Just last Friday, The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas debuted some of his new material from his new band The Voidz. Along with playing a handful of songs from his debut solo effort, “Phrazes for the Young,” as well as some Strokes throwbacks, Casablancas and The Voidz played four new tracks from their forthcoming LP. This is a real treat, as we at CAS welcome anything from the mind of Casablancas. Below you can see them perform their song “Dr. Acula.” Rock out and enjoy!
– Christian Lerchenfeld
The foundations of The So So Glos can be traced back to 1991, when four-year-old Alex Levine, his brother Ryan Levine and stepbrother Zach Staggers began playing music together.
“I think we were really just delusional kids,” remembered Alex. “At five years old, we were watching MTV and thought we had a band too. We would record tapes of us playing and as far as we were concerned, we were making records.
“We had the feeling before we had the technical skills,” he continued. “It really was in the spirit of punk rock.”
Since then, the band has added guitarist Matt Elkin and released two albums and two EPs. Their latest album, 2013’s Blowout, was named among the 50 best albums of the year by both Rolling Stone and Consequence of Sound. It also saw The So So Glos touring with bands like Titus Andronicus and Nashville’s Diarrhea Planet.
The So So Glos, who are based in Brooklyn, have also become active in the DIY and all-ages scenes there, working to open both an all-ages recording studio and performance space, Shea Stadium, and an all-ages venue, The Market Hotel.
“We really found a haven in the Brooklyn DIY scene,” explained Alex. “Our music seems to go hand in hand with that energy. It’s just for everyone. We try to do what we can, as far as playing, in community spaces but this country has such strict drinking laws. You can go to war before you can to a rock and roll show at a bar. There’s no reason to put an age restriction on our music.”
On Monday, March 17th, The So So Glos, fresh from SXSW, will bring their self-described early-90s punk rock to The End, where they’ll be playing alongside Gunther Doug and Dogtooth.
“Our music kind of has an old school hip hop thing going on,” Alex said, of the band’s live shows. “We demand that everyone has fun. It doesn’t really matter whether we’re playing in Nashville or a Brooklyn basement, we encourage all kinds of expression. It’s controlled anarchy.”
– Meagan Lawson
Bleachers is an American indie pop-rock band based in New York City that was formed by Jack Antonoff, lead guitarist of Fun. Antonoff kept the existence of his side project a secret for a year, during which he recorded his first album, due in the spring. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Antonoff explains that his vision for Bleachers is to “bridge the gap between Disclosure and Arcade Fire – something both streamlined and organic. The production and songwriting is extremely over-the-top, extremely epic and unapologetic. The record is all about finding a world where you can be kind to yourself in.”
Bleachers released their first single, “I Wanna Get Better”, on February 18, 2014, and it has already taken the music world by storm. Antonoff’s orotund vocals, combined with heavy percussion, give way to an edgier, coarser sound than what has been seen in Fun. Antonoff sees “I Wanna Get Better” as the story of his existence thus far. Although the song is a personal expression of struggle and desperation, there is a sense of joyous hope in the sound. With an upbeat, optimistic chorus, this song is the perfect anthem for 2014.
Bleachers has announced a few tour dates across the U.S. and Europe beginning in mid-April. You can catch a live performance on Late Night with Seth Meyers on March 26th.
– Mary Margaret Boswell
The video for this Brooklyn based trio’s new single, “Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold” could not capture the essence of the song more perfectly. An anthem of hope and free spiritedness, The Lone Bellow‘s most recent single from their 2013 debut self titled album harnesses the heart and soul of who they are as artists. Anchored by the deeply personal and folk influenced songwriting of front man Zach Williams, and propelled by the band’s arena worthy presence, “Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold” boldly represents what was arguably my favorite album of 2013.
The video premiered earlier today on Gigwise while the band is currently across the pond touring the UK.
– Christian Lerchenfeld
