Cola Announce Deep View

Cola‘s album announcement is yesterday’s news, and it came with this great video here, so I couldn’t just ignore it. That, and well, I’m a huge Tim Darcy stan, so it definitely is fitting over here. Honestly, this doesn’t feel too far off from Ought, those there’s a little bit more softness on the notes here, hints at sunnier melodies lurking. Darcy’s performance in the chorus feels a touch like Travis Morrison, adding emphasis without really stretching his pipes too far. All of it feels like the next logical step for Darcy and his new band, as you could feel him toying more with melody as Ought progressed. But, there’s still this bit of wildness in his songwriting, and if he keeps that, Deep View‘s going to be a surefire hit; it’s out on Fire Talk on May 20th.

Steven Lambke Announces Volcano Volcano

Finding out that Steven Lambke had a new album on the way ended up sending me spiraling down a good old fashioned Constantines kick. Pretty sure I played “You’re a Conductor” over and over again for a good 30 minutes. But, just because he played guitar in the aforementioned act, doesn’t mean we can expect his newest solo effort, Volcano Volcano, to sound anything like his old work. There’s definitely some slight nods, particularly when he strains his voice a bit, giving the song some old school bite to it. But, in between, he fills the song with these soft melodies and backing harmonies, arranging a ditty that falls somewhere between stomping indie rock and classic pop sounds. It’ll be interesting to see how this evolves, but we’ll find out when it drops on April 29th via You’ve Changed Records.

Love, Burns Announces It Should Have Been Tomorrow

It seems only fitting that we begin covering music in the new year by covering our first release of 2022; It Should Have Been Tomorrow by Love, Burns. The band is the solo project of Phil Sutton, who plays in Pale Lights (among other acts like Cinema Red and Blue and Comet Gain!), but the album features help from Kyle Forester, Hampus Ohland-Frolund, and Gary Olson…so it’s kind of a big deal! We’re releasing it in conjunction with Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten, Calico Cat Records and Jigsaw…all great labels run by admirable persons, so we’re fortunate to be part of this release (we’ll be handling the cassette version)! But, we can’t really convince you to pick it up without a little taste now can we? Here’s a few tunes from the album, which will be out on February 4th; buy it from us HERE.

Plus, Phil recently recorded a wonderful cover of the Wake’s “Crush the Flowers” with Suzanne Nienaber for Soleado, a Tribute to Siesta Records, organized by Fadeawayradiate. You can hear that below:

Phil photo courtesy of Dominick Mastrangelo Photography.

Die Die Die Announce New Album

Sure sure, I’ve been mostly hitting on the pop notes of late the last few years, but when something like Die! Die! Die! hits, I just can’t turn away from the abrasiveness that raised me. That thundering rhythm section that opens this song is intoxicating in its own right, then you get the Andrew’s voice barking angrily. At times, it almost seems like the drums are doubling down on the vocals and guitar, begging them so speed up and explode. Back and forth we go, reminded by Wilson’s lyrics that we all get lost in the mix sometimes, and thus we’ve got to reset. Everything about this song feels explosive, and I can’t wait for the band to drop This Is Not an Island Anymore next February.

Great Lakes Announce Contenders

You ever stumble into a tune that just makes you nostalgic for home? Well, listening to the Ben Crum’s voice on the new single from Great Lakes had me yearning for that feeling, searching my soul for hints of home. I love how the track toys with Americana vibes, particularly as the voice has a wee bit of twang, but it’s still not afraid to put forth a heavy rock vibe that certainly seems like no easy feat. The guitar work and heavy stomp of the rhythm section often seem to work beneath the song’s surface, bubbling up in the chorus, jamming in the interludes, and dragging the song with a heavier hand across the finish land. If you’re into good tunes that feel like comfort food, then jam out here, and look for Contenders when it hits in February 4th via HHBTM.

Marissa Paternoster Announces Peace Meter

Seeing as I love Screaming Females, I was super excited to hear that Marissa Paternoster would be releasing her debut solo effort; we got news today that Peace Meter will be out via Don Giovanni on December 3rd. On the opening single, we get Marissa marching through a cemetery as she repeats the chorus of “your feathers soaked in blood.” The imagery is striking, but what really hits home is the construction of the song as a whole. There’s this patience that’s evolved in Pastnoster’s songwriting, based on this calmed guitar strum, allowing her to maximize this huge wall of emotion; it’s buoyed by the production and added arrangements from Andy Gibb (of Thou). It’s a pretty powerful opening statement from a record we’re sure to adore.

Shoestrings Announce New Album, Expectations

Nearly thirty years after dropping their first single, Shoestrings have emerged from the quiet to drop their most confident record to date, Expectations. It makes sense that this record came about after the duo did some work for Swedish project Djustin, as there’s a very clear lineage to that delectable brand of Nordic synth pop; I keep thinking of Red Sleeping Beauty as I play this on repeat. I will say, rather than merely playing on the formula, Shoestrings definitely make this sound their own; they create these little mini-movements that punctuate their harmonies…see the great drop in at 3:11. If you’re in the mood for dense synthesized pop, then you’re going to want to press play, maybe even open it in another screen so you can press repeat. Expectations will be out on November 5th via Shelflife.

Neckbolt Announce Midwestern Drawl

I’ll be honest, sometimes the Austin scene gets a little stale; it tends to feed off of its own bravado, then implodes to champion what sells…but honestly, its felt mostly safe as of late, until I heard this new track from Neckbolt. The band is comprised of various local figures, and a few out-of-towners, but they’re building this deranged twang-core that feels like an unholy Texan amalgam. Those gritty blues guitar sounds are fuzzed beneath this heavy wash of atmosphere, dripping with tambourine presence. Honestly, it’s like taking acid house vibes from the UK, throwing in sort of the dark experimental side of Liars, then throwing it all on stage in Marfa; it pretty much rules. Midwestern Drawl is out November 5th via Spider Dispatch Unit.

Weakened Friends Announce Quitter

A few years ago, a show opportunity fell into my lap; I had the opportunity to book a primo venue for a day time SXSW show, but I had to do it in 48 hours before the show took place. Lucky for me, I know some people, and was fortunate enough to have Weakened Friends take the stage. They played in the early afternoon with such ferocity that it awoke everyone from their early SXSW slumber. Today the band announce their new album, Quitter, which is coming out via Don Giovanni Records; they’re doing it with the blasting pop rock jam that should get you as excited as I am for the LP. Sonia’s voice is phenomenal, and just the right amount of catchy hanging in there. Just turn it up super loud and thank me later!

Parker Longbough Announces Off Front Street

It’s been a busy year for Parker Longbough, releasing an album and an EP, but we’re not even done yet, so we’re pleased to inform you that he’ll be releasing another record, Off Front Street. One of the great things about Longbough is his storytelling, and its what fills this record (and song), with his lyrical work resembling Doug Martsch to a certain degree, making the mundane leap from the speakers. This track has a circular nature to it, musically speaking, with this guitar ringing in and out of the mix, allowing Longbough to focus on his storytelling while the song buzzes behind him; it’s punctuated by this emphatic drum work, primarily on the cymbals, punching up the hooks as you go through. You can file this tune somewhere between the Pacific Northwest of the late 90s and Elephant 6. Off Front Street drops on October 22nd via Wilderhood Music.

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