Pleased To Meet You: Rad Gnar

Sometimes bands you love break-up, or move away and that’s just the way life goes. For me, that’s what happened with our beloved Basketball Shorts, who we worked with for their Hot n’ Ready LP. Now, guitarist Bench has a new band, Rad Gnar, and he’s taking on the vocal duties here too! The band’s first single from their forthcoming LP is filled with these huge crunchy rifts, as one would expect from his previous work. But, I really love the way he leaves his vocals hanging, letting the notes rise, then fall back down to your ears with those classic hooks! On May 18th the group will drop Rad Gnar, their self-titled debut, but if you want to catch them early…they have a show at Cheer Up Charlies on April 30th!

Hurry Really Hit the Mark

Having previously posted Hurry tunes in the past month, I just can’t get enough of the group, especially with their latest single. There’s still an element that’s playfully soft, but the guitars on this ring brightly through your speakers in all the best ways. It’s got a rushed pace, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that I hear bits of Nada Surf in the band’s approach…you know, offering the more radio-friendly version of Superchunk. Their new album Every Little Thought just puts a smile to your face, guaranteed; it will drop on February 23rd via Lame O Records.