Six Records CMM Wants You To Know

The Breeders "Nervous Mary" Single (4 Ad)

Loving this new track from the upcoming Breeders album "All Nerve". "Nervous Mary" is full of all the amazing things that make this band so good. From the infectious vocal harmonies, to the driving beat and hypnotic guitar melodies this track is pure gold and I think it's safe to say they have never sounded better. I can't wait to take in the full album which will be released on March 2nd courtesy of 4AD.

Daniel Ruiz "Meet the Crimson Woman at the Dawn Café" Single (danielruiz.bandcamp.com)

Daniel Ruiz has accomplished quite a bit over the last few years both as Weinf and now under his own name. His latest track "Meet the Crimson Woman at the Dawn Café" is highly dynamic and highly intricate as the level of musicianship he displays is off the charts. It's a mysterious number that has a bit of a sinister element to it that recalls the likes of Morphine, The Birthday Party and classic Jazz. Can't get enough of this one.

High Climbers Presents..."Maine - Air Traffic" (highclimbers.bandcamp.com)

"Maine - Air Traffic" is the first solo effort from High Climbers member Mike Robertson which he recorded to celebrate his temporary departure from Bristol. The albums nine songs are gentle yet haunting, simple yet complex and overall pretty intense at times. The intricate yet laid back guitar sounds fill out most of the music while Robertson's voice does a tremendous job at telling his stories. "Can You See It" comes off like post Barrett era Pink Floyd if it were produced by GBV's Robert Pollard while "Good Go Up" and "Preoccupations" are two of my other favorite songs from the record as their heartfelt presence and cathartic stance really get me with each and every listen. A remarkable effort overall that I hope is the first of many.

Katie Caulfield "Wedding" Single (katiecaulfield.bandcamp.com)

The slow dirge driven feel of this track draws you into a musical black hole that's fueled with relentless passion and menace while still keeping a sense of structure around all the chaos. Katie Caulfield are actually a 3 piece band from Poland made up of Michał Piech [Okide]on Drums, Katie Hurdles on Guitar and Vocals and Paweł Tasak on Bass and together the group put a mean spin on the noise rock genre with intricate rhythms and pounding percussion. The track is taken from their latest album "Mutual Dreaming" which is an amazing seven track release that's sure to delight fans of bands like The Dazzling Killman, Zeni Geva and Glazed Baby to name a few. Do yourself a favor and blast this one loudly.

Lucius “Eventually” (Tame Impala Cover)

Lucius are one of my favorite bands and this cover of Tame Impala's "Eventually" is astonishingly good. Taken from their latest acoustic E.P. "Nudes", Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig's dynamic voices sound as stellar as always while the music is soothing, atmospheric and warm. "Nudes" will be available March first from Mom + Pop Records.

Sick Shit "Demonstration" Cassette (sickshit.bandcamp.com)

New Jersey based hardcore/punk unit Sick Shit are the best hardcore band I've heard in years. The tracks on this cassette clock in at less than 2 minutes but they get a lot done in that little bit of time as the crushing spastic beats, bulldozer guitar riffs and manic sounding vocals never let up. They bring a refreshing take on the hardcore punk genre and hold absolutely nothing back in the process. Get into it.

CMM's 10 Favorite Shows of 2016

I did a lot of traveling in 2016 and got to see over seventy five shows all over the United States. It was hard to pick just ten for this as there were so many performances I enjoyed throughout the year. I'm very happy I got to see and work with so many amazing bands and I look forward to enjoying new music and new adventures in 2017.

Fleetwood Mac Fest At The Fonda Theater Los Angeles 2/10/16

The Best Fest has been putting on theme nights featuring a wide range of musicians, actors and comedians performing the music of a legendary band or artist. Juliette Lewis, Courtney Love, Sarah Silverman, Mark Ronson, Alison Mosshart and others gathered to celebrate the music of Fleetwood Mac and raise money for The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund and The Sweet Stuff Foundation, Both organizations help the musical community and their families with the vital elements often overlooked during periods of illness and disability. The entire evening was a blast and Juliette Lewis's version of Stevie Nicks "Stand Back" stole the show.

Charles Bradley At Lava Fest Norfolk Virginia 5/28/16

Charles Bradley gave an incredibly heartwarming performance at this years Lava Music Fest in Norfolk VA. His amazing voice was matched with an incredible sense of style and swagger that wowed the crowd as he blasted through thunderous renditions of songs from his latest album "Changes" which is available now from Daptone Records.

L.A.M.F. At The Marlin Room At Webster Hall New York City 11/15/16

An All Star line up gathered to perform The Heartbreakers album "L.A.M.F." from start to finish which included original Hearbreakers guitarist Walter Lure, Tommy Stinson (The Replacements/Bash & Pop), Wayne Kramer (MC5), and Clem Burke (Blondie) with special guests Debbie Harry, Cheetah Chrome (Dead Boys), Jesse Malin (D-Generation,Heartattack), Handsome Dick Manitoba and more. The show was a benefit for NYC writer Stephen Saban who is battling cancer. The performance had a lot of energy and humor to it to go along with a lot of looseness and charm. No video footage but there are some clips from the set they did at Bowery Electric earlier that night.

A Tribute To David Bowie The Satellite Los Angeles 2/16/18

The passing of David Bowie this past January was a huge loss to the world. Los Angeles area musicians Chris Stills, Miya Folick, Eric Kufs, Mindy Jones, Adam Busch, Brett Farkas, Laura Mace and others gathered to pay tribute to the rock icon with incredible performances of classic Bowie songs from all eras of his career. The highlight for me was Tim Heidecker's (of Tim & Eric fame) passionate rendition of "Rock N Roll Suicide" which was truly amazing.

Lucius The Jefferson Theatre Charlottesville VA 10/29/16

Lucius are one of my favorite new bands and their album "Good Grief" was certainly one of the best of 2016. I first heard the bands two singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig perform at Fleetwood Mac Fest which I mentioned above and included some footage from below. It was great to get to see the full band deliver a knock out performance at the beautiful Jefferson Theatre and I'm hoping to see them again soon

Body/Head,MV Carbon and Silk Purse at The National Sawdust, Brooklyn NY 11/10/16

Made up of Kim Gordon (Free Kitten/Sonic Youth) and Bill Nance (X.O.4, Vampire Belt) Body/Head unleashed a furious set of droned out experimental guitar noise backed by relentless energy and hypnotic visuals. Opening acts Mv Carbon and Silk Purse also put on exciting performances while The National Sawdust served as the perfect venue for the evenings festivities.

Quitzow, Sister Pact, Davide Moscato during Drink More Fest At Bushwick Public House in Brooklyn NY 11/19/16

I had the pleasure of booking a New York City residency for Italian singer/pianist Davide Moscato. He played 8 shows all over the city in venues like The Bowery Electric, Parkside Lounge, Brooklyn Hell Phone and more. His last night was at the Drink More Records Festival at Bushwick Public House. Davide's voice and piano playing was in fine form each and every night and this show was a wonderful send off before returning home to Italy. I also got to see an unforgettable performance by Quitzow which is the moniker of NYC musician Erica Quitzow. Her intensity and passion was accompanied by stunning visuals that radiated positive energy throughout her set. Experimental duo Sister Pact also gave a very memorable performance full of raucous guitar noise, crushing beats and lulling vocals. They have several cassette releases well worth picking up

Clary Sage, Among The Rocks And Roots, Human Services At Elixia in Norfolk VA 12/1/16

A great evening of experimental madness in Norfolk. Clary Sage has quickly become my favorite local noise artist, while Richmond's Amoung The Rocks And Roots offered up an eclectic mix of drones and percussive sounds that reminded me of Crash Worship merged with The Melvins. Human Services opened the evening with a frantic set of psychedelic experimental noise improve that also included some interesting gifts for the audience. A Great night indeed.

Graceless, Rommannis Motte & Young Hierophant at Electroganic Norfolk VA 5/1/16

My band Last Remaining Pinnacle played this show too but I was so inspired by the other three performers I had to write about this one. Each project offered it's own brand of experimental sound manipulation which made the show very special and Electroganic was the perfect intimate venue for the performances.

A Deer A Horse, VoirVoir, Neale Downe, Henbrain, The Cyrenaics at Charlie's in Norfolk Virginia 3/12/16

A nice variety of bands on this bill including two of my favorites A Deer A Horse out of NYC and VoirVoir from Bethlehem PA. Norfolk's Neale Downe, Henbrain out of Carrboro, NC, and The Cyrenaics from Richmond VA were great too. Shows at Charlie's are always fun and this was one I won't soon forget. Looking forward to more events there in 2017.

Six Records CMM Wants You To Know

Aaberg "Forest Range" E.P. (aaberg.bandcamp.com)

Hypnotic, uplifting and psychedelic are just a few words I'd use to describe this new Manchester England based project. Aaberg offer up 4 pieces on what appears to be their debut. It's an impressive mix of well thought out compositions that make good use of intricate, highly crafted song structures that mesh well with the mysterious demeanor that looms throughout the tracks. Stand out pieces like "Hills" and "Shyboy" feature some truly stellar guitar work as a blissful tone of hope runs underneath it all and gives it a sound that's truly one of a kind. A promising release from beginning to end.

Deadly Deadly "I'll Give You What You Need" LP (deadlydeadly.bandcamp.com)

Australian power pop/garage rock outfit Deadly Deadly recently released this absolutely brilliant album "I'll Give You What You Need". From the opening riff of "I Can't Fake It" you know you are in for something great. It's fuzz drenched guitar attack and cleverly put vocal stance is down right infectious and offers the perfect balance of catchy hooks and grit and grime. The mellow mood of "Can I Have It?" and jangling attack of "Changes" keep things rolling along in fine fashion while powerful numbers like "Ain't It Funny" and "Who Knew?" have a lo-fi pop quality that brings to mind the likes of The Clean and early Guide By Voices. An amazing collection of stripped down in your face rock n roll songs built on captivating melodies and a raw relentless spirit. Highly Recommended.

Empty Maps "A Thousand Words B/W Corners" Single (emptymaps.bandcamp.com)

A truly spectacular single here from Empty Maps out of the U.K. that's sure to delight people who like their indie pop served with a twinge of shoegaze bliss. "A Thousand Words" is full of shimmering guitars that create a Euphoric wash of colorful sound alongside a fine matter of fact style vocal delivery. It's got a bit of swagger and sway to it that really makes it stand out and is sure to have you singing along in no time. "Corners" opens with a sonic blast of distorted guitar mayhem that quickly shifts to a more atmospheric approach before diving back into their powerful realm of noise. It's easy to let your mind get lost in the sea of sounds the band create as everything is very cinematic and warm. An excellent debut from one of my favorite new bands.

Lucius "The Punisher" Single (ilovelucius.com)

Led by the dual vocal attack of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, 2016 has seen Lucius rise up as one of the top acts going today. I first saw them perform at Fleetwood Mac Fest in L.A. this past February and was blown away by their rendition of "I Don't Wanna Know" and I've been blasting their latest album "Good Grief" for several months. "The Punisher" from their brand new 10" record "Pulling Teeth" is a culmination of everything that makes Lucius great. The spectacular vocals and cunningly executed cadences are backed by a pulsating beat and driving guitar riff that will quickly capture your heart and mind. It's an uplifting blast of powerful energy sure to put a charge in your day and keep you coming back for more.

Mirror Days "No Hope For Getting Better" LP (mirrordaysmusic.bandcamp.com)

Mirror Days is the solo moniker of Los Angeles by way of Michigan musician Graham Harrington. His debut album "No Hope For Getting Better" offers a lucid like presence throughout it's nine numbers that take you into a world of mystery and intrigue. The vibrant tones that radiate throughout opening number "In Focus" really set the pace for what's to come. It gives off an attitude that anything is possible and shows a willingness to explore various aspects of sound while harnessing it all together under one umbrella. "Let The Minutes Die" has a lot of drive and energy but also maintains it's soothing side as the vibrant guitars and in the pocket drumming serve the song well while "Left To Wander" is full of rich melodies and powerful hooks that truly are second to none. The jazzy inflections on "Old Beginnings" really add a nice bit of diversity to things while "As Rest Assured" closes the album out and cements it as one of the best of 2016.

Tyler Rodgers "NOS" E.P. (tylerrogers.bandcamp.com)

Los Angeles based musician Tyler Rodgers unleashes this well put together E.P. simply titled "NOS". I first came across Tyler's band Arms That Work a couple of months ago and was happy when he decide to share this new solo E.P. with me. Opening number "Weekend Warrior" features a lot of odd time signature riffs and musical twists and turns that are balanced out with hook driven stanzas that show off Rodgers impressive songwriting abilities. The crisp clean guitar sounds and heartfelt vocal presence that runs throughout "Never Feel This" remind me of the early days of Vagrant Records and the undeniable appeal of bands like The Anniversary, The Get Up Kids and Saves The Day but only if those bands had been subliminally influenced by King Crimson and Frank Zappa. The passionate, heartfelt feel of "Thnxgvng Mystery Meat" provides a fitting end to this inspiring release. Looking forward to hearing more of Rodgers captivating songs soon.