FORMING: Brand new hardcore band Crying Form just recently played its first live show, but a few days earlier released its debut self-titled demo. These four songs are largely informed by classic early 1980s hardcore replete with attendant brevity. This does nothing to lessen its powerful delivery. To wit, the 34-second “Conflict Of Interest” features one of the best pure rock-and-roll drum intros I’ve heard recently. Similarly, while “Comm-Unity” dedicates a fifth of its entire running time to an artsy noise intro, by the time it kicks in, the listener is primed for it. Of note, vocalist TK (Snuki, Big Trouble, et al) really channels some Darby Crash energy on this in a way I’ve not heard him do before. Find this at cryingform.bandcamp.com.
DEEP SOUTHERN DEATH CULT: Longtime death rock/post-punk/goth powerhouse Vincas will take itself on the road next week as it makes its way to the Minneapolis festival Caterwaul where the band will perform on May 24. Before then, though, and starting May 21, the band will play Knoxville, TN; Tolono, IL; and Kenosha, WI. Then, after Caterwaul, it’ll pull through Milwaukee, Chicago, Louisville, KY and Nashville, TN. On May 30 it’ll be back in Athens to play Nowhere Bar, and then the very next night play Atlanta’s The Earl. The group has a special connection to Minneapolis, too, in that its two most recent albums Deep In The Well (2016) and Phantasma (2020) were released by that city’s Learning Curve Records. Explore what you’ve maybe not yet heard at vincas.bandcamp.com, and keep up otherwise at facebook.com/vincasband.
BOTH SIDES NOW: MK Barnes’ uncomplicated folk-Americana acoustic arrangements and plain-language delivery are the hallmarks of her new album laissez faire. This is an 11-song collection of deeply personal songwriting that, even while stark in its heartache and self-actualization, never slips into cynicism or irony. This lack of protective emotional cover results in the feeling of having been let into a secret world where MK is largely speaking to herself but graciously allows you to listen. This is packed with good lyrics, too, such as “I wish I’d paid attention/ To your lack of momentum” (from “Nathan (w/o a trace)”) and “You’re out there running/ Your bridges are burning/ And I’m getting hit with the flame” (from “Burned Bridges”). This is, at first blush, an easy record to listen to, but it’s also a record that reserves complexity for its subject matter and can sneak up on you. Also, because it doesn’t make a big deal out of itself, it’s a wonderful hidden gem of a release. Find it at mkbarnes.bandcamp.com.
BRING THE NOISE: Nuçi’s Space is hosting its ReWired Spring Blowout Sale this week until May 18. This is a sale of secondhand musical gear, and each day the prices get lower until they reach a maximum of 50% off starting prices. The space is open for business from noon to midnight each day of the sale. Selections run the gamut from instruments to pedals to microphones and more. All proceeds benefit Nuçi’s Space, of course. For more information, please see nuci.org/rewired.
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY: The debut album by Organically Programmed comes out this Friday, May 16. It is self-titled and runs 11 tracks long. It’s incredibly dialed-in and marches head and shoulders above what any reasonable person would default to thinking a “local album” might sound like. For example, “Discothèque de L’Espace” jumps out of the speakers all ready to take its seat next to the entire Giorgio Moroder catalog. Similarly, with less overt grandeur but full of subtle joy, “Wonderful World” is competently working-man psychedelia with its straightforward lyrics and swirly tune. The third pre-release track, “Alma Minha,” is similar in concept and scope to “Wonderful World” but with a slight nod to classic Burt Bacharach arrangements. This arrived courtesy of Cloud Recordings, is available as a digital download or cassette tape, and can be found over at cloudrecordings.bandcamp.com.
HELLO, AGAIN: In related label news, Cloud Recordings has reissued townie-folk band Old Smokey’s 2019 album Sundowners as an expanded and remastered edition. While it was released in its original form six years ago, its recording actually began way back in 2015, and by the time it came out the band, as such, didn’t exist in the same form anymore. This new version sounds crisp, clean and ready for hazy evenings and summertime reflection. As expected, you can find this at cloudrecordings.bandcamp.com.
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Organically Programmed’s Debut Album, And More Music News and Gossip – Flagpole
