Martha Drops Fresh New Single

I raved and raved about Love Keeps Kicking, not to mention kept screaming at the top of my lungs to the whole record, so I’m glad to hear Martha come back with a new 7″. Today they’ve got the A-side out for all of us to stream, so I reckon we should put it up for ya, eh? Following the opening piano tease, the track starts off with this sort of jittering angular riff, setting the tune up for the unique vocal style to jump into the foray. Those guitars get a little heavier and a little more straight-forward, driving the pop punk punch right to your face. But, their hook, combining the vocal harmonies sneak in mid-track, and dammit if the band haven’t left us with another sweet jam. Start Friday here. The new 7″ is out June 24th via Specialist Subject, with a B-Side Allo Darlin’ cover!

Fresh Elva Track for You

I’ve seen lots of lists about the most anticipated albums of the next few months, and sadly, none of the ones I’ve seen include Elva; I’m here to remedy that for me, and for you. “Ghost Writer” is the band’s newest single from their forthcoming Winter Sun LP. It has this spry bounce to it from the churning of the guitar chords; it reminds me an indiepop version of early Beulah. The big difference here, at least in what we’ve heard thus far, is that Ola takes the reigns on the vocals, with Elizabeth (of Allo’ Darlin) taking up the backing vocal roll, and together they craft this sublime harmony that rides throughout the song…all the way to the fuzzy guitar chord that jumps in for the song’s last minute. Winter Sun drops on April 19th via Tapete Records.

Elva Announce Debut LP

There’s been whispers of an Elva full-length ever since they dropped their first single, but they’ve picked up over the last month…and that time is apparently near. The group, featuring former members of Allo Darlin and Making Marks, have announced Winter Sun via Tapete Records. At this point, we’re only getting snippets, but they’re lengthy snippets, so it warrants a post…not to mention it’s always wonderful to hear Elizabeth Morris voice coming through my speakers. It looks like she and Ola will be trading vocal duties for the band’s forthcoming release, or at least that’s what we get here in these teasers. So for now, just over 4 minutes to show you how wonderful Elva can be…and then we wait until April!

Another Hit from Mikey Collins

We’ve already written about the forthcoming Mikey Collins LP, but I’m here to encourage you to look into this new single. It opens with light little keyboard dance, with a teasing bass line just underneath…soon the cymbals and snare get a work out as Collins enters the picture. All this is really to set up the listener for the sublime chorus, where Mikey’s joined by a female counterpart; it’s not far off from the hook-laden work Mikey pulled off behind the kit in Allo Darlin. I like how he stretches himself just a bit before the 3 minute mark, elongating the syllables to maximize melody. You can grab his new solo LP Hoick right now from Fika Recordings.

Mikey from Allo Darlin Readies Hoick

I’ve made no apologies in my undying love for the now defunct Allo’ Darlin. Recently we were alerted to a new project that’s spun out of the ashes of said band; it’s the project of drummer Mikey Collins. As one’s likely to suspect, this is definitely a pop song from start to finish; there are some added flourishes you might not have found on an AD track though. Personally, I really like the vocal delivery of Collins here; it lives somewhere in the realm between Norman Blake and Matthew Caws…both voices I adore. Plus, it never hurts to have a natural bounce provided by the rhythm section. His debut solo LP is titled Hoick and it drops on August 17th via Fika Recordings.

Indiepop Fans Will Love Elva

You’re going to love Elva, and in fact, you probably already do without even realizing it. The band is comprised of members of the disbanded Allo Darlin, and Making Marks. Today news broke that the group will be releasing their debut 7″ for WIAIWYA, and we’ve got one of the songs below for you. It’s the perfect execution of understated pop, focusing on the natural melody created by the vocals, as well as the instrumentation behind. Tight drumming keeps a slight bit of pace to keep your toes-a-tapping. And of course, combining male and female vocals in unison is always going to hit home for fans of the genre…though I’d say for any fans of great music. This here is a gift that will make your day; it has already made my day better. Look for the limited edition release to drop right before Christmas; go grab it HERE before it runs out.

Another Bill Botting Tune for You

Those of you still mourning the loss of Allo Darlin can rejoice in the fact that Bill Botting is still out there writing great tracks. Now, that being said, don’t lost in the idea that he was an indiepop star, as his new music has a slightly different taste. He’s writing songs rooted in pop traditions, though he’s bringing in a bit of country to his craft; he sort of sounds like he was listening to a lot of Old 97s in this tune. There’s a new album coming from Bill Botting and the Two Drink Minimums titled Better Friends; it’s being released on March 10th via Fika Recordings.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/306591325″ params=”color=00aabb&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Bill Botting Announces Album

bbWhile I know we were all more-than-bummed when Allo Darlin’ called it quits, there’s promise in the future, especially knowing that Bill Botting (the AD bass player) has already announced a solo outing. Now, it’s not exactly what one would expect, with a little bit more of a folk influence, though he’s still employing the band’s tendency for great melodies. On this track, there’s a gentle female vocal accompaniment, perfectly accenting Bottle’s seeming Western drawl. Bill Botting & the Two Drink Minimums will release their album, Better Friends, on March 10th via Fika Recordings…an always reliable source of great music.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/298674153″ params=”color=00aabb&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Christmas Pop from Bill Botting + Two Drink Minimums

billYou know Christmas or Hanukkah (or just holiday season for pc purposes) is around the corner when you see a flood of lists hitting the Internet. With that, we also get the gift of great Christmas music from our favorites, like Bill Botting who plays with Allo’ Darlin. He’s rounded up a bunch of friends for a short little EP titled It’s Not Christmas Anymore, and the track they’ve got floating out is quite a joy. It’s got a little bit of stripped down folk, but still adheres to a pop sensibility that’s visible in the work of all the participants. Should make for a nice little holiday listen; it’s available via Fika Recordings.

Indiepop Delight from Sleuth

sleuthAre you looking for the perfect place where Alvvays and Allo Darlin meet? That perfect indiepop comes in way of Vancouver’s Sleuth. The vocal qualities seem to lean more toward the former, while the musical aspirations closely resemble that of the latter. It harkens back that perfect late 90s era of pop music…no bullshit, just great songs. They’re doing a limited release of their latest album, Out of the Blue Period, via Kingfisher Bluez and Jigsaw Records this month, so if you know anything about modern indiepop, you know this is always a trustworthy source.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/214087995″ params=”color=ff9900&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

1 2