East Coast Playlist

Boston’s Drinking Games caught my attention late last year when I heard this song on local music programming, WZLX’s “Boston Emissions.” I immediately liked the intro, the music, and it all was topped off with good vocals.  I bought the Conversation Mistakes EP, which can be found on their Bandcamp site, it did not disappoint and was on heavy rotation in my car for a while.  Check them out if you’re into indie/alternative/experimental music.

Meet Yellowbirddd, singer songwriter Liam McCormack based out of Brooklyn, NY. After a good run playing bass for the band Fly Upright Kite, McCormack decided to pursue a different path by performing his own solo material that he had been working on while still in Fly Upright Kite. This track “California,” happens to be my favorite track off of his first full length web-based debut Hard Feelings. It is a heart felt song about a young adult making important, possibly life changing decisions in his/her life. Every song he has written is heartfelt and it showcases the passion Liam McCormack holds for the art he creates. All the songs I have heard are gems in their own right. You can download (for free!) Hard Feelings, and every other song Yellowbirddd has written so far on his page: http://www.yellowbirddd.com. Also, visit his blog, http://yellowbirddd.wordpress.com, for updates, tour dates, videos, and extras. He’s touring warmer spots late this winter so if you like what you hear, I urge you to find out where he’s playing and hang out with him.

Axemunkee is an instrumental psychedelic rock band hailing from Boston, MA, led by guitarist Catherine Capozzi. BlasFamous is one of my favorite songs off of their debut album, Sidewalk Mary. Capozzi is known for her composition and unique guitar style, it tells a story and she does not write songs based on boring guitar solos. She has been a part of The Boston rock opera, as well as being awarded Brian May’s (Queen) guitar after playing a 2-minute guitar solo for a contest. Completing the Axemunkee crew is Geoff Chase on drums, Tamora Gooding on electronic drums, and Chris Farrel on bass. Another integral member in the recording of Sidewalk Mary was Joel Simches on the keys. You can buy, and/or hear all of Sidewalk Mary on their Bandcamp page. They are also in a contest for Converse Get out of the Garage, if you like what you hear, vote once a day every day through December 15th 2010, here. Also, be on the look out for their next release titled Vortex, which is slated for an early 2011 release.

Hey Everyone,
I wanted to write a quick update in regards to the lack of updates here at East Coast Playlist. Andrew and I have had an extremely busy fall so far. I wanted to let you know we haven’t forgotten about this place, nor have we gotten rid of any of the submissions we have received. Thanks and keep them coming! In the mean time, stay tuned for more songs and this is a great time to review the great songs already posted on here, and subscribe to our iTunes podcast.

Thanks,
Matt

Former front man for Boston favorites, In the Pink, and SuperZero, singer-songwriter Tommy Dempsey decided to venture on his own after being not completely satisfied with previous projects. Upon leaving SuperZero, he recorded two EPs, one titled Live Songs and the other, Five Songs, after those it was time for the full length. Whether or not you ever heard his two other bands, or his two other EPs, now is the time to hear a cut off of his most recent album titled Eleven:Eleven, recorded with guitarist/producer Pedro Silva, who also is a part of Tommy’s band, The Big Picture. This song “Keep Guard” is one of my personal favorites on the disc that perfectly displays Dempsey’s heart felt and honest writing style. It is a dark tune that explains cynicism and offers perspective on people’s trust for one another. Check out Tommy Dempsey on ReverbNation, and you can keep up with his happenings on Facebook.

Check out Breathing East from Jamesport, New York. These guys had me hooked after I listened to their 4 song EP, All This Time.  ”Above this Fire” is my favorite track from the EP.  It starts off with a great drum roll into a track that keeps your attention and flows together well. The smooth style of AJ McIntyre’s vocals remind me of Nate Ruess (The Format, Fun.) and contrasts great with the heavier punch from the rest of the band.  Check out their MySpace page for other songs. This band also gets points for having great artwork on their EP which can be seen on their MySpace page.

Williamsburg, Virginia’s Mark Kroos is something out of the ordinary. He is one of only a handful of touring double neck guitarists. Listening, or better yet watching the video, to this track will leave you in awe. Even though his music is mostly instrumental right now, one of his main influences is punk rock (he cites Chicago’s The Lawrence Arms as one of his favorites). Mark says he is starting to write music with lyrics, and would love to play in a band when the time is right. It’s going to be fun to keep an eye on Mark. He is a young, talented, and driven musician with huge potential for an exciting career.

Check out the psychedelic rock trio from Boston/NYC called The Highway. Frontman and bass player Daniel Tortoledo provides great harmonies and bass licks to the lead off single “Set Me Free” from their upcoming new album Forest People. The live lineup consists of guitarist Ysaac Cohen, who provides the bluesy stylistic solos, and drummer Ted MacInnes, who completes the live sound by adding to Tortoledo’s vocal harmonies. I’ve seen these guys perform live a few times and they never fail to grab the attention of people in the room even to individuals unfamiliar with their sound. So check out “Set Me Free” and if you’re in the Boston area this coming Friday August 6th, come to Tommy Doyle’s in Harvard Sq. Cambridge to see The Highway perform live. At least you’ll be familiar with one song. Take a look at their MySpace page for more solid songs from these guys.

The opener “Calm” is the perfect demo of this Raleigh band’s potential. It leads into easily the best track on the record “Heresy In The Age Of Reason”, which is a solid 4 minute alt/metal tune (previously featured on ECP 05/27/10).

The key asset to The Future Is Me is Paul Kelley’s explosive vocals which range from gentle harmonies to the precursor to a double-bass drum led barrage (aka screaming). I prefer the latter.

One reason why I dig this record so much is that it doesn’t sound like they are desperate to get their big break. They could have made a dozen tracks like “Heresy…”, but instead the record shows a lot of diversity. At some points, instrumentally, it’s like you’re listening to (who I consider) the kings of alt-groove hard rock, Dredg. Overall, it’s a strong debut at EP-length.

Rating:
√ Give them a listen
√ Check ‘em out if they stop by