Another Track from Rabbit Island

Years back, when her niece was 2 years old, Amber Fresh wrote a collection of songs, recorded them to tape, and gave them to her niece. These tracks have been unearthed and remastered for her Rabbit Island project, and they’re the perfect way to spend the early hours of your Monday. All of the songs are quietly strummed, with Fresh’s voice matching those tones. But, for me, there’s a timelessness to the lyrical content, particularly for a father of an almost 2 year old (especially in today’s climate). It features great lines like “some days you’ll have to eat cupcakes to feel good” and “not every day can be the best day.” Sure, they hit home for a child, but they should resonate with all of us. Songs for Kids will be released on April 24th via Bedroom Suck Records.

Fun Bit Of Pop From BUNNI

BUNNI is a lo-fi rock/pop band brought to you by the Berlin based musician Bunyamin Eroglu. He has been working hard recently to put together a 10 song album full of quirky bits of pop music infused with equal parts MGMT style synth beats and the intimate songwriting approach of Girls. A sampling of his style can be found below in the form of new single “Taste for Life”. It’s a fun and breezy song which blends those lo-fi elements beautifully with a catchy as hell beat. You’re sure to love it.

BUNNI will release new album Transit on April 23rd.

Jetstream Pony Announce Debut Album

Jetstream Pony announced themselves to the world with the incredible Like You Less/Had Enough 7″; they followed that up with the excellent Self Destruct Reality EP and a few more singles. But today is the day we’ve all been anxiously awaiting, as the band announce their self-titled debut LP! A slight angular guitar opens the scene before a wall of distortion comes crashing through your speakers, carefully balanced by Beth’s cooly delivered vocals; Shaun helps add further balance with his deeper vocal notes adding in a perfect foil. While it’s easy to get swept away in the perfection of guitar pop, what I love is how much space the band leave in between; they’re savvy vets, not rushing to fill every second of the song, allowing you to just get lost in the wash of dazzling pop noise. Their self-titled record will be out later this year via Shelflife Records and Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten.

Pleased to Meet You: Wray

Alabama’s Wray are a new act on my radar, as of today, and I’m grateful that this ear candy finally worked its way into listening rotation. Throughout the tune, the band use a steady backbeat, propulsive in nature, adding just the slightest hint of energy to a tune that stretches beyond 6 minutes. There’s a wash that coats the song, though it wavers between a foggy sensation and a glittering sparkle in the distance. It’d be easy to pigeonhole this as mere shoegaze/dream pop, but it felt more like a spiritual journey, like a musical out-of-body experience…perhaps you’re in need of such a journey. The band will release Stream of Youth/Blank World on June 5th via Earth Libraries.

Alex Izenberg Releases Disraeli Woman

Honestly, I have no idea who Alex Izenberg is, but I’m going to spend today correcting that mishap by listening to his debut, Harlequin; for now, I’m stuck on this new gem he’s just dropped. He’s got this soulful croon to his vocals, and the song itself seems drenched in R&B rhythms. There’s all these little nuances lurking in the nooks and crannies, which elevates the song’s emotional pull, not to mention making it every bit as current as anything else you’re likely to hear; it’s one of those tunes straddling the past and the present. This tune appears on a new 7″ available from Domino Recording Co.

Quiet Tune from Sonny Elliot

It’s weird how your moods change hour by hour during this pandemic situation; you search for energy, you come back to find solace. One tune that’s helped me this morning is the latest single from Sonny Elliot; it’s a carefully picked guitar number, little more than the hum of the strings and the heartfelt vocals. In a way, it reminds me of Gravenhurst, particularly as the song nears the 3 minute mark and adds a quiet string accompaniment to build in some texture to close the song out. If musical escapism happens to be your thing at the moment, stop right here.

Kluster B Share Graveyard

As the Swedish outfit Kluster B ready their new LP, they’re really flexing their musical muscles, at least in regards to their songwriting. They’ve honed their indiepop skill-set, but in tightening that, they’ve built in a little bit more flare…as we see in their latest single. In between the melodious moments of dreamy pop, they get crunchy, finding expression in the noisier corners of their sound. They surround the melody in this brief crashing of instrumentation, like a distorted cocoon, before slinking back into their poppier side. B, the new album, will be out April 17th via Rama Lama Records.

Electro-Pop Number From The Sweet Serenades

I’ve been plugging away about Sweden based The Sweet Serenades for almost as long as our website has been around. During that time, the band has evolved and changed direction several times while still managing to keep me interested and engaged. Now the band has become a one man band of Martin Nordvall with founding member Mathias Nslund departing the duo in 2014. With that loss, the band has once again evolved to feature a more electronic, atmospheric sound, as evidenced by this new single “City Lights”. It’s definitely more focused on the electronic, pop side of things though still catchy and slow dance inducing just like some of the old favorites that first drew me to this band. For me, it seems like a natural progression to arrive at this more mature sound after years pumping out great music.

The Sweet Serenades just released new album City Lights last week. Orders for the album are up here.

Francis of Delirium Share Circles

Honestly, as I was reading about Francis of Delirium, I realized I hadn’t really heard of bands from Luxembourg (there’s this fun list to browse). But, this duo would likely fit into any scene anywhere in the world; it’s a blend of the introspective rock and anthemic pop that we all secretly crave. For me, there’s a nostalgic feel in the guitar notes, almost like they’re ripped straight from some classic 90s band, then dolled up for the swelling burst of euphoria that crashes down through the chorus. Jana Bahrich does brilliantly, contrasting the quiet personal moments with bold brightness; I was particularly drawn to the emphatic closing, almost angrily pushing the song to a close. It’s a pretty special introduction to the band, and should turn your attention towards their All Change EP slated for release this summer.

Candy Share Clean Video

Calum Newsom used to play with Amyl and the Sniffers, which should warrant your attention, though his sound under his Candy moniker is far different, if you ask me. This tune’s much less punk, and much more pop oriented; the bass line alone just reeks of folks looking to kick up their heels and have a blast. Honestly, there’s an understated jingle to it, which makes me think fondly of the early stuff from the Drums. It’s Monday, about to get rainy, so may as well hold onto some dreamy pop vibes before the day descends further into darkness.

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