Video: Sonny & The Sunsets “Palmreader”
Sonny Smith has bounced back from the post-divorce listlessness of Longtime Companion. He has returned from the wandering, dissociative identity disorder of 100 Records: Vol. 3. On Antenna to the Afterworld, due to drop June 11 on Polyvinyl, Smith is back to what he does best: lending his perceptive, singular voice to understated rock tunes with his posse The Sunsets. He’s scarred, bleary-eyed and the opposite sex is only beginning to come back into focus.
The future is uncertain on the propulsive, guitar-driven “Palmreader.” In the video found below, Smith plays the role of box office attendant / director of a short, black-and-white film that centers around a gory, B-movie death match. The video serves as an odd accompaniment to an otherwise gentle rocker. Maybe it speaks to the precarious nature of Smith’s ambiguous destiny as he re-enters bachelorhood. Or maybe he’s just a guy with a sense of humor and an appreciation for cheap special effects. Watch the video below and pre-order your copy of Antenna to the Afterworld.
Indianapolis readers can catch Sonny & The Sunsets at Radio Radio on Wednesday, June 19. Grab tickets from MOKB Presents. Fellow Californians Little Wings and Bloomington’s Mike Adams at His Honest Weight will be on hand to lend support.
Connect with Sonny & The Sunsets via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Rob Peoni
Video: Chance the Rapper ft. Ab-Soul “Smoke Again”
Chicago’s Chance The Rapper has built up quite the buzz in 2013 thanks to a string of singles from his new album Acid Rap that drops today. It took me a few songs to get used to his unorthodox, high pitch sing-song delivery, and his subject matter is more youthful and lighthearted than most of the MC’s on my radar, but that doesn’t mean Chance doesn’t take rap seriously, he just has a lot of fun making his unique brand of hip hop. His latest single “Smoke Again” features an appearance from Black Hippy’s Ab-Soul and is the best Chance The Rapper song I’ve heard to this point. Check out Chance’s video for “Smoke Again” below and grab your FREE DOWNLOAD of Acid Rap.
Connect with Chance The Rapper via Facebook | Twitter
Written by John Bugbee
Video: Hebronix “Unreal”
Like many, I was disappointed to learn that Daniel Blumberg would be leaving his position as Yuck‘s frontman earlier this month. (See announcement via Facebook) Given the monumental amount of buzz around the band’s 2011 debut LP, I’ve found the album has held up surprisingly well in the short term. Yuck was (and is?) a young band with a lot of promise, despite the inflated expectations.
As is often the case with break-ups, it didn’t take long to discover the departing member’s next move. This week, Blumberg debuted a new single from a project he’s calling Hebronix. Listen to “Unreal” and watch the video below. This is not the first solo venture for Blumberg. He released more than an album’s worth of material under the moniker Oupa shortly after the Yuck debut.
It will be interesting to see what the remaining members of Yuck decide to do with the project going forward. Bassist Mariko Doi showed she was a capable frontwoman in her own right with her side project Parakeet. But it’s tough to imagine a female vocalist fronting the material from the Yuck’s self-titled album. And it would certainly be a shame to let those songs fall by the wayside. In any case, the fist taste of Hebronix is an encouraging one. Here’s hoping two bands prove better than one.
Connect with Hebronix via Facebook
Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 