NYC post-punk outfit Catcher have shared a comeback single entitled “Comparing Saviors and Friends,” off their upcoming debut album, due out in 2022. The single is regarded as one of the first tracks they’d written with the genesis of the band, and comes alongside a DIY music video.
Photo by Kevin Allen
Catcher is a Brooklyn-based post-punk band with a reputation for visceral and powerful live performances. Drawing comparisons to Iceage and Protomartyr, Catcher deliver music with a driving and inundating low-end, provided by childhood friends Cameron McRae and Wilson Chestney, on bass and drums respectively. Guitarists Jack Young and Christian Reech, each having been recruited earlier this year via a Craigslist ad and connection via the band’s shared Tinder, interweave melodies and noise to create an environment that manages to be at once both bleak and moving, desolate but hopeful, violent but tender.
Vocalist Austin Eichler commands listeners with a domineering and chaotic presence. From drawling croons to powerful screams, Austin’s narrative lyrics invoke a wide spectrum of emotion while creating a world of their own. Through endless hours of practice and work, the band has crafted a gripping and tight live performance and a growing international fanbase.
With a sludgy bass and frenetic guitar chords, “Comparing Saviors and Friends” charges forward like an angry bull out the gate, with a deep-seated drawl from vocalist Austin Eichler. The new single comes on the heels of the band’s first four singles: “Yesterday’s Favorite,” “The Skin,” “Only Advice,” and “Fallen Stones,” amid playing countless sold-out shows across New York City, as well as their first headlining tour across the U.S. with fellow NYC rockers Been Stellar.
Catch Catcher at Mercury Lounge on January 2, 2022 with Hello Mary. More information and tickets are available here.
With a fiery new rhythm section in tow, Runaway Gin has reemerged to rave reviews and are headed out on tour in 2022. They’ll make a long-awaited return to Saratoga Springs at Putnam Place on March 4, then perform at Mercury Lounge on March 5, before closing out the tour in Bridgeport, CT at Park City Music Hall.
The southern Phish tribute band’s recent Fall Tour has featured some huge jams, including a record breaking two-song first set on Friday, November 19, and four sets with less than four songs in their last two shows. This past Friday Joel Cummings (Umphrey’s McGee) joined the band for a break-neck rendition of ‘Maze’ in Richmond, VA.
The Winter 2022 Tour schedule includes returns to Jacksonville, Atlanta, Nashville, Winston-Salem, Roanoke, Washington, DC, Chicago, New York City, Ardmore, PA, and Saratoga Springs. The band will also have debut performances in Columbus, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Bridgeport, CT.
Added shows include a debut performance at legendary Richmond, VA venue the National on April, 2nd, long awaited returns to the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC, and the Visulite Theatre in Charlotte, NC, as well as returns to Greenville, SC and Asheville, NC at the Radio Room and Asheville Music Hall.
For tour dates, videos and live recordings visit Runaway Gin’s website here complete with videos, posters, photos, and setlists. Follow Runaway Gin on Facebook.
Runaway Gin 2022 Winter Tour
January 20th – Jacksonville, FL – 1904 Music Hall January 21st – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5 January 22nd – Nashville, TN – Exit/In February 3rd – Winston-Salem, NC – the Ramkat February 4th – Roanoke, VA – 5 Points Music Sanctuary February 5th – Washington, DC – Pearl St. Warehouse February 6th – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Live February 9th – Columbus, OH – the Summit Music Hall February 10th – Chicago, IL – the Point February 11th – Indianapolis, IN – the Mouse Trap February 12th – Cincinnati, OH – Riverfront Live March 3th – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall March 4th – Saratoga Springs, NY – Putnam Place March 5th – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge March 6th – Bridgeport, CT – Park City Music Hall April 2nd – Richmond, VA – the National April 8th – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre April 9th – Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theatre April 15th – Greenville, SC – the Radio Room May 13th – Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall May 31 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Pour House* *post-Phish show, ‘Just the Covers’
Runaway Gin also recently released their first three song set from Salvage Station in Asheville earlier this month. VIDEO LINK
An iconic venue located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, known for being a hotbed for indie talent since the early-1990s, the Mercury Lounge welcomed country singer-songwriter sensation Maggie Rose on Tuesday, October 5. An emerging star based in Nashville by way of Potomac, Maryland, Maggie Rose has created her own original recipe of the rock, pop, blues and soul genres.
No stranger to the road or to the stage, Maggie Rose is approaching the century mark for appearances at the legendary Grand Ole Opry, while also touring extensively over the past few years with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Kelly Clarkson, Heart, Joan Jett, Emmylou Harris and Jason Isbell, just to name a few. Having honed her power-packed vocal talent since getting her first start in 2009, Maggie Rose is currently in the midst of a headlining tour in support of her third album titled Have a Seat(Starstruck Records), released this past August and recorded at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. On this early autumn night, her frequent touring collaborator Them Vibes (a sextet formed in 2013 and also hailing from Music City) would once again be backing her.
The night’s proceedings were kicked-off by Dylan Hartigan, the “Jersey Boy” who calls home only a short distance away, when he casually walked onto the stage with the confidence of a seasoned veteran. Dylan Hartigan was officially introduced to the music industry in 2018, as a contestant on “The Voice,”where he impressed many. One of those who praised Dylan’s musical talents was Maggie Rose herself, who would go on to co-produce his brand new album out this week, titled The Way My Bones Creak.
In the short time that it took for Dylan Hartigan to remove his sneakers, adjust the height of his microphone and grab his acoustic guitar, the patrons I navigated around the bar entrance to the stage minutes earlier had seamlessly appeared around me, drinks in hand. I was now a witness to the exhilarating scene of Dylan’s friends, family and loyal fans of his Americana music, jam-packed from wall-to-wall, joyfully singing along to his lyrics. One highlight of Dylan’s 30-minute set was a song called “Tucson, Arizona,” introduced by him revealing to us that he wrote the lyrics based entirely on someone telling him that “it gets so hot there that you can fry an egg on the sidewalk.”
With the opening set nearing its completion, and while standing on the edge of the stage sans guitar, Hatigan acknowledged the crowd for their support. In near darkness behind him, the band members of Them Vibes were quietly taking to their instruments. Suddenly, the stage lights exploded back to life, fully revealing Them Vibes at their respective stage positions. Dylan Hartigan once again collected his guitar and closed out his thrilling and emotional set.
After a brief intermission, Them Vibes reappeared for the middle set of the night. Only a few moments after their frontman Larry “Brother Love” Florman lit an incense stick and its smoke began to bellow across the front of the stage, this rock and funk band pounced into their first song with an inspired and electric fervor. As he navigated around the intimate stage, Brother Love’s uniquely raw and intense energy was immediately apparent, with sweat quickly running down each side of his face as he twirled around the stage. Maggie Rose delighted her fans by appearing onstage for Them Vibes’ last song of their set, “Right On,” taken from their 2017 EP titled Electric Fever, which also featured Maggie’s passionate vocals.
With the moment we had all been waiting for now upon us, Maggie Rose took to the stage for her second turn, greeted warmly once again with applause and whistling. The first seven offerings from her 16-song set were taken from 2021’s Have a Seat, including the show opener and first single “Do It,” along with the gospel-powered “Saint.” After performing “Smooth” from her second album released in 2018 (Change the Whole Thing), the apex of the evening was capped by Maggie’s performance of “Crazy” with Dylan Harrington, who thrilled the “hometown” crowd with his reappearance and newest single. The final song of the night, “The Letter” (a 1967 cover by The Box Tops), left everyone in attendance still wanting more.
If you want to see more of Maggie Rose, you still have the chance as she continues her North American tour with several more shows over the next few months, commencing on December 18 in Chicago. Tickets are available here.
Setlist: Do It > Telephone > What Makes You Tick > For Your Consideration > Are We There Yet > Now and Then > Saint > Smooth > You Got Today > Best In Me > Crazy (with Dylan Hartigan) > Help Myself > Pull You Through > What Are We Fighting For > It’s You > The Letter (The Box Tops cover)
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Parker Millsap has started a new tour in support of his latest critically acclaimed album, Be Here Instead. Millsap will arrive in New York for a show at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, October 9, and Lark Hall in Albany on Sunday, October 10.
Millsap’s fifth studio LP and first new album in close to three years, Be Here Instead marks a stylistic shift from the gritty and high-energy folk of the Oklahoma-bred, Nashville-based artist’s previous output. Mainly recorded live with Millsap’s full band, the album sees a departure from the guitar-and-notebook-based approach to songwriting that shaped his earlier work. Instead, Parker Millsap has followed his curiosity to countless other modes of expression, experimenting with everything from piano to effects pedals to old school drum machines (a fascination partly inspired by the early-’70s innovations of Sly Stone and J.J. Cale).
Be Here Insteadwas produced by the legendary John Agnello (Kurt Vile, Sonic Youth, Waxahatchee), and was heralded in January with the luminous “The Real Thing.” The song – which features guest vocals from Nashville singer Erin Rae – was also joined by a video, streaming now at YouTube. “The Real Thing” was met with a lot of excitement at radio, peaking at #1 on the Americana chart and sitting in the top 5 for 13 weeks, and making NPR’s Heavy Rotation list twice. In February, Millsap returned with the song “Vulnerable,” a lushly textured piece of psychedelic soul threaded with elegantly simple wisdom that Rolling Stone called “a shimmering dreamlike production that plays like an underwater orchestra.” The song was joined by a companion video directed by Casey Pierce.
He then released “Dammit,” one of the album’s most majestic moments as it unfolds as an unlikely epic that perfectly captures the nuances of existential frustration while working up a furious momentum that’s nothing less than exhilarating. It was also joined by an official music video.
Parker Millsap 2021 Fall Tour
9/16 – Indianapolis, IN at Hi-Fi w/ H.C. McEntire & Logan Halstead 9/17 – Chicago, IL at Schuba’s w/ H.C. McEntire 9/18 – Chicago, IL at Schuba’s w/ H.C. McEntire 9/19 – Milwaukee, WI at Backroom at Colectivo w/ H.C. McEntire 9/21 – St. Paul, MN at Turf Club w/ H.C. McEntire 9/22 – Iowa City, IA at Gabe’s w/ H.C. McEntire 9/23 – St Louis, MO at Off Broadway w/ H.C. McEntire 9/24 – Louisville, KY at Headliner’s w/ H.C. McEntire 9/29 – Cincinnati, OH at Memorial Hall w/ Molly Parden 9/30 – Columbus, OH at Rumba Cafe w/ Molly Parden 10/01 – Pittsburgh, PA at Thunderbird Cafe Music Hall w/ Molly Parden 10/02 – Cleveland, OH at Beachland Ballroom w/ Molly Parden 10/03 – Ferndale, MI at Magic Bag w/ Molly Parden 10/04 – Toronto, ON at Great Hall w/ Molly Parden 10/06 – Burlington, VT at Higher Ground w/ Molly Parden 10/07- Cambridge, MA at The Sinclair w/ Molly Parden 10/08 – Holyoke, MA at Gateway Arts Center w/ Molly Parden 10/09 – New York, NY at Bowery Ballroom w/ Molly Parden 10/10 – Albany, NY at Lark Hall w/ Molly Parden 10/12 – Philadelphia, PA at WXPN members-only show w/ Molly Parden 10/13 – Washington, DC at Union Stage w/ Molly Parden 10/14 – Carrboro, NC at Cat’s Cradle w/ Molly Parden 10/15 – Asheville, NC at The Masonic Temple w/ Molly Parden 10/16 – Nashville, TN at Basement East w/ Molly Parden 11/11 – Springfield, MO at Springfield Brewing Company’s The Cellar w/ molly. 11/12 – Wichita, KS at WAVE support TBA 11/13 – McAlester, OK at Dancing Rabbit Festival support TBA 11/15 – Tomball, TX at Main Street Crossing (outdoors) an Evening With (full band) 11/16 – San Antonio at Sam’s Burger Joint an Evening With (full band) 11/17 – Austin, TX at 3TEN Center w/ Remy Reilly 11/19 – Dallas, TX at Granada Theater w/ Remy Reilly 11/20 – Oklahoma City, OK at Douglass Auditorium w/ Remy Reilly
Two years after finding his new sound, producer and multi-instrumentalist Jake Huffman will debut his solo project at Lower East Side venue Mercury Lounge on Tuesday, August 10th. The performance follows the release of his new single “Just a Little More,” due out on August 6th. The performance will not only be Huffman’s solo debut, but also his first post-pandemic show, following a period of songwriting and refocusing over 2020-21.
Jake Huffman is best known as the drummer and lead singer for McLovins, a role he started at the age of 14, when a video of he and his bandmates performing Phish’s “You Enjoy Myself” went viral. The group would continue to play for nearly 10 years, garnering a strong fan base and leading Huffman to work as a composer and lyricist for Sesame Street, as well as performances with Blink-182, Jack White and Post Malone, and written dozens of songs for artist likes Ed Sheeran and Leon Bridges.
When COVID-19 hit and the music industry shut down, Huffman hunkered down in his studio and went back to college, getting a Certificate in Music Producation from Berkelee School of Music in Boston. Taking time to dive into his studio work, Huffman wrote about 50 tunes over 2020-21 because he was locked in, both physically (not being able to go outside) and mentally (focused on writing 6-7 hours a day), in addition to teaching music lessons remotely four days a week.
Huffman’s writing flows into an Indie rock/Indie pop mindset, with influence from early 2000’s alt-rock, combined with deeply personal lyrics reflecting on specific moments, with some left open to interpretation. The needs of a band can change from month to month, making it a journey for individual and group personalities. That’s where his head has been since McLovins called it a day.
It’s hard to be in a band for a long time, especially for Jason (Ott, bassist) and me, who were playing together in bands for 10 years. Then a lot of shit hit at the right time, and broke everything. All of us are probably better people because of it. I loved all the time and music and the people I met through McLovins. That’s what I’ve been writing about. At times I wasn’t sure what to write about, so some is ambiguous and some relates to that. The new music relates to the journey with McLovins.
Jake Huffman
When Jake got the call for the Mercury Lounge show on August 10, he was overcome with joy. Planning for an Indie rock vibe, he’ll bring a new set up – Huffman cites the influence of Milky Chance in the stage set up – so as to avoid feeling too stiff for the performance. Jake will be behind the kit, playing guitar, and singing throughout, offering a fresh look at a musician who had been cast into the spotlight since his sophomore year of high school. With his single releasing on August 6, expect to hear “Just a Little More” as well as more debuts of future singles that tell a story for an eventual EP.
Currently working as a producer and living in central Connecticut, Huffman will aim for more shows this fall, and notes how much he loved playing with McLovins, with reflections on how to move forward having learned lessons.
We were so young and booked these long runs of shows, promoted the tour and not the individual shows. I wish we did one show at a time and just blown out that one show. I don’t want to take for granted any of the shows played, just take it one show at a time until I can get to see who’s listening.
Jake Huffman
Get tickets for the Mercury Lounge show on August 10 here. Show time is 6pm.
