Sam Evian

It was New Years Eve 2022, the night before Sam Evian started recording Plunge, his fourth LP, now set for release on Flying Cloud Recordings via Thirty Tigers – his first album on his new imprint. He invited his friends and fellow musicians to his property in the Catskills, where he’d just painstakingly relocated and revamped his Flying Clouds Studios into a new barn on the property, restoring a vintage console and tape deck from 1974. Adrianne Lenker brought a jug of maple syrup from Vermont, Sufjan Stevens set off fireworks in the meadow, and at midnight, the group of friends cold-plunged into a nearby creek as it started snowing.The next day, the Plunge sessions began, and the album was tracked in the early winter months of 2023 over a 10-day period. Joined by a group of his closest friends and collaborators (including Liam Kazar, Sean Mullins, El Kempner of Palehound and Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief), the young artist / producer set out with a wide-open approach. “No-one knew the songs or what the plan was. We kept it loose and fun. This was the spirit of the sessions. No headphones, no playback, minimal overdubs, or bleed. Fast and loose.”The result is Evian’s best album to date: a cathartic rock record that melds power pop, iridescent guitar, raucous psychedelia, and Sam’s now sought-after grooves. The music is both fresh and familiar, sonically inspired by his penchant for early 70s production and creatively propelled by the free-spirited process depicted in the Beatles documentary Get Back, as well as his urge to let go. Hypnotic opener “Wild Days” is an uplifting overture centered around a pulsing rhythm section and a guitar solo designed for the open road, while “Jacket” opens with a tight guitar riff, Baroque pop elements and a strong nod to the Beatles. “Rollin In” is a psychedelic-infused blissed-out masterpiece, peppered with saxophone and Rhodes, both played by Sam.The unbridled, “Why Does It Take So Long,” features Lenker’s wild guitar solo, while “Another Way” features El Kempner of Palehound on guitar. “Stay,” is the Gram Parsons / John Lennon session we didn’t know we needed, while “Freakz” is an irreverent, funked-out album curveball, designed for a good time. And that’s just a taste of what Evian has cooked up here.Plunge is Evian’s first release on his own imprint, Flying Cloud Recordings, the new imprint of his Catskills-based studio. In 2017 Sam Evian decamped to the Catskills alongside his partner Hannah Cohen and their dog, Jan, creating an immersive recording experience, Flying Cloud Studios, tucked away in the mountains of upstate New York. Evian (née Sam Owens) has hosted/produced/engineered a slew of artists in his home studio including Big Thief (Grammy-nominated for Certainty), Palehound, Kate Bollinger, Blonde Redhead, Helena Deland and more. Plunge is his fourth LP and first partnered with Thirty Tigers. Prior to Plunge, Evian has released three LPS; Premium (2016), You, Forever (2018), and Time to Melt (2021), as well as a handful of singles.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

723, Cuffing Season, Madisinn

723 (pronounced seven twenty three) is a genre bending music collective from the North Carolina piedmont. The group was founded in 2021 by trio: Tramaine Bowman (guitarist, pianist), “Space Sam” Gabriel Alvarez (producer, engineer, guitarist) and “Amara” Maxx Alvarez (singer). Throughout 2021 the trio would release 4 singles that would lay the groundwork for the trajectory of the group. The true beginning of 723 saw the release of fan favorite single “ALMOST MEANT TO BE” a playful uptempo ode to a love that could have been. Released on the first day of 2022, it defined a new era for the group which also saw the inclusion of brotherly duo Brandon and Brian Finch (bassist and drummer) With new direction the group set out to produce their debut project. Dividing their time between performing their first shows and recording from Tramaine’s kitchen in Hillsborough, The humble yet lively space in which the groups music is written and rehearsed. The group’s efforts came to fruition in August with the release of “BRIGHT LIGHTS” followed by a near sold out show at Chapel Hill’s Local 506. Met with overwhelmingly positive response the project served as a spring board for the band as they wasted no time on tackling their sophomore up project “To Keep You”, this time featuring Maxx “Amara” as front woman. “Where the songs from their first effort established an audio weightlessness, the five songs from 723’s latest release introduced gravity.” Wrote Dale Edwards, writer for The News of Orange County. “To Keep You” steps firmly into new sonic territory, the project relies heavily on drama and contrast, the cathartic belting vocal performances from Maxx supported by spastic and raw power chords and a heavy hitting rhythm section. It’s vulnerable yet aggressive, pleading for reciprocity while also damning the muse for their indifference, perfectly reflecting the inner turmoil of a love gone sour. Though still being a low-budget DIY production like their debut, it is a considerable step up in fidelity, ambition and creativity. Truly showcasing the band’s dedication to growth and song-craft. Mirroring their last project’s roll out “To Keep You” was followed up by a highly anticipated “home town” summer show at Motorco music hall on 7/23 day which saw more than 200 of 723’s listeners in attendance. With two projects under their belt, today 723 is gearing up for their third, this time placing focus on Gabriel “Space Sam” Alvarez’s songwriting.Spotify Cuffing Season is an emo band based in Durham, NC. Although emo is their core genre, their sound also takes influence from indie, pop, shoegaze and more. They’ve been playing for over 5 years and have played at many venues throughout NC. SpotifyMadisinn is the personal project of Madison Grifaldo. Madisinn began writing in her teenage bedroom while she was studying music in school. It wasn’t until leaving music school when she finally decided to create her personal project and release music. Madisinn’s work has been inspired by a blend of artistry from the 70s and the 90s including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Mazzy Star, The Cowboy Junkies and more. She just released her first studio EP “The Sun on My Skin” which was recorded and produced by her good friend Samuel Beasley. Right now, she is writing and planning on recording new material further into the new year.Spotify

MAE

From the moment of their inception, MAE have existed in the cross-sectional spaces of creation. Art and innovation. Intricacy and accessibility. Beauty and chaos. Head and heart. Theirs was a meticulous crafting of soundscapes; painstakingly deliberate and blissfully spontaneous.This multidimensional juxtaposition formed the friction point that sparked the creation of their now-classic early releases (2003’s Destination: Beautiful and 2005’s The Everglow), as well as the flame that guided their continued exploration throughout the ensuing decade (Capitol debut, Singularity, and the self-released Morning, Afternoon and Evening E.P.s). Attempts to categorize the band’s sound were made regularly and typically culminated in a hyphenated variation of the nebulous “emo” catch-all. But, the defining thread of MAE’s creation was their uncanny ability to find the heartstrings of the listener and make them resonate with a sympathetic hum.However, within those juxtapositions lay a deeper revelation of MAE’s creative direction, a foreshadowing, perhaps. It was there if you listened closely—a tension within the manuka honey melodies, a yearning in the empty spaces, a kicking at the goads of limitation within the pre-determined structures. It was a longing for transcendence, not only of genre, but of consciousness—and not only of consciousness, but of perception. It was the entire reason and impetus behind the name, an acronym for “Multisensory Aesthetic Experience,” the evolving theory that enveloped drummer, Jacob Marshall’s foray into academia.It’s no accident that MAE’s fourth studio LP bears the self-fulfilling prophecy of their namesake. Multisensory Aesthetic Experience, the band’s first full-length release in nearly a decade, is the arguable realization of their aspirations since conception. There is a liberation that occurs within the first few notes of the album, an untethering of the straight jacket of expectations. Categories are tossed back to the game shows where they belong, and the music becomes music, gloriously expansive, explorative, and addictively melodic.The album dips and crescendos moment to moment, song to song with seamless ferocity. From the DMT-infused retro-space odyssey groove of “Kaleidoscope,” to the Byrne-esque mayhem of “The Overview,” to the contemplative hypnosis of “Simple Words,” it quickly becomes apparent that the heart-strings are no longer merely resonating; they’re playing full melodies that deftly counterbalance the compositions. The resulting experience is one that is visceral, impassioned, expansive—and yes, transcendent. The anthemic dynamism of the album’s progression is such that it pushes the listener to the very cusp of the multisensory aspect for which they’ve been striving since the beginning.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Soundcloud

Próxima Parada / OliverHazard

Próxima ParadaPróxima Parada means ‘next stop’ in Spanish and Portuguese. As college students in San Luis Obispo, California taking the bus to school, at every stop they’d hear, “Now approaching, próxima parada…” 100 times a day. The name is an invitation to the present moment, a reminder to not be too focused on the destination and to appreciate every stop along the way.After ten years of next stops, their songs have become more and more focused on personal growth and groove, where each player adds just what’s needed and makes up a piece of a whole. Some songs are sunny and light-hearted indie soul, others have a late-Mac-Miller mellow vibe, all the while speaking to who they are working to be.What began as a group of college friends wanting to spread joy to their local community has led to national tours where people let loose and feel whatever they need to feel. It’s already been an incredible journey with their songs reaching a global audience online, and they’re just getting started. 2023 brings Próxima Parada’s strongest album to date and much touring.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | TikTokOliver HazardThe story of Waterville, OH indie-folk trio Oliver Hazard – Michael Belazis (vocals, guitar) and Devin East (vocals, guitar), joined by Nate Miner (keys, vocals) – is the digital age’s version of classic band mythmaking. One member of the band came home to Ohio after leading camping trips in California and decided to make an album with two childhood friends. They won a Facebook raffle to record one song at a studio. Instead, they played their whole album straight through once, resulting in their debut LP 34 N River (2018). The Fader called the album a “folk-pop masterpiece” and the band was booked at Bonnaroo and Mountain Jam shortly thereafter. In 2019, the band released their 6 track EP, The Flood, which Billboard called a “souvenir.” This brings the band to their sophomore, self-titled album (July 2023), featuring music from the band’s recent Northern Lights EP, plus five additional songs.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | TikTok

Mega Colossus

Mega ColossusWebsite | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeCrossed HeartsBandcampChildren of the ReptileBandcamp

Bendigo Fletcher

Lip Critic

Formed in 2018 in New York, Lip Critic is the project of Bret Kaser, Connor Kleitz, Daniel Eberle, and Ilan Natter. The band is comprised of two samplers, two drummers and vocals. Through their unconventional instrumentation, Lip Critic executes an eclectic blend of punk, hardcore, club, modernistic pop sounds, and structures without inhibition. Paired with eccentric grandstand-style vocals, Lip Critic delivers a uniquely engaging live performance that rivals the hyper-stylized production on their records. These performances are heavily focused on improvisation and experimentation, including extended and remixed versions of songs, as well as band members attaching portable lights to their bodies. Their projects include “Kill Lip Critic” in 2019, “Lip Critic II” in 2020 and “Lip Critic: Truth Revealed” in 2021.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | YouTube

Pure Bred Mutts, Sugaree String Society, Chris Chism

Chris Chism: WebsiteSugaree String Society: WebsitePurebred Mutts: Linktree

Merge 35 – 4 Day Pass

Merge 35 will take place July 24–27, 2024, in Carrboro, North Carolina. The 4-day festival will celebrate the music we love with an astounding lineup of more than 25 bands! Full-festival passes for Merge 35 will go on sale Friday, February 9, at 11 a.m. ET. The price of each pass is $289 plus tax & service fees (limit 2 passes per person) which will get you into all of our 35th anniversary events. Be aware that pass quantities are extremely limited, so no snoozin’! Not ready to go all in? A limited number of single-night tickets will be available at a later date. Stay tuned for more information including additional bands, daytime activities, and assorted hoopla, but trust us—this is a party you won’t want to miss! A Giant Dog Eric Bachmann Greg Cartwright (of Reigning Sound) The Clientele Destroyer Friendship Fruit Bats Hiss Golden Messenger Imperial Teen Mike Krol Lambchop Stephin Merritt and Claudia Gonson (of the Magnetic Fields) H.C. McEntire Carson McHone The New Pornographers Portastatic Previous Industries (Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave, and STILL RIFT) Quivers Redd Kross Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn Rosali Superchunk Mary Timony TORRES William Tyler Wye Oak Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok

Aaron Lee Tasjan

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, band leader, activist, and Grammy nominee. Aaron Lee Tasjan has been and continues to be all of these things. Over his past decade plus of writing, recording, producing, Tasjan has released four excellent and critically acclaimed solo albums, toured the world over on his own and as the guitarist in the New York Dolls. He co-founded and co-wrote all of the material for the band Semi Precious Weapons. In 2021 he was nominated for a Grammy for his writing on Yola’s “Diamond Studded Shoes” and most recently, Tasjan produced Mya Byrne’s album Rhinestone Tomboy (Kill Rock Stars Nashville) which helped to establish her as one of the first openly trans artists in Americana Music. He’s cultivated a brilliant and outstanding career to date already. But his forthcoming album Stellar Evolution (Blue Élan Records) is just what the title says. Tasjan’s new album is truly the sum of all of the parts of his diverse accomplishments to date while clearly heading in a brand-new direction. You can’t put any labels on Stellar Evolution except for it being a career defining work and a major leap forward for someone who’s never been afraid to push the boundaries of any and all expectations. As he set out to work on Stellar Evolution, Tasjan knew better than ever what was important to him. He’s been working his way towards a record like this since he first started making solo albums, with 2015’s In the Blazes. He stuck to an alt-country paradigm early in his career, though he knew that all of his favorite artists were the ones who broke out of their own boxes. His approach to that changed when he began to be more open about his queer identity. “I realized that part of being an artist means building a community. What do you want that community to look like? Who do you want to be a part of that community? As an artist, it’s your job to curate that, and to be a reflection of what you wanna see in the world,” he says. “I gradually got braver to share more and more of myself through each record, and the music just kinda had to follow suit.” Stellar Evolution is a record on which Tasjan’s songwriting is beholden to nothing — no expectations, and certainly no genre. Just the pure sense of wonder and discovery that had made him fall in love with music as a kid in Orange County, devouring it all with no understanding or care for what was “cool.” As he was writing, times became very dark for the queer community in the South. Bathroom bans and drag bans were enacted in Tennessee, while right-wing rhetoric around LGBT people became uglier and uglier. Tasjan knew this album needed to reflect the vibrant community that has become home to him. “You don’t wanna think that you live in a time where people are still so vocal about the hatred that they have for each other. But it’s something that I think we’re seeing the whole world over,” he says. “I felt like it was really important to let people know that they’re not alone, that we’re all in this fight together and that we see each other, and that we’re gonna do what this community always does, which is come together and have each other’s backs.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok

Genre: Miscellaneous