Sarah Jarosz - Over the Edge

Feels Like: Alison Krauss, Chris Thile, Edie Brickell

If you're not familiar with Sarah Jarosz, you better get with it. Jarosz combines the effortless cool of Raising Sand-era Alison Krauss with the inventive arrangement and instrumentation of the Punch Brothers. All of this is assembled and delivered in a beautiful folk-bluegrass package. If you get a chance to see her live, do.

The Shakedown: New Madrid - Manners

Feels Like: The Weeks, Coyotes, The Whigs

Also hitting the dusty shores of Atlanta for Shaky Knees are Athens, Georgianites New Madrid. Blasting off from the same city as R.E.M., Neutral Milk Hotel, The Whigs, and Reptar, New Madrid carries on the Peach State tradition of creating great hazed-out alternative rock songs. "Manners" is bursting out of its shell with energy. I'm sure their set will be more of the same.

The Shakedown: Cloud Control - Dojo Rising / Scar

Feels Like: Alt J, Jagwar Ma, Andy Bull

Shaky Knees 2014 is fast upon us and the whole EB crew is headed down to ATL in less than 2 weeks. We're going to post a bit about some of the lesser-known bands playing the fest in our fest-specific section The Shakedown. To kick things off, I bring you Aussie indie-rockers Cloud Control. Cloud Control make laid-back, synth-backdropped pop tunes that sound all the more grandiose for not aiming at U2 levels. "Dojo Rising" and "Scar" are two of their most kinetic.

Serengeti - Dennehy

Feels Like: Danny Brown, Action Bronson, Chicahgah

If you're from Chicago, you have to listen to this. If you're not, you have to listen to this. And if you're not psyched about Chicago accents and chanting "Bears Hawks Sox Bulls," by the end of it, I don't know what else to tell you.

Yo Nashville: Pony Boy - The Devil in Me

Feels Like: Bruce Springsteen's divorce party around 3AM

Making self-described 'Junkyard Country,' Pony Boy throw it all in the mix. Effects-drenched guitars, keys, drums and bass all bump and push into each other. What could have easily have come off as muddled in less experienced hands, comes off as grunge-y and the perfect backdrop for lead singer's Marchelle Bradanini strong, breathy vocals.



Yo Nashville is a segment in which we highlight local acts from right here in Music City U.S.A.

Lord Huron - Ends of the Earth

Feels like: Husky, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Vance Joy, Timber Timbre

What a treat for you today!  Lord Huron's arguably best single finally has a fitting video to go with it.  Check it out right now, and I promise you'll enjoy it.

Yo Nashville: L'Orange - The End Feat. Billy Woods

Feels Like: Oddisee, MF Doom, Joey Bada$$

Not exactly sure what L'Orange's Nashville connection is, but from what I can pull together, Music City seems to be his homebase. If that's the case, score one for the Nashville Hip-Hop scene as L'Orange makes some intricate, sample-heavy, head-knockin' music. New York MC Billy Woods lends some verses and the whole thing is delivered in an appropriately creepy visual.



Yo Nashville is a segment in which we highlight local acts from right here in Music City U.S.A.

Yo Nashville: Jack White - Lazaretto and the World's Fastest Record

Feels like: The Black Keys, Jet, Hanni El Khatib, The Vines, Beck

Check out Jack White's newest title track "Lazaretto" for his record setting World's Fastest Record!  Also check out the making of video below, it is pretty awesome to see the whole process of making a record in a very quick amount of time.

Bitches is Crazy - Yo Soy Widdit

Feels Like: Odd Future, Schoolboy Q, Danny Brown

This definitely falls in the heavier spectrum of hip-hop and isn't for everyone. If you dig Schoolboy Q though, you'll probably be on board for this one. Sure the chorus is completely ridiculous (but pretty awesome), and the beat is a little left-field, but it might just break this group on its energy alone. Yo soy widdit.

The Felice Brothers - Cherry Licorice

Feels Like: Delta Spirit, J. Roddy Walston, Deer Tick

Favorite Waitress may be the best album title since folk music folded its way into Americana and "Cherry Licorice" is about as good as an introduction from such a promising album title. This is one of the longest gaps between Felice Brothers' albums, a whopping 2 years, but it doesn't seem like they lost their stride one bit. "Licorice" still packs as much accordion and charm as anything they've ever done.

SOHN - Artifice

Feels Like: Woodkid, Cashmere Cat, Tourist

Out of all the knob-twisters in the electronic world, SOHN has got to be one of the most promising. He just released his debut album, and it's one of the first electronic album's in a while that not only deserves a full listen, but rewards the listener for repeated spins. The album features the excellent "Artifice" as well as "Bloodflows" which we wrote up a solid year ago. Seek it out, spin it often, and keep it trill.

Young & Sick - Mangrove / Heartache Fetish

Feels Like: Chromeo, Sunny Levine, D'Angelo, Maroon 5 (not in a bad way)

Young & Sick make some of the tastiest R&B this side of Prince's waffle iron (just kidding, we all know he prefers pancakes). While there is a trend in R&B to smooth out all the edges and this does work for some people, the best R&B has some kind of backbone. "Mangrove" is as upbeat a song as you'll find and recalls classic R&B pick-me-ups by luminaries such as Bill Withers and Otis Redding. Even though it is soaked in synths and vocal production tweaks, it still feels organic and soulful. "Heartache Fetish" is a boozy send-up and every bit as catchy as "Mangrove." Check it all out though. You won't be disappointed.

Yo Nashville: Robby Hecht - New York City

Feels Like: Ryan Adams, Daniel Ellsworth, Carey Ott

Sometimes you just need a well-written song, delivered straight, with some simple footage cut together for reinforcement. Robby Hecht gives us just that with "New York City." There's no frills, no flashy production techniques, no wall of synths. Just a pleasant tune and something enjoyable to look at. Hecht is working on his fourth album so you should go back and check out his first three.



Yo Nashville is a segment in which we highlight local acts from right here in Music City U.S.A.

Tune-Yards - Wait for a Minute

Feels Like: Solange, Erykah Badu, Banks

tUnE-yArDs upcoming album is two-for-two on lead singles. While "Water Fountain" showcased the spastic, almost tribal sensibilities we've come to know and love from the band, "Wait for a Minute" is a decidedly smoother sound. With some catchy vocal cadences and a softer sonic landscape, singer Merrill Garbus sits a little more in the groove without losing her trademark urgency. We're looking forward to a solid sophomore LP from the crew.

Nelly - Ride Wit Me (Viceroy "Jet Life" Remix)

Feels Like: RAC, JUNGLE, Puff Daddy

Viceroy's "Jet Life" series is back and it's just in time for summer. We've posted many of his past remixes in this series. The elements remain the same, but every great 90s/early aughts Hip-Hop/R&B song deserves the "Jet Life" treatment. Sting has said that The Police would write songs and then have to re-write them to fit The Police's tropical stylings. Viceroy pretty much does the same thing but pulls from the vast troves of 90s/early aughts Hip-Hop.

Oddisee - Own Appeal / Yeezus Was A Mortal Man

Feels Like: Nas, Statik Selektah, Lupe Fiasco, Joey Bada$$

Great production and amazing wordplay don't always happen at the same time. These two major pieces have fallen into place for globe-trotting MC/Producer Oddissee. While he has been on the scene for  a while now, his most recent effort, Tangible Dream, sees him firing on all cylinders. The production is dense and soulful, the wordplay could be used as an audio textbook, and it's always great when someone knocks Kanye down to size.

The Roots - When the People Cheer

Feels Like: Mos Def, Earl Sweatshirt, Atmosphere

For a band more than 25 years into the game, The Roots are amazingly not short on creativity or afraid to continue to stretch and mold the outer reaches of what people have come to expect from them. "When The People Cheer" has elements that fall in The Roots wheelhouse; classical touches, amazing drums, a mirage of production techniques. But instead of building what the directions say they should, they throw away the manual and try something different. & Then You Shoot Your Cousin, their 11th studio album, will be the follow-up to Undun, and like that album will loosely be a concept album.

Conor Oberst - Governor's Ball

Feels Like: Ray LaMontagne, Bob Dylan, Father John Misty

Fest season is fast approaching and what better way to usher it in, than a song about one of the biggest ones out there. While the award for best song about music festivals will always go to The Hold Steady's "Chillout Tent" with a close second for "Festival Song," "Governor's Ball" is a worthy entry into the canon. Upside Down Mountain is gearing up to be quite the effort and the two tracks released so far show that Oberst is still open to new sounds and textures. Like all great songwriters, Oberst benefits from a constantly shifting musical landscape, and this next album is just another horizon for him to shoot for.

Yo Nashville: The Whistle and the Bells - Skeletons

Feels Like: Modest Mouse, The White Stripes, 7Horse

You don't hear a lot of bands with a heavy dose of strange anymore these days. Most indie bands are musical contortionists trying to fit into either the Mumford box, the Passion Pit box, or the James Blake box. Nashville-based The Whistles and the Bells definitely have their influences (a heady amalgamation of pretty much every 90s alt-rock band), but they stir it up and aren't worried about their rough edges, instead wearing they wear them proudly like a patch of your favorite band long before they're anyone else's favorite band.



Yo Nashville is a segment in which we highlight local acts from right here in Music City U.S.A.

Har Mar Superstar - Restless Leg

Feels Like: Magnolia Sons, JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Nick Waterhouse

So..... it is honestly hard to find a fully clothed picture of Sean Tillman (a.k.a. Har Mar Superstar) online. So....I thought I might give you what he looks like at his best. Sean has to be the stereotypical physical antithesis of of the music he puts out. He is white, has a classic porn 'stache, balding, and overweight. Yet, Har Mar Superstar is putting out some of the most natural head-bob worthy R&B around. 2013's Bye Bye 17, from which "Restless Leg" comes, had to have been one of the most underrated R&B albums of the year and was a real treat to come across this year. With this latest album, Har Mar Superstar has leaned more towards the classic side of the R&B genre. In that regard, "Restless Leg" is sure not to disappoint. Check out the song!..... but don't make eye contact with the Pomeranian-heavy coverphoto. Never make direct eye contact.

The Wind and The Wave - With Your Two Hands

Feels Like: Mumford and Sons, The Head and the Heart, Swear and Shake

When a folk band goes to Marfa, TX (a hipster oasis in the middle of the desert) to record an acoustic version of an already pretty acoustic song in the back of brightly-painted mobile home, there's a lot of baggage there. But hey, if you're gonna go for it, fucking go for it. And that's exactly what The Wind and The Wave did. They take a catchy folk song, and give it just enough weight and circumstance to push it over the fickle line from good to great. Here here.

JUNGLE - Busy Earnin'

Feels Like: Chromeo, RJD2, SOHN, Max Frost

Led by musicians only identified as J and T, JUNGLE are an up-and-coming group from the UK poised to make some noise in 2014 (rhyme intended) with their soulful take on popular dance music. It is early in the group's musical career, but they have already set a "to the streets" vibe with each of their previously released videos having a primary focus on B-boy culture. For some reason, the coupling of the contemporary dancers and JUNGLE's anthemic soul-based soundtrack in their "Busy Earnin'" video look to me like something you might see in a Tarantino film. I could just be spitballing here, but why don't you be the judge and take a listen.  

Puff Daddy - Big Homie Feat. Rick Ross & French Montana

Feels Like: Every trap single in the past three years, Bad Boy Entertainment

It's Friday and Diddy is Puff Daddy again. That deserves celebration. For reference, we've included a flashback to Diddy's first Puff Daddy era.

The Antlers - Palace

Feels Like: Phosphorescent, Warpaint, Cave Painting

Outside of maybe Radiohead, the Antlers are making the most intricate, perfectly structured popular music today. It may be dreary at times, but it is always melodic and captivating. Hospice and Burst Apart were masterclasses in album sequencing and creating complete album statements in a time when things like that don't happen. "Palace" is a seductive number interlacing piano, horns, and their trademark whollop of atmosphere, but given the Antlers track record, it will become even more meaningful when listened to in the context of the entire album. Titled Familiars, it's due out June 17th.

Ben Khan - Youth

Feels Like: Cherub, RAC, Classixx

This is only the beginning of one side of Ben Kahn. There is not a whole lot of available information on the interwebs about the multifaceted Kahn. Yet, from what I did find, that may be purposeful. This burgeoning artist from the UK takes his influences and craft as seriously and shields both from the public eye, much like a seasoned veteran, but he is seemingly somewhat of a rookie-savant and has only just started creating his own brand of irresistibly catchy electronic based music a year and a half ago. With the diversity in sound of "Drive (Part 1)", "Eden", and "Youth" - the his current releases to date - he has certainly flexed his breadth. His debut EP, 1992, is set to release on May 5th and I am very interested to see what is in store next. Check out his recent upbeat dance-friendly offering, "Youth", just in time for spring.

P.S. The song has the breakbeat from the Jock Jams classic "It Takes Two" by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock... bonus points!

First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining

Feels Like: Beck, Conor Oberst, Phosphorescent

First Aid Kit's "Emmylou" is one of my favorite folk songs of the past couple years, so it's nice to hear that they're gearing up for a fresh release. "My Silver Lining" is the kind of lush, well-produced folk that is hard to hate. Bright Eyes' collaborator Mike Mogis twiddled the knobs and, man, did he do a fine job. And as for First Aid Kit, they continue to grow as songwriters and prove yet again that they're making some of the finest folk on the shelves.

The Orwells - Southern Comfort

Feels Like: Black Lips, Jeff the Brotherhood, The Replacements

Brother Miguel has posted about The Orwells a couple of times, so I'm gonna assume you need no introduction. The Chicago-based scuzz-rockers have a new album coming soon, the aptly titled Disgraceland (whether it's named after the East Nashville mansion/sometimes venue, I'm not sure). What I am sure of is the lead single's straight forward kickassery. If "Southern Comfort" doesn't have you fist pumping in the front seat of your Camaro while your cousin Stacy makes out with your best friend Rick who has a mullet, I'm not sure what would.

Yo Nashville: Jack White - High Ball Stepper

Feels Like: 7Horse, The Black Keys, Kongos

A new Jack White LP, Lazaretto, is coming. "High Ball Stepper" is an instrumental track pulled from the album and not the official first single, but it is new music from Jack White camp. And it is heavy, seeing Mr. White continue to dive further into a world of his own creation. While his last album Blunderbuss was undoubtedly amazing, whether it holds up to the best of his other projects is another question. I think it does stand as the strongest original statement in his catalogue, and if the rest of Lazaretto takes its cues from this track, the project will be even more of a distillation of what Jack White and modern blues rock music sound like.



Yo Nashville is a segment in which we highlight local acts from here in Music City U.S.A.

Big Data - Dangerous [feat. Joywave]

Feels like: Teddybears, KONGOS, Grouplove, Kill It Kid

Are you tired of your monotonous work week?  Constantly wishing something exciting would pop into your life, let's say, on a Tuesday?  Well here you freakin go!  Hot Dog slap to the face and enjoy yourself some good old fashioned rock.