Cut Worms // The Drunken Unicorn // Atlanta

All photos by Kevin Brown

Purchase Cut Worms' debut record Hollow Ground out now via Jagjaguwar.

The Dead Tongues- Unsung Passage

Unsung Passage is a quintessential North Carolina record that captures the woody haven of Ryan Gustafson's songwriting. His newest record as The Dead Tongues combines the rich Old Time, country blues, and Americana heritage of the slow-living Carolinas. Relocating from NC's prevailing urban artist hub of Durham to a camper in the rural, mountainous paradise of Asheville, Gustafson forages regional clawhammer and resonator tones to pair with his timeless pastoral storytelling.

Purchase The Dead Tongues' latest record Unsung Passage out now via Psychic Hotline.

Charlotte friends: The Dead Tongues perform at Visulite Theatre this Sunday, July 22 and tix are available here. Thanks to Cream Puff Records for this one.

The 4th Movement- The 4th Movement

After disbanding Death, the proto-punk group of brothers from Vermont transitioned to recording Christian rock much in the same vein as their aggressive, soulful origins. The 4th Movement's debut self-titled record saw a private-pressing and has now been reissued by Drag City with all the fuzz and wahs of Death with an evangelic message.

Purchase The 4th Movement reissue out now via Drag City. 

Dent May with Shannon Lay // Market Hotel // NYC

All photos by Olivia Cummings

Purchase Dent May's latest record Across The Multiverse out now via Carpark Records.
Purchase Shannon Lay's debut record Living Water out now on Mare Records.

Jerry Garcia Band- Russian Lullaby (Capitol Theatre 1980)

Onda De Amor: Synthesized Brazilian Hits That Never Were (1984​-​94)

The standard-bearers for quality reissues, Soundway Records' latest compilation revives the synthesizer non-hits of Brazil from the genres zenith between the mid-80s and mid-90s. The sixteen tracks of synth pop, samba boogie, balearic and electro were hand-selected by premiere deep-digging producer Millos Kaiser. The time period in Brazilian music was purposefully shunned due to its perceived Americanization of traditional Brazilian music culture. 

Of the project, Kaiser says: “The idea is to do justice to these songs. Songs that combine all the right ingredients that should have put them on radio playlists when I was growing up or at least in the cases of more adventurous DJs”. 

Purchase Onda De Amor: Synthesized Brazilian Hits That Never Were (1984-94) out now via Soundway Records.

Shadowgraphs- "Sun Is Rising"

Portland newcomers Shadowgraphs have released the first single from their upcoming second LP. "Sun Is Rising" extends the paisley psych pop of 2017's Venomous Blossoms with late-60s pastiche self-recorded in Charlotte, NC before relocating to the West. 

The band will embark on a West Coast tour in July and play the Underground Music Showcase in Denver on July 29th.

Lost Girls- Feeling

The collaboration between Jenny Hval and Håvard Volden, Lost Girls, is a product years in the making. Since 2014, the Oslo based duo who perform together under Jenny Hval's solo project have explored chaotic compositions that reject the obedience expected from pop music. On Feeling, two tracks capture the innate conduit between inspiration and exploration.

Purchase Lost Girls' Feeling out now via Smalltown Supersound.

Night Shop- "The One I Love"

Justin Sullivan has announced his debut full-length as Night Shop titled In The Break out September 14 via Mare Records. The record is the third release from the Kevin Morby-operated label. The video for the first single "The One I Love" follows Sullivan on a Corolla-driven nocturnal tour around Los Angeles. The new record features contributions from Meg Duffy (Hand Habits, Kevin Morby band), Jarvis Taveniere (Woods), Greta Morgan (Springtime Carnivore, Vampire Weekend) and fellow Mare Records songwriter Anna St. Louis. 

Preorder Night Shop's debut record In The Break out 9/14 via Mare Records. The band also plays this year's Hopscotch Music Festival.

Real Estate- Reality

It's the middle of July and the heat has us in a chokehold. The thermal assault is inescapable radiating off every square inch of asphalt and stagnating in every crevasse of the subway. Each year, equally ill-prepared for the sun's work, some records make their way off the shelf; either for a refreshing sonic icebath or a commiserating musical sauna. Real Estate's first EP Reality punches the ticket as the latter. Put out shortly after their iconic self-titled debut, the Ridgewood summer humidity permeates through the 6-song album. Ignore its late December release date and throw yourself into the mid-to-high 90s of the band's early classic. 

Unknown Mortal Orchestra // Variety Playhouse // Atlanta, GA

All photos by Kevin Brown

Purchase Unknown Mortal Orchestra's latest record Sex & Food out now via Jagjaguwar.

Virginia Wing- Ecstatic Arrow

After reading the comparisons to Madonna, Talking Heads, and Holger Czukay, it was clear Virginia Wing's new record Ecstatic Arrow was going to drop into my queue right away. Those characterizations were spot-on. Early on, "The Second Shift" singer Alice Richards' delicate voice patiently navigates a multiplex of synthetic textures and danceable arrangements. Together, the mosaic is a cerebral pop jackpot.

Purchase Virginia Wing's latest record Ecstatic Arrow out now via Fire Records.

Pitchfork Music Festival // July 20-22 // Chicago, IL

Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Union Park in Chicago on July 20-22 with performances by headliners Tame Impala, Fleet Foxes, The War on Drugs, and Ms. Lauryn Hill. This year's lineup features New Commute favorites Julie Byrne, Paul Cherry, Circuit des Yeux, Alex Cameron, Big Thief and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. Tickets still available.

Asnake Gebreyes- Ahadu

Another gilded discovery from 1980s Ethiopia by the French label Buda Musique, Ahadu is jazz-funk musician Asnake Gebreyes' original 1988 cassette that's never been available outside of the Horn of Africa until now. Repressed through the label's Ethiopiques Series, the album features "Weyene Ajir," Gebreyes' most well known track. 

Purchase the reissue of Asnake Gebreyes' Ahadu out now via Buda Musique.

The Nude Party- The Nude Party

The airtight coterie of the psychedelic blues sextet The Nude Party is fully exposed on the band's debut self-titled LP. After a move from where it all began in the heady high country of Boone, NC to the farmlands of Upstate NY, the group laid down their suite of late-night-and-bare-assed-born originals birthed by inspiration from 60s garage rock, country blues, and 70s psychedelia. Produced by musical confidant and Black Lips drummer Oakley Munson, The Nude Party shifts the group from small-time pub rocking legends to venerable mainstage performers as ratified by their recent co-bills with Arctic Monkeys, The Growlers, and Black Lips. 

Purchase The Nude Party's debut self-titled record out July 6 via New West.

Shay Martin Lovette- Swift Drifter

As the leaves revert to their autumnal crisp on the last pages of the year's calendar, the warmth of the Blue Ridge Mountains begins to hibernate inside the songs of its foggy hills. The water in the rivers turn too cold for swimming and the conversations spoken of on the trails and at the campsites are abandoned for ones by the fireplaces inside cabins locked away from the howling winds and piling snow. On Shay Martin Lovette's debut record album, Swift Drifter, the luminary songwriter pairs the undying radiance of the short stories and forgotten records of olden days in a newfound eclecticism adored by traditionalists and modernists alike. The album's ambitious twang, it's rich, timeless lyricism, and sprawling, warm textures streamline Lovette to a rightful roost alongside many of his veteran songwriter heroes. The copper-colored elegance of Swift Drifter glows and crackles throughout. Its phosphorescence casting into the mountain's dark evening void illuminating a frosty path towards nature's next bloom.

Stream Shay Martin Lovette's debut full-length Swift Drifter out July 9. 

The Shifters- "Work/Life, Gym Etc"

Melbourne quintet The Shifters reveal the first single and video from their first full-length album Have A Cunning Plan out September 21 via Trouble In Mind.

"Scrappy, self-destructive, stumbling and brilliant pop music that seems tossed off or nonchalant on the surface but is rife with rewards upon further listening."

Preorder The Shifters' upcoming album Have A Cunning Plan out 9/21 via Trouble In Mind.

Interview // Air Waves

Nicole Schneit discusses her new record as Air Waves, the origin of Warrior’s powerful album art, and today’s changing environment for queer musicians and artists.

The album cover image is a painting of a photo of your dad at the first Earth Day. What made this image connect with Warrior? Has your dad shared what it was like being at the celebration? 

My dad’s photography has always focused on street parades and public protests where he tries to capture the candid and emotional moments of the participants. In some ways, he has said this makes him an outsider. Rather than engaging in the event, he is a voyeur, focused on getting the perfect shot, with just the right composition. He said what struck him most about the first Earth Day was how genuinely people seemed to care and how boldly and publicly they expressed their emotions. 

I chose this particular image for the album because of the current political climate and the massive setbacks we have experienced under the Trump Administration. This person – this warrior – was protesting nearly half a century ago for environmental protections that should be fundamental by now. Instead, we are seeing an undoing of so much progress, and we still need warriors. The original image was black and white. I had an artist by the name of Em Rooney add color to it to create a sense of hopefulness in this contemporary warrior. 

How has being a member of the LGBT community, and specifically an artist within the community, changed over the past 10 years? Do you find that your creativity and motivation is impacted by being subjected to the trials imposed by changes in societal norms, political ideologies, or available resources for LGBT people? 

There are so many more young musicians who identify as queer now then there were when I first started performing. In my early twenties, I could count openly queer musicians – particularly women – on one hand. This morning, I listened to the pop song 1950, by King Princess. She is a young, queer musician and the song is about her girlfriend and hiding their love like it was 1950. It's amazing to me that a song like this is on the radio now.

Being queer is a part of who I am and that makes it an inextricable part of my music. As the political climates changes – sometimes for better and then back to worse – that impacts my experiences in the world and that’s what I write songs about: my experiences in the world. “Gay Bets” on the record is about my partner at the time. She was terrified when Trump won, and I was trying to console her. It's about gay love and not being afraid. I also did a music video with the actor Freckles for the song "Warrior." We played with gender roles. I wore a tux, and they wore a flow-y, floral dress, and we were surrounded by horses. 

Have your writing styles or inspirations changed over the three-album career you've build as Air Waves? 

The simplicity of my songs is still there. I utilize basic chord structures, and I want my songs to be catchy. My songs have always been subtly arranged, but with Warrior, I added horns and made the guitars less jangle-y and more dreamy. Lyrically, this album is more about love and survival, whereas previous albums were more about pain. Some songs are about lovers that help make your days feel worth living. Others are about my mom’s struggle with cancer and her strength and optimism. I like little things, like road trips and smiles from someone I’m crushing on, and that’s what some of these songs are about.  

You've lived in NYC long enough to see the city change and develop and have probably been affected by those changes firsthand in some way. How have the places you used to live, work, and play changed in the city since the time of making your first Air Waves record? From an artists' perspective, have the changes been supportive or inhibiting for creativity?

I am not sure if it is NY that has changed or just the reality of getting older, but I have fewer musician friends and a smaller community than I did when I was younger. Of course NY has changed, but I think Patti Smith said that our ideas and creativity change as we get older. I remember listening to music for the first time when I was 14 or 15, and it would shake me to my core. Now, I'm like, "Oh this is cool." It's just different.

There still seems to be a thriving scene here though. I always hear about cool new bands. We have a ton of great venues, but I miss venues like Death by Audio and Glasslands. I felt a connection to the people that ran those places and to the venues themselves. Other than that, I still go to the same practice space and write songs after breakups! 

For Warrior, did you put more resources (time or financial) into the recording and production than on previous records? What was the recording environment like for this one?

Financially, Warrior was a bit more than Parting Glances because we hired horn players, and Jarvis Taveniere spent more time on the mixing. I love working with Jarvis because he offers ideas without ever being pompous or condescending, and his ideas make sense for my songs. For the song "Home," he was like, “Nicole I think you may be saying the word ‘home’ too much.” And I was like, “Shit, you’re right!”

We recorded Warrior at Thump Studios which was a beautiful studio to work in. Plus, there was a cool dog there! I felt really comfortable and ready to work there. My band mates are super pro and did most of the songs in a couple of takes. For “Blue Fire” and “Gay Bets,” I asked Blake Luley to come up with the arrangement and then I came up with the words. He moved to Seattle while we were finishing up the record, but I wanted him to be a part of all the songs on the record. I recorded “Thanks” on my phone, with string arrangements and then went to my friend Pat Curry’s house to record it. That one is the rawest on there and turned out to be one of my favorites on the record. 

Each record has featured collaborations with artists (Sharon Van Ettan, Jana Hunter, Kevin Morby, the list goes on). How do you pull these players into your projects? What ways did you "tap in" to different music circles in the beginning?

When I started out with Dungeon Dots in 2009/2010, I met Sharon Van Etten. We were both playing all over NY – her especially. I worked at Cake Shop, a NYC music venue at the time. I thought she had a special vibe, and I loved her songs. When I was recording, I asked her to sing on a couple songs. She came in and did it so fast! She's so kind and talented. Jana Hunter is another person whose work I have admired for a long time. We played together at Purchase College and became friendly. I love her records so much, especially her solo ones, and reached out for her to sing. She recorded her vocals from Baltimore and then Jarvis mixed them in. I have known Kevin Morby for a long time, and Jarvis suggested him for Warrior. His vocals are strong and warm and seemed perfect for that song. Jennifer Moore, who was in Yellow Fever, also sings on some songs, which was special because she is an ex-partner and close pal. She sings on “Blue Fire,” which is based off an Adrienne Rich poem. Katie Von Schleicher was another Jarvis recommendation. Coincidentally, we now share a practice space. I couldn't have asked for more talented and awesome people to sing, and feel so fortunate to have them on these songs. 

Warrior is your strongest work to date and is built upon motivation watching loved ones persevere through sickness and a variety of obstacles that stand in the way that seem impossible to defeat. What gives you motivation and strength as a songwriter?

I get my motivation from love; from the people around me who I love and who love me. I am also motivated by my desire to be a better person and to try to hold less anger.  Songwriting has been the best therapy in my life, and playing music is when I am happiest. My mom, who is battling cancer once again told all the nurses at the hospital a few weeks ago, that Warrior is about her. She was so proud – of herself and of me – and it made me so happy, and that’s the best review I could ask for.

Purchase Air Waves' latest record Warrior out now via Western Vinyl.

Tonstartssbandht with Jerry Paper // Market Hotel // NYC

All photos by Noel Woodford

Purchase Tonstartssbandht’s latest record Sorcerer out now via Mexican Summer.  

Sugar Candy Mountain- Do Right

Smeared with teal-colored psychedelic pop, Sugar Candy Mountain's second record Do Right extends the band's alchemical sonic trip. The Space Age and sunny 60s pop collide, stirred by Californian guitar bumbles, shimmering synths, and feathered harmonies. 

Purchase Sugar Candy Mountain's latest record Do Right out now via People In A Position To Know.