" with all of the exhilaration and fear that entails.

"Fear of Heights" is available now to stream / download, and Wye Oak will be at Music Hall of Williamsburg on March 4th.



Wye Oak on tour:

2/27 - Asheville, NC -- The Mothlight
2/28 - Durham, NC -- Baldwin Auditorium
2/29 - Philadelphia, PA -- Johnny Brenda’s [SOLD OUT]
3/1 - Baltimore, MD -- 2640 Space [SOLD OUT]
3/3 - Cambridge, MA -- The Sinclair
3/4 - Brooklyn, NY -- Music Hall of Williamsburg
3/5 - Richmond, VA -- The Broadberry
3/20 - Seattle, WA -- The Crocodile
3/21 - Portland, OR -- Aladdin Theater
3/23 - San Francisco, CA -- The Independent
3/24 - Los Angeles, CA -- Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
3/25 - Los Angeles, CA -- Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

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.