HOOPS / Leggy / Cross Country / Blossom Hall at Urban Artifact

/// Hoops ///

“Just as the weather’s getting warm, the Bloomington, Indiana trio Hoops are getting ready to release their summery debut Routines. We’ve already heard “Rules” and “On Top,” and now they’re sharing new song “On Letting Go,” which showcases the more wistful side of their synth-and-guitar shimmer. “We experimented and threw out a lot of ideas to make this song,” songwriter Keagan Beresford explains. “I wrote it about somebody I met and hung out with briefly and then never really saw again, so I wanted the instruments to reflect his kinda of sad, longing feeling in the backdrop of a groovy pop song. I think we succeeded, because it’s hard for me to listen to this one without wanting to dance around a bit while shedding one tear.” Listen, dance around, and maybe even shed one tear below.’

-Peter Helman
Stereogum

///Leggy///

“The feeling as though you lack purpose is haunting and unsettling. You might wander day-to-day, job-to-job, aimlessly in search of that one thing that brings you happiness and a feeling of accomplishment. If we’re lucky enough, that “thing” decides to show up in our mid-twenties. Sometimes it doesn’t show up at all, which sucks—a lot. But lead singer and guitarist of Cincinnati’s Leggy, Veronique Allaer stumbled upon her purpose in a rather painful way: after breaking her hip by falling off a fire escape in DC one rowdy 4th of July evening. Indeed, Allaer was put on this Earth to make music; she got together with high school pal Kerstin Bladh and good friend Chris Campbell and with that Leggy was formed.

Fast forward to 2016 where we find Leggy’s iridescent debut, full-length release, a careful compilation of three previously released EPs (2014’s Grrrls Like Us, 2015’s Nice Try, and 2016’s DANG, which was recorded in one night) plus one new song, “Kick the Habit.” Resulting in a crushing 37-minute narrative of self-love and unrequited (and sometimes overly-requited) romance, Leggy props up the common mid-twenties feeling of emotional confusion. From finding love in all the wrong places to feeling lost within one’s own mind, the complexity of Allaer’s lyrics shift as swiftly and harshly as a troubled sea. “Sweet Tooth” captures this hard-to-understand juxtaposition of pining after someone who just doesn’t treat you quite like you should be treated: embarrassing you just to the point of a flushed face, but still having an emotional hold over you that’s borderline irresistible; “I bat my eyes you call me ‘Bambi’ / Fluff my hair you call me ‘Barbie’ / But by the end of the party / You’ll be Danny, I’ll be Sandy.”

Leggy’s 60’s lo-fi garage, surf rock paired with shimmering 50’s vocal melodies and modern-day pop influences carry over in songs like “Kick the Habit,” “Grrrls Like Us,” and the Lana Del Rey-inspired “Even Lana,” which references the pop singer’s song “Blue Jeans.” Campbell’s snare-dripped rhythm and Bladh’s harmonious bass equally match Allaer’s foggy guitar and urgent vocals throughout the album. Soaring from song to song, Leggy reimagines the ideal of amorous longing to a brighter, more self-sufficient state of adulthood while still poking some light fun at the helpless romantic in all of us.”

-“Leggy” Album Review
Jaclyn O’Connell
Post-Trash

/// Cross Country ///

“If you’re into any of the slew of 90’s influenced bands popping up on the East Coast right now, chances are at least one of your hometown heroes has played with Cross Country at some point. These four precocious ex-college kids have quickly built an audience by religiously gigging with touring bands passing through the Midwest, reaching out to musicians and offering their hometown of Oxford, Ohio as an unexpected show opportunity. In November of last year the group released Breakfast, a scrappily-recorded EP of 4 power pop gems. Now Cross Country returns with TRIALS, released in September by Nashville imprint Infinity Cat. This album is a considerable step up for the band, both in terms of song-craft and instrumental prowess.

A good barometer for the growth of the band is “Four Eyes”, a track that was originally released on Breakfast and reappears as the penultimate song on TRIALS. The new version is played roughly 40 BPMs faster (I checked because I have time to do things like that), but almost as striking is the increased confidence with which the band tackles their arrangements. The vocals are more assured and the performance is tighter in general. Cross Country definitely borrow from the wave of 90’s nostalgia that is making the rounds in DIY circles right now (jangly guitars, deadpan vocals, poppy arrangements), but they do so in a way that feels exciting and never derivative. Not many bands of this ilk have the chemistry displayed by guitarists Thom Meyer and Ezra Saunier. Their interplay is one of the most enjoyable parts about the band; they’re constantly trading off playing catchy licks and chord progressions while bassist Emily McColgan and drummer John Clooney hold everything together with driving punk rhythms.

TRIALS opens up with “Alone,” a relatively slow-paced track that belies the frenetic pace of the rest of the album. When Ezra shouts, “I’m in to-tal con-trol!” I am reminded of the snarky self-assuredness of Parquet Courts’ “Master of My Craft.” “Dally” is probably the most infectious cut on the album, while “Grass Stain” hypnotizes with an extended krautrock/noise outro. “Now” and “Sentinel” are both high-energy numbers that propel the album to its conclusion, “Beams,” which serves as a cool-down, ending the album on a subdued and calming note. The sincerity and energy with which this band approaches their music is definitely refreshing, and it will be exciting to see what they decide to do next.”

“Trials” Album Review
Nathan Springer
Post-Trash

/// Blossom Hall ///

Blossom Hall is a Garage Pop trio for fans of the White Stripes and Blondie.
BH is Nancy Paraskevopoulos, Phil Cotter and Charlie Schefft.

http://www.blossomhall.com

$10 advance
$12 Day of show
ALL AGES

http://www.artifactbeer.com