Cool Sounds Drop 6 or 7 More Video

First notes from Cool Sounds latest single definitely serve to remind us that the band has switched gears, digging out from the jangle pop side of the realm in order to give us a little more of a hip-shaking vibe. Pumping in a funky R&B groove right off the bat to set this song up is perfect, you’re instantly transported to a solid strut down the street, giving out high fives and hand shakes with confidence. Once the vocals kick to match up with the shuffling riffs, things continue to get funkier, almost spinning towards disco, albeit one with just a little bit of punk ethos thrown into keep the kids coming back. Add in that female vocal with its retro robotic nature and this song takes on futuristic and R&B and spins it into a new wile web. Like That will be out on October 7th via Chapter Music.

Elizabeth Drops Sweet Connection

It’s been really interesting watching the trajectory of Elizabeth the last few years. The Wonderful World of Nature still felt tethered, in some manner, to previous work, but with her Suite of Singles, it’s clear she’s fully embracing the role of budding pop star. This track opens with simple beat work, understated it seems, stuttering right before the release of the chorus, allowing a more angelic pitch to shift into play. Elizabeth is confident, and in that, you can tell that all things pop are fully in her grasp. It’ll be exciting to see how far the work gets pushed after the three track Suite of Singles is wrapped.

Premiere: Psych Pop Stunner From Sunfruits

Having recently sung the praises of Birmingham, AL based label Earth Libraries, I am not surprised to once again be receiving some banging new jams from them in my inbox. Today they traveled all the way to Melbourne to bring a new single called “Made to Love” from the psych-pop outfit Sunfruits. Overall, I love the sunny, bright energy of the track with some hints of psych pop and totally rocking rhythm section. Think late 60s psych rock/pop like Spirit with a more modern and sleek approach. Hard not to hit repeat on this one immediately after it ends.

Earth Libraries will be bringing more from Sunfruits real soon. Stay tuned.

Enola Share Strange Comfort Video

Really digging on this Enola vibe at the moment, so wanted you to be in the know as I jam it out. The Naarm/Melbourne project just dropped this read single, and I love the cinematic nature of the tune, tied into the concept of the video. The song’s exposition trickles, with vocals seemingly picking up pace as cymbals are heard echoing in the dense environment, but then they fade, almost evaporating. Suddenly the action rises, with guitars stabbing and dancing into the frame; the energy picks up, honing in on the post-punk nature. Vocals come emphatically through the rest of the song, with these industrial guitar lines snaking their way through; it feels like a dreamier version of Blank Dogs. Buen proveche.

Wireheads Drop Life After Winter Single

Why the fuck aren’t there more bands like Wireheads you ask? Well, likely because no one’s got the chops and creativity to pull it off. Lyrically, the band are always all over the place, fitting airplane crashes, flowers and dinosaurs into a neat little narrative; there’s still some thematic ties always pointing towards what band leader Dom Trimboli describes as “life’s hope and dreams and absurd things that occur.” Musically, it lands somewhere in the fashion of what’s cool with that sort of manufactured post-punk, though this is done with some bluesy roots rock guitar licks that William Miller would most likely called incendiary. Constantly snaking through genres and styles, the band never cease to impress with their creative approach; their new Potentially Venus album will be out later this year via Tenth Court.

Cool Sounds Announce Like That for Chapter Music

We’ve got two of our favorite Aussie things teaming up today: Chapter Music and Cool Sounds…one is a great label, and the other a great band. Today, Cool Sounds announce Like That, their first LP for Chapter Music, and they do so with this tasty musical morsel. Unlike previous albums, Dainis Lacey seems to have trimmed down the band, choosing to play the majority of the instruments this go around, which perhaps plays into the sound of the record. Lacey suggests that a mixing of Ian Dury and the indie dance scene of the late 2000s informs the whole LP…so you can see why we’re excited over here! Those are some of our favorite “cool sounds” too! The band will release Like That on October 7th.

Sorry I Missed It: The Garbage and the Flowers

It’s been a slow start to the week, which probably means I’m missing all the hot tracks while I teach summer school. But, before I start running that class, I wanted to get this Cinnamon Sea EP up from The Garbage and the Flowers, which came out in Australia in the middle of May. Those of you in the need for some slow-core magic will surely fall for the band’s mixture of Velvet Underground weepers and haphazard pop numbers that you’d find on an old K Records sampler. It’s five genius tracks that I’ve been spinning for the last couple of weeks, so why not turn you that way today. Check it.

Stella Donnelly Shares Lungs + Announces New Record

In my opinion, Stella Donnelly is an absolute powerhouse, and I’m hoping with the announcement of Flood that she really starts to get the deserved attention here in the States. On her last record, it felt like sort of a more traditional singer-songwriter affair, though the songs were buoyed with great arrangements, not to mention Stella’s playfulness. But, earlier this year, Stella featured on Methyl Ethel‘s “Proof” single, which was an absolute banger. Perhaps we should have taken note, as this new single seems a little more intent on a similar production, using driving beats and natural hooks to set up the core of the song. Her wordplay is still clever as ever, so it doesn’t sound like you’re losing anything; you just get to see a great songwriter blossoming further into the every day name we fully expected her to be. Her new LP, Flood, will be out in August via Secretly Canadian.

Loveboner Share POV: Your Stepdad’s at the Gay Bar (and He’s Doing Great)

Feel like kicking off Friday by throwing a little fun pop punk right in your face, courtesy of Australia’s Loveboner. The duo are prepping the release of their new record, Loveboner are Reinventing Oral Sex, which drops in June via Psychic Hysteria. It’s the sort of tongue-in-cheek fun you’d expect on an old punk CD on early Fat Wreck Chords, though they’re spinning it out with a little sincerity; the album deals with themes of trans identity, queer romance, homoerotic action movies, and of course, step-dads. You’re getting amped for the weekend, and Fridays are fun, so turn it up and sing along!

The Chats Drop New Video for Struck by Lightning

Don’t want to delve too far into the soft pop vibes of the day, so this track from the Chats hits just the right punk notes to keep it fun. The band’s got a sort of snotty snarl to them, playing that breakneck punk rock with a bit of call and response to the chorus. Everything here feels anxious and rushed, frantic almost, which ties into the video where they’re dodging lightning strikes inside their practice space. The band have always flirted with a sense of humor and a hard edge, which you might have caught on their High Risk Behaviour LP from 2020. But, this is new, and it rips, so turn it up and blast it out; be on the lookout for their American invasion in April/May!

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