Indie-pop songwriter Shane Rennison’s Nice To Meet You EP is an earnest five-track collection of songs that feel like a peek into Rennison’s wide-open heart and his beloved home in the Catskill Mountains of New York. That’s where he made many of the memories that fuel his music, which recalls the craftsmanship of The 1975, the sugary synth highs of Passion Pit and the effortless pop prowess of Harry Styles.
With a band name like Old Heavy Hands, you know there ain’t no messing around with this group of rock and roll lifers from Greensboro, NC. Somewhere between the rugged worlds of Drive-By Truckers, Lucero and Whiskey Myers, Old Heavy Hands might be their most under-valued cousin in the Southern Rock meets punk and Americana island – it’s no wonder they are referred to as “”y’allternative”.
What better way to send summer off than with a song about a legendary BBQ joint that hosts great live music, good eats, and plenty of Friday night controlled chaos? Sometimes the catchiest, most memorable, and overall fun songs come from a fairly simple concept. With today’s premiere, delivered by none other than The Helltones, we are blessed with all the above and then some! Grab yourself a plate, pull up a chair, and dig right in to “Black Star Pirate BBQ” immediately!
Indie-pop songwriter Shane Rennison’s Nice To Meet You EP (out October 13) is an earnest five-track collection of songs that feel like a peek into Rennison’s wide-open heart and his beloved home in the Catskill Mountains of New York. That’s where he made many of the memories that fuel his music, which recalls the craftsmanship of The 1975, the sugary synth highs of Passion Pit and the effortless pop prowess of Harry Styles.
Here is the absorbingly atmospheric animated video for ‘Icicles’ from indie-folk duo Beekeeper Spaceman. Musically, the song swirls in melodic and dreamy layers over truly warm, deep bass. The intriguing words, such as, “Walk away. I’m lonely by design,” fit well with the lush, spacious, ethereal sounds that rise up and grow through the song. The main songwriter, singer and guitarist Greg Browderville says: “‘Icicles’ is a demented Christmas song that ambles like a bummed-out, beat-driven Beach Boys tune as the song’s main character explores the tug-of-war between the freedom of youth and the domesticity of adult relationships.”
The Handsome Family got a boost last year when Phoebe Bridgers turned in a bleak cover of their already wrenching Christmas-adjacent song “So Much Wine.” It was a nice shoutout for the husband-wife duo, yet Brett and Rennie Sparks have been making harrowing music together for 30 years. Their power remains in full effect on their latest, Hollow.