All Good Things – Mexico

One of my favorite things about playing shows is meeting the other bands on the bill. The day I met John Petty from All Good Things was a great day. He played a phenomenal set late into the night (early into the next morning). As I loaded my equipment out the bar door into my car the snow was falling and I found myself humming a tune. Mexico.

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The Peaks and Valley’s of Pittsburgh’s Action Camp

Because I spend most of my day at a computer, I spend a lot of time wondering what to listen to next. Despite the infinite world of Pandora, Spotify, YouTube, and my own library, I still get stuck in ruts of listening to the same stuff over and over. Thus, when I get wind of something new coming along, it’s an absolute delight to take some time with fresh sounds. This last week, that new thing was Pittsburgh’s dark electro-pop duo, Action Camp‘s forthcoming LP, PA. While that last sentence may have read like a bad business presentation with too many acronyms, it’s because the LP is simply titled and written about their home state. As Ivan, a long-time Pennsylvania native, will tell you, it’s a gorgeous but occasionally depressing state, and the tone and subject matter of the LP reflects that perfectly. With songs about various infamous disasters such as the Centralia Mine Fire and the Johnstown Flood, and recurring themes about earth and industry, it’s a delightfully dark experience.

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You Can't Be Everywhere at Once – Carousel at Turner Hall

Sometimes, you just can’t make it to show as much as you’d love to. As a local musician, I hear a lot of really sad excuses for not making it to shows, but I promise, I’ve got a good one for not making Carousel and Cherub at Turner Hall Ballroom tonight. You see, I stay busy, and getting married at the end of this month doesn’t alleviate the schedule. The bachelor party is today, and if my best man does things right, I wouldn’t remember the concert even if I made it. Oh well, I at least had a chance to check out their music, watch their videos, and chat with the Kevin from Carousel and ask some questions about the band.

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Lake Street Dive: Bad Self-Portraits

Lake Street Dive, the blossoming quartet from Brooklyn, is about to release a new album, Bad Self Portraits. If you are unfamiliar with the group you owe it to yourself to check them out. Their sound is both timeless and modern. Spot on, funky, jazzy instrumentals and crystal clear, powerful vocals shoot them to the top of my current touring bands to see.

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