Boston electro-pop outfit Carousel are so fresh on the music scene that, until recently, they were almost 100% off the grid. There is precious little biographical data out there about this promising trio, though they have recently joined Facebook, Twitter, and have a YouTube page that appears to be about a week old. What we … Read more
Photo by Tina Tyrell I can’t lie and say that I’m a fan of everything Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) has ever recorded. No, I don’t celebrate her entire catalog. Some of it I just don’t understand, which I mean as a total compliment — Clark is sometimes wacky, occasionally uninterested in melody — she … Read more
Sleeper Agent is a band that is better left described in bullet-list format. No need to go to all deep on this one folks – which is more of a compliment than a dig, since they wear their musical-hearts on their sleeve. Listen to our Jam of the Day, “Get It Daddy,” and you will … Read more
VIRGIN FOREST is a road-tested and brilliant band from Brooklyn, but they also have a pretty sweet day job as the backing band for Phosphorescent. While VIRGIN FOREST and Phosphorescent both offer a unique take on traditionally “American” music, the similarities end there. Lyricist Scott Stapleton is a frontman cut from the old cloth — … Read more
A year and a half ago, Matt gave The Strange Boys its first official Jam of the Day, christening “This Girl Taught Me a Dance” with the honors. Since then, the song that so perfectly exudes a slow grind of beach party sexiness, the song that’s so eerily ’60s rock ‘n’ roll it’s almost anachronistic, … Read more
If you believe the notion that a song, or album, for that matter, is supposed to make you a believer during its first twenty or so seconds, then The Barr Brothers have struck gold in 2011. Their self-titled debut album is stunning from the start, leading with a song that should be on many “Best … Read more
Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you’re enjoying this beautiful day if you’re in Saint Louis; there’s a little thing called a Game 7 that is going down tonight, right? There’s also a little (and awesome) show going down next Thursday, November 3rd, at Blueberry Hill featuring Matthew And The Atlas, The David Mayfield Parade, and Lauren … Read more
Speakers Rating: 96/100 Do I wait here forever for you? Would you ask me to? I’ll be honest: I’ve always loved the softer side of Ryan Adams’ music. Don’t get me wrong — I respect how Adams has been true to his muse over the years, giving us great country, rock, and pop albums along … Read more
A couple of weeks ago, Boston trio Carousel had our bodies movin’ with “Games,” an ebullient dance-rock Jam of the Day. We’ve been in touch with the new group and are pleased to bring you a Hometowns feature that has us ready to head east, hang at seedy bars, and nurse the resulting hangover with … Read more
Step back in time with us for a second, way back, to the days of yore, when candles lit the backrooms of pubs, and the only means of public transportation were either barges or mule-drawn carriages. Yes, we’re speaking of the year 2003 – when any type of wave, be it chill or shoe, sounded … Read more
Artwork by Karl Eggers Tonight, Saint Louis local favorite, The Dive Poets, takes the stage with a plethora of awesomeness: Royal Smokestacks, Thomas Hardy, and Speakers in Code obsession, Futurebirds. In order to celebrate this incredible line-up, we’ve got a special Jam of the Day straight from The Dive Poets themselves. What what. “Some Great … Read more
Zoo Legacy The Radio Cure provides you a smattering of great tracks (all at once!) to cure you of your radio blues. Burn ’em on a mix CD, and there you have it. Zoo Legacy – How Much Love [download] This Ottawa trio claims its the perfect blend of Kid Cudi and the xx. And, … Read more
Denver Duo Gauntlet Hair (Andy R. and Craig Nice) just released their self titled debut LP last week (via Dead Oceans). The release of Gauntlet Hair builds on a foundation of web buzz fueled by the release of singles “I Was Thinking” and “Top Bunk.” “Keep Time” is a cacophonous jam featured on the newly … Read more
Photo by Caleb Chancey O Black River O Black River Come wash over me Music can be oh-so healing at times, especially during this time of year when winter is slowly knocking on our door. We’re reminded that the ground will start to freeze, the birds won’t soon greet us with their voices in the … Read more
Last summer, Brooklyn retro-pop rockers The Drums released their self-titled debut LP and we here at Speakers in Code lauded the quartet and their record, very much enjoying the new-wavey, post-punky sound of the new band. A year later, the group has endured a lineup change, toured relentlessly, and offered up their follow up effort, … Read more
At nineteen, Mac Miller may not be able to legally drink, but that doesn’t mean a thing, because he’s got this dude in his less-than-mid-thirties ready to drank sizzurp and hop up and down like he did to De La Soul at the middle school dance.What?!?! Our Jam of the Day, “Party on Fifth Ave” … Read more
Balearic beat aficionados Keep Shelly in Athens are set to release the Our Own Dream EP on November 5th (Forest Family) and embark on their first ever United States mini-tour, starting in Austin, TX (also on 11/5). In anticipation of the release and tour, the Grecian duo have dropped a new single “DIY,” that showcases … Read more
Deer Tick, one of our favorite bands over the past few years, is heading to The Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC, on Monday, October 17th, touring in support of their upcoming album, Divine Providence, which is set to kick all kinds of ass. What makes this even better is they are joined by future Jam … Read more
After steadily writing while both on and off the road over the course of last year, Tyler Ramsey headed to Nashville, TN, to record his third album of southern-fueled ditties in early January. Friend and bandmate Bill Reynolds (who’s worked with The Avett Brothers and Lissie) produced and aided on bass, and over a rare … Read more
Photo by Zoran Orlic Let me take you back to the first time I saw Wilco. It was in 2001 at The Pageant, the band’s first performance at the venue they’ve now played seven times over the past decade, all of which have been sellouts. But their first time, well, it was a little weird. … Read more
Photo by Laura Crosta Just kiss me, we’ll be okay. Perhaps the mark of a great songwriter is his or her ability to make you feel at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. So when Rachael Yamagata is able to completely torture me on the same damn album, well, that’s when I take notice. Rachael, … Read more
Hey, are you awake? Yeah, I’m right here Well, can I ask you about today? If you’ve ever lost someone, listen to this song. If you’ve ever fought with someone, listen to this song. If you’ve ever really loved someone, listen to this song. If you’ve ever felt something or someone slowly slip away, listen … Read more
Real Estate’s second LP, Days, will be released on October 18th (Domino), and the Brookylyn (via Jersey) band has released a new single in advance of the record that showcases the group’s growing expertise in breezy, psychedelic surf-rock. “Green Aisles” starts with an extended, mellow intro that finds Real Estate in an airy zone, doing … Read more
Sudden popularity and music is sometimes an odd mix. In Matt Nathanson’s case, one song, “Come On Get Higher,” has vaulted him into the “radio-friendly” artist realm, and in some respects, he is still riding some of the wave that his hit off his last album, Some Mad Hope, gave him. To be clear: I’m … Read more
Hey y’all. Speakers in Code is co-hosting the upcoming Mates of State and Generationals show at The Firebird on Halloween night. The only thing that’s gonna be creepy is how much I fawn all over these indie-pop music makers. If you live in Saint Louis and you fancy yourself a tastemaker of sorts, you’ll want … Read more
I never had my mind made up before the bomb dropped Katie Herzig’s new album, The Waking Sleep, finds the Nashville singer and songwriter stretching her talents into different, sexy orbits. Case in point, you can dance to today’s JOTD, “Free My Mind.” I mean, you can really get down. Just watch her shake her … Read more
Photo by Chris Lay Let’s start with the obvious: Lucinda Williams is one of the best songwriters of her generation. Yeah, I know. That’s easy. It’s as obvious as choosing her best album: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. Like many of you out there, Car Wheels was my first introduction to Williams’ music, and … Read more
Album art courtesy of Arts & Crafts As we coast into the end of 2011, we have a batch of new contenders for those Best of the Year lists that you’ll soon see on every music blog known to man and woman. Including this one. Here are the top twenty-five albums we’re most looking forward … Read more
Back in August, Oh Land took part in our 10 to Spin series and gave us a playlist of her favorite covers. That was great and all, but little did we know that she had a gem of a cover up her sleeve: her take on The National’s “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” our favorite tune of 2010. … Read more
Chapel Hill’s T0W3RS is one of those bands whose songs don’t fall neatly in line with the categorical system developed over the past decade by music fans, writers, and those pesky blogs. Sure, the elements are the same – no one (that I can hear) is playing the didgeridoo or doing anything purposely different to … Read more