Ablebody Changes Name to Always You, Drop Hold Out Single

It’s been about five years since we’ve heard from Ablebody, but in the interim, the band have been hard at work with new tunes…and a new name! The band, led by the Hochheim brothers, has formerly changed their name to Always You, then jumped right back into things with a new single courtesy of Shelflife Records. The tune’s offering is a bit of distance from the band’s indiepop inclinations, giving us a slightly elevated vibe; it’s almost like they’re offering up a really slow burning brand of pop, something that whets your appetite for what’s to come later. The vocals turn over and over in your mind, melodically drifting in a sort of dreamy trance-inducing fashion while the musical background just lounges, relaxing your soul. Nice to have this group back up and in the mix!

Catenary Wires Announce New 7″

When we were fortunate enough to have Rob and Amelia of Catenary Wires take over our web site last year, they hipped us to all they were working on, be it Swansea Sound, Heavenly reissues, European Sun and…well, we knew there was fresh CW on the horizon. Today, they announce their Mirrorball 7″, and they do so in typical fashion sharing a whimsical pop tune to give your day some wings, some spirit (maybe its only me that needs that!). Electronic buzz and horns open up before the light guitar strum provides the stage for the back and forth melodic banter between Rob and Amelia. For me, having listened to the band, and their various projects, this one feels supremely mature, like a lesson in the joys of indiepop being given by its elder states-people; it just gives you this warmth, almost as if it can’t be pigeonholed as anything other than a really great song. This 7″ will be out via Shelflife/Skep Wax on April 16th…and includes a Human League cover! And just a hint, this tune is the first single off a forthcoming LP later in the year.

The Luxembourg Signal Announce The Long Now

If you get two great LPs under your belt, you may as well shoot for that third, right? That seems to be the feeling I’m getting with today’s announcement that The Luxembourg Signal will return this Fall with The Long Now. Our first listen has the band dropping in immediately, pounding rhythm pushes the pace as those dreamy crystalline guitars chug; there’s a moment where another guitar shoots in, exploding like some sort of pop music firework in the foreground. You wait almost a minute before the vocals come in, but the wait is worth it, providing a moment to let the song breathe. It all erupts once again, like an indiepop volcano spewing forth sublime pop sensibility through your speakers, covering you in its charm. This is the perfect single! The Long Now will drop on October 23rd via Shelflife/Spinout Nuggets.

Lavender Blush Announce Debut LP

It feels like Lavender Blush has been working towards this LP since their self-titled EP dropped in 2016; and now we’re prepared to hear the band’s full-length, The Garden of Inescapable Pleasure. The band toy with us for about 15 seconds, mostly getting their feet under themselves; they hit that 16 second mark and the jittering of distorted guitars immediately start rioting through your speakers. The rhythm section does a great job of building that kick-up your shoes dance floor bounce while Ryan Lescure croons atop the mix; the chorus allows him to give off a little more of a disaffected melody that kind of makes you feel like you’re spinning in circles staring at the cloudy sky. The debut LP is available this November via Shelflife, with this new single streaming everywhere on Friday!

Corasandel Share Cracked Light

I’m not sure how familiar you are with Corasandel at this point in your life, but I assure you, as I’ve done in the past, this band is simply brilliant. Today I’m really happy to share a brand new tune from the band, being released as a digital single by the ATH revered Shelflife. The band are categorized under ambient-shoegaze, and I can see those elements here, but I also feel like they’ve also begun to blend into slight bits of post-rock and slowcore; it doesn’t really matter because you can’t pull yourself away. It does open up crafting an ambiance, mild notes floating on top the mix. Soon, feathery vocals enter the fray, soon joined by these thunderous drums; there was a moment around the 1 minute mark where I felt like the world stopped; I saw myself spinning in some cliche space moment. I love how the sonic arrangements begin to push the sound just as the vocals do; the song, in its own fashion is filled with this urgency that bursts forth into this elegant soundscape that closes the song. The single’s out officially on June 26th!

Nah Share Under the Radar Video

Nah are a band we’ve covered fairly frequently over the past few years, and it seems their debut album is finally on its way to us! Today the band share “Under the Radar,” a song about championing the underrated bands you’ve discovered along your own personal journey; I feel like we can definitely feel that on our end here at ATH. For some reason, Sebastian Voss’ voice really feels close to a young Jarvis on this tune, which I don’t mind one bit. Plus, what would a great pop song be if you didn’t include a nice little horn solo (check the 3:30 mark)!? Always great to hear a band crafting well arranged pop tunes, and Nah never shy away from that approach. Look for their debut LP via Shelflife in September!

Another Tune from Even As We Speak

Somehow in the hubbub of Easter weekend I let this new single from Even as We Speak sneak right passed me. I’m aiming to rectify that, as it’s a really beautiful pop tune. It opens up with these thickened synths looped over heavy drum beats, with a guitar hanging out somewhere in the distance; it almost feels like the song’s looking back on the purity of trip-hop in the mid 90s. Then the angelic notes of Mary Wyer’s voice enter the scene and everything else fades away; this is one of those vocal performances you don’t forget. As the song draws to a close, a little ambiance and musicality is flexed…but I’m still thinking about those vocals. Another reason we should all have our heads turned towards Adelphi when it drops in June via Shelflife Records and Discos de Kirlian.

Jetstream Pony Announce Debut Album

Jetstream Pony announced themselves to the world with the incredible Like You Less/Had Enough 7″; they followed that up with the excellent Self Destruct Reality EP and a few more singles. But today is the day we’ve all been anxiously awaiting, as the band announce their self-titled debut LP! A slight angular guitar opens the scene before a wall of distortion comes crashing through your speakers, carefully balanced by Beth’s cooly delivered vocals; Shaun helps add further balance with his deeper vocal notes adding in a perfect foil. While it’s easy to get swept away in the perfection of guitar pop, what I love is how much space the band leave in between; they’re savvy vets, not rushing to fill every second of the song, allowing you to just get lost in the wash of dazzling pop noise. Their self-titled record will be out later this year via Shelflife Records and Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten.

Another Pop Tune from the Close Lobsters

I suppose the timelessness of pop music is what keeps us all coming back time and time again. For me, it was the soft vocals and jangling guitar notes that remind of the first few tapes I bought as a kid, which is why this new number from the Close Lobsters is so great. There’s this slight British affectation to the vocals, and of course, that gives the song a distinct sound. All that said, it’s really just about that ringing guitar churning and turning in the stereo; it gets an added emphasis as the drums grow more forceful…rounding out as the perfect execution of pop music. Post Neo Anti will be released on February 28th via Last Night from Glasgow/ Shelflife Records.

Outerhope Release Another Single

You might recall a short period of time ago where we shared with you the wonderful lead single from the forthcoming Outerhope LP; today we’re following that up with another excellent number from the Filipino duo. I like the trickling of the electronics that jump the song forward; it’s like your falling in slow motion. It works well with the atmospheric wash and the dense sound of bells that float in behind just as Micaela enters the fray with her softened vocal touch. This is how the dreamier side of pop should sound, interesting in the manufacturing of beats, and hazy in the emotive qualities; look for Vacation to drop this Friday via Shelflife Records.

1 2 3 4 5 7