Tag: SMILE

Last Week’s Jams, Today (4.25 – 4.29)

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There were some great new tunes last week, and I certainly can’t get enough of some of the LPs that dropped, which we pointed you towards on Friday. The Dehd track that hit last week is for sure one of their best of late, but I’m still really partial to jamming to that Guy Capecelatro III album. Some intriguing tunes from the likes of Maria Chiara Argiro, Team Play and Rose Mercie make a nice appearance in this weeks track-listing, plus there’s a bunch of other tunes to get you started on Monday morning.

Smile Share What a Heart Is For

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We’re going global today, having hit up Finland and jumping over to Italy with this brand new single from Smile. The group are brandishing a classic big guitar pop sound, flirting with the edges of jangle pop. At times, the tune hits at the later work of bands like Teenage Fanclub, hitting those heavy notes built around a nice little melodic moment. Other times, I can here an allegiance to REM at their poppiest, so suffice to say it’s a pretty classic rock sound here. For someone that spends a lot of time with the nostalgic sounds of the past, this just makes me, dare I say, smile.

Whoop Share New Single, Smile

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Whoop is a relatively new act out of North Carolina, formed by singer Fal and friends, offering up a mixture of light-hearted pop rock that’s certain to charm us all on this early Friday morning. Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t immediately point you towards Fal’s voice; she has this youthful vibrancy that seems both playful and confident, bending syllables to her will. The band work hard to create these riffs that border on jangling guitar rock, giving the song the edge needed to serve as the vessel for the vocals. It’s a fun little ditty to get you going, and if you’re super into it, the band release Whoop! on November 19th via Porcelain Records.

Smile Share Hideout Single

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It shouldn’t take you too long to realize why I’m pulling for Italian outfit Smile; I mean those furiously jangling guitar chords that open the song right up gripped me immediately. Interesting, instead of adding in the casual soft vocals that you’d expect to match up with the guitar work, the lyrical content here is much more spirited, akin to all the great college rock of yesteryear, perhaps due to the band’s love of REM and Husker Du. This track is the first new single since the band’s sold out The Name of the Band is Smile LP, which came out earlier this Spring via Subjangle.

Jamming This Durand Jones

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A friend, knowing my affinity for old school soul and R&B, sent me this new Durand Jones tune from his forthcoming self-titled LP with his band the Indications. It’ll only take a few seconds for you to realize the pipes on Jones mean business; think Leon Bridges but with more range. But, while the voice is a powerful instrument, the musicianship has to be present in order to really knock it out of the park; you won’t need to look much further than the first few minutes to see how solid the rhythm section is with these guys. Durand Jones & the Indications will be released by Dead Oceans/Colemine Records on March 16th, with pre-orders offering up a bonus 7″.

Premiere: Smile Release New Album

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smileYou might recognize a few faces from the Smile posse, sharing members with local posters, Dreamboat. But, don’t use that to make your basis for the band’s sound,with the group here flexing their musical muscles and creating musically dense compositions. Each track on Like a Diamond in the Rough, You Shine seems like it’s own mini-concept album; songs take twists and turns, though always relying upon the group’s dynamic pop sensibility. For my two cents, I think the journey, and flip side, of “Must Be Something 1 & 2” are easily worth your time, with one side hitting hard and the other letting you venture off into your own world. If you’re looking for a new band that adds a little bit of sunshine to art-pop, then delve into this listen right now.

The group release the album on Friday with a secret special house party. Hit them up to find out where!

Show Preview: Great Local Bill At Cheer Up Charlie’s (TONIGHT)

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14183942_1369818803046647_6755345163754025102_nSummer is winding down, kids are back in school, so I know you’re itching to squeeze in some more fun times on a Friday night. Our city is teeming with good shows to hit up, but this stacked bill over at Cheer Up Charlie’s is where you ought to be tonight. For the low low price of FREE, you can catch not one, not two, but seven bands, including the likes of Wildfires, who are riding high off the release of their latest EP, Aguas Frescas pt. II. Not to mention there’s The Eastern Sea, who always crush their live sets, as well as the folksy stylings of Dreamboat. There’s also SMILE, Maryann, Triplets, and Kodachrome to complete the bill. Looks like doors are at 8pm, so get there early, and give some love to your resident musicians and check out tracks from some of the bands below.

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