In March, Tom Angst posted a music video for their song “Midnight”, for a long time we were anticipating the official release of the song, and we’re happy to say that it is finally available to stream on Spotify.
Hearts were broken when Tom Angst announced their breakup just recently. This morning the band released their last single “Midnight”, and also announced their last EP Matthew, which is to be realeased on Friday, June 14th. Upon listening to the song, we are confident that their sophomore EP will be just as good.
As far as the future of Tom Angst and its members goes, Danielle McConaghy promises fans that she has plans for her new project, Fleur Geurl. For now, you can stream “Midnight” and mark your calanders for the release of their last EP, Matthew, on June 14th.
Georgia Theatre 5/9– The Illiterate Light duo ended their set with “Growin’ Down” and walked off the stage while the crowd cheered. Their initial thoughts are filled with excitement and positivity about their performance. We got to sit down and talk with Jake (drums, vocals) and Jeff (guitar, vocals) in Athens while they were touring with Shakey Graves.
Mission Accomplished
Illiterate Light is a rock duo from Virginia and their music has been spread far and wide since we last saw them in December. From recently playing Shaky Knees, to upcoming festivals like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, Illiterate Light has grown immensely.
After the show, Jeff described to us that “It’s an interesting feeling to play to hundreds of people who have no idea who we are. You kind of have to win the crowd over a little bit.” They make it their mission to impress the crowd with their set. And we believe that they did just that. After seeing them open for Post Animal a couple months ago, we fell in love with their sound and that encouraged us to learn more about them and download their music. At the end of their set on this night in Athens, the crowd was clapping and in awe of the musical ability that these two people possess.
Illiterate Light makes an effort to hang out by their merch table and talk to people after their set. They relayed to us that they really enjoy meeting new people and spreading their music to others. So, if you ever want to chat with these guys, you know where to find them!
Inspirations
Many different artists, have influenced Illiterate Light’s music. Jeff described that he is most inspired by artists like Flaming Lips, Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Foo Fighters. Jake explained that he has been listening to a lot of St. Vincent, SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and Big Thief recently. Jeff described that “Artists like Neil Young, Fleet Foxes, My Morning Jacket, and Wilco were my go-to. I really wanted to craft my musical vision based off of these artists.”
Jake told us that he likes to mix aspects of various performers in order to find something that fits with the music that Illiterate Light creates. “I have a really strong love for very weird performers. We like to have the energy for sure and have fun.”
“It sets us apart”
If you’ve ever seen this band live, you have probably seen the beloved floral crop top that Jake wears. One thing that stood out to us when we first saw them, was that half-way during the show, Jake took off his shirt and underneath that shirt, he wore a pink floral top. On this night, we were eagerly waiting to see if the tradition remained and when he showed it off, we were excited to get the chance to ask about the origin of the ritual.
“While touring in another band, while living in Virginia, we used to tour by bike. I wanted to keep the sun off my back while remaining cool. I stopped into a thrift store and was sorting through the racks when I found it. At first, I started wearing it as a joke but eventually it started feeling natural.”
Shaky Knees: “It was killer”
After recently playing Shaky Knees, Jeff relayed to us that “It felt weird performing on the main stage, the stage where Tame Impala played and then having people come up to us and congratulate us on our performance.” There are a lot of new faces at their shows and the continuous growth of the band has brought them many opportunities and experiences. “Some days we truly don’t know what to do with it, but I think that’s a good thing. It means the timing is right for our band.”
“Have you grown up yet? Does the war make sense?”
The songwriting process is always a very important one. Illiterate Light described for us where they get their inspiration for writing. They try to write songs that are moving between their emotional and relational lives. “Also our observations of our culture and of the world at large. Therefore, we don’t stray away from writing about politics and war. We want to be a part of the conversation.” With the world that we live in today, it’s important that there are artists in the industry discussing these topics.
The Show
Before the interview, we had the opportunity to take pictures of the band while singing and dancing to their songs. They opened with their hit “Nuthin’s Fair” and had the whole crowd bobbing their heads and moving to the music. They played through songs off of their EP, Sweet Beast and played an outstanding cover of “Vampire Blues” by Neil Young. You could tell that the crowd was surprised that two people could create the sounds that they were creating. By the end of their set, you could tell that the audience was impressed and eager to listen to more of their stuff!
What’s next for illiterate light?
The band recently signed with Atlantic Records and is planning to release an album in October! They have an EP on Spotify, Sweet Beast, which you should definitely check out! They actually just released a new single a couple days ago called “Carolina Lorelei.” Illiterate Light (@illiteratelight) is constantly creating new music and they will be going on multiple tours throughout the rest of the year. If they come around to your town, you should treat yourself and go! Seeing them perform live is a great time!
MAY 7, 2019– It was a gloomy evening in Clemson, SC but as Nordista Freeze and his band showed up, a light was cast over Nana’s Banana Cabana. We got the chance to sit down with the Cosmic Haus singer before a night full of dancing and singing ensued.
Freeze is a Nashville native, but he spends most of his time on the road. When we asked him how he made time for other things he explained, “That’s the million dollar question,” he sighed, looking down at his knees and then back up at us; smiling he continued, “I just really care about it [music], a lot”.
He used the USA Olympic Fab Five team, as an example of what dedication looks like because of all the stuff they had to miss out on in order to perfect their skills. He went on to say “I take it really seriously and I work on it as much as I can”.
When you listen to his most recent album, Cosmic Haus you get a sense of ’60s intertwined with electric pop. His music is full of energy and it makes you want to dance around your living room. Freeze gets inspiration from his favorite band, the Beach Boys. Which is evident when you see his songs “Wysteria” and “Florida” live.
A TRAVELING BAND
Freeze and his crew (Bryce- keys and guitar, Johnny/Future Crib- drums, Grant- guitar, and Sam- bass) travel far and wide to play for new crowds and meet new people. His band is made up of people that he has grown up with and all of them bring something unique to the stage during the show.
We asked him to tell us about his favorite place that he has played so far and he told us, “We play wherever the people are. I have a pretty unique relationship with every city,” he paused, looking onto the crowd of people standing around and socializing, “I’m pretty experiential and moment based, so it’s hard to pick a favorite.”
Each city means different things for Freeze and his band, and they always make an effort to become pals with everyone they come across. It is important to them that they make relatioships with the people that come out and watch them play. The venues that they choose are ones that have a more intimate setting.
He explained, “I think you can make a lot more relationships here [Nana’s Banana Cabana], than sitting in a green room and walking onto a stage and maybe signing an autograph after. I respect bands like that, but I want to meet people”.
TIME FOR A ‘GOOD TIME’
The show was full of energy and moving bodies. Pure enjoyment radiated off of Freeze and his band as they jumped around and played. During some parts of the show, Freeze ran around in the crowd. The energy was nothing but upbeat and exciting.
Freeze was truly a sight to see, as he shook his tamborine and danced around during the instramental parts of “Hey Gigi”. His way of interacting with a crowd and making them dance is unique, and not something you ever expect. If you ever get the chance to see him play, take it and let your hair down. We promise, you will not be disappointed.
What’s Next?
The “Homecoming Queen” singer is going to work on recording new music later this month and over the course of this summer. Thanks to his drummer, Johnny, they have a basement to record some of their songs onto tapes. He is also working on creating new content like music videos.
He is also in the midst of booking more shows this summer, because he wants to reach as many people as possible. So, be on the look out for those dates and go jump around with him and his lovely band.
Stay Groovy and check out Nordista Freeze on Instagram, as well as the rest of his crew and their projects/music: Bryce, Sam, Grant, and Johnny. You can also stream his music on all streaming platforms, so go give him a listen!
Hi,everyone! It’s been a little while since we’ve been able to sit down and write one of these and to be quite honest, we’ve missed it. We always have so many bands and new songs that we’re listening to that we want to share with you!
We hope that you’ve enjoyed the content we’ve been putting out lately, because we have a couple of exciting posts coming out this month. So, we wanted to kick off May with our fifth edition of ‘What’s Spinnin’?’ Don’t forget that you can find these playlists on our Spotify account!
Britt
Wild Side- Motley Crue
Looks That Kill- Moltley Crue
Too Young To Fall In Love- Motley Crue
Highway Star- Deep Purple
Heartbreaker- Led Zeppelin
Doll Parts- Hole
Eyes Glow- Acid Carousel
America- Simon & Garfunkel
The Duke- Blind Melon
Closer Everywhere- Beach Fossils
Jen
bad guy- Billie Eilish
Michigan- Arms Akimbo
Please Don’t Make It Harder- Vista Kicks
Circles- Vista Kicks
Ready Now- dodie
Drive Me Crazy- Hate Drugs
Eventually- Tame Impala
Existential Ritual- Acid Carousel
Why Even Try- Hippo Campus
Back To Black- Amy Winehouse
Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with all of the stuff we’ve got going on. We have a lot of concerts coming up this month, so get ready for all of those posts! See ya soon, and as always, STAY GROOVY.
Hypnotic Bolt 