Summer Sleeves Announce In the Throes of Woes

After spending a good 15 years playing music, Jeremy Charbonneau took a break to focus on his young family. But, the songs kept pulling at him, begging for completion, which led to the creation of Summer Sleeves. He’s signed up with Jigsaw Records to release In the Throes of Woes, and we’ve got the new single from the LP below. It’s a got a slight jangle, a splash of folk, but mostly its just really great songwriting. For me, it reminds me of the endearing side of the Shins from their first record, before it grew to be cliche; this is pop songwriting at its purest, working on great melodies and a voice with just enough peculiarity to keep it interesting. We’re better off having Jeremy back in the songwriting fold; the new album drops on April 23rd.

Sleuth Share Sick Days Video

While “Sick Days” was likely written before this coronavirus pandemic, the new video from Sleuth comes at an apt time, particularly in the way it was recorded, with each member filming while in isolation. You’ll likely find some similar ground if you’re laying low and staying safe. Musically, the song has this casual bounce at the get-go, like happily plodding along and telling stories with an old friend. At the 1:16 mark, the song jumps off and gets a touch boisterous, using gang vocals to build up the song’s exuberant nature. It’s a great song, with a relatable video; you’ll find the track on their new album Gold, which is scheduled to drop on May 29th via Lost Sound Tapes/Jigsaw Records.

Big Baby Announce Fizzy Cola EP

Been a hot minute since we’ve heard from Richmond’s Big Baby, but better get acquainted now as they’re brandishing six delicious new pop tunes you’ll want to consume…and we’ve got the lead single below for you. The band, fronted by Ali Mislowsky (also of ATH faves Young Scum), start with a heavy three second tease; they collect themselves, and they’re off. The guitar chords seem to be dancing and swirling around your ears, all the while the rhythm section keeps your toes tapping. In the vocals, you this coolly delivered warmth, but the hook is all about the falling notes in the line “can’t get you out of my head.” If you’re into the sugary sweetness on display, be sure to grab the Fizzy Cola EP from Hidden Bay Records or Jigsaw on January 10th!

The Year in Indiepop…According to Nathan

As we’re all looking back on the year 2019, I tend to gravitate towards lists with little agenda, other than to shine a light back on the year in the areas I adore. For one, the indiepop scene. Now, there’s always a great big debate about what indie pop is, so for all intents and purposes, I admit that I just don’t care, so the genre’s purists can yell at me later. Now, this may read as a best of, but merely this is the stuff that stuck out in my brain, so if I missed something, I love you and I’m sorry. Honestly, it just gave me a chance to make a fun playlist (2+ hours!) full of hits for all you pop fans.

 

 

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More Pop Rocking Goodness from Joy Cleaner

I’m pretty sure that Joy Cleaner is the bastard child of Ultimate Fakebook and Teenage Fanclub. Both aforementioned bands (as well as JC) brandish the same sonic tendencies, feeding listeners these huge riffs. To me, the this song’s reliance upon the vocal melody while still kicking out arena ready riffs is where I get the UF comparison; they almost share the same slight vocal hiccup…and that’s one of my favorite reasons to love both bands. Guess I’m just the world’s biggest sucker for catchy pop rock n’ roll, which is probably why I’ve been loving every second of You’re So Jaded; it drops on November 1st via Jigsaw Records.

Joy Cleaner Share Dramatization

Dammit, I just love Joy Cleaner. There’s something refreshing about a band that’s just banging out rockers from start to finish, like that classic guitar rock sound from the 90s. Sure, that seems dated, but the the huge riffs and the hooks lend themselves to the reemergence of power-pop fans across the Internet’s web. Sometimes its nice to just sort of put your pretense to the site, turn the stereo up and let it rock. I promise, it’ll be cool to rock again real soon, so let this bunch ease you into it. You’re So Jaded drops on November 8th courtesy of Jigsaw Records.

Crunchy Guitar Pop from Joy Cleaner

I know that somewhere out there is a huge group of folks clamoring for someone to give them the gift of glorious guitar pop along the lines of the Teenage Fanclub…look no further friends because here’s brand new Joy Cleaner. This brand new ditty comes across with these huge crunching guitars, bordering on speaker-breaking. But, that quickly subsides, bringing in the melodic pop side of things that made acts like TFC so special; it gives the listener this great cocoon of warmth while still feeling like the track’s got something heavy going on throughout. Call it college radio, call it alternative, but you’re going to call it good because plain and simple, it very much is. Look for the new You’re So Jaded LP from Jigsaw Records very soon!

Fuzzy Pop from A Certain Smile

Remember when you bought that first Pains of Being Pure at Heart LP and you couldn’t tell whether you wanted to rock out or just start your own twee pop band? Well, now you’ve got A Certain Smile to help emulate that very mood, brandishing their own short buzzy pop number. This one’s like a sweet little sampler of indiepop, over in just over 2 minutes, with the band’s current label Jigsaw Records claiming its the best indiepop single you’ll hear this year. That’s super high praise, but to be fair, the band currently includes the owner of the label…but it definitely is high up there on my list. I’ll say top 10. What do you think? The whole Bae EP is out next week on September 20th, with a full LP to follow soon after.

Slept on Stars on Fire

Last week Jigsaw Records quietly released Blue Skies Above, the debut EP from Stars on Fire; I trust the label, so I had to go and spin it on repeat in order to fully digest it. Those who follow my personal tastes will realize that this album is everything I love, and yet none of the things I love. Opener “Shutdown” is a fuzzy little shuffle, bordering on jangling, but focusing on the noisier bits; it sounds a little like that first Pains LP. Jump around a bit to find “Model,” which is more of a post-punk rambling; I love the deep tones of the vocals and the natural balance. “Paper Driver” sounds like something our friends in Fanclub would have released, though special in that its mostly instrumental. You see, this is all over the place, and yet its cohesive in that sense…its like a sampling of all the great things about pop music. Stream it all below.

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