I was a bit taken aback. I had never been denied my +1. You’re not allowed to deny me my God-given +1 rights. But as soon as I walked into Brighton Music Hall, it became apparent as to why I couldn’t schlepp someone along with me.

Now it’s two hours before indie rock band Jukebox The Ghost is set to take the stage, and the dimly lit cave that is Brighton Music Hall is packed to capacity with 476 people lining the walls, bars, and stage.

They have done it. Ben Thornewill, Tommy Siegel, and Jesse Kristin have made it.

Of course, this isn’t how they see it. “We’re still making a name for ourselves. We’re selling out shows on this tour for the first time, and that makes a huge difference in morale and perception, I think. But there isn’t a moment (where we feel like we’ve made it) –it’s a slow build,” Ben, pianist and singer, tells me backstage.

For Ben and the guys, it wasn’t a short road to sold-out shows.  They’ve been frantically touring since 2006, just three years after they met at George Washington University; they’ve toured with the likes of Ben Folds, the Barenaked Ladies, the Moldy Peaches and Jack’s Mannequin, just to name a few. They play over 150 shows per year, and since their last album was released in late 2010 they have logged over 200 shows.

“I think we’ve been persistent, and I think what has gotten our music to people is playing shows and playing shows and playing shows –that’s what’s done it for us,” Ben says.

With an admirable work ethic and vigor, of course things are to be forgotten. What’s the most important thing Ben left behind while he traveled, you ask?

“On this tour I’ve lost a cell phone, driver’s license, cell phone charger, computer charger, a shoe, and the worst was in San Francisco I lost a van. And to put it in context I don’t drink or do any drugs of any sort. I don’t drink on tour at all. That is just me in my own right doing that,” he says.

But that’s not all Thornewill has lost.

While creating their latest album, his grandfather died of lung cancer, relationships came to a screeching halt, and the band relocated their lives from Philly to New York. The album, Safe Travels, shows this tumultuous side of life.

At first glance, it’s very easy to dismiss Jukebox the Ghost as another Passion Pit/ Two Door Cinema Club wannabe. If you haven’t done your research, even Ben understands – “I don’t really know what makes us stand apart.”

You’ll only catch their easily disguised beauty if you really listen. One track (like the single “Somebody”) has you on your feet moving and grooving while the next taps into some real emotion (see “Adulthood” and “Dead”).

Trials and tribulations are all present over the course of the album; it’s just a matter of whether you want to hear them.

On “Adulthood” Ben sings, “And I dare you to survive/ Being grown for the rest of your life/ From adulthood no one survives.” And let’s not forget this is over a catchy, danceable riff.

The reason this album works so well is because it’s their first cohesive album –the one that incorporates all of their musical influences instrumentally, while lyrically it contains more weight than their previously happy-go-lucky songs. “I’m a classical pianist, first and foremost. I studied jazz and classical composition. The other guys- there’s a punk rock drummer… we come from very varied backgrounds,” Ben says.

All of these sounds have come together on the album and allowed the band to reach a new level of maturity.

“Music makes you grow up as a person. You get older and your music changes, or your music changes, as you get older. It’s hard to separate the two. I’m older, and it’s been seven years now, and I’m seven years different.”

So what’s next for the band? They have a few shows left on the east coast to finish up this leg of the tour. Hopefully then the misfortune in their personal lives will come to an end so that the members of Jukebox the Ghost can enjoy the success that they have worked so damn hard to achieve, and continue to give the people the music we love so much.

Did you miss the Post Nobles takeover on WECB last week? I’ve got you covered.  Hear Denis, Kieran, Andrew and Ricky interview with their set and a few of their favorite toons here!

Want more nobility? Check ‘em out here.

After three years, Vampire Weekend is back. Their third and newest album Modern Vampires In The City has remained an enigma ever since their appearance on Kimmel last year, but the band has officially released the album cover, album release date (May 7th), and tour dates for everyone to look forward to. Also, the first two singles have been released (see above and here) today. Exciting? I think so.

Check back for more updates on everything Vampire Weekend related, and let us know what you think of their new sound!

As with any good rock, the only way to really listen is on a set of great headphones and blasting it; unfortunately, I’ve recently been dealt the misfortune of breaking my quality headphones, so I had to listen on my standard iPhone buds, yet I’m still impressed. Songs like “Mantra” with Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), and Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) make something inside me wake -rock ‘n’ roll is not dead. Another track to check out is “The Man That Never Was” with Rick Springfield, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters) & Pat Smear (Nirvana/Foo Fighters). You know the name Rick Springfield for “Jessie’s Girl” and probably only for Jessie’s Girl, but the lover boy has certainly grown up since his covet-thy-neighbor days, and rocks the eff out on this track.

My favorite track on the album is the bizarre and awesome “Your Wife Is Calling“. If it weren’t 11 o’clock and my day was still going on, I’d have rocked out to this all St. Patty’s Day because it totally knocks the socks off of the typical Dropkick Murphys music over and over all day friggin long. Infectious. Relatable. Rocks. Hard. That’s all I got for ya. Just trust me and listen.

My only complaint is that McCartney is again with the surviving members of Nirvana; yes, in terms of the idea of a supergroup, it’s a cool combination of generations and genres, but in actuality, McCartney is… just not working for me, and hasn’t been whenever they’ve performed together.

Don’t be lame and miss out on this awesome album. If you’re trying to catch the flick, your best bet might be to check it out online because the theaters in which it’s playing are limited, but the cast seems aweeeeeesome.

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Top Tracks: 1, 2, 3, 8

The group or person or people that are Rhye have officially arrived. I heard the song “The Fall” back in November, and ever since then, I’ve been awaiting the release of the full album. Woman is here. Rhye has become the Sade of indie music, and I’m not complaining. Their music is as mysterious as the group itself – with little to no history, they have completely pulled themselves out of the spotlight while the music media raves about their work. The perfect soundtrack for a stressful workday, a walk to class, a night with mi amor, bedtime… virtually anything, Rhye has got just what the music community needs: genuine talent.

The album beings with “Open“, a track that has already been sampled. The original track, however, is perfect. No remixing necessary. Nothing. Don’t touch it. Srsly. The lyrics, like most of the album, are an ode to sex -but not sex, more like making love without the creepy Lolita-esque connotations.

I’m a fool for that shake in your thighs
I’m a fool for that sound in your sighs
I’m a fool for your belly
I’m a fool for you love

These are the songs you remember your parents playing when you were little, but now that you’re older and maybe a little bit wiser, you don’t want to think about what was to follow the sensual music. (EW.) Hey – now you can utilize the album for your own needs. The erotic without being crass lyrics reach right down into the pit of your stomach and grab. Add some jazz and boom -you have Woman.

“The Fall” has a special place in my heart as I’ve been playing it religiously for the last five months in anticipation for the album. This, however, is not all the album has to offer. “Major Minor Love” and “Last Dance” are both GORGEOUS. Raw and carnal with beautifully simple lyrics, Rhye brings the music scene something that it hasn’t seen in quite some time -the total package. This album encompasses so many sounds while sticking with the same theme, all without ever falling flat. And they don’t even need to bring up that dirty, dirty h-word (“heartbreak”, that is… shit’s played out).

If you’re not all over Woman, you, my friend, are doing something very, very wrong.

Rating: ★★★★★

Since the world takeover of EDM, any and everyone believes that they can be/are a professional DJ, but there are different kinds of DJs. The kind that the fourth episode of H∆SHTAG$ delves into are the XXYYXX or Shohlmo type – the ones that are redefining electronic music to make chill tracks, mixing and mashing sounds, and creating a whole different genre of music. There are no definitions and no boundaries for this type of music, but it definitely goes beyond the beat; it’s the cohesive record.

An interesting look at the culture of this music, and what it is and what it’s not.

What connects a 9-year-old student, a 20-year-old DJ, and a 55-year-old journalism professor? Today, I’m trying to figure out why we listen to what we do. Why does music taste change, as people get older? What can your iTunes history say about your life?

Apparently, editing while stoned is the way to go. Catch DIIV at Coachella, of course, because as their video shows, they’re hippie/hipster friendly. Somewhat reminiscent of Beach Fossils, or is that just me? Brooklyn born, the group’s August 2012 album Oshin was listed 22nd on Stereogum‘s list of top 50 albums of 2012 and 40th on Pitchfork’s.

UPDATE: Upon further research, the guitarist, Zachary Cole Smith, is from the Beach Fossils. MUWAHAHA. LOOK AT ME GO!

THE NEW TRACK FROM THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS! Will this new single keep you satisfied while waiting for the April 16th release of their fourth studio album Mosquito? 

Need the perfect chaser to go with your barely-able-to-get-down midterms this week?

I have the remedy. I just heard of this guy, K H U S H I, and assumed that he’d be a moron based on his name. Sounds like a tool that wants to be the next XXYYXX but can’t make a beat for his life, right? But tool, he is not, dear reader. K H U S H I is nucking futs. Merging folk and pop and even a little bit of indie rock, you might be tempted to dismiss him upon the basis that there are enough artists like that today, but there’s something really awesome and unique here.

He just started recording in September, so ya can’t buy his music yet, but you are more than welcome to stream four of his tracks below. This guy is definitely someone you want to keep on the lookout for; he’s planning to release a single in early spring with an album out later this year.

By D.O.