Category: News

Hello Mary’s Debut Album is Here to Make You Feel Like It’s the ’90s Again

Hello Mary’s Self-Titled Debut Album is out now via Frenchkiss Records, and it’s a blast from the past that’s perfectly suited to today’s indie-rock scene. The trio’s music is a back-to-basics rock ‘n’ roll with an infusion of ’90s shoegaze, grunge, and indie rock that’s uniquely their own. Hello Mary is comprised of Helena Straight on guitar and vocals, Mikaela Oppenheimer on bass, and Stella Wave on drums and vocals. They’ve already released a handful of critically acclaimed singles, all of which feature their trademark harmonies and unique sound.

Tomorrow night, the band will be playing at New York City’s Baby’s All Right for their “You Missed It: March” show alongside Momma and Taxidermists with DJ sets from Julia Cumming, Harry Teardrop, and Chanel Beads. The show will undoubtedly be a night of pure energy and excitement. Additionally, the band will be hitting the road on March 23, starting in Hamden, CT, and ending in Providence, RI, on April 6. They’ll be playing a record-release party at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere Zone One on March 24, which is already sold out.

NPR highlighted Hello Mary’s album in their “New Music Friday” coverage, and both Brooklyn Vegan and WXPN’s “Press Play” dubbed it a notable release for the week. Alternative Press called the band “an instant contender for 2023’s most bracing entrance to the stage, sharp and self-assured,” while TIDAL named them as “Rising Artists of 2023.”

According to MTV, “Spiral” is a new eerie psychedelic single, while NYS Music describes “Special Treat” as “grimy, it’s melodic, and it is bloody awesome.” The Joy Of Violent Movement added that “Spiral” is “a decidedly 120 Minutes-era MTV-like anthem centered around swirling guitar textures, Oppenheimer’s and Straight’s gorgeous and ethereal harmonies paired with Oppenheimer’s driving bassline and a steady backbeat.”

Hello Mary’s music is low-key catchy even when they are going for a heavy, visceral sound. It’s raw garage rock with breezy pop undertones, and it’s hard not to dance and sing along. Their debut album is all about accepting the state of things as they are at a given moment, whether it’s your relationship with someone or the world around you. Hello Mary writes music and lyrics in tandem, tying their perspectives together into a singular consciousness.

If you’re looking for a new band to love, Hello Mary is definitely worth a listen. They’re taking the indie-rock scene by storm, and their debut album is only the beginning. Don’t miss out on the chance to see them live tomorrow night at Baby’s All Right or on their upcoming tour. Get your tickets now before they sell out!

Grouplove releases a Little Mess for Record Store Day

grouplove

Grouplove, best known for their songs “Ways to Go,” “Tongue Tied,” and the end credit song for BoJack Horseman on Netflix, is releasing Little Mess (10″ vinyl) to celebrate Record Store Day this Saturday. The group performs alternative music with a vibrant energy, and recently released a new full-length album entitled Big Mess last September (including an exclusive color splash vinyl to match their upbeat, happy tunes), and are currently on the Big Mess Tour, including appearances at both this year’s Coachella festival and Lollapalooza in Chicago.

Big Mess primarily features Hannah Hooper and Christian Zucconi on vocals, who’s light voices bring a bit a folk style feel to the music. On this album, however, we get a small taste of Andrew Wessen, the band’s bass player, singing on the track, “Cannonball”. Wessen, who seems shy towards singing as a lead, brings a heaviness that matches the beat of the song, making it quite catchy. “Welcome to Your Life” and “Good Morning” (personal favorite) are more similar to their earlier albums in the sense that they bring Grouplove’s familiar alternative sound and impressively clever lyrics. Big Mess even gives us a glimpse into a softer, almost sad side of the band with “Enlighten Me.” The lyrics of calling it quits has this heartbreak feel. It’s full of gorgeous acoustics, with a hint of deep beats, making the song heavyhearted.

Since the release of Big Mess, the band has also put music on Spotify, entitled Grouplove. This shorter album has a more uplifted beat similar to their earlier days. The energy in Hooper’s voice on this album makes a true fan excited to find out what this band does next.

Big Mess 2017 Tour Dates
Apr 23 Coachella Indio, CA
May 05 Beale Street Music Festival Memphis, TN
May 27 97X BBQ at Vinoy Park St Petersburg, FL
May 28 Undertow 2017 Pompano Beach, FL
May 29 Rock On The River Jacksonville, FL
Jun 02 Riverfest Little Rock, AR
Jun 03 Free Press Summer Festival Houston, TX
Aug 02 Red Rocks Ampihtheatre Morrison, CO
Aug 03 Red Rocks Morrison, CO
Aug 06 Lollapalooza Chicago, IL
Aug 26 Reading Festival Reading, United Kingdom
Aug 27 Leeds Festival Leeds, United Kingdom

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panic! at the disco – death of a bachelor

Panic! At The Disco - Death of a Bachelor (2016)

Release date: January 15th, 2016 (DCD2 / Fueled By Ramen)

Total tracks: 11

Run time: 36:02

Since Panic! At the Disco’s last album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (2013), some major changes have taken place in the realm of the “band’s” creative outlet. Brendon Urie, the only remaining original band member, has taken p!atd to new heights.

Elements of this album could be considered an eclectic rendition of A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out and Vices and Virtues with hints of Queen and Frank Sinatra influence.

The opening track, “Victorious,” sets up the frame for this whole album. The catchy beats mixed with the feel-good tempo amplifies the time a listener will have with this album. Not to mention the hilarity of the music video perpetuates the spirits of the song.

The song responsible for the album’s name, “Death Of A Bachelor,” is basically pa!td modernizing Sinatra for a jazzy, ambivalent experience.

About half of this album puts out an ambiance of a week-long party in Las Vegas or L.A supported by a poppy-1920’s soundtrack. The burlesque feel from their first album pokes through in “Crazy=Genius,” and “Emperor’s New Clothes,” tied with a rock based, jazzy musical background.

The song that stands out in a sense of “one of these things is not like the others” would have to be “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time.” A remixed sampling of B-52’s “Rock Lobster” holds this song together. The surf-rock riff is then combined with hip-hop inspired beats and wacky lyrics. This song is a personal favorite from the album and is so catchy that it’s hard not to get into dancing along to the hooks.

The creative risks taken within each song are incomparable to one another. There are similarities, but each song has its own unique atmosphere due to the varying lyrics and instrumental variations.

Overall, this album is nothing like Panic! At the Disco has ever done, yet it is totally them. Everything ever put out by p!atd has set the stage for Death of a Bachelor. Ending with “Impossible Year,” the album comes to a cathartic close with the urge to be repeated at least two more times.