David Yockel, Jr.

The members of this Golden State quintet all met while growing up in Hawaii, but didn’t start their musical journey together until crossing paths again in Santa Barbara. Iration combines elements of indie rock and pop with a funky island vibe — the product is a truly alternative take on reggae. The group’s rastafied rhythms […]

Rob Garcia and Sarah Everton grew up in Philadelphia as fans of Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana, and, apparently, Levar Burton. The married couple started performing as a duo in March of 2008 under the moniker Reading Rainbow. This initial incarnation embraced the burgeoning lo-fi revolution, producing minimalistic indie rock imbued with heavy reverb. […]

This genre-defying five-piece formed at Goshen College in Indiana in 1999, and since that time has done everything in its power to prove the uselessness of musical categorization. A peerless approach to instrumental rock has earned Lotus a reputation as one of the country’s most intriguing live acts. Its style layers elements of jazz and […]

When a phoenix rises from its allegorical ashes, it does so as an exact copy of its predecessor. But, when members of renowned Rochester indie rock acts Abandoned Buildings Club (Sean McVay/Dan Reynolds) and Velvet Elvis (Randall Coon/Scott Donaldson) got together to begin their ascent, they had a whole other beast in mind. While King […]

With so much music to sift through in the digital age, how does a band find an audience? While I don’t have the ultimate answer, I’m pretty sure that originality is a prerequisite. Band name: Pickled Brain from Outer Space. Check. Genre description: sludgy instrumental surf music. Check. Ken Luk (guitar), Wyatt Kaidy (guitar), Hannah […]

What would “sunshine” pop sound like if it grew up on the west side of Cleveland, informed by the bitter winds of Lake Erie? Simple: Herzog. Nick Tolar and company’s mesmerizing power pop is driven by extremely well-crafted melodies echoed by chugging, warped guitars. The songs are colorful and urgent, bright with their moments of […]

Growing up in Tucson, Eddie Spaghetti did everything he could to shield himself from the country twang which surrounded him. In 1988, heavily influenced by punk and metal, he helped form the widely influential, incomparable garage-rock outfit, The Supersuckers. The following year the band found itself in Seattle, and part of a burgeoning underground music […]

Minnesota based singer-songwriter Mary Cutrufello has spent over 20 years in the music business. This Yale-educated country crooner’s forceful approach to Americana has garnered her respect throughout the genre and landed her spots playing with a list of legendary longhorns such as Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Billy Joe Shaver. She’s been on the Tonight Show […]

Laura Cortese grew up in the Bay Area but moved to Boston to study violin at the Berklee College of Music. She’s accompanied an impressive list of artists: Pete Seeger, Band of Horses, and Jocie Adams. But Cortese’s classical training is most intriguing when it acts as the backdrop for her own subtle, atmospheric soundscapes. […]

Since its 2000 inception, this Queens-based quartet has become a significant cog in the punk machine. After releasing its first four full-length albums on Chicago-based label, Victory Records, the band switched to Wind-up Records with the 2011 release of “Killing Time.” While the record continues to showcase the group’s alternative and pop foundation, it is […]

How many performers have starred in a film like “Boobsville Cabaret” and recorded a Wanda Jackson tribute album? I’ll go out on a limb and say one: Candye Kane. Kane’s oeuvre is the stuff of which sitcoms are made. Before she was an actress in the Golden Age of Porn, Kane was accepted into the […]