Expand Media is an online publication focused on making the alternative music scene a more welcoming and inclusive place. We strive to bring light to the diverse artists in the industry that are often ignored by mainstream media. We believe that everyone has the right to a place in our scene and we want to do our part to encourage enthusiasm for diversity. mobile links var sc_project=11321765; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_security="8e8b2e33"; var scJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://secure." : "http://www."); document.write("");
Tea Room just dropped a new EP called Tão Jovens! Featuring bedroom dream pop jams like “emo 9th graders” and “sally”, you can purchase their EP on their Bandcamp.
Youtuber and singer/songwriter Conan Gray released a teaser for his upcoming single, “Grow,” which will be available on September 2nd. You can pre-order the song on iTunes, and listen to more of Conan’s music on his Spotify or Youtube channel.
Brooklyn, New York based indie pop band, Florist, just released their second single called “Glowing Brightly” off their upcoming record If Blue Could Be Happiness. The new album is set to release on September 29th through Double Double Whammy, and you can pre-order the album on their Bandcamp or iTunes. Florist will also be heading out on tour in the fall, so be sure to check out the dates below!
9/20 – Burlington, VT @ ArtsRiot *
9/21 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB *
9/22 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground *
9/24 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop *
9/26 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck *
9/27 – Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street (OKC) *
9/28 – Houston, TX @ Walter’s Downtown *
9/29 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda *
9/30 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada *
10/2 – El Paso, TX @ The Perch at Tricky Falls *
10/3 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress *
10/5 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex *
10/6 – San Diego, CA @ The Irenic *
10/7 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room *
10/10 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst (Atrium) *
10/11 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s *
10/12 – Reno, NV @ The Holland Project *
10/14 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater *
10/16 – Iowa City, IA @ Gabe’s *
10/17 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Total Drag Records *
10/18 – Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium *
10/19 – Minneapolis, MN@ 7th St Entry *
10/20 – Milwaukee, WI@ The Back Room at Colectivo *
10/21 – Madison, WI @ The Rathskeller
10/22 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
10/24 – Washington, DC @ DC9
10/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
10/26 – Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East (Upstairs)
10/27 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Park Church Co-Op
High Bloom, an ambient pop project by Infinity Crush’s Caroline White and her roommate Hans Hoffman, just released a new album called Implied Sun. You can listen to High Bloom’s new album as well as their other music on their Bandcamp or Spotify.
Woolbright, an indie punk rock quartet, just dropped their first full-fledged album, Busybody Lazybones, through Whelmed Records. Influenced by the DIY music scene from their hometown of Davie, Florida, Woolbright’s music features raw lyrics and dynamic, driving guitar riffs and beats. You can purchase their album on iTunes, Bandcamp, or through Whelmed Records. You can also listen to more of their music on their Bandcamp or Spotify.
Dodie just dropped her new sophomore EP, You! Featuring the single “6/10”, you can purchase the EP on iTunes and Amazon, or listen to it on Dodie’s Spotify.
Dark pop solo artist Alice Glass released a music video for her new single “Without Love” today. Directed by Floria Sigismondi and produced by Coleen Haynes, the video depicts Glass in abandoned sets overrun by vines. Stream the single via Spotify, or purchase it on iTunes or Amazon. Her upcoming tour dates, some including Marilyn Manson, are below.
Sophie Allison, who performs as Soccer Mommy, extended her fall tour! Self-described as playing “chill but kinda sad bedroom-pop jams,” Soccer Mommy will also be performing with acts like The Districts, Sam Evian, Jay Som, Stef Chura, Mitski, and Luna, so be sure to check out the newly added dates below!
8/16 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
8/18 Washington D.C. @ 9:30 Club *
8/19 Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theatre *
9/9 Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf ^
9/10 Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre ^
9/11 Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge ^
9/13 Milwaukee, WI @ The Back room @ Collectivo Coffee ^
Ellen Kempner, also known as Palehound, recently released a new music video for her breezy song “Room.” Directed and animated by Rozalina Burkova, the animation perfectly captures the femme friendship and love conveyed in Kempner’s song. You can listen to more of Palehound’s music on her Bandcamp. Palehound also just extended her fall tour, so be sure to check out the new dates below!
9/12 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
9/15 Saratoga Springs, NY @ Skidmore College
9/20 Rochester, NY @ Bug JAr
9/21 Oberlin, OH @ Oberlin College
9/22 Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
9/23 Champaign, IL @ The Pygmalion Festival
9/24 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme
9/25 Davenport, IA @ The Raccoon Motel
9/27 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
9/28 Omaha, NE @ Lincoln Calling Festival
9/29 Madison, WI @ Der Rathskeller
9/30 Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
10/2 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
10/3 Columbia, MO @ Cafe Berlin
10/5 Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Lounge
10/6 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
10/8 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
10/11 Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett
10/12 Seattle, WA @ Barboza
10/13 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
10/14 Eugene, OR @ Hifi Music Lounge #
10/15 Arcata, CA @ Outer Space
10/17 Reno, NV @ The Holland Project
10/20 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall &
10/21 Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s =
10/22 Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre %
10/24 Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern =
10/27 San Luis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theatre =
10/28 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Cocoanut Grove Ballroom =
Olivia Clarke, who performs as Girl Cock as “an attempt to be out and proud about [her] gender identity”, is a singer/songwriter from Rochester, New York. Clarke’s music centers around mental illness and other complex emotions in a raw, honest way, as demonstrated in her just-released acoustic, lo-fi song called “Heartbreak Written In The Stars.” You can check out more of her music on her Bandcamp!
Slothrust just released a new grunge-y, blues song called, “Milking the Snake,” which was cut from their most recent album, Everyone Else. Slothrust is currently finishing up their summer tour, and will be touring with Manchester Orchestra in mid-October. Check out those tour dates below!
Yesterday afternoon, Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low tweeted out this photo, captioning it “Tour fam ::: Young Renegades US tour 2017 ::: We need more ladies around !!!” Which raised some eyebrows and opened up a discussion about what bands should be doing to improve the visibility of women in the music industry. This is far from the first tour to be all male, and All Time Low have participated in more than just a couple of those, which is, unfortunately, the norm.
Now, since Alex has taken the criticism he’s received as an attack on his character, I’d like to clarify that this is simply criticism and proposed improvements. I’m a long time fan, and I truly do think that Alex wants to exemplify more progressive ideals - but the fact of the matter is that they had a chance to do that, and failed to do so.
This tour was All Time Low’s headliner. It would be one thing if they packed the lineup with established bands, but they chose to take out a bunch of smaller bands. The Wrecks - the first opener for the tour - are unsigned and have only released three singles. All Time Low could have taken out a similarly sized band with female members. Alex co-wrote at least one song with The Wrecks though, so this may have been some sort of deal? It’s honestly unclear why such a small all-male band was chosen if Alex really does want to help women in the industry. There are countless bands they could have taken on tour who would have improved the visibility of female artists. That is a fact. The idea that they couldn’t find a single female band that would take the spot means they didn’t look very hard. Bands at the same level as The Wrecks that have female members aren’t exactly few and far between. As influencers, it would be easy for All Time Low to use their position to promote bands with at least one female member, especially ones that already have followings, and yet they are choosing all-male bands. While this could be excused as them helping small bands get on their feet, it doesn’t excuse that none of the bands chosen have female members.
Also, Alex’s defense that they’ve periodically had one or two females on their crew speaks to the deeper problem. One or two isn’t acceptable. The industry should be 50/50. Your crew for your all male band should have more than a one or two girls on it a couple years ago. I am not proposing that they need to fire their crew - that’s not how the industry works. All Time Low have excellent crew retention, and I know they’re very close with their crew and firing them would also be jeopardizing the income and wellbeing of people that the band members are friends with. However, I do think that they should prioritize hiring women when they have openings. All bands should. That is the only way to fix this situation.
This problem is absolutely NOT exclusive to All Time Low – it’s a problem that is rampant across the music industry, and we should hold all bands accountable to improve this. Tell your favorite bands that you want them to hire women. Hell, find bands with women in them, make them your new favorite bands, and promote them so they get more visibility. It’s time for a change in the music industry, and it’s up to fans to make that change. Be the change you want to see in music, and work with bands to improve things to the best of your ability.
By Jasey Lucker
Check out some of our favorite bands with female members below!
Some bands for your consideration-
Tigress
Latest music: their latest EP “Like It Is” was released 17th May 2017
Their bandcamp can be found here and their website is here
Diet Cig
Latest music: their first full studio album was released 7th April 2017
Their bandcamp can be found here
Milk Teeth
Latest music: their first full studio album was released 29th January 2016
Their bandcamp can be found here
Melkbelly
Latest music: a full-length album is said to be coming Fall 2017
Their bandcamp can be found here
Bully
Latest music: their debut album premiered in 2015, with a second album scheduled to be released 20th October 2017
Their bandcamp can be found here
The Pretty Reckless
Latest music: their latest studio album was released 21st October 2016
Bandcamp Donating 100% of Proceeds in Support of Trans Rights this Friday
Photo Courtesy of Bandcamp.com
On Friday, August 4th, Bandcamp will be donating 100% of their proceeds to the Transgender Law Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing about positive change so “people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.” You can directly support trans artists by buying their music (on any day!); here are a few Bandcamp trans musicians/bands recommendations: stampeter, Tuffragettes, planet JANE, Ezra Furman, Mr. Twin Sister, Teenage Kitchen, Noel’le Longhaul
Gully Boys, a new punk, indie rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, just released their first self-titled EP. Featuring gritty guitar playing and biting vocals, you can listen to the EP or purchase it on Gully Boys’ Bandcamp. Gully Boys will also be playing at local venues as well with indie pop band SALES at Carleton college in the near future, so be on the lookout for upcoming dates!
Bandcamp Donating 100% of Proceeds in Support of Trans Rights this Friday
Photo Courtesy of Bandcamp.com
On Friday, August 4th, Bandcamp will be donating 100% of their proceeds to the Transgender Law Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing about positive change so “people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.” You can directly support trans artists by buying their music (on any day!); here are a few Bandcamp trans musicians/bands recommendations: stampeter, Tuffragettes, planet JANE, Ezra Furman, Mr. Twin Sister, Teenage Kitchen, Noel’le Longhaul
New Jersey based alternative rock band Pinegrove have announced an extensive fall tour with support from Florist, Lomelda, Saintseneca, and Adult Mom. The tour includes both headline dates and festival appearances. Listen to their debut full length Cardinal and “pay what you what” on their Bandcamp. All album sales are donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Buy tickets for the tour here and check out the dates below!
08/02 Vancouver, BC @ Bitmore Cabaret
08/03 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
08/05-06 Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon Music Festival
08/07 Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett
08/08 Missoula, MY @ The Zootown Arts Community
08/10 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
09/20/ Burlington, VT @ ArtsRiot
09/21 Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
09/22 Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
09/23 Kalamazoo, MI @ Audiotree Music Festival
09/24 Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
09/26 Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
09/27 Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street OKC
09/28 Houston, TX @ Walter’s Downtown
09/29 Austin, TX @ Barracuda
09/30 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
10/02 El Paso, TX @ The Perch at Tricky Falls
10/03 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
10/05 Los Angeles, CA @ EchoPlex
10/06 San Diego, CA @ The Irenic
10/07 Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
10/10 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst Atrium
10/11 San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
10/12 Reno, NV @ The Holland Project
10/14 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
10/16 Iowa City, IA @ Gabe’s
10/17 Sioux Falls, SD @ Total Drag Records
10/18 Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
10/19 Minneapolis, MN@ 7th St Entry
10/20 Milwaukee, WI@ The Back Room at Colectivo on Prospect
Catch Mitski on tour this fall! Accompanied by acts like Soccer Mommy, Stef Chura, The Pixies and Palehound, you can find tickets on Mitski’s website and the tour dates below.
10/1 Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall ^
10/3 Buffalo, NY @ The Tralf (Music Hall) %
10/4 Columbus, OH @ Skully’s Music Diner %
10/6 Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig %
10/7 Grand Rapids, MI @ 20 Monroe LIve &
10/8 Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre &
10/10 St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre &
10/11 ST. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre &
10/12 Moorhead, MN @ Bluestem Center for the Arts &
10/14 St. Louis, MO @ Peabody Opera House &
10/15 Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre &
10/18 Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium &
10/19 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
10/21 Las Vegas, NV @ Cosmopolitan - The Chelsea &
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