In the summer malaise that tends to occupy us between festival weekends, the amount of awesome music around town this weekend came as a bit of a surprise while we thought all eyes were going to be on Pride. Despite the massive planned events downtown, there are also a few exciting album release shows, buzzy touring rockers, solid in-stores, and more than one legend performing this weekend. There is plenty for everyone in this week’s edition of TWiN.
With Bonnaroo in the rear view and the heat and humidity ramping up, it seems as though summer is in full swing. This weekend is, shockingly, devoid of daytime events, but that should leave you plenty of time to rest of for another solid listing of talent performing around town. Head below to see all our top show picks in this week’s edition of TWiN.
If you spend any time in the Nashville music scene, then you have surely seen the patriotically named Teddy and the Rough Riders on numerous bills around town. The band’s twangy retro southern rock vibe is perfectly paired with the rising underground scene that has propelled like-minded acts like Natural Child and Los Colognes away from the Americana scene and into national tours and festival appearances. The quartet, formed of Ryan Jennings (bass/vox), Jack Quiggins (guitar/vox), Luke Schneider (pedal steel), and Nick Swafford (drums), are Nashville bred, and have expertly tapped into the tasty underbelly of Music City’s musical heritage.
Teddy And The Rough Riders are gearing up to release their first official record on July 21, and we are thrilled to premiere the single “Buckle Bunny” from that effort. Head below to get in the know, and mark your calendar for the official release party at the always interesting Bobby’s Idle Hour on the day of the release.
Beloved East Nashville songwriter Tristen is set to return with her third full length, Sneaker Waves, on July 7 via Modern Outsider Records, and has debuted a new single “Glass Jar,” which features backup vocals from Jenny Lewis, with whom Tristen has spent a good part of the past couple years as a touring member. Finding a happy medium between the serene 2011 release Charlatans at the Golden Gate and her ace foray into the synth pop spectrum with 2013’s C A V E S, the new single sees the talented songwriter veering into a quirky, retro direction that, unsurprisingly, seems inspired by spending a significant amount of time of late with Jenny Lewis, and feels more akin to her earlier work.
Tristen speaks of the isolationism that the song addresses: “‘Glass Jar’ is about having a conversation with someone and feeling a disconnect, like there is a slab of glass between you. Sometimes I feel like I am a spider in a jar and the other person isn’t trying to get to know me, rather they are playing with me to see my reaction. And this leads back to the way we communicate; the image I create of myself, and the image I create of the other person is interacting with the other person’s self image and their image of me. It’s about feeling trapped, tested, and even set up for failure.”
Dig into the video for the new single below, and celebrate Sneaker Waves‘ release July 13 at American Legion Post 82, for an event billed as “Tristen the Night Away,” which will feature a special night of music, comedy, and party, hosted by Chris Crofton and featuring appearances from Caitlin Rose, Jessi Zazu, Birdcloud, Cortney Tidwell, Vanessa Carlton, Jessica Lea Mayfield, PUJOL, Kate York, Emily West, Quichenight, Justin Collins, Erin Rae and Pete Lindberg, and Thelma & the Sleaze.
Gritty neo-soul singer and guitarist Benjamin Booker first caught the attention of the music world with his powerful 2014 self-titled debut, which garnered intense praise from music critics and landed the talented artist on tours with Jack White and Courtney Barnett along with festival slots at Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, and Bonnaroo to name a few. This year Booker has been gearing up for the release of his sophomore record, Witness, which dropped on ATO Records on June 2. He recently released a powerful video for the title track recorded live from Columbus Theater which you can check out below. Booker will be touring in support this fall, including a date at The Basement East on Oct. 9. Tickets are available here, and you can check out a live video and full tour schedule after the jump.