Mae-Summertime

What better summer jam than a song called Summertime?  This is more of a night time summer road trip song.  This is the song that introduced me to Mae after seeing the video on MTV at 2 AM 5 or 6 years ago.  That’s right MTV actually showed a video.

Gaslight Anthem-American Slang

I’ve been spinning the new Gaslight Anthem album all summer and all the songs really just blend together as one.  This is your blue collar, get your hands dirty summer jam.

The Summer Set is a pop rock group from Scottsdale, Arizona. Brian Dales (vocals), brothers Stephen (bass) and John Gomez (guitar,piano, BGV), Jess Bowen (drums) and Josh Montgomery (guitar) make up this relatively young, yet successful band. They self-released their first EP “Love the Love You Have” before signing to the Militia Group and releasing two more EPs. The Summer Set then signed to Razor and Tie and put out their first full length “Love Like This” in October of 2009, which was re-released in mid 2010 with a 5-song EP of some of their Taylor Swift covers (live from Bamboozle NJ 2010). They were on the Spring AP Tour and played Bamboozle 2010. The band has been out on the entire Warped Tour run this year and I had the chance to catch up with Josh Montgomery when the tour rolled through Atlanta.

So for this edition of Summer Jams, I thought I’d let you know what’s been in heavy rotation on my turntable, so here are a pair of limited vinyl releases from my collection that I’ve been enjoying and I think you will too. Now, when I think about limited releases, I think about Record Store Day, so I thought I should start there. Both of these releases were RSD exclusives, from 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Camera Obscura – French Navy

First off, Camera Obscura’s French Navy 7″: French Navy, the A-Side of this release is also the opening track on their 2009 album My Maudlin Career, which is definitely one of my favorite albums of last year, is probably the catchiest indie song I’ve ever heard. I was absolutely hooked on this song from the moment it slipped into its gentle rhythm at 0:15 and am still completely floored by how perfect the string arrangement in the chorus is. This song is the embodiment of summer love and will most definitely have you “Ooh-ing” along. The B-Side, The World Is Full Of Strangers, is a non-album track exclusive to this 7″. This song take that summer love feeling under the covers to the moment you’re alone and trying to make sense of the world and what you’re feeling. This track is much more representative of the album as a whole, and it’s a shame it didn’t make the cut. Camera Obscura is a great group and My Maudlin Career is certainly worth your while.

Tighten Up/Howlin' For You 12"

Howlin’ For You

Next, The Black Key’s Tighten Up/Howlin’ For You 12″: This Record Store Day 2010 limited release features two tracks off their new album, Brothers, as mentioned in David’s first Jams post, in a 45 RPM 12″ format. Both tracks are classic Black Keys, with bluesy vocals and guitars, sharply focused with great hooks. Everything cuts so deep. If French Navy was a summer love, then Howlin’ For You is a bittersweet summer lust as a rebound to Tighten Up’s second-semester heartbreak. Brothers has been the soundtrack to every road trip of mine this summer, and if you give it a fair play, you’ll find this album sneaking its way onto your top ten albums of 2010.

I’m not sure you can find two more polar opposite voices to do a split EP, but in promotion of their upcoming tour, The Rocketboys and Death on Two Wheels have covered some of each others songs and released them at Paste Magazine.  Both bands completely owned it.

Death on Two Wheels and The Rocketboys are no stranger to South Carolina and both have a growing following here.  Unfortunately, you’ll have to travel to either Asheville or Atlanta for this tour.

The Rocketboys + Death On Two Wheels Summer Tour 2010
Fri – July 30 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
Sat – July 31 – Macon, GA – The 567 The Rocketboys Only
Sun – August 1 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
Mon – August 2 – Norfolk, VA – 37th & Zen
Tue – August 3 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory
Wed – August 4 – Vienna, VA – Jammin Java
Thu – August 5 – Asheville, NC – Lexington Avenue Brewery
Fri – August 6 – Nashville, TN – Exit In
Sat – August 7 – Memphis, TN – Young Avenue Deli
Sun – August 8 – Little Rock, AR – Juanita’s

We’ve been waiting for new music from Haley Shaw for quite some time now and that day has finally come.  Ms. Shaw has released a new two song demo on NoiseTrade titled Another Man’s Gospel Songs.

Since moving from Charleston to Nashville we haven’t been hearing as much from her, but now we have these two songs and a show lined up at the Scene SC house Friday August 6th with friends and fellow songwriters Mike Mewborne and Steven Fiore. You won’t want to miss this show.

Month 1 of Summer Jams is almost over.
Still jamming?

Here we go. “Change” by The Young Veins

Change – The Young Veins

Change – The Young Veins

Damn. The Young Veins. Earlier in this series I posted about former labelmates of Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, Greta Salpeter (Gold Motel/ The Hush Sound). This half of Panic! at the Disco decided to go more 60s with their sound and released “Take a Vacation” earlier this summer. Needless to say, the entire album is a summer romp. Yeah. I said romp. Ladies grab your rompers and romp to it. Men….I dunno. Romp. It’s also true! Some people never change! This jam has a hook that everyone can sing along to. I think that’s why this one qualifies as a summer jam. Plus it tastes like the beach. Just listen to it.

“Sunshine” by The Lives of Famous Men

Sunshine – The Lives of Famous Men

Sunshine – The Lives of Famous Men

I met these guys a little over a year ago when they played New Brookland Tavern with Marry a Thief and Sequoyah Prep School. I was pretty down with their live show, so I grabbed their EP. The EP was great, but I went to their website to check up on em. They had this song called “Sunshine” that was up for free download. Of course I grabbed it. AND IT WAS THE PERFECT SUMMER SONG. I rode around blasting it all last summer. It’s like that kind of happy hot jam. I’m pretty sure I used to ride around clapping to this song while driving. Needless to say, I’m an awesome driver. So get in your sedan and blast.

Agree/Disagree?

Leave a Comment.

Or contact me: bakari@scenesc.com

twitter.com/bakarilebby

For better or worse, South Carolina’s hardcore music scene isn’t what it used to be a handful of years ago. Many of the kids you used to see at shows all over SC have moved onto other things, and are generally disinterested in getting into new hardcore bands. They’ve got their favorite bands they got into in high school that they still jam relentlessly, and that’s enough for them. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s only on the rare occasion that the carriers of the old standard load into the van and head back out on tour that you see these kids out at hardcore shows. Well, thanks to the team of kids who brought shows back to Summerville, SC’s American Legion Post, that rare occasion is this Sunday, July 25. Dead Truth’s Remembering Never are rolling back into SC, and they’ve brought labelmates Hivemind, fellow Floridians My Amends, Forty Winters, and Battle!, supported on tour by SC’s hometown heroes In Regret and Blacklines, with them to put on one of the best shows the Legion has been home to in years.

Download the new Loaded Gun EP from The Bourbon Brothers

The Bourbon Brothers-Morning Sun

The Bourbon Brothers-Loaded Gun

There are a lot of South Carolina bands that just kind of drop off the radar and no one ever really knows where they go.  The Bourbon Brothers might be one of those bands for you.  They were well known in these parts for whiskey drenched shows and bluesy rock and roll, but they didn’t exactly disappear, they just relocated.

When I was fortunate enough to play guitar with The Bourbon Brothers, we always had the New York City or bust attitude.  Well here they are today, in Brooklyn, with the band and a new EP.  The Loaded Gun EP is now up on Itunes for you to download.

The move to New York City did cause a small line up change in The Bourbon Brothers.  Brett Treacy played around Columbia and Charleston throughout his college years and is now one of two singers in The Bourbon Brothers.  The songs we are featuring in the post today are two of Brett’s songs, one written about his Dad and the other a protest song.

Morning Sun

Old man working

You can see it in his face

So the first show at Scene SC’s House of Softcore went off without a hitch, and all in attendance had a great time (especially Ben Walker) and saw an amazing show. In fact, it was such a good experience that I feel it’s a foregone conclusion that House of Softcore is going to be your new favorite place to catch shows in SC, and I’ve put together a few reasons why:

1) Best Locals

We’ve all been to a show out-of-town at some point or another where we hopped into a car, sped the entire two, three, or maybe four hour drive to make sure we got there on time and before it sold out, only to wish that we’d been late enough to miss the local opener that bored us to death. Lucky for us, Columbia has grown to be the epicenter of a growing music scene that’s spawned some amazing talents. It’s safe to say we’re never have to worry about that happening to us here at the HoSc.

2) Intimate Atmosphere

There’s just nothing like seeing your favorite artists playing in a living room surrounded by your friends. There’s also nothing like being able to tell all your friends, “I saw them when…” It won’t be long before the HoSc is serving as the setting to the music snob stories you’re telling your friends who were late to the party. And if you thought Part II was a tear-jerker before, your heart’s absolutely going to break when you see the video of All Get Out’s Nathan Hussey play it at the HoSc. And yes, it’s okay to cry here. I mean, we named it the House of SOFTCORE, didn’t we?

3) They Stock The Soft Stuff

The HoSc is all about comfort, and there’s nothing more uncomfortable than the sandpaper-like, public-school toilet paper stocked at most venues (And 60 South barely ever had any! For shame!). Luckily, SceneSC’s got you covered, and you’re going to have a much more pleasant trip to the bathroom to clean up your tear-smeared makeup and collect yourself before you head back into the living room for more.

And, of course, there are a hundred more reasons to come (Did you taste the salsa?!) than what’s been posted here, so we hope to see you at the next house show. Thanks to everyone who came out, to Nathan Hussey, Ben Walker, and Elonzo for playing, and to SceneSC’s David, Hillary, and Meredith for being great hosts.

Coming up at the House of Softcore:

September will bring Columbus, Ohio’s The Black Swans to the HoSc. Check them out by downloading this Phoning It In Session. See you there!

We are also lining up a handful of other acoustic shows that you will be hearing about soon.

P.S. Do a little searching though Phoning It In’s archives and you just might find a session by everyone’s favorite house show veteran David Bazan.

Yo, I heard you liked Summer Jamz so we put some jamz in your summer so you can jam all summer.

Alia Shawkat-S.O.G. Burning in Hell

I’ve never been the biggest Steel Train fan, but I’m totally loving their new album.  It’s got a lot of feeling and is upbeat and nostalgic, with some perfect summer jams.  Here is the deal though.  They had female artists record their songs and they released those songs too.  I bet you didn’t know Maeby Funke from Arrested Development could sing, but I’m kind of in love with her voice.  So, this is Alia Shawkat performing Steel Train’s S.O.G. Burning in Hell.

Steel Train-Turnpike Ghost

So this is my summer jam #2 off the new Steel Train album.  This is actually Steel Train performing Steel Train.  “Turnpike Ghost” is one you can roll down the windows to and turn up to the max.  From the hook drum intro to the stars in your eyes lyrics, this song will get you hooked after a couple of listens.  It didn’t catch me the first time, I think it’s a three or four listener.  I mean, Steel Train is a third of fun., what could be better for a summer mixed tape?