Recommendations: Joe Franks (Well Dressed Collective)

I spoke to Joe Franks from music PR company Well Dressed Collective about his recommendations.

Owen - Ghost Town

Mike Kinsella's newest release has some of my most cherished Owen songs to date. I feel like this album covers more territory than some of his previous records because many of the songs have completely different feels and his songwriting and lyrics offer some insight into how the undisputed Godfather of the resurgent indie-emo movement has adjusted to fatherhood and family life. The perfectly picked simple chord changes at the end of "I believe" show a maturity in his sound but he still keep things technically interesting yet catchy on tracks like "The Armoire."

RIYL: American Football, Cap'n Jazz, The Beatles, City and Colour

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - It's a Corporate World:

These guys rule. I picked up their vinyl on a whim at a local Record Store and was blown away. You can listen to this one straight through but "Nothing But Our Love" is the track that will hook you.

RIYL: Friendly Fires, Passion Pit, The Postal Service, Coconut Records

Belgrade - S/T EP:

This new Philly outfit's unique style is getting them noticed, but not nearly as fast as it should be. Raspy smooth vocal lines cut right through the perfect smokey atmosphere created by melodic reverberated guitars and a dynamic rhythm section.They are currently in the studio recording their full length which should be released soon but until then do yourself a favor and check out "Wasted Reprise" off of their self titled EP and I dare you to not push the replay button.

RIYL: Band of Horses, Real Estate, The Arcade Fire, Rival Schools

Gates - You Are All You Have Left To Fear:

New Brunswick is making waves in the music community and these fella's are the catalyst. With one of the most impressive live shows I've seen in a long time, and a huge ambient sound, these guys mix old school emo with modern technical post-rock and the result is epic. The tracks flow into each other beautifully and each song is carefully constructed. If its your first time listening to them i suggest you start with the instrumental track "To those who fell.." then let the album play out and you'll hear exactly what I mean. Look for them to do big things in 2013.

RIYL: Explosions In The Sky, American Football, This town Needs Guns, Edison Glass

Check out Well Dressed Collective's official site.

Early In The Morning by James Vincent McMorrow (2010) (Review)

I've decided to create a new genre. I call it “beardcore”. Scene heads generally make confessional folk music recorded alone in some isolated building (cabin, hut, beach house etc.) with only acoustic guitars, banjos and whatnot for company. Oh, and they have beards. Now you may think to yourself, ‘This will never take off! How silly of her!’ and, given most of my genre creating, you’d be right (Oberstcore never did take off…), but this scene is not just existing, but is currently thriving. The newest beardcore artist is James Vincent McMorrow’. Joining Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes in the genre, McMorrow hails from the not so green isle of Ireland and is making waves with his debut album Early In The Morning , eleven tracks of atmospheric indie-folk with intelligent musicianship, and more intelligent lyrics. The album starts off with “If I Had A Boat” an initially a capella, atmospheric grower. Starting off quietly, it eases the listener into the record with McMorrow...

Track-By-Track: Forest Life EP by McCafferty

McCafferty 's recent EP, Forest Life, is one of The Alternative Tone's favourite releases so far this year. I caught up with Nick to get a track-by-track on the EP, in order to give us more insight into McCafferty's fabulous imagery and lyrical themes. Jeff There was a girl I was friends with in high school named Becky and she was in a relationship with this guy from freshman year until last summer, when their relationship fell apart she told me it happened really fast, that's why the song is so short. I wanted to explore the aspect of a relationship with so much feeling that just ends abruptly and the emptiness that you feel after. I've had people message me and say they wish Jeff was longer, but that's the exact reason I made it so short. Snakes I wrote "Snakes" with the mindset of making a song that sort of pokes fun at all these dogs out there in the DIY scene about smoking and partying, it's really simplistic in the lyrics b...

Bravebird - Ready Or Not

Emo from Ann Arbor Download Here (Out of free bandcamp downloads, however the band have posted a mediafire link for it) RIYL: A really twinkly La Dispute, Old Gray Highly Recommended.

The Alternative Tone

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