[Electronic] Blue Tusk – The Librarian

The Librarian
Blue Tusk

Andrea Graham, AKA The Librarian, returns with her latest single, “Blue Tusk.” Co-founder of the widely-celebrated Vancouver music festival Bass Coast, Graham dedicates her life to all things music. Whether she’s cooking up wicked cuts like “Blue Tusk” in the studio, or curating stages at Oregon Eclipse, this half-time bass extraordinaire is nothing short of impressive.

“Blue Tusk” is a spooky, bare-bones bass triumph that blossoms into a speedy treat with electrifying chord progressions. This immersive listening experience is a look into the future of bass music. Only her second single since her brief hiatus to focus on curation, “Blue Tusk” is succeeded by Bass Coast on July 12th where The Librarian will perform her first ever Boiler Room Set. Watch this space.

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[Chill] Cold Weather Company – Will Tomorrow Ever Come

Ten years back, who’d imagine a simple meet-up on a Rutgers University park bench would be the start of an iconic musical journey? That’s exactly how Cold Weather Company, a trio from New Jersey, started. They’ve recently dropped their awaited single, “Will Tomorrow Ever Come,” on Friday, August 11, and the rest is history.

Meet Steve Shimchick, Jeff Petescia, and Brian Curry. More than just bandmates, these guys have dished out 60+ songs across four albums, showcasing their multi-talented musical skills. Their latest track is soulful, catchy, and deeply moving. Taking cues from the HBO series, The Last Of Us, this song tells a story that might ring a bell, especially if you know their collab with Italian music duo, Mathame. They previously co-worked on “Tomorrow,” a standout track on Mathame’s album, MEMO. But this latest version has a fresh, new twist with the piano and guitar taking center stage.

“Will Tomorrow Ever Come” is a team effort. Written with Mathame’s Amedeo and Matteo Giovanelli, it also boasts Riley Byrne’s bass and Shane Luckenbaugh’s drum work. Recorded by Pat Noon at Eight16 and mastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen, it’s a true testament to their dedication.

But the trio isn’t just about the writing itself. Their journey, from dorm room jam sessions to bigger stages, shows a blend of their unique styles. Steve, Jeff, and Brian mix their backgrounds, musical tastes, and personalities, as evident in their guitar-piano set-up. Their concerts are a mix of alt-folk with an electric spark, thanks to additional instruments.

Nearly a decade in, Cold Weather Company’s passion is as strong as ever. With talk of more tracks, gigs, and a new album in 2024, it’s clear: their musical adventure is far from over.

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[Denver Event] The Underground Music Showcase 2019

Rapidly approaching, from July 26th through the 28thDenver’s preeminent indie music festival, The Underground Music Showcase has announced its lineup for 2019. After updating its format last year, and adding a plethora of new stages and venues, which now totals four outdoor main stages and over 20 indoor venues, The UMS looks to once again take the city by the reigns for one amazing weekend in late July. Dotting the top of this year’s bill are the likes of Empress Of, Honne, Chicano Batman, Black Mountain, Tuxedo, Earthgang, and Still Woozy for a certifiably heavy hitting slate of headliners; but as always, the talent buyers for the UMS have flexed their mid-card and local muscles just as hard.

Additional national support includes Yves Tumor, DRAMA, LEIKELI47, Y La Bamba, Miya Frolick, Gardens & Villa, Tessa Violet, Spooky Mansion, Greyhounds, Dressy Bessy, DBUK, Kainalu, Clavvs, Rapperchicks, Rich Jones, Divino Niño, Parallelephants, Deezie Brown, and Garrett T Capps. Coming out of Colorado, we’re getting perked up for the much buzzed about set from synth-pop duo xOxford (pronounced Oxford) who will be making their live debut at the festival, as well as Mile High stalwarts including Falcon Punch, YASI, Andy Immerman, Nasty Nachos, Bud Bronson & The Goodtimers, DeCollage, Milky.WAV, and loads more.

Are you a really big fan of music? What are you waiting to get the best dj speaker to make everyone at the party have fun? Check out these set ups professional DJ’s have uploaded to use and learn.

 

As always, we will be out in full force during the hot, end-of-july weekend, so be on the lookout for your Ninja fam! Stream the official UMS 2019 playlist below, get your weekend passes for just $50, and single day tickets for the 2019 Underground Music Showcase here.

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[Festival Preview/Playlist] The Underground Music Showcase 2018 – Denver, CO – 7/27-7/29

The 18th anniversary of one of Denver’s most storied music events, The Underground Music Showcase, is rapidly encroaching, bringing with it perhaps its heaviest-hitting lineup ever. What began as a one-night performance featuring just four bands, The UMS has steadily exploded into to a three-day music and arts festival featuring hundreds of performances. As the time draws nearer to what will no doubt be another incredible weekend of performances, this year taking place from July 27th – July 29th, it’s time to get our readers familiar with this year’s crop of highly established headliners and burgeoning local & national artists, spanning a plethora of genres and sounds.

Dotting the top end of this year’s addition of The Underground Music Showcase are more than a few TMN regulars. Among this year’s biggest highlights are the smooth indie-disco stylings of L.A. electronic duo Classixx, the infectious ciphers of B.J. the Chicago Kid, Deezie Brown & legendary hip-hop troupe Digable Planets, a healthy smattering of established indie acts including Greta Kline’s Frankie Cosmos project, ParallelephantsDeerhunter & Mothers, scuzzy rock sets from Alvvays, White Denim & Superchunk; not to mention the most eclectic handling of local talent we get to hear year after year including sets from olorado’s own CRL CRRLL, Aaron Bordas, Slow Caves, Bud Bronson & The Goodtimers and loads more.

Right now, special one-day GA tickets can be found for $40 over on their homepage with weekend passes for just $75. We’ll see you there in full force on July 27th, but until then, get in the UMS swing of things by streaming our playlist below.

’Alvvays – Party Police’
’Classixx – All You’re Waiting For’
’BJ the Chicago Kid – Smokin’ and Ridin’ (Feat. Freddie Gibbs & Problem)’
’Deerhunter – Nothing Ever Happened’
’Digable Planets – Rebirth of Slick (Cool like Dat)’
’Frankie Cosmos – “Sinister”‘
’Overcoats – Hold Me Close’
’Mothers – Blame Kit’
’Cloud Cult – Where It Starts’
’Gang Gang Dance – Glass Jar’
’Superchunk – Hello Hawk’
’Parallelephants – Reason Don’t Define’
’White Denim – Get Back To Love’
’Night Beats – Outta Mind’
’Jeff the Brotherhood – Black Cherry Pie’
’Deezie Brown – Sheepskin / Shayne’
’CRL CRRLL – M O N E Y’
’Aaron Bordas – As We Are (OriginalMix)’
’Bud Bronson & The Goodtimers – Cars’
’Slow Caves – Poser’

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#TMNMailbag #6: Astrolemo

Aside from a simple blurb on Facebook and Soundcloud, there’s not much I can share with you about Astrolemo, the person. Self-described as somewhere between “a drug-free Flying Lotus and a spicy Bonobo,” this enigmatic character is purposefully hidden behind a moniker and the anonymity that only the web can provide.

What I can tell you, is that since starting the #TMNMailbag series, this is far and away the most impressive submission I’ve received. As he mentions, his art beckons on notable acts like Flying Lotus and Bonobo. Personally, I also notices comparisons that lean towards a few other personal favorites — Tycho and Absofacto.

Typically, I like to feature the song that the artist submitted, and that alone. Today, though, I’m showcasing his last EP, as well as his most recent single.

Kicking things off is his most recent offering, “Haunting Me” is a deep and enveloping experience. Starting off with haunting keys and (assumedly) Astrolemo’s captivating vocals, the tune provides a layered and textural listen from start-to-finish. It’s pleasantly dreary, lending itself to a harmony with a relaxing Sunday rainstorm.

Next up is the title track from his last EP, “Stay with Me.” A bit more upbeat than the former, the experience comes to life with glowing, echoing vocals, and danceable percussion. It has plenty of drive, yet still maintains that all-encompassing soundscape that embodies his sound.

As I’m sure you’re convinced at this point, I’ll stop yammering and leave you be with this tasty little collection. After you’re done, make sure to throw this budding young act a follow on Facebook and Soundcloud. As of right now, he has less than 500 on both accounts, meaning you’ll be an early adopter. Get on it.

’Haunting Me’
’Stay With Me’
’Alone’
’Parallel Lovers’
’Lobster Graveyard’

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[Interview] TMN Gets To Know Zach Maxwell

It’s no secret that unearthing new and exciting artists is the main vein running through the pages of TMN. Sometimes an album strikes you just the right way, providing our ears with a dose of dopamine, while also signalling a wealth of untapped potential. One such artist and album is Zach Maxwell and his recent Music for Life EP. A songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Maxwell’s music manages to flit around the edges of multiple genres while offering a completely unique scope to listen through. Recently, Maxwell has been converting his recordings into a live setting behind a highly buzzed about residency in Denver at the eclectic Your Mom’s House venue; building loads of Mile-High hype over the past year.

Zach Maxwell will be playing the final show of his residency this Saturday, June 16th at Your Mom’s House, and we had the chance to sit down and get to know the burgeoning artist a little better before this weekend’s show. Read our interview with Maxwell below, and be sure to listen to Music For Life streaming on all major platforms.

The Music Ninja: First off, thanks so much for taking the time to sit down and chat with us a little bit. We’ve had the chance to listen to Music For Life a few times through, and more layers seem to reveal themselves with each passing listen. With this being your first official release more than a single, can you speak to the writing and recording process? Was your process any different trying to make a cohesive multi-track statement, or were things pretty routine when it came to getting the individual tracks in order for Music For Life?

Zach Maxwell: Thanks so much for the kind words about Music for Life! I’m glad that more and more layers are revealing themselves in subsequent listens.  It’s interesting, the process for making this EP was super nonlinear for me. Before I decided to release this EP, I spent a few years just making music that I wanted to listen to.  Just flowing with whatever vibe I was feeling on whatever day I happened to be making music. After a few years, I had 100’s of songs to choose from and realized it was probably time to put some of them out in the world! In listening to all the material I had made, certain songs seemed to fit together as a unit more than others.  I wanted my first release to be something that was more of an offering to the listener as a complete unit with a message versus a bunch of songs that I happened to like and put together. Additionally, my friend and longtime music Veteran Jayson Jackson helped me curate the songs and put together something that worked together. So the process was more working backward than thinking from the get-go that I was going to put a collection of music together.

’Zach Maxwell – Are You?’

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[Synth-Pop/Experimental] John Maus – Running Man

Much to this writer’s delight, we’ve had the chance to shine a welcome light on visionary producer, songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist John Maus in these recent months. With an impending long-player, Addendum, due out May 18th; we’ve been offering a few pieces of that one, including “Episode”, in the wake of its buildup. A collection of B-sides and new tunes alike, Addendum features 12 additional recordings from his Screen Memories sessions including this latest offering, “Running Man”.

Sharing an aural aesthetic with the 1987 film of the same name, “Running Man” layers staccato synths atop one another and over glistening pads & shuffled percussion all heavily steeped in reverb-y delay. Maus experimented working with an all-analog batch of synths to create his last two records, literally building every rumbling, squelch and blip from the ground up before turning them into full, cohesive movements; and his uniquely personal touch towards his production methods is felt in every inch of his latest works. In anticipation of Addendum‘s release, Maus will be conducting a Reddit AMA via /r/indieheads on Tuesday, May 5th at 5:00 p.m. Eastern; so for our redditor family, polish those questions up and be ready for tomorrow. Until then, stream “Running Man” below.

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