Premiere: Good Sport’s “Big Push”
Streaming now on Spotify is Good Sport’s “Big Push,” the final single released ahead of the July 3rd release of Boring Magic, the Pittsburgh-based band’s Misra Records debut. The track spins a meta-narrative…
Interview: of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes On Hope, Happiness & The Creative Process
This Saturday, of Montreal comes through Pittsburgh on tour in support of their new album, Ur Fun, out now on Polyvinyl. The album captures the group’s journey into dance-friendly indie-rock, heavily influenced by ’80s…
PODCAST: Jesley Snipes Talks “Pygmalion Cantations” and the Golden Magnet
Pop Press is proud to announce its first podcast. This one comes from Pittsburgh, PA, where Jesley Snipes from the Delicious Pastries discusses “Pygmalion Cantations,” released today on the newly formed Golden Magnet….
Planet Manhood Back With New Tape
Pop this mother in the tape deck of yer ’96 Civic and cruise the golden hour. Lo-fi and mid-tempo with just enough disappointment, Planet Manhood‘s new tape/EP has five fresh songs on side A and…
Caitlin Kraus Torres Celebrates New 7-inch with Release Party at Salvage Vanguard Theater
Like catching a glimpse of some glimmering object in the distance of a dim, dusky forest, Caitlin Kraus Torres’ songs hinge on dark melody but offer surprising flashes of lilting lightness. Kraus Torres…
The Garment District Saturates In New Video For “Feral Surfers”
Pittsburgh-based experimental electro-pop group The Garment District released a new video for “Feral Surfers,” a track from Luminous Toxin. The video was created by Thaddeus Kellstadt, a Milwaukee-based artist who likens the process to painting:…
Premiere: Pet Clinic Looks Inward on No Face
We are thrilled to premiere Pet Clinic’s full-length debut No Face, streaming now on their website. Following 2012’s six-song EP The Dust That Made The Fire That Made The Light, the Pittsburgh five-piece…
Pet Clinic Turns Tables, Asks Big Questions in Interview (PGH)
Tomorrow, one of Pittsburgh’s brightest bands releases their long-awaited, much-anticipated full-length debut. Pet Clinic‘s No Face comes at you, released independently, and with huge payoff. What’s the best way to get your hands on a copy?…
PREMIERE: David Bernabo’s New Experimental Album The Inn
David Bernabo officially drops The Inn this Friday, but Pop Press is thrilled to stream the album in its entirety today. It’s a solo record and the 10th on the Ongoing Box imprint….
Women In Sound Issue 2 Release (PGH)
We’re super-psyched the second issue of Madeleine Campbell’s zine Women in Sound will be released this Saturday. The zine serves to “showcase the achievements by women, queer, and trans* people working in all facets of…
Glassblock Launch Party and VIP Event
Glassblock, Pittsburgh’s newest web-based magazine officially launches this Thursday with a VIP event (tix here) and a party to follow (more tix) at Spirit. The project is the result of hard work by Adam…
Boogarins Find Psychedelia On A Monday
Youthful Brazilian psych-rock band Boogarins brought its incredible live set to Pittsburgh Monday night at Cattivo, awash in cascading phasers, guitar solos, and latin-fueled rhythms. Despite a modest-sized crowd, guitarist/vocalist Dinho Almeida was rarely…
UPCOMING: Ghost Guts & City Steps at BBT (PGH)
Though the band’s cryptic social media presence reveals little about its MO, Ghost Guts writes songs that cut straight. Punkified american rock and roll, twang, and garage all mix into a classic sound…
UPCOMING: Sunflower Bean at Smiling Moose (PGH)
Fresh off the heels of a successful SXSW run and in the middle of a national tour in support of debut full-length Human Ceremony (Fat Possum), Sunflower Bean comes through Pittsburgh Saturday night, stopping at…
delicious pastries Explore The Creative Process With aleatoric delay
We at Pop Press Intl are honored to announce Pittsburgh’s delicious pastries is back with its long-awaited follow-up to 2011’s Pretty Please, an eight song sophomore LP titled aleatoric delay, released on the cryptic Totally Snakes…
UPCOMING: delicious pastries Album Release (PGH)
It’s been five years since delicious pastries released Pretty Please, but this Friday the band ends that streak and drops aleatoric delay at Spirit with help from incredible local openers Meeting of Important People,…
SXSW 2016’s Most Exciting Acts
Tomorrow, the monster that is SXSW descends upon a sleepy river town in central Texas. Hundreds of local bands will rub shoulders with thousands more traveling from all over the world. Every parking lot…
UPCOMING: Slothrust at Thunderbird Cafe (PGH)
No better place to be Friday night than the Thunderbird. NYC-based Slothrust (Ba Da Bing Records) will be coming through with Indianapolis sleaze-rock outfit Mr. Clit and the Pink Cigarettes. Major garage vibes on…
So Much shade At Spirit (PGH)
Last Saturday at Spirit showcased three of Pittsburgh’s most intense rock groups. A crowded basement buzzing with beer and pizza kept an engaged audience fed and imbibed as three different bands achieved climactic…
Upcoming: Florist, Fun Home, Chattel Tail at Roboto (PGH)
Brooklyn-based band Florist will be performing at the Mr. Roboto Project this Saturday with like-minded female-fronted Pittsburgh groups, Fun Home and Chattel Tail. Florist comes from the greater Brooklyn-based arts collective known as…
The Soft Moon Rises at Cattivo (PGH)
If anyone was doubting the veritable depth of Pittsburgh’s music scene, last Friday at Cattivo would have erased any lingering concerns. Two incredible local bands and a helluva touring band in the form…
Upcoming: Shade and Pet Clinic at Spirit (PGH)
Three of Pittsburgh’s heaviest indie bands will perform Saturday at Spirit. The show starts at 9pm and the door costs less than two beers. Headlining the night is Shade, which has performed in Pittsburgh for…
Getting in the Party Spirit: Ouais and Mantiques Live Review
Last Saturday Spirit played host to four local bands with eclectic stage energy, giving the night a strange atmosphere riding the lines between humor, angst, and inebriation. Sure enough, the beer was flowing…
Show Preview: The Soft Moon w/ the Gotobeds at Cattivo (PGH)
Make plans to come to Cattivo Friday night to see Bay Area darkwave postpunks The Soft Moon (Captured Tracks). The band plays a version of industrial keyboard-driven tunes that are as cold as,…
Album Premiere: Feels Wonderful by Shaky Shrines
Here it is, folks. We’re proud to premiere Feels Wonderful from Shaky Shrines. Recorded instinctually choosing feels rather than thinks, this six song album rips from start to finish. As noted in earlier reviews, the Pittsburgh garage-psych…
Preview: Ouais and Dumplings Plays Spirit This Saturday
Get a sludgy fix of fuzzed out indie rock Saturday when Pittsburgh locals Ouais slouch into Spirit for a free show. Whoa, free. Gritty and grimy, Ouais sound like lo-fi slackers in the…
Shaky Shrines Enlighten Cattivo With Two New Records
This past Friday, local Pittsburgh psych-rock group Shaky Shrines played a tight set of old and new tunes at Cattivo, Lawrenceville’s hidden gem of a venue for both touring and local bands. Shrines…
Preview: Shaky Shrines Double Album Release Show
If you have nothing to do Friday night, go to Cattivo. If you do have something to do, cancel it and go to Cattivo Friday night to see Shaky Shrines, Pittsburgh’s most-psyched holy rollers. Over…
Show Preview: Building a Better Robot
Tonight! Tonight! is the latest “Building a Better Robot” benefit show for one of Pittsburgh’s punkest institutions, the Mr. Roboto Project. In their own words: “With the 2016 version of ‘Building A Better…
Show Preview: Girls Rock! PGH Benefit Show
Tomorrow, Pittsburgh’s Mattress Factory will be hosting a benefit show show for the local arts advocacy group, Girls Rock!, an “empowerment program for female youths of all definitions, abilities and backgrounds. Girls Rock! Pittsburgh utilizes…
Show Preview: Julia Lucille at the Night Gallery in Pittsburgh 11/1
A photo posted by Julia Lucille (@julialucille) on Oct 25, 2015 at 6:25pm PDT Disclaimer, this preview is for a show the author (me) is participating in. More importantly, Julia Lucille is coming all…
In Support of Pittsburgh (Part 2)
This is the second installment of my two-part look into Pittsburgh’s music and cultural scene. Dig part one right here. Friday night, I got myself to Pittsburgh’s newest venue, the Spirit Lodge, which recently opened in the…
In Support of Pittsburgh (Part 1)
Over the past week, yer humble PPI correspondent travelled to his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, to see what all the fuss has been about the last two-and-a-half years he’s been gone. Claims have…
Daniel Bachman’s Deliberate River
Daniel Bachman’s new album River was released Tuesday on Three Lobed Records, prompting another round of reflective listening sessions. You can read our review of his last record here. This most recent release from the…
Elvis Perkins Entered the Cosmic Parish
Last week, I had the opportunity to see Elvis Perkins perform for the first time. He’s touring in support of his third album, I Aubade, an organically rich long play that showcases Perkins at…
You’ll Never Believe Who Was Dancing at the Tennis Show This Tuesday
It was me. Besides the egregious amount of rain to come into town Tuesday night, the Denver band Tennis also arrived playing to a sold-out dancing Parish crowd that sang all the words to…
Viva El Campo
Arriving in Austin a few years ago, I anticipated diving headfirst into the Austin music experience, determined to mine the healthy reserves of musical minerals. One of those first offerings came on a cool…
Sea Change at South By
Having completed my third SXSW in as many years as living in Austin, I feel seasoned in my authority on the subject. Perhaps not quite marinated enough and certainly not smoked to the…
Velo Releases First of Four EPs
Last Saturday, we here at Pop Press International teamed up with He^rd Entertainment to throw a blowout party at Empire Control Room and Garage, celebrating the release of Velo’s first EP, Winter. The Control…
Claire Morales Finds an Amaranthine Perspective
The Historic Scoot Inn played host Friday night to a great selection of bands spanning a north-south channel from Oklahoma through Texas. Celebrating was Claire Morales as she released her debut full-length LP…
Attendance Records In Flying Colors
I sit here listening to Attendance Records’ brand new 10″ vinyl release, The World, Differently, featuring local musicians Walker Lukens and the Eastern Sea, two of our favorites. But what makes this record extra special is the…
Claire Morales Record Release at the Historic Scoot Inn
Claire Morales will be bringing her Denton-based outfit to the Historic Scoot Inn this Friday and we really can’t wait. Supporting her will be local americana all-stars the Deer, KUTX’s artist of the month for…
Jump In The Fire with Salesman
Just over a week ago, we debuted two new tracks from local dark-folks Salesman in anticipation of the release show at Holy Mountain. I hope you were there to witness the magical evening…
Coffee With Daniel Francis Doyle
I was first exposed to Daniel Francis Doyle on YouTube, seeing a guy in a sweaty gray heather tee shirt playing a natural-finished Fender Stratocaster with a dry overdriven sound in a room…
Premiere: New Salesman Songs Ahead of 7″ Release at Holy Mountain Tomorrow
The new Salesman 7″ comes out tomorrow, cut and distributed by Tuscon, AZ, via Olympia, WA, label PIAPTK aka People In A Position To Know, who specialize in special limited runs. Pop Press International…
True Sincerity Issue #2
Fans of honest Austin talent flocked to Cheer Up Charlie’s this past Friday night to celebrate the release of the second issue of True Sincerity written by Pop Press International’s own Editor-In-Chief, Bryan C….
What A Strange Trip: PPI Does Free Week, Again
Saturday night, Pop Press International hosted our second Free Week show at Cheer Up Charlie’s. Their cozy interior was the ideal venue on a cold and rainy weekend evening. Familiar faces spotted the crowd…
Thanks for Free Week Partying with Us, Dudes!
Pop Press International alongside the Loyalty Firm presented a Free Week showcase at Austin’s own Holy Mountain this past Friday night. “Five of Austin’s raddest bands” performed, showing the packed venue some of the…
The Spirit Sustained: The Deer, Nightblooms, Devon Sproule at Spiderhouse
This past Friday night, the Spiderhouse Ballroom hosted the record release of The Deer’s new album, “On the Essence of the Indomitable Spirit,” slated to be officially released at the start of the…
Grapes & Friends Blow Out the Hole in the Wall
Last Saturday night, the sixth annual Grapes & Friends XMAS Extravaganza took place at the Hole in the Wall, filling the joint with enough ugly sweaters, tinsel, and Christmas covers to get you well…
Walker Lukens Seduced Me at the Empire Control Room
Yes, I was seduced by Walker Lukens this past Thursday at the Empire Control Room. And I’m still waiting for Walker’s nude selfie to find its way into my inbox. Belle Adair, who…
The Black Keys ACL Taping: Live Review
The Black Keys continue to progress and develop their sound, amassing a global following and critically acclaimed list of albums. They recently released Turn Blue, their fifth release on Nonesuch Records and their…
The Allah-Las Transcend at The Parish
Los Angeles band the Allah-Las came to Austin Saturday night with a heavy dose of California surf-inspired garage rock tunes. Opening was fellow L.A. group Tashaki Miyaki whose mid to down-tempo glimmering pop…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Day Three Recap with Angel Olsen, Yo La Tengo, and Flying Lotus
The third day of of Fun Fun Fun Fest dawned cool and bright and just about perfect. Saturday had closed out magnificently and the lineup for the final day would yield some of…
Iceage’s Elias Bender Rønnenfelt Delivers Us
The sun was out, there were few clouds if any, and spirits were high Saturday afternoon at Fun Fun Fun Fest. I had just finished a ride with Gary Numan at the Blue…
Courtney Barnett Burns Brightly at the Belmont
Fun Fun Fun Fest is over and as we wind down our festival season, we couldn’t have wished for a better way to go out. Despite the well-covered/belabored issues with admission on Friday,…
Album Review: Foxygen’s “…And Star Power”
As we approach this weekend and the wonderfulness that is Fun Fun Fun Fest, Pop Press International is greasing the gears and filling the tank, ready to tackle yet another successful festival at…
Yuma Celebrates Day of the Dead at Mohawk
The Mohawk celebrated Day of the Dead this Sunday with four superb Austin bands: Brother Bear, The Please Please Me, Magia Negra, and Yuma. A real diverse curation of unique bands who all seem to…
FFF Fest Preview: Courtney Barnett Talks Ghost Gum & Fish Tacos
Some of the artists we’re most excited to see at this year’s Fun Fun Fun Fest are the up-and-coming acts that will take the stage in the early or mid-afternoon hours. You’d serve…
The Ultimate Fun Fun Fun Fest “Can’t Miss ‘Em” List
Ok. Let’s give it a shot and try to narrow it down to the absolutely-can’t-miss acts at Fun Fun Fun Fest (from this point on referred to as “FFFFest” and the “Can’t Miss ‘Em” List)….
Molybden and Co. at the Sahara Lounge: Live Review
“I saw a UFO in San Francisco. It didn’t scare me as much as I thought it would. I guess I’m stronger than I imagined,” were the words Tess Seipp, better known as…
Ariel Pink’s New Single “Black Ballerina”
As the days go by, Ariel Pink’s boldness grows and his confidence in trolling expands. He recently caused a stir with his public comments about Madonna, Grimes, and misogyny in general, but let’s focus on…
101X Homegrown Live at the Historic Scoot Inn: Live Review
This past Saturday, local radio station 101X hosted their Homegrown Live series with a solid bill of mostly local acts at East Austin’s Historic Scoot Inn. Despite the particularly high door charge ($18!) for a local…
Watch “BACKER” Starring Mac “The Backer” DeMarco
Get sucked into the bizarre world Mac DeMarco slithers through. This mockumentary directed by Cole Kush is a quick surreal trip into the mind of Dave Fuck, aka Backer, a regular guy specializing in car back-up…
Show Preview: Molybden Homecoming Show at Sahara Lounge
Austin-by-way-of-Marfa singer-songwriter Molybden will celebrate with a homecoming show at Sahara Lounge this Sunday, October 26, following a string of Western tour dates. Molybden is the nom de plume of Tess Seipp who has been…
Live Review: Pompeii Releases New Album “Loom”
Local post-rock arena-gazers Pompeii released their third album Loom at Holy Mountain Friday night. A long time coming for the band, this is their first album in five years and you can buy it…
Hear “Noctilucence” From New Mark McGuire EP
Electro-prophets Mark McGuire released “Noctilucence” this Tuesday, the title track off their new EP released via Dead Oceans. This is the second release of the year from the Cleveland, OH native, who delivers…
Show Preview: Sharon Van Etten at Mohawk this Saturday
Sharon Van Etten returns to Austin Saturday night (October 18) when she plays Mohawk to what will most likely be a packed house. A favorite amongst Austin residents, Van Etten released Are We…
ACL Music Festival: Past, Present, and Future
With the past two weekends in the books, we can now reflect on the 13th annual Austin City Limits Music Festival and see what all us thousands experienced. There were reunions and first-timers, Chvrches…
An Interview with ACL 2014 Artist The Districts
We were impressed with the Districts when we saw them a few months back at Stubb’s. Their live set is aching and raw, full of sustained tension and cathartic explosions of emotion. The…
We Were Marfans at El Cosmico: The Final Chapter
Saturday morning starts with a sweaty rise from inside my tent. The high desert sun shines on the faded yellow east side of my tent, turning the inside into a greenhouse and my…
Why You Can’t Miss These Ten Bands at ACL’s First Weekend
So 2014’s ACL is right around the Thursday corner. Lucky for you, I’m here with Bryan to show you the way to a successful outing this first weekend. While he and I are…
We Were Marfans at El Cosmico: Part II
At the Trans-Pecos Festival of Music + Love, music starts at seven and goes till midnight (1am on Saturday night), giving the guests plenty opportunity to rest up during the day and focus…
We Were Marfans For A Weekend at El Cosmico
As I navigate Route 67 south towards Marfa, TX, en route to the 8th annual Trans-Pecos Festival of Music + Love, the mountains grow more jagged, the plains reach further to the horizon, and the…
Marianne Faithfull Breathes Life Into A Dark New Single
Marianne Faithfull began her career in the early 60s by immersing herself in the exploding London scene, befriending the greater Rolling Stones entourage that helped get her career started with, “As Tears Go…
Sebadoh at Red 7: Live Review
For indie rock purists, Sebadoh resides unquestioningly in the hall of fame. While the Sebadoh project has been largely inactive in the new millennium, the members have all been pursuing other collaborations and solo projects….
Vibing at Utopiafest
Despite some serious rain Friday evening, vibes were mellow at Utopiafest 2014. Yes, arriving at Utopiafest on Friday night was not the smoothest ride; buses and cars were stuck in mud, shuttle service into…
Delta Spirit with EDJ on at Emo’s East Riverside: Live Review
East Riverside’s premier rock and roll venue, the venerable Emo’s, hosted epic indie-rock darlings Delta Spirit last week in support of their newest release, 2014’s Into the Wide. The album’s lead single is a…
Live Review: Balmorhea Returns to Austin with Jess Williamson at the Parish
It’s been over a year since Balmorhea played in their hometown of Austin, Texas. Over a year has the fan base been out of touch with one of the most precise post-rock bands…
Show Preview: EARTH at Red 7 Sept. 16
Ever-cosmic and always-droning, Seattle band Earth pulls into Austin’s live music orbit this coming Tuesday (a week from today) at Red 7, where they will be joined by seriously psychobilly singer-songwriter King Dude…
Show Preview: Balmorhea at the Parish Sunday
Balmorhea is the kind of band that can take hugely expansive ideas and wrestle them into musical form, creating a cinematic experience for the ears. Strings, synthesizers, vocal harmonies, fingerpicked guitar and various tuned…
Suspirians Release Show at the Lost Well: Live Review
What once was the Frontier Bar in Austin’s East Side is now the Lost Well, opened by biker-friendly, former Lovejoys bartender Marcello Murphy. To keep heaviness afloat Saturday night, Austin indie-psych-noise band the Suspirians…
J. Roddy at ACL Taping: Live Review
In its 40th TV season, KLRU’s Austin City Limits has brought a loaded hand to the table. With tapings from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Jeff Tweedy, Los Lobos and Beck, the series…
Holy Wave Euro-Tour Kickoff Show: Live Review
Holy Wave will be in Europe by the end of the week, kicking off a stint of dates with a show in Sweden at the Oslo Psych Fest. But before leaving, they stopped at…
Album Review: Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats) – EDJ
Eric D. Johnson is no stranger to the world of indie rock, collaborating with bands like the Shins, Califone, Vetiver, and his personal songwriting vehicle, the Fruit Bats. Leaving behind that moniker, Johnson (known solo…
Letting Up Despite Great Faults Release Neon at Holy Mountain: Live Review
Local synthpop dreampscape band Letting Up Despite Great Faults released their third LP Neon this past Saturday at Holy Mountain. Supporting the band and filling out the rest of the superb lineup were Löwin, Whiite…
Vagabond Collective’s Summer Series Finale: Live Review
Last Saturday night, I got my sweat on as I jumped between the indoor and patio stages at Vagabond Collective’s final Summer Nights series at Empire Control Room. Drinks were flowing and the…
Album Review: Daniel Bachman – Orange Co. Serenade
Today we find ourselves in the sweat of Daniel Bachman’s newest work, Orange Co. Serenade, out on Asheville label, Bathetic Records. Known for its predilection to experimental music with a folk bent, Bachman…
Maggie Bjorklund’s Spooky New Single “Missing At Sea”
Maggie Bjorklund will be releasing her second full-length album “Shaken” on Bloodshot Records October 14 here in the US. The first track to be released from the album is spooky stomper “Missing At…
White Denim Make ACL Taping Debut
Monday night, your PPI correspondent had the privilege of seeing White Denim play the Moody Theater for an ACL taping. More fortuitous was the fact that it was being broadcasted live to the…
Ruby the RabbitFoot at the Historic Scoot Inn: Live Review
Opening the night was Dollie Barnes, a four-piece from Waco led by the mighty Haley Barnes whose vocals run to an upper register with control and clarity like few I’ve seen in Austin….
Jad Fair Gets Weird in the Spiderhouse Ballroom
Jad Fair got weird on us Wednesday night, delivering a quick thirty minute set full of non sequiturs in musical form. Fair sang about crushes on Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs,…
Dreamy Jams at the Spiderhouse Ballroom: Live Review
Friday night at the Spiderhouse Ballroom gave us four Texan bands: Dollie Barnes (Waco), Borrisokane (Austin), Chambers (Denton), and RF Shannon (Austin). A mix of dark folk and synthy pop permeated the dimly…
Allah Las Debut New Video for “No Werewolf”
A cover of a 1960 track from surf-band the Frantics, Los Angeles retro-garage-rock band, the Allah Las, deliver a driving rendition of “No Wereworlf”, mystifying in its hypnotic spinning art performance courtesy of Russian…
Little Radar, Young Tongue, Black Books at Mohawk: Live Review
Rock and roll is alive in Austin, Texas. Mohawk is the place to catch it. The club offered performances on both indoor and outdoor stages with slightly alternating set times between the two. The…
She Keeps Bees New Video for “It Is What It Is”
Brooklyn duo She Keeps Bees released their newest video today for single “It Is What It Is” off their forthcoming album Eight Houses via Future Gods Records. The downtempo rhythm and minimal arrangement give…
Peter Matthew Bauer Finds Freedom at Holy Mountain: Live Review
Saturday night, former Walkmen bassist, Peter Matthew Bauer, came to the Holy Mountain with a troupe of psychedelic supporters. The band was an excellent model of strong backing talent. Dirty guitars and a duo of lady…
New Track “Pico” by Wave Sleep Wave
Just two members, Wave Sleep Wave make punchy jams, a la “Pico” with enough muscle-building as the track progresses to keep its listener hooked. This track comes off their forthcoming album Never Notice out September…
Gap Dreams’ Dreamy “Strong Love”
Gap Dreams’ single “Strong Love” is a washed out chillwave session ready for supreme mellowing. Major seventh harmonies cascade into the programmed drums and blankets of delayed guitars. Warbling echoes fall in and…
