Icons of Summer (Cold Cave...EMA...King Tuff)

Summer is reaching it's steamy, sinewy pique this month... Jonathan Richman once sang about "staying up later, when everything's outside." Varying energies are percolating 'round these parts from different disciples:

-> be they touring bands from mythologized art meccas bringing the stylized wilds and symphonic strange (i.e. cerebral catacomb dwelling doom-popsters Cold Cave are coming through on July 15th--tomorrow--supporting their 2nd LP Cherish the Light Years -from Matador)

- > or be they from the hauntingly alluring noise-pop expositions of "California"-based EMA, who are gracing the Loving Touch next Sunday with a surprise show (at least for as long as "surprised"-feelings last on the internet)

-> or be they the heartening news that the guitar weilding ruler of Brattleboro, Vermont, King Tuff, has chosen the factory-looming alleys and gutters of our own humble, cluttered mix bag of a back yard.

Cold Cave has quite the intriguing back story that one should take the time to mine, via the Quietus online music magazine. (Hard core punk and confrontational no-wave evolves into disarmingly poppy fare unafraid to utilize the exuberance of cheery brass). 7/15 @ the Magic Stick (Detroit)

EMA started bending ears earlier this year with a provacative presentation of sparse to cacophonous explorations of teased, torrential guitar sweeps - unafraid to let the darkness swirl for upwards to 6 minutes, if need be, on her debut LP Past Life Martyred Saints. 7/24 @ Loving Touch (Ferndale)

EMA - California (Official Video) from Souterrain Transmissions on Vimeo.

King Tuff??