Last Week’s Jams (8.28 – 9.1)

It was definitely a busy week on my end, but we pushed through and still managed to crank out some really great music for you all. RayRay got to run the sweet new album stream for Grimson‘s new LP, and I was just hopping all over the place like musical ADHD music junkie I am. Had some good power-pop from the Slow Summits and Colored Lights, to give you some energy. Some great ballad work by Austin artists Feeling Small and Daily Worker to warm and make you cry at once. Plus, I got to bump that new jam from Pachyman, not to mention our weekly dose of all the goods from Australia like Lower Plenty, Screensaver, and Vintage Crop. Stream on below, amigo!

Helena Deland Announces Goodnight Summerland

We’ve heard a few new tunes from Helena Deland recently, hinting that there was a new album coming…and today is the day she announces Goodnight Summerland. This song was penned shortly after Deland lost her mother, and my favorite piece of commentary on the track is that it left the concept that our interactions with others can lead to “life-affirming purposefulness.” Musically, I’ve really appreciate the move into more open musical spaces in comparison to what we got on Someone New; those tunes felt magical in a sense, like an adventure into a well-scored dreamland, but the newer tunes open Helena to this striking intimacy that makes it tough for you to pull yourself away. Looking forward to hearing all of the new LP when it drops on October 13th via Chivi Chivi.

Last Week’s Jams, Today (2.7 – 2.11)

Jumping into this week by looking back at last week, in the most uncool fashion, using a Spotify playlist; the world’s probably going to stop dead right there. But, last week had some rad tunes, with friends Half Dream and Squiggles both jumping in with new tunes for us. Plus, we got to revisit some recents releases from Tat Songs and The High Water Marks. And ultimately, got to meet some new faces, at least to me, like Sooner and Erasers. But, I’m starting it off with that super rad Pachyman jam, so sit back and get grooving into your Monday.

Helena Deland Shares New Single, Swimmer

When I think back on Helena Deland‘s Someone New, I always seem to regard it with some sort of elvish dreaminess; it always seemed like she was some magnificent forest creature sent to serenade. Now, as she prepares for tours with The Weather Station and Andy Schauf, she seems to be channeling a more traditional brand of folk, albeit one that still has this sort of forestry imagery in my brain. You’ll definitely find the track striking, with Deland’s voice sparkling crisply, with Winter winds blowing in behind in the mix (or so it seems). The video is all footage shot by Helena, with the guitar notes seemingly escorting you through each image upon their backs. Enjoy this one.

Nathan’s Favorite Albums of 2020

It’s been a crazy year, and a depressing year, so perhaps we all retreated more into our record collections to seek out that fleeting joy. On my end, I spent a lot of time running/walking in the ‘burbs, so these are the records that played the most in my life…thus they are my Favorite Albums of 2020. The validity means little to anyone other than myself, but since you stop by, perhaps come by and check out my list!

And, just an FYI…there are 30 bands, and I linked back to Bandcamp pages so you can buy directly from the artists…except that one band because apparently they’re too cool…even though that album rips.

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Helena Deland Shares Pale Video

Unless you’ve been hiding in a whole the last few months, or maybe the last few years, you’re likely aware that the forthcoming Helena Deland is highly anticipated. I’ve been on board, but what I’m pleasantly surprised by on this one is the diversity when thrown in contrast to the other singles from the album cycle. This one seems to have peeled back the banana peel of dream pop, revealing a more playful, almost childlike, Deland, providing more of an immediate impact to the listener as opposed to stretching those melodies out. Don’t get me wrong, there are still a few bits of that ethereal pop stretch, but I think its a nice move to step away and give us a glimpse at a little something different. As if my needs mattered here. Someone New is out next Friday via Luminelle.

Helena Deland Shares Truth Nugget Video

In the year of years, there’s still great art being made everywhere; we’ve had our eyes (and ears) on Helena Deland‘s forthcoming Someone New LP. The visualizer is this water feature, lodged in this dense forest with a light shining upon the fountain itself; Deland is quoted as saying that the image represents something “you stumble upon unexpectedly, familiar but exciting, the way friendship can be.” It comes back to the theme Helena has mentioned previously of finding your place, even amongst your closest friends. The song itself, operates much like the fountain, this angelic spotlight of a voice signing upon the darker textures of the musical craft behind it. Someone New drops on October 16th; pre-order HERE.

Helena Deland Announce Someone New

Having released the powerful “Lylz” in July, it was only a matter of time before we got news about Helena Deland‘s debut LP, Someone New. That day has come, and with it comes a fresh single for our listening pleasure. I love how the song begins with this fragility, with Deland sitting for a portrait, as her voice seems lost in solitude. It evolves into something slightly more ornate, her voice taking a slight sparkle as it intertwines with careful chords. Around the 1:36 mark, a steadying beat enters the fray, providing the slightest bit of movement to carry the song to a close. While penned around the concept of a romantic encounter, the song also hints at the greater picture of the album, one of circling back through self-identities only to return as “someone new.” The LP is out on October 16th (Pre-Order).

Helena Deland Readies Debut LP

The last time we were all able to gather for SXSW, Helena Deland was very much on the minds of many, particularly with the success of Altogether Unaccompanied. She’s been fairly quiet until now, mostly spending her time touring, but it looks like that debut LP is finally in the works.We get our first glimpse with this new song “Lylz,” in part inspired by the story of the Boulanger sisters, with the other part a nod to the devoted friendship of the song’s namesake. I love the heavy breath of the vocals in the beginning, working over really quietly strummed notes. Like the burning candles (fashioned as the Boulanger sisters), notes flicker and in an instant the song begins to soar into a more celestial sort, leading to the introduction of steady rhythm to propel the track to its close. Very much an artists to keep your eye on as the year draws to a close.