Boxed Wine: Cheap, Fun
If you missed CXCW last week, you missed out! (Except you didn’t because you can still see the whole thing on the site.) One of the stand-outs for me (aside from performances from our friend Kroyd of the Wind-Up Birds with his project Forgets, our friend Pete David of the Payroll Union taking a … Read more
A Foreign Country: Depeche Mode
A Foreign Country is a non-regular series in which I write about music I dug in my youth and still enjoy now. The name comes from the L.P. Hartley quote “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there”, because, while I do continue to enjoy some of the music I listened to … Read more
A Conversation with Pete David of the Payroll Union
In the three years that Now This Sound Is Brave has been going, I have come to think of some of the bands we cover as “my bands” – bands who have struck a singular chord with me and whom I have continued cover, excited to share news of their movements. If I had … Read more
Mark Lanegan. Again. Some more.
“Riot in My House” – Mark Lanegan Band Yes, I just made a “Why isn’t everyone a raving Mark Lanegan fan yet?” post a couple of months ago, but I just started a new day job, and Lanegan’s rumbling tones have been helping ease my re-entry at the end of the work day (the … Read more
Yamin Semali: Yamintro (Hello Again)
Some hip hop from the ATL for you today. We get so many submissions from rappers who just spit straight over an old song, with no attention paid to rhythm or dynamics and little thought given to production, that when I come across an artist like Yamin Semali, who leaves some space for personality … Read more
Friday Link Session
It’s about that time: Bands, if you can’t – or don’t want to – make it to SXSW this year, start getting your submissions ready for the third annual CXCW (Couch by Couchwest), March 10-16. Find submission details here. If you’ll be in the Cleveland area on June 22 and would like to move from … Read more
Willy Mason: Don’t Stop Now
Around the time Now This Sound Is Brave started, back in 2010, I found myself in the habit of inadvertently seeing Willy Mason play live as he seemed to be opening for everyone I wanted to see. While he clearly had talent and skill, it took a while for me to be won over. … Read more
A Good Read, a Good Listen, and a Good Drink: Murder by Death
It’s a simple yet sublime pleasure, and just thinking about it can make you feel a little calmer, a little more content. Imagine: You bring out one of the good rocks glasses (or your favorite mug or a special occasion tea cup) and pour a couple fingers of amber liquid (or something dark and … Read more
The Dirty Nil/Northern Primitive Split 7″
The Dirty Nil, who appeal to our never-ending love of loud, have a new single out. This time around, they’ve gone in on a split 7″ with their friends Northern Primitive. The single is available digitally and on vinyl. Check out a video of the bands playing both songs of the split – “Positive … Read more
Friday Link Session
Patterson Hood and the Downtown Rumblers dropped by Hear Ya! to record a live session that you can listen to and download. Liars premiered their video for “WIXIW” at Entertainment Weekly, of all places. The Jimmy Cliff classic “The Harder They Come” is up on YouTube. Elton John will appear on the next Queens … Read more