PLUS: Eight other artists you should give a listen to.  * EXPLICIT * (but just a tiny bit...)

Welcome, Indie music fans from around the world to Episode #35 of INDIEcent Exposure. I'm your host, the mongrel, and, as always, I'll be spinning you a wide selection of choice tracks from far flung locales and genres.

We speak with Michael Timmins of legendary alt-rock-country-blues-folk act Cowboy Junkies this past week as the band gets ready to do a micro Northeast U.S. tour.

Cowboy Junkies is a nearly 40-year collaboration between (left to right) Alan Anton, Peter Timmins, Margo Timmins, and Michael Timmins ; featured photo by Heather Pollock

Raccoon Raccoon; photo by Yoris, photographer.

Your ears did NOT deceive you if you thought you heard the voice of Michael Timmins during the cold open. This amazingly talented member of legendary alt-rock-blues-folk act Cowboy Junkies spoke with us this past week as the band gets ready to do a micro Northeast U.S. tour. We'll be hearing about 12 or 13 minutes of our talk on this episode, in addition to a couple tracks off their recent release, All that Reckoning, right here on this episode.

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Greylock Glass members at the Zinger level (a mere $5/month) have access toour full-length conversation with Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies. Your support is what allows us to keep this alternative newsthing alive, so please consider becoming a member at greylockglass.com/membership .

We'll get to our chat with Michael Timmins and the tunes in just a bit, but first, let's open this show with a group we've heard from before — Racoon Racoon, from France, by way of Los Angeles, has just released another single, "Thunderbird." And if I've been accused of not having a softer side, well, I guess featuring this track puts the lie to that notion. So wistful and sweet, you just about have either to start with it or end with it, so here's "Thunderbird," on INDIEcent Exposure.

A little like a tune out of time, right? Again that's "Thunderbird" by Racoon Racoon.

In this Episode

Racoon Racoon • "Thunderbird" • singleCowboy Junkies • "All That Reckoning Part 1" • All that ReckoningCowboy Junkies • "When We Arrive" • All that Reckoning Wes Buckley • "Golden Runner" • Dancing the Bliss Rad Trads • "Wishing Well" • On Tap Tanya Gallagher • "Dolphin in the Snow" • One Hand On My HeartLouis Ville • "Combien De Lunes" • EponymeTumbler • "Diamond In A Drawer" • Come to the EdgeFlowers For Jayne • "So Much Better" • singleLizzo • "Truth Hurts" • Truth Hurts, Dubmatix Pressure Remix

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Wes Buckley; photo by Jason Velázquez.

Now, if you're familiar with Cowboy Junkies, but haven't heard 2018's All that Reckoning, you're in for such a treat. I don't review many albums on this show, and I won't be reviewing this one, but I will say that the tracks on this release stack up to any album of originals they've released to date. If you don't know their work, you may want to pause this episode, pick up downloads of Pale Sun, Crescent Moon and The Trinity Session, have your mind blown, and then come on back. Or you could do that later and just enjoy the title track off this latest effort, "All that Reckoning, Part I."

Cowboy JunkiesNovember 9, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. Ridgefield Playhouse 80 East Ridge Road Ridgefield, Conn. November 10, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. The Egg Empire State Plaza Albany, New York

So much of Cowboy Junkies signature smokiness in that one, and it only gets better from there. As I mentioned, Michael generously gifted us about 30 minutes of his time, and I've selected some of his answers to questions that are compact enough to present in a block. Much of the conversation was back and forth that really showed a lot of the personality behind the lyrics, and I hope you get a chance to hear it. I started off with the obvious question: What's Cowboy Junkies origin story?

We've been together for a little over 30 years and Alan [Anton] and I worked together before that for about seven or eight years in other bands, so we've been playing music together for over 40 years.— Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies(Please listen to the podcast for the full answer.)

Three, going on four decades is a long time, not just to be a band, but to be a band with the same lineup pretty much the entire time, and not taking any real hiatus to speak of. How do you DO that? Without killing each other?

You know, it's hard to know that exactly, but we definitely get on each other's nerves you know. Like any band on the road, we get on each other's nerves. It's like any people right? — Michael Timmins(Please listen to the podcast for the full answer.)

All Cowboy Junkies' travels and trials and trials have brought them to this place, and wherever this place in time and space is, it's a point of reckoning. I asked Mr. Timmins how we were supposed to interpret the word "reckoning."

...reckoning is, of course, taking stock, you know. There's that side of it where it's a looking back and taking stock of things and reassessing and looking at one's life or what's gone before. There's also a reckoning in the sense of a comeuppance, you know, basically you're paying the bill.— Michael Timmins(Please listen to the podcast for the full answer.)

Even for groups who've established themselves, a fair amount of pressure tends to exert itself from outside influences — both artistic and commercial. Mr. Timmins suggested that Cowboy Junkies resolve to stay true to their own ideals may have had a role in attracting such a fiercely loyal following over the years.

We were very, very aware of outside influences and keeping people outside of our circle. I think you could talk to anybody who dealt with us as a band on the business side, and they would say that we were not very open to them—I mean, we weren't not open to suggestions, but we'd take a suggestion, then we'd go away and make a decision, and come back and tell them.— Michael Timmins(Please listen to the podcast for the full answer.)

There's no question that many of the lyrics within "All that Reckoning" seem to resonate especially powerfully in this social and political climate. I wanted to know what it is about his songwriting that still manages intimacy even when the subject matter encompasses current events and issues.

As far as songs are concerned, I find that if there's something that's a bit too pointed, or tries to force the listener to look in a certain direction or or to experience something specifically from the songwriter's perspective, there are some exceptions, but generally I find those songs don't last, they don't work. They might be very exciting and work in the moment, but in the long run they don't, and I feel we sort of approach the music from a very long term idea, as far as the music is concerned. And I just feel like the songs that have a personal side...if I'm getting if I'm getting a bit too, for lack of better word, political, I want to somehow bend that so that there's a personal side to it...To me that's more interesting and also it allows the listener into the song.— Michael Timmins(Please listen to the podcast for the full answer.)

Turns out that Cowboy Junkies has a long history of performance in Western Mass, albeit in the Five Colleges area of the Pioneer Valley. I did my best to put a bug in Michael's ear about all the great performance opportunities in the Berkshires these days.

For sure! That area is beautiful. North Hampton, from very early, early days, was a real spot for us, the Iron Horse being one of those classic and iconic spots that, for us when we first played there, was fantastic. So yeah, we've been to that area lot—we love it. Yeah, sure. And festivals, especially in that area, would be fantastic.— Michael Timmins(Please listen to the podcast for the full answer.)

The Rad Trads, On Tap

Well, even if we can't get Cowboy Junkies to add a date in the Berks on this tour, it's really not much of a struggle to get to the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Conn on November 9th, or, even closer, The Egg in Albany, New York on November 10th. I'll be sure to put a link in the shownotes to their tour page, so you can get all the details. And, to get you primed, let's have one more track off their new release, All that Reckoning; this one's called "When We Arrive."

Tanya Gallagher

I guess I tend to lean pretty heavily towards strong songwriting in this show. Not that I don't hold up great musicianship, because I definitely try to do that, too, but I'm just such a sucker for a good wordsmith. And our next artist is a singer/songwriter who is very much on the rise as he attracts attention both from music lovers and industry insiders. And it's my own personal extreme good fortune that this musician is, in fact, based in the Berkshires of Western Mass. I got to sit down with Wes Buckley and his cats at his home in Pittsfield last week, and although we'll be hearing much more of that interview on next week's show, I thought I'd tease you with a snippet of our talk and a track off his soon to be released album, Dancing the Bliss. The song, "Golden Runner" is just one in a collection of songs that wade into the light and dark pools of human connection.

Wes Buckley // Erin DurantFriday, November 8, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. Lichtenstein Center For Arts28 Renne AvenuePittsfield, Mass.Admission: $10

Louis Ville, Eponyme

Again, that was "Golden Runner" off Wes Buckley's upcoming release, Dancing the Bliss, out in November. And if you're in or around Western Massachusetts on Friday, November 8,

From the Crystal Hardhat to Museum of Dog, 55 Union Street has known it's share of weirdness and wildness. Now, reanimated as the region's premier mid-sized music and comedy venue, HiLo North Adams is already winning the hearts, minds, and ears of North County.

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The newly revealed original exterior of 55 Union; photo and effects by Jason Velázquez.

PLUS: Six other artists you should be listening to.  * EXPLICIT *

Welcome, my INDIEcent legions of new music addicts, to episode number 33 of INDIEcent Exposure. I am you host the mongrel — every bit as INDIEcent on the inside as I am on the out. You may be wondering, ”What the hell have I signed up for with this episode? Is the mongrel going to push some history lesson on us? Nahhh…well, actually yes and no.

What I really have in store for you is the long-awaited conversation with Kevin Connelly, lyricist and lead singer of the Iron Age Mystics — a band that perfectly personifies my own pissed-offedness with the system, except that they manage to channel my rage against the machina into coherent, harmonic anthems of resistance. Genuinely ass-kicking, politically aware Rock ’n’ Roll is so rare these days, you may feel subversive just humming the melodies once they get stuck in your head.

In this Episode

Iron Age Mystics • "Save It for the Revolution" • Pride Before The FallIron Age Mystics • "What Ya Gonna Do about It" • Pride Before The Fall Tanya Gallagher • "Dark Side" • One Hand On My Heart Brandon Perry • "Across the Way" • Night and Day Pilgrim Speakeasy • "Plan D" • Freak DecoRad Trads • "My Place" • On TapRacoon Racoon • "Dawn Chorus" • The Dodo's NestMarti West • "Give Me Light" • single

You can go back and read my review of their latest release, attached to Episode #29, but you’ll really get more out of hearing Connelly describe, in his own words, why the Iron Age Mystics have put out a collection of tracks almost guaranteed to put a watch order on their activities. The explanation is simple: freedom-loving artists have a responsibility to plant their art on the right side of history.

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I’m going to do something kinda weird with this episode. I’ve never done this, but, because there’s kind of a flow to the discussion, instead of selecting some of the most delicious quotes my guest utters and sprinkling throughout the show (and Connelly utters rather a lot of very quotable things), instead of doing that, I’m going to play the first half of my conversation with Connelly during this episode. After you get finished with the episode, you’ll be plenty primed to hear more of our talk. kind of a method to the madness I know you’ll enjoy. I promise you: if our discussions of the military industrial complex and mass surveillance and warmed-over Machiavellian manipulation that we get into during the first half of the interview got your nads tingling, the second half of our discussion will convince you that the underground has returned and our jams are way better than anything oozing out of the MSM feeds. 

Before we take that deep dive down that political rabbit hole of empire and oppression, let’s get into the spirit of dissent with a track I thought about saving for later, but couldn’t muster the willpower, so let’s have a listen to “Save It for the Revolution” right here on INDIEcent Exposure.

Iron Age Mystics

Interview with Kevin Connelly

If you listened to the first half during the episode, continue at 22 minutes.

Remember to go back to listen to Part II of my conversation with Kevin Connelly via the embedded audio player in the show notes. Just look for the embedded player in the shownotes under the bands name. You can pick up right where we left off at just about 22 minutes in.

So…inspiring stuff, right? Kevin’s like a motivational speaker for dissidents. With vocal cords of steel. And there, threaded throughout the conversation is the implied question, “You see what’s at stake, now what are you going to do about it.” Well, the Iron Age Mystics aren’t going to assume that you’re good at taking hints, so here they are again, asking that very question, in this next track, “What Ya Gonna Do about It?”

Ahhh. Man. If I could manage to write an entire album like Pride Before the Fall, I’d be like “Mic Drop! Okay, where’s my check? That was my contribution to saving civilization — Imma go sit on a tropical beach now.”

Seriously though. These songs are food for the rebellion against authoritarianism that is, even now, spreading across the globe. So, yeah, absolutely click the link in the show notes to the Iron Age Mystic’s website. Absolutely pick up a copy of the album. But just as importantly, if these tunes quicken your blood and you find yourself saying, “Yeah. That’s right. Not one inch farther, motherfuckers,” then I urge you — share this music with friends who need an insurrection injection right about now. Remember, when you’re fighting psychological warfare, you need psychological defenses — Pride Before the Fall is like a musical mithril shield of sanity against the hourly onslaught of lies and horror.

I could go on, but seriously, listen to the rest of the interview, grab your copy of of the album, and experience it for yourself.

We turn now in the bottom half of the show to more music, and quite a bit of new music. We’ll hear a track off Brandon Perry’s new release, Night and Day, titled “Across the Way.”

Tanya Gallagher

First though, I am so happy to report that just this week, the good news showed up in my inbox that Tanya Gallagher has just dropped her second album, One Hand on My Heart. If you listen to our American Roots music podcast, the Cornbread Cafe, you’ve enjoyed some of her delicious songwriting and singing already in Episode #1 and Episode #8. No reason some of those tracks wouldn’t fit on INDIEcent Exposure, really, but with this album, I knew instantly that I had to spin a couple of songs here. A native of the Florida Panhandle, Gallagher moved to Vancouver, BC where she got her PhD in Forestry. We ran across her debut album, Virginia, right about the time she was getting ready to move back down South. 

And how time flies. Her time back home seems to have been good to her. The poetry of her new tunes are every bit as delectable, and some of them possess a clear-eyed edginess that suits her voice and guitar work really well. Let’s have a listen right now to “Dark Side” off One Hand on My Heart, from Tanya Gallagher.

Again, that was Tanya Gallagher, with “Dark Side” from her new album, One Hand on My Heart. Before that we heard “Across the Way” from Brandon Perry. We’ll be hearing more from both artists I can just about guarantee.

Brandon Perry

Details about him are pretty slim beyond the note “I hope you like guitars” in his press kit. He also runs Wandering Robot Studios in Austin, Texas, so if we have any listeners in that music epicenter, maybe you can give us a shout and doxx him a little for us. In a good way, though — we don’t want to know about any sordid dirt you may have on him. Again, that was Tanya Gallagher, with “Dark Side” from her new album, One Hand on My Heart. Before that we heard “Across the Way” from Brandon Perry. We’ll be hearing more from both artists I can just about guarantee.

In this next set, we’ll be hearing from one of my very best discoveries of 2018, the Rad Trads, who bring us “My Place” from their 2018 release, On Tap. And I’ll share some very exciting news for Indie music lovers in the Northeast this week after I spin that track.

Up next, though, we’ll hear from Pilgrim Speakeasy, a band that seems like it may have gone into hibernation since their 2016 release, Freak Deco. Billing themselves as “the World's Foremost Eclecto-Funk-World-Rock-Electro-Folk-Anomaly,” Pilgrim Speakeasy hails from Finland and London and consists of Roger Roge, Panu Mölsä [Muhrlseh] (Bass, Ukulele), Markus Mulkahainen (Drums & Percussion). I think I’ve said it before — I’d need a daily podcast to cover all the amazing Indie music new that comes across my desk, but this band is really a delight the deserves to be heard. We’ll start with the track, “Plan D,” from Freak Deco and see if we can’t work in more tunes from them in upcoming episodes.

Pilgrim Speakeasy

Billing themselves as “the World's Foremost Eclecto-Funk-World-Rock-Electro-Folk-Anomaly,” Pilgrim Speakeasy hails from Finland and London and consists of Roger Roge, Panu Mölsä [Muhrlseh] (Bass, Ukulele), Markus Mulkahainen (Drums & Percussion). I think I’ve said it before — I’d need a daily podcast to cover all the amazing Indie music new that comes across my desk, but this band is really a delight the deserves to be heard. We’ll start with the track, “Plan D,” from Freak Deco and see if we can’t work in more tunes from them in upcoming episodes.

“My Place” from the Rad Trads, off this past Autumn’s LP OnTap, released by Hornblow Recordings, a label that might ring a bell if you’re fan of Moon Hooch, whom  we’ve featured in the past. 

As they describe their music, it’s “rock n’ roll mixe[d] with punk rock energy, horn drenched soul, and jazz precision, all with a lighthearted but sincere delivery.”

Rad Trads

The Rad Trads explain in their bio that, “meeting at New York University in 2012 as conservatory-trained instrumentalists looking to play with NYC’s best musicians, twin brothers John (Drums, Vocals) and Michael Fatum (Trumpet, Vocals), Michael Harlen (Bass, Vocals), Alden Harris-McCoy (Guitar, Vocals), and Patrick Sargent (Keys, Saxophone, Vocals). They were, according to John Fatum, just “a bunch of buds looking to play the bars and drink for free,” at the time, according to John Fatum. “The Rad Trads,” he said, “started off with a bastardized jazz repertoire that was modified, on stage, into whatever seemed to get the audience moving.”

And here’s the great news — They’re on tour promoting On Tap right now, and if you’re in the Northeast, you have a few great chances to see them in mid-August (now I realize this is a podcast, and you may be listening to this show years from now, but for the sake of argument, let’s say it’s Summer of 2019 at the moment. If you’re listening much later than that, well,

PLUS: Eight other artists you should be listening to right now.  * EXPLICIT *

Zodiak, playing Philadelphia in 2017; photo courtesy Zodiak.

Welcome, lovers of Indie music the world over, to Episode number 32 of INDIEcent Exposure. I am the mongrel. And I have a massive show for you, so I’m going to keep the chatter to just a shred of my usual monologue. Listen to the episode and then SUBSCRIBE through Apple Podcasts or Google Play Music.

In this Episode

Amanie Illfated • "The Hills" • Saturn (10/2018 release)Armonite • "Blue Curaçao" • And The Stars AboveZodiak • "Waiting on U" • Basement Brew Zodiak • "Don't Be Debbie" • Basement Brew V Sparks • "The Game Of Everybody Knows Its You" • Moderne LifeCorporate Christ • 'Dead in My Head" • The PornographerDay Bled Ion • "Orbiting Nothing" • ShufflerJohnny Punish • "Way Too Cool" • The Strange Story of Johnny Punish Vol. 2Motel Pines • "Sincerest Apologies" • A Sad HistoryMikalyn Hay • "Mirror" • 12:15

One of the very special treats I have for you is actually kind of a retroactive clip of shame for me. I suffered a crash maybe a year and some ago and was sure that an interview I was wicked excited to record was lost forever. This week, cleaning out some back-up folders I came across a recovered mp3 of my conversation with a new icon of the DMV scene, Zodiak.

The recording required a bit of cleanup, and references to dated events have been edited out, but I knew I couldn’t wait another week to present it to you, along with two amazing tracks off their 2016 release Basement Brew. Humbly, with my mongrel tail between my legs, I offer my sincerest apologies to Zodiak, who deserved this feature long ago.

I think before we get to that interview, though, and their song “Waiting on Us” from that album, I’m gonna get our collective ears fired up with two tracks that hit my inbox just this week.

Armonite

Armonite. Amazing. Kind of like if Kansas had formed in Italy instead of, well, Kansas; photo courtesy Armonite

We’ll cock an ear towards Italy and have a taste of the track “Blue Curaçao, by Armonite off their new release, And the Stars Above. Composer Paolo Fosso and violinist Jacopo Bigi have known each other since they were were in bands together as teenagers, but split up for about fifteen years before applying their classical training to their reunified endeavor. I know you’re going to be blown away by their sound, and since I know you’re going to want to find out more about them, I’ve got links to their site in the show notes. But you knew I’d say that. I do that for all the artists on this show.

Armanie Illfated releases Saturn October, 2018; photo courtesy Armanie Illfated.

Amanie Illfated

First though we’re going to hear from Toronto-based Amanie Illfated who shared a track off her soon to be released album, Saturn. Born in South Sudan, Amanie is an activist, writer and model who who uses her platform to improve the lives of at-risk women and girls, as well as focus attention of the humanitarian issues in her native homeland. So let’s get things going with Amanie Illfated’s, “The Hills,” here on INDIEcent Exposure.

Amazing talent, right? And just awesome folks, too. Hopefully, the next time I hear from them, I’ll find out that they’ve got another release scheduled. If so, I’ll be sure to get it out there to you before I crash again.

V Sparks has all the grit AND glamour of a late 70's / early 80s power band. But they're hot today. Which is why you can listen via the Interwebs; photo courtesy V Sparks.

V Sparks

Amazing talent, right? And just awesome folks, too. Hopefully, the next time I hear from them, I’ll find out that they’ve got another release scheduled. If so, I’ll be sure to get it out there to you before I crash again.

This next artist is another reunited story. And yeah, it sounds. So. Good. Guitarist Prescott Kagan and vocalist/keyboardist Alan Lewis formed V Sparks back in 2005, took the Chicago music scene by storm with epic performances and a few releases of their deliciously updated take on glam rock before parting in 2011. In 2016, they announced that Lewis would be rejoining the band, and that new material was forthcoming. Their just released, album, Moderne Life, is nothing short of mindblowing. You can detect DNA from an assortment of house-hold name bands in the grooves, and it’s all skillfully riveted together with their own original essence.

Let’s have a listen to “The Game Of Everybody Knows Its You,” and you’ll get what I mean.

Day Bled Ion

"Day Bled Ion is an eight EP project by musician and artist Daniel Body. Each EP begins as the album art and the 5 songs for each are an expression of their corresponding covers."  Image courtesy Day Bled Ion.

When I heard this release, I thought, I want be at V Sparks show just prior to a midnight premier of the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” on November 2nd. Is that too much to ask?

So I have a favor to ask…and no, don’t freaking forward button through this. This is easy. I want you to help me reach listeners all. Over. Planet. Earth. I want you to share a link to this episode on your socials, but don’t just copy and paste. TAG SOMEONE you know would like one of the songs in this show, and name the artist in your post.

See, the tracks I play in these episodes are some of the absolute best tunes I’ve ever heard anywhere, and I’m an old fuck, so that’s saying something. You helping this podcast go viral could launch one of these bands to stardom. Or at least keep them from having to eat Ramen for a couple of months. You could be the hero of this story. And when some artist is quaffing Moet on a 68th floor balcony after playing the Meadowlands, they’ll be raising their fishbowl to you. Whadya say? Share and share alike?

Corporate Christ

Corporate Christ  has earned the right to create music that flows like broken glass through your veins. Learn more about the artist at his site; photo courtesy Corporate Christ.

In this next set, we’ll hear “Orbiting Nothing,” by Day Bled Ion off their 2016 release, Shuffler. Musician, cyber-journalist, and proud social justice warrior Johnny Punish gives us “Way Too Cool” from The Strange Story of Johnny Punish, Vol. 2 and we’re going to start it off with “Dead in My Head,” off the 2015 release from Corporate Christ, The Pornographer. Oh…and that “Explicit” rating on this episode—might have something to do with this tune.

The Motel Pines

I have to say this. Every human has a story to tell. Musician’s tales tend to have juicier details and wilder plot twists than most, for some reason, and I don’t want anyone to think that just because I spend a minute talking about one band on an episode, that I won’t circle back around to going into the backstory of another band on another show. Honestly, I wish I could do full interviews with them all. But I guess that’s why I have shownotes. Go to greylockglass.com and find the post for this episode. At a minimum, I have links to band websites or social media pages, and I update the notes with new info as I get it pretty frequently.

Sometime you want need that old school feel. Image courtesy the Motel Pines.

AND you can request more info. Want me to interview an artist you’ve heard on this show? Use the Contact form to send me an e-mail asking for fuller coverage of them, and I’ll reach out to the musician and see if I can’t make it happen.

Mikalyn Hay

Mikalyn Hay—another amazing musician who makes us wonder what kind of potion they put in the water up in Canada; photo courtesy Mikalyn Hay via Facebook.

To put the wraps on this episode, I am thrilled to bring back wunderkind, Mikalyn Hay, who garnered a lot of praise from you all for “The Devil You Know,” off her 2018 release, 12:15 that I played last episode. Every tune off the album is a gem, so I thought I’d bring her back again so you could hear “Mirror.” Now, Mikalyn and I have been in touch about getting an interview scheduled, and time keeps slipping away from us. With a little luck, I can catch her before she goes platinum and doesn’t have time for lowly podcasters. Right now though, we’ll hear from act that I can NOT believe I haven’t played for you yet. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, here is The Motel Pines, offering “Sincerest Apologies” off 2017’s A Sad History.

Welcome brothers and sisters, to Episode #31 of INDIEcent Exposure, in which we share new music from, and our conversation with, Halie Loren, who's just released a solo effort, "From the Wild Sky." As if that weren't enough, we also feature tunes from Mikalyn Hay, Paper City Exile, The Slang, He Is Me, Onism EV, CATFOX, Bryan Deister, and Parsonsfield.

* See note on info sources at bottom.

The long-awaited solo project from Halie Loren, "From the Wild Sky," dropped at the end of April. Our obsession with these eleven tracks shows no sign of letting up; photo by Sally Sheldon.

Halie Loren

Check out her Kickstarter story — this is how you do it, baby!

From Halie Loren's bio:

Authenticity and connection have been essential roots of the artistic growth of Halie Loren. Whether injecting the American Songbook with old-school soul, or finding a familiar thread of nostalgia in newly-penned originals, the Alaskan-born, award-winning singer/songwriter continues to find new ways to bridge cultures and musical genres.

INTERVIEW — Listen to the full-length conversation with this player

Halie Loren is truly an international artist. Like her multi-lingual recordings that transcend cultural borders, her art transcends musical genres via a common thread that weaves a rich tapestry. That tapestry connects her original works with pop-smart jazz, flowing into blues, soul and contemporary compositions that are universal, yet deeply personal.

“For the past few years, I have felt more and more drawn to the idea of putting my songwriter self out there in a much bigger way, as a 100% personal form of expression,” explains Loren. “When I write, it's all about the story and the feelings behind it, but never about the particular style in which it takes shape.”

Halie Loren seizes the opportunity presented by her solo release to project some radical honesty, drawing from both personal and observed experience; photo by Bob Williams.

The result is art in an eclectic form, with soulful compositions reflecting wounded defiance, stubborn love and hard-earned hopefulness. Her voice connects to the soul of her song writing, reminding us that there is always beauty to be found, even in the most painful experiences. That powerful personal connection is the driving force behind From the Wild Sky, Halie’s latest and most ambitious album to date. The album, produced by Troy Miller, features 10 original compositions, as well as a stunning rendition of Roberto Livi’s "A Mi Manera."

“The songs on the album speak to some very meaningful, transformational moments in my life, some of which were inspired from experiencing new discoveries, love and deep loss,” Halie says. “It feels like the most risk-taking and honest art that I've ever created, reflecting my spirit and my personal story in a very revealing way.”

Featured in this Episode:Mikalyn Hay • “Devil You Know” • 12:15Paper City Exile • “Watch Your Step” • Paper City ExileHalie Loren • “Roots” • From the Wild SkyHalie Loren • “Well Loved Woman” • From the Wild SkyThe Slang • “Ballad Of Everything” • MixesHe Is Me • “Let It Drip” • singleOnism EV • “In the Shadow” • ReachBridget Kearney • “Love Doctor” • Won't Let You DownCATFOX • “The Ballad of the Cat Fox” • Thank You, I Love You, I'm SorryBryan Deister • “Silent Screams” • Spines of the HeartParsonsfield • “Kick Out The Windows” • WE 

Mikalyn Hay

Events

Mikalyn Hay; 12:15, 741607 Records DK, 2017.

Mikalyn is a unique artist, old soul and world weary and yet so young and fresh. She comes at every song with a deep sense of herself as an artist with an alternative view of what is cool and classic in the same breath. Her haunting voice and melodies and harmonies are instinctive and Mikalyn operates at a speed and capacity at a level much beyond her young age. Mikalyn combines this natural ability with relentless learning and is constantly seeking to collaborate and study from the best. Already a seasoned performer, she spends weekend jamming at open mics accompanying herself on the keys doing originals and covers ranging from Radiohead to Cohen. In 2017 Mikalyn released 16 original songs that have garnered critical acclaim in songwriting contests around the world and have been played to audiences around the world in Indie stations.

Paper City Exile

Events

Paper City Exile released their self-titled debut LP in Spring of 2017.

​Excerpted from:"Young rockers Paper City Exile play Holyoke"by Hunter Styles, Aug 8, 2016Valley Advocate

"Musicians, like all of us, hold a few personal details close to the chest. For local rockers Paper City Exile, the little secret is hardly a secret: the three of them are still in high school. That’s bound to surprise many of the listeners who check out the band’s new EP, Living in the Know. The thick guitar riff and snapping drum line that open the first track, “Still Smiling,” set a mood that’s both gritty and crisp, like upbeat Nirvana with a dash of The Kinks."

Dan Conway, Jack Silverman, and Zeno Quinn

are Paper City Exile.

Dan ~ lead vocals, guitar, and keyboards

Zeno ~ bass guitar and upright bass.

​Jack ~ drums

Bare bones, up-beat, and to the point. These three phrases accurately describe the music they made from 2015-2017.

Halie Loren

Events

The songwriter’s journey is two-fold, a path that moves inward toward the self and outward to embrace the wide world, coming full circle in the final, compressed form of a song — three or four minutes of exquisitely crafted sound that speaks to our better angels, and sometimes our not so better. Music is the soundtrack of the lonely soul’s reckonings. It is a hard-won melody, a poetry conjured and charted and breathed forth into thin air like a celestial map of laughter and tears, love and loss. And hope.

In a very real sense, singer/songwriter Halie Loren has come full circle. Her latest album, From the Wild Sky, is not just the culmination of a recent flurry of work but, in fact, the culmination of years making music. As her first collection of original songs since her debut album, 2006’s Full Circle, the new album represents a maturation that is also a return to the deepest roots of her creativity. Loren’s decade-plus career, represented by nine excellent albums and an international reputation as a top-notch musician and gifted vocalist, has led her exactly to this moment in time.

The Slang

Events

The title of the The Slang's 2016 EP (Night and Day) refers to a number of differences the band experienced since the debut EP was recorded.

The Slang is an alternative/rock band consisting of duo John Bobo and John Newsome.  Their musical talents have earned them invitations to several premier music conferences including MPMF, NXNE, IPO and CMJ.

In addition, the sounds of The Slang have been used in various mainstream outlets including HBO, USA network, and Troma Films.  The band’s first self-titled EP mixed by Mark Needham (The Killers, Tokyo Police Club, The Toxic Airborne Event) and mastered by Brian Lucey (The Black Keys, Arctic Monkeys) had solid success throughout the US with over 50+ CMJ stations playing tracks from the EP as well as numerous industry write-ups, both stateside and abroad.

The Slang’s path is anything other than typical for a rock band.  Lead Singer John Bobo turned down becoming an FBI Special Agent in order to focus on music and record the band’s debut EP.  With the momentum and success from the first EP, The Slang headed back to the studio in 2015 for the follow up EP.

The new EP’s title (Night and Day) refers to a number of differences the band experienced since the debut EP was recorded.  The band went from a three-piece to a duo and decided to change the scenery by recording in Nashville versus New York City.  Recorded at the Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, TN, it highlights the talents of songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist John Bobo and Bassist John Newsome.  The band had the additional privilege of having Miles McPherson (Kelly Clarkson, Paramore) accompanying them on the drums and Matt Slocum (Sixpence None the Richer) with strings.

He Is Me

Events

"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together." - John Lennon

"He Is Me" is a collaboration between Portland based songwriter and musician/producer Casey Braunger and Calgary, AB based songwriter/vocalist Steve Moore. He Is Me explores the beauty of the void in us all and what lies beneath with vast soundscapes, crushing atmosphere, gripping lyrical content, and pure emotion.

Casey and Steve first collaborated on a 2001 track called "Silencer". Fast forward to 2016, when Casey reached out to Steve about guest vocals on a new song. Steve liked it so much that they decided to form a new project with the intention of covering musical territory they hadn't covered before. This project would be ambient, brooding, unpredictable.

Casey Braunger, a Portland, Oregon based musician/songwriter/producer started playing bass at the age of 13, shortly after that he began learning any instrument he could get his hands on. He’s played in various punk, metal, blues, industrial, and electronic bands in his career.

In 1999 he started his solo music project “Textile Arcade," while he was an audio engineer for an advertising agency. Textile Arcade featured many guests as vocalists throughout both the U.S. and Canada.

Steve Moore is a Canadian vocalist/musician. He has worked with prog rock/industrial metal duo The Unravelling (vocals - 2009 - 2015), downtempo electronic project Post Death Soundtrack (vocals, guitar - 2008 - present) industrial/ambient duo He Is Me (vocals - 2016 - present), and hardcore metal group Inner Surge (as the project founder - 2001 - 2008).

Onism EV

Events

Christian Votion and Eline Chavez of Onism EV; submitted photo.

Award-winning BDSM documentary film screening at Images 10/16

A screenshot from the Indie BDSM documentary, "The Training of Poe," showing at Images Cinema October 16; image via Vimeo.

"The Training of Poe" is Bella's BDSM documentary film that came out early 2017 and has since won 2 honorable mentions at Seattle Erotic Cinema Film Festival and a "feminist porn award" at The Toronto International Porn Film Festival. Official selection for the Jim Thorpe Independent film festival, sex workers fest in SF and shown at Hampshire College, Oberlin College and The University of Chicago.

Music heard on this show:

"Treat Her Right/Brought You Down"

by Paper City Exile

off self-titled debut LP

Bella Vendetta; submitted photo.

Bella Vendetta is a 15 year veteran of the adult industry. She formally trained at the world's oldest BDSM training chateau, and went on to run Her own old guard leather household and dungeon and has worked in dungeons all over the country. A leader in the kink community, event organizer and workshop leader Bella has spoken to groups in Colleges and Universities as well as New England Leather Alliance, WMPE, Hampshire College, Rutgers University, Beth Israel Hospital, Williams College and many more. Over a decade of experience in the kink lifestyle has given Her a wealth of knowledge to speak about a variety of subjects such as safe sane and consensual ways to practice BDSM.

"Training of Poe" trailer

!!! NSFW !!! Mature Audiences only.

Training of Poe Trailer NSFW from Beautiful Revenge Productions on Vimeo.

"The Training of Poe" follows Trans 100 recipient and multiple AVN nominated Chelsea Poe as she travels to the mlountains of western Massachusetts for an intense multiple day slave training at the House of Vendetta.

The film showcases consent, communication, nudity, rope bondage, diet control, diary keeping, aftercare, pre scene negotiation, safewords, waterplay, pain, humiliation and more in an old guard traditional leather household.

See TrainingofPoe.tumblr.com for more info on screenings, stills, reviews trailers and more

upcoming screenings at:

Images Cinema Oct 16th

presale tickets: TrainingofPoeImages.eventbrite.com

Eastworks in Easthampton MA Oct 21st

TrainingofPoeEastworks.eventbrite.com

and Nov 11th at Kinkycon in NH Kinkyconnh.com

Additional Links

Instagram.com/BellaVendetta

Twitter.com/BellaVendetta

facebook.com/Beautifulrevengeproductions

BellaRegretta.tumblr.com

Buy the film

full download:

https://vuier.com/v/the-training-of-poe

individual scenes for sale at: www.clips4sale.com/77669

Or watch it streaming: https://www.pinklabel.tv/on-demand/film/training-poe-part-1-full-film/?CA=934717-0000&PA=2590775

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(photo: JT Nero and Allison Russell, creative core of Birds of Chicago; submitted photo)

Iron Age Mystics • Birds of Chicago • Bitter's Kiss • Joe Mansman and The Midnight Revival Band

Birds of Chicago—Winter Migration

In this episode, we speak with JT Nero, who, along with Allison Russell, makes up the creative core of intracontinental Roots treasure: Birds of Chicago. We hear "Barley," "Dim Star of the Palisades," and "Kinderspel" (Child's Game) from their 2016 release, Real Midnight.

When we first made contact, JT and the band were making their way East in the bus, just passing through Gary, Indiana. Headed for the Word Cafe Live in Philly, the first stop on their 2017 tour, JT talked about where the creative fire all comes from, the band's origin story, their latest release, "Real Midnight," and what's in store for fans later this year (hint: summer release).

With limited East Coast dates on this tour, you're probably going to want to grab tickets now. if you want to see Birds of Chicago live (and you DO want to see Birds of Chicago live—I have it on good authority that the full band is on that bus). If you're a citizen of Greylock Nation, either the few openings left at The Parlor Room in Northampton, Mass., or at Hudson, New York's landmark venue Club Helsinki Hudson are probably your best bet. Of course, The West Coast dates are none too shabby, so if Spring in SoCal or Santa Cruz seems like a sweet dream to you, Birds of Chicago would make for one fine soundtrack.

And check out the Birds of Chicago YouTube page for a great video of Kinderspel.

Birds of ChicagoSaturday, February 11; 7:00 p.m.Parlor Room @ Signature SoundsNorthampton, Mass.Sunday, February 12; 7:00 p.m.Club Helsinki HudsonHudson, New YorkCheck for ticket availability

Iron Age Mystics—insurrection between your ears

Iron Age Mystics in action; submitted photo.

We have played tunes off Iron Age Mystic's latest release, "Pride Before the Fall," on our live streaming station, Greylock Nation. If ever there was a good time to jam to my angst, it's got to be right now, you know what I'm saying? And THIS WEEK is the episode I knew I HAD to treat you all to some top shelf tunage that will absolutely pump you full of the rebel fury you're going to need to get you through the next four years. I give you...

Iron Age Mystics.

And I know, I know. I said I don't do reviews. Didn't someone say the exception makes the rule? And these guys are definitely worth making an exception. Enjoy the title track off their recent release, "Pride Before the Fall."

In the realm of myth and fable, at the moment when all seems lost and Dark Forces are poised to blot out the last ray of hope, a band of heroes nearly always appears to rally the people, restore courage, and save the day. Well, here in the neo-realist nightmare of 21st Century Earth, we’ve been waiting. And waiting. And waiting some more. And now that the Iron Age Mystics have FINALLY freaking showed up, we want to say first and foremost, “where the hell have you guys been the last couple decades? We’ve been getting killed here!”

Wielding “Pride Before the Fall,” IAM charges right up to the front lines of the struggle to reclaim Meaning and Purpose in Rock ‘n’ Roll. With precision, laser-sighted lyrics, these songs take aim at the corruption and abuses of power running rampant in the corporate oligarchy that the Western world has degenerated into.

Diametrically opposed to simpering, hand-wringing collections of whiny “woe is us” victimhood dirges I could name, this release is defiant, daring, and demanding. The title track itself is an anthem to the rebellious spirit in us all that makes tyrants know fear. Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and smell the burning tires. Feel the crunch of glass under your boots as Greg Mount’s driving, zero-tolerance percussion propels you along dark and chaotic streets with the growing throng of resistance all around you.

Sure, Kevin Connelly’s searing vocals project unrelenting accusation at our would-be corporate masters, but a little unapologetic derision is reserved for the masses who have been shown the truth but would rather remain blind. The Mystics challenge fans with the only question that matters: “What Ya’ Gonna Do About it?”

Hesitant about answering? Not to worry. The masterful, contrasting call-and-response between Allan Wohng on guitar and Clayton Rudy on bass in songs like “You’ve Got the Power” creates a sense of safety in numbers in a sketchy world.

The thing about “Pride Before the Fall” that’s maybe most unsettling is that these guys are so damn polished. Iron Age Mystics could be cranking out pop-rock like some Pla-Do Fun Factory of musical crap. After all, the quartet has decades of experience between them—they know how to build a song. And yet they spend their seemingly inexhaustible supply of creativity on music designed to wake audiences up and make them think. Only a couple tracks into the CD, and I found myself peering through the blinds to make sure there wasn’t some unmarked van on the street outside. A van with a satellite dish on top. And lots of antennae…

Can these guys really be saying this stuff? Is free thought still legal? Do I even want the NSA to know I’m listening to music that suggests human beings should cling to our dignity? Can I pay for that CD in cash?

And that’s what’s heroic about Iron Age Mystics. They could have used the same music to prop up some artificially sweetened, commercial fauxetry. But they didn’t. They want us to understand that even though it may seem like we’re looking at democracy’s last stand, we can snatch it back from the brink by showing real solidarity: “When we join altogether, on our backs we carry forward the dream,” they remind us. With these eleven tracks, they make a convincing case for the defense of that dream of liberty, however hard-won it may eventually be.

They don’t say it will be easy. They don’t say the bad guys are going to give up without a fight. But like a drum and bugle corps from battles for freedom past, these guys are going to be there to provide the marching tunes. And if we stay fierce and positive, “Justice will prevail, because we’re just too big to fail.”

I can’t tell you if they have any tour dates lined up, but you can definitely check them out on Facebook and on their website where you can hear more tracks and sign up for their newsletter.

Bitter's Kiss

Singer/songwriter Chloe Baker is the heart of Bitter's Kiss; photo courtesy Bitter's Kiss via Facebook.

We have yet to make contact with Chloe Baker since her team sent us some tunes, photos, and the like. And we've been stalling for a good reason—we don't want to short change this young genius by rushing an episode. After doing further research, we have two words for the brilliant poetics of Bitter's Kiss: elegant anguish.

At times brilliantly searing, at others hollowly melancholy, her music is almost too intense to absorb in great quantity—that is, it would be if the lyrics didn't so perfectly conjure the gossamer wisps of humanity that balance out the sorrow with the serenity. We play "Love Won't Make You Cry," in this episode, but hope to have Chloe on as a guest in the near future. In the meantime, you show also definitely check our her YouTube channel, where some of her best songs are treated to extremely creative and well-produced video incarnations. No word on tour dates at this time, but we'll definitely keep checking back.

Joe Mansman and The Midnight Revival Band

Joe Mansman and The Midnight Revival Band; photo courtesy the band via Facebook.

We finish out this episode with a tune from a Glens Falls, New York group who came to my attention through Chris Hantman, owner of Sounds and Tones Records, as we enjoyed some locally brewed IPA over at Bright Ideas Brewing in the MASS MoCA complex in North Adams, Mass. S&T is the MRB's label, and Chris and I have been talking about getting them on the show for a while now. Of course, like with Bitter's Kiss and so many other bands, once I hear a couple of the tunes, I'm dying to ask all kinds of questions about their art and performance and views on life, the universe, and everything. One day. For now, have a listen to "Reap and Sow," which happens to be a free download at their website. Check them out there and keep up with them through Facebook.

Meeting Jeff Hudson of Jeff and Jane Hudson at The Moonlight Diner in the middle of the day is treacherous.

Jeff Hudson, Approximately one half of Jeff and Jane Hudson, who releases "The Middle," November 19, 2016 (photo by Jason Velazquez).

We had every intention of digging deep and talking about the new album, "The Middle," that he released with Jane, his wife and musical conspirator of a quite a little bit now. Her absence from the conversation (she was holding down the fort at their shop in the MASS MoCA complex, Hudson's) is likely why we achieved so few of our already meager goals.

The burger was, however, damn good, as he promised.

The Middle

CD RELEASE Party

November, November 19, 2016, 8:00 p.m.

Williams Inn, Ballroom

1090 Main St, Williamstown, Mass.

$10 at the door.

The CD Release/ New Wave party will also feature Michael Williams, Josh Kleederman, Karl Mullen, Steve Klass, and DJ Electro, as well as some mind-blowing images.

You can also find Jeff and Jane on Facebook, Soundcloud and CD Baby.

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Misty Blues is back with "Dark & Saucy," and we're stoked to bring you an exclusive first listen!

?♫ "Next Time is the Last Time" *

One iteration of the incredibly versatile Misty Blues (submitted photo).

"Dark & Saucy," the 2016 release by Misty Blues, art by Michael Mongue. Buy Now.

For your listening pleasure we have on the phone, Gina Coleman, front woman and founding member of Misty Blues (website), Berkshires-based blues band that has the sound and feel of some of the great blues power lineups of yore, except that they’re one of the great blues power lineups of today! Their new album, “Dark & Saucy” is, well…do I have to even tell you? Gina shares some standard “making of,” details, but then takes us deeper into the mind and heart that makes up Misty Blues. But that’s what we DO here at INDIEcent Exposure, right? You don’t come here for sound bites, you come for a meal, and, as usual, you aren’t going to leave hungry. EXCEPT, I expect, hungry to catch Misty Blues LIVE in the near future and to pick up a copy or download of “Dark & Saucy,” both things we’re going to hip you to right here in the shownotes.

.

PERFORMANCEFriday, October 21, 2016, at 8:00 p.m.American Glory BBQ342 Warren StreetHudson, NY 12534518.822.1234

AND don't miss:

CD RELEASE PARTYNovember 12, 2016, at 8:00 p.m.The Stationary Factory63 Flansburg AveDalton, Massachusetts

Frontwoman and founding member Gina Coleman credits an appearance in a Williamstown Theatre Festival production of "A Raisin in the Sun" in part for leading her down the path to the Blues (submitted photo).

And that’s why this week’s show demonstrates a huge part of the program’s reason for being—why we do what we do here at the Greylock Glass: We bring you up close and personal with artists you may not have heard before, but will be DARN sure glad you did now. And I’m talking especially to you listeners in the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Australia, Japan, and all the other folks who somehow manage to find and tune in to the show.

So relax, get ready for a great conversation with Gina Coleman, and prepare to get blown away by the Blues!

Check out the CD RELEASE Party Facebook Event and get tickets.

Oh, and did we mention?  We’re bringing you an EXCLUSIVE on this episode! YOU, dear listeners, are the first to hear a track, “Next Time is the Last Time” off the brand new Misty Blues’ release, Dark & Saucy. The brand So stick around ’til the end for what I promise will be a real treat!

For more information about the Berkshire Blues Benefit Jam to support the Berkshire Music School, check out the most recent event listing on Facebook or go to directly to the school's website.

AND don't forget to explore the awesome father/son comic collaboration, "Awesome Robot Science Fiction Action Comix" Gina described. It's wicked fun!

* We also heard strains of "I Don't Sleep," also from Dark & Saucy, between the intro and our conversation with Gina.

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We didn't have time to set up an interview with Moon Hooch when they were in town last year, and we were darn lucky to catch James Muschler at a moment when the band was kind of (but not quite) stationary (they were going over a checklist before jumping back on the bus to start their new tour.

Brooklyn-based Moon Hooch, famous for their high-energy, danceable percussion/saxophone music, is comprised of James Muschler, Mike Wilbur, and Wenzl McGowen (submited photo).

I have my shortcomings. We all do, I suppose, but language and communications are kinda supposed to be my thing, and when I’m at a loss for words, I get a little tweaked. Trying to describe Moon Hooch sends me in that direction. Maybe if I were a jazz cat, I’d have better luck, or if I hadn’t been kicked out of music theory in high school, never to return. I don’t know, Maybe then I could explain exactly how two saxophone players and a drummer can awaken an ancient desire to dance (I don’t dance) in me—and not just move in carefully thought out patterns of foot placement. We’re talking spontaneous luchings and possessed gyrations the world hasn’t seen since the Hamlin incident.

"Red Sky," from Moon Hooch is available now at Amazon.com (affiliate link).

Thankfully, there is no shortage of reviews of Moon Hooch’s recent release, “Red Sky,” that do a great job describing the technical characteristics of music that create the aforementioned irresistible urges.

I was just happy to talk with James Muschler, percussionist of Moon Hooch about the changes from the last album, "Cave Music," to this, activism, being your own tour chef, and hints at some of the next directions that the band's evolution is taking.

If you want to read other great press on "Red Sky," I recommend Consequence of Sound, NPR's "firstlisten," or Modern Drummer.

The band's website is the place to find everything thing you need to know about Moon Hooch, including show dates, bios, photos, and links to videos and social media. ALSO available is their weekly episode of their documentary "Between the Notes" (very worth checking out), and the link to the band's cooking blog "Cooking in the Cave," where you can pick some amazingly appetizing recipes that will tempt vegans and non-vegans alike.

Moon Hooch's latest release, "Red Sky," is available at Amazon.com

 

About Moon Hooch

"I'm realizing more and more every day that you can make anything happen for yourself if you really want to,” says Moon Hooch horn player Mike Wilbur. “You can change your existence by just going out and doing it, by taking simple actions every day.”

Upcoming DatesSeptember 23 - Cardiff, UK - Clwb for BachSeptember 25 - London, UK - O2 Academy IslingtonOctober 4 - Bridgeport, CT - The AcousticOctober 5 - North Adams, MA - Elks LodgeOctober 6 - Allston, MA - Great ScottOctober 7 - Albany, NY - The HollowOctober 8 - Ithaca, NY - The HauntOctober 9 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe

If any band is a poster child for turning the power of positive thoughts and intention into reality, it’s the explosive horn-and-percussion trio Moon Hooch. In just a few short years, the group—Wilbur, fellow horn player Wenzl McGowen, and drummer James Muschler—has gone from playing on New York City subway platforms to touring with the likes of Beats Antique, They Might Be Giants, and Lotus, as well as selling out their own headline shows in major venues around the country. On ‘Red Sky,’ their third and most adventurous album to date, the band uses everything they’ve learned from their whirlwind journey to push their sound to new heights, bringing together the raw, transcendent energy of their live performances and the sleek sophistication of their studio work into a singular, intoxicating brew that blends elements of virtuosic jazz, groovy funk, and pulse-pounding electronic dance music.

“I think ‘Red Sky’ is more focused than any of our past albums,” reflects McGowen. “We practice meditation and yoga, and I think that we’re more evolved as people than we’ve ever been right now. That evolution expresses itself as focus, and through focus comes our energy.”

It was two years ago that the band released ‘This Is Cave Music,’ an exhilarating thrill ride that earned rave reviews from critics and fans alike. NPR hailed it as “unhinged” and “irresistible,” praising each musician’s “remarkable abilities” and naming their Tiny Desk Concert one of the best in the prestigious series’ history. The album followed their 2013 debut, which had Relix swooning for their “deep bass lines, catchy melodies and pounding rhythms,” while the Wall Street Journal celebrated their “electronic house music mixed with brawny saxophone riffs.” Though the band—whose members initially met as students at the New School—turned heads in the music industry as relative unknowns with a charismatic, unconventional sound (they play with unique tonguing techniques and utilize found objects like traffic cones attached to the bells of their horns to manipulate tone, for instance), they were already a familiar and beloved sight to straphangers in New York, who would react with such joy and fervor to their impromptu subway platform sets that the NYPD had to ban them from locations that couldn’t handle the crowds. NY Mag once referred to their sound as “Jay Gatsby on ecstasy,” while the NY Post fell for their “catchy melodic hooks and funky rhythms,” saying they had “the power to make you secretly wish that the short [subway] wait becomes an indefinite delay.”

While the band’s busking days are behind them now, the lessons they learned from all those platform parties helped guide their approach to recording ‘Red Sky.’

“What we discovered playing in the subway,” McGowen explains, “is that the more focus and the more energy you put into the music, and the more you listen to everything around you and integrate everything around you into your expression, the more the music becomes this captivating force for people.”

Recorded at The Bunker studio in Brooklyn, ‘Red Sky’ is nothing if not captivating. The album opens with the tribal urgency of the title track and proceeds, over the next 45 minutes, to utterly demolish any and every possible barrier that could stand between your ass and the dance floor. On ‘Shot,’ Wilbur sings a stream of consciousness vocal line over an airtight groove, while “Psychotubes” channels the apocalyptic fire and brimstone of death metal, and the staccato intro of “That’s What They Say” gives way to a gritty, late-night come-on of a saxophone line that’s far more suggestive than any whispered words ever could be.

Though the band is heavily inspired by electronic music, they made a conscious effort to use as little in the way of “studio tricks” as possible on ‘Red Sky,’ aiming instead to capture the sound of their live show, which has evolved significantly from their days underground.

“When we were playing in the subways, we were playing entirely acoustic,” explains Wilbur. “It was just two saxes and a drum set. Then Wenzl acquired a baritone sax and we all started getting into music production and incorporating electronic music into our live shows.”

At their performances, the band now plays through what they call a Reverse DJ setup, in which the live sound from their horns runs through Ableton software on their laptops to process recorded effects onto the output. In addition, to flesh out their sound on the road, the band began utilizing Moog synthesizers, an EWI (an electronic wind instrument that responds to breath in addition to touch), and other more traditional instruments like clarinets. Wilbur added vocals to his repertoire on some tracks (something the subway never allowed him to do), and Muschler, meanwhile, traveled halfway around the world to expand his percussion skills.

“I went to India, and the first morning I woke up, it was like 5am, and I followed this music along the banks of the Ganges,” he remembers. “I eventually ended up finding this amazing tabla player, and after his performance, I asked him for lessons. He agreed, and I went for daily lessons with him and another guy for the next two weeks. After that, I took a train to Calcutta, where I met with the guru that I’d studied with in New York, and I did morning lessons with him and practiced throughout the day. It was an incredible musical immersion experience.”

The band members all speak reverently of meditation and consciousness and the role it plays in their music (McGowen believes his introduction to it, spurred on in part by Wilbur and Muschler, saved his life), but equally close to their hearts are the environmental causes they champion. Moon Hooch tries to live up to their green ideals while traveling as much as possible, playing benefit shows, supporting local farmers and co-ops, participating in river cleanups, filming informative videos for their fans, and more. The band even runs a food blog, Cooking In The Cave, in which they highlight the healthy, sustainable, organic recipes they utilize with their mobile kitchen setup on tour.

For the members of Moon Hooch, commitments to consciousness and environmentalism and veganism and philosophy and peace aren’t separate from their commitment to music, but actually integral parts of it. It’s all tied into that same core approach that led to their discovery on the subway platform: try, even if it’s just a little bit every day, even if it’s just with the power of your mind, to make the world less like it is and more like you wish it could be.

“I’d say all of our songs express the essence of that kind of energy,” concludes McGowen, “because before you can even think any thoughts, there exists the energy that drives those thoughts, and that energy is intention. I feel like we’re putting the intention of positive change constantly into our music. While we’re playing, I often see the future emerging: skyscrapers getting covered in plants, frowns turning into smiles,