Bad Bad Hats and Good Graeff – TUE MAY 27 at 7th St Entry
Bad Bad Hats is the songwriting duo of Chris Hoge and Kerry Alexander. Together, they write songs that are short & sweet, upbeat & smart. With the help of their bassist, Noah Boswell, they were discovered at Macalester College’s Annual Battle of the Bands. They did not win the battle, and are currently seeking revenge.
Made of twin sisters Brooke and Brit, Good Graeff (pronounced “grayf”) creates powerful folk-charged indie pop that centers on Brooke’s dynamic & original vocals and upbeat acoustic chord progressions, which are finessed into creative and memorable pop songs by Brit’s melodic, classically influenced cello riffs.
Gypsyhawk and Black Pussy – WED MAY 28 at 7th St Entry
“Gypsyhawk is four metal dudes playing rock and roll and bringing the party every time they get on stage,” states guitarist Andrew Packer, and there is perhaps no better way of surmising the spirit and sound of the Pasadena quartet. Revisiting the electrifying sounds of bullshit-free 70s rock, the band are a breath of fresh air compared to the endless onslaught of breakdown obsessed bands cluttering up heavy music. Marinating their wares in whiskey and weed, they hurl out blistering riffs and irresistible hooks and grooves, doing their damnedest to ensure that everyone at their shows is having as much fun as they are.
Black Pussy’s heavy, bluesy sound and clear influences of Kyuss, Hendrix and The Who have found a niche in the ever-growing, global stoner-rock movement. The band exclusively uses vintage Sunn gear, pushing a massive 44 speakers when playing live and tends to land shows with the heaviest, sludgiest bands in the Portland, Oregon scene. However, their classic, upbeat, relentlessly hooky tracks have led to Hill coining the phrase “stoner pop,” like The Cars meets Black Sabbath. The band’s catchy music tends to seduce anyone, even those who walk in off the street after seeing the intriguing band name on the marquis of the venue.
Ben Ottewell – TUE JUNE 10 at 7th St Entry
As a singer and lead guitarist in rock band Gomez, Ben Ottewell is well known for his unmistakable voice and talent for blistering and inspired guitar solos. Rolling Stone declared, “Gomez’s not-so-secret weapon is Ben Ottewell.” And as GQ Magazine once wrote and anyone listening can attest, “[his] voice is not of this world.” Since his first solo release, Shapes & Shadows (2011), Ottewell has been pleasing audiences with a series of successful acoustic tours across the US, UK and Australia. Now with a newly-recorded album of songs for his second solo project, Rattlebag, the singer is set to return to the stage, this time with a band, performing his new music as well as a few Gomez favorites. The band will feature Ottewell on guitars and vocals, and two musicians who also appear on the album – Will Golden on bass and keys, and Al Sgro on drums.
The Knocks and ASTR – SUN JUNE 22 at 7th St Entry
After meeting at The New School in New York City, Ben “B-Roc” Ruttner and James “JPatt” Patterson both found themselves in need of a place to live. The two moved in together, and quickly set about making their neighbors hate them. “Our apartment was this small, shitty Avenue C apartment with paper thin walls. We both had studio set-ups in our rooms,” explains B-Roc. “It would be loud as hell, and the neighbors hated it. They’d knock on the walls and bang on the ceiling. We would go into each other’s rooms and say ‘I just got the knocks.’” Declared by the NME as one of the “20 hottest producers in music” as “cred-pop’s answer to the Neptunes” by The Guardian – they are now one of the most buzzed-about duos on the electronic circuit.
ASTR is a duo that lives, works and writes music in New York City. After meeting three years ago in a Manhattan yoga class, they discovered they shared a musical and artistic sensibility informed by cinema noire, Miami Vice and urban dreamscapes. ASTR was soon born. Zoe is a New York native and former major label refuge. After a hiatus from music to explore the world via spirituality she met Adam, a recovering vinyl addict with a penchant for 60’s / 70’s cinema scores, Disco, and the fingers for anything with keys (vintage synths, guitar and bass).
