Doug Hream Blunt: Ride the Tiger

Amateur SF-based musician Doug Hream Blunt only made one EP and one LP, which he pressed himself, dropping them off in the “local artists” bins at record stores—but the lucky crate-diggers who gave the pretty obscure records a chance became hooked. The seemingly repetitive riffs and chord progressions, led by someone who never had formal education aside from a group class called “How to Form …

Beirut: Gibraltar

Set in a dreamscape-like, trash-filled version of Gibraltar, with its famed Rock nothing more than a purple landfill, Beirut’s brand new video (for the appropriately titled track “Gibraltar“) manages to be both charming and inventive. The track itself, off of the forthcoming album No No No, finds lead singer Zach Condon’s warm vocals resting atop keyboards and congo drums. It’s the second preview the band …

Alabama Shakes: Over My Head (Live at Capitol Studio A)

Alabama Shakes indeed shook things up with their sophomore album Sound & Color, which shows the southern rock band’s eagerness to experiment—to great success. In this live rendition of “Over My Head” a barefoot Brittany Howard lays down the guitar and puts her entire body and soul into the sparsely arranged song, which she’s called her favorite off the album in interviews. It stays quiet …