by Lenore LaNova
Senior Editor
Stephen Steinbrink
I love love love the music of Stephen Steinbrink so you can only imagine my excitement when I stumbled across “Absent Mind”, the first single from his 7th LP due out on June 1st. The song carries the same dark lyricism set against the vibrant backdrop of blithe melodies that I’ve come to expect from Steinbrink, both pensive and beautiful. I can’t wait to hear the other 11 tracks from Anagrams, the forth-coming LP. Give “Absent Mind” a listen (or eight) and get your pre-order in for the album.
Day Before Plastics
“Hot, But”
Day Before Plastics is always a band that surprises me. Maybe it has something to do with their name. I go into each listening experience expecting a refried jam band and end up hearing something that blows me out of the water. “Hot, But” is both poignant and graceful, certainly not what I’d expect from a song called “Hot, But”. Way to go, DB4P. Always keep your fans guessing. Get swept up into the indie folk rock sensation known as Day Before Plastics with “Hot, But” below.
U.S. Depressed
U.S. Depressed just recently emerged on the local scene but their trio consists of some familiar characters including members of JJCnV, French Girls, and Skink. Therefore, one might deduce that I’m all about this new act given my support of the aforementioned bands. And you would be correct. “Fault and Pepper Salami” is a superb introduction to this new act which falls more to the rock side of post-punk; a refreshing shift from the excessive drone that infiltrates this tag. Listen to “Fault and Pepper Salami” below and, if you dig what you’re hearing, delve further into the smattering of singles available through U.S. Depressed’s Bandcamp page.
Sleep Institute
The Phoenix four-piece known as Sleep Institute has an alt-rock vibe with just a hint of drone that you can hear in their new track, “Barricade Back”. This marks the second single from the band who released their first single, “Keep Away the Light”, back in October of last year. These preliminary tracks from the band show great promise, but are still a little rough around the edges. That being said, I’m looking forward to hearing what’s to come from Sleep Institute once they’ve had a full year to hash out their sound. Check out “Barricade Back” for yourself and make sure to check out this act live. You can catch Sleep Institute performing at The Rogue on June 1st with Painted Bones, Lawnchair, Citrus Clouds, and Hannah Bones (more info here).
Yela Silo
“nsfw”
If you’re looking for some fierce guitar work, look no further than Yela Silo’s post-hardcore math rock. “nsfw” is the first single from the band’s forthcoming EP, RIGS. The four-piece out of Salinas, California just formed earlier this year, but they’re already cultivating a solid sound. Check out “nsfw” below. The rest of the EP comes out later this month on March 28th so get your pre-order in soon!
