Rocky Lorelei Releases A Sculpture in My Hands

At the very tail end of last year, Rocky Lorelei released the beautiful collection titled A Sculpture in My Hands. The project is the work of Rachel Taylor, who you might know from Spinning Coin or Hairband or Slipper, and boy are you in for a treat if you’ll lend me your ears. These 11 tunes are a mixture of introspective ballads and droning pieces of art poetry, all of which share this mixture of pastoral and naturalism, accompanied by the fragility of Taylor’s voice on the recordings. For me, there are certain standout tracks like “Tomorrow is a Star” or “It’s All on My Mind,” but there’s not a single song you’d want to skip over, each offering little intimate recordings that resonate deep within your soul. Personally, I recommend carrying these tunes with you on a nice walk through the park with the sun on your back; it’s available now via a limited cassette on Rehberge Records.

Spinning Coin Share Get High Video

When listening through the entirety of Spinning Coin‘s new Hyacinth LP, I found myself gravitating towards this tune quite a bit. Sure, there’s these uplifting guitar riffs that seem poppy and jittery, but the vocals had this gruffness that sort of offered up a rough edge from the band; they splice in a sort of operatic backing vocal that breaks up the weight of the lead too, which adds the faintest hint of musical texture. It’s the sort of little details that makes the whole of the LP enduring, bridging the gaps between various genres and styles, crafting a hodgepodge of sounds that rewards time and time again. Hyacinth should be picked up from your local shoppe on Friday, or buy it from Domino!

Spinning Coin Announce Hyacinth

I honestly didn’t think that I could have a better Thursday, and then this Spinning Coin ditty popped right into my life. Having loved the pop tilt-a-whirl that was 2017 Permo, I had high high expectations…but this my friends, this is the tops. There’s so much to unpack, and I’m kind of freaking out. The vocals have multiple layers, rising to this crackling fragility, returning to this almost playful operatic vibe, and all the while able to coolly slide back in with some “do do do dos” to leave you hooked. In the guitar work, you get this magical twirling, as if you’re spinning about in a huge expanse of knee-high grass without a care in the world. It’s all magic, and then the backing vocals just push you over the edge of the pop cliff, leaving you joyously tumbling into a warm bed of melody. Hyacinth will be released by Domino imprint Geographic in February of last year.

Spinning Coin Share B-Side

I wish more people wrote tracks like Spinning Coin; they have this knack of tying their songs into things I adore about music. There’s this stream-of-consciousness vocal delivery, offering commentary on one’s desire for a momentary drop out of the world that never quite comes to fruition. Musically, they’ve got it all. The opening 20 seconds or so of guitar sound just feel like home; it’s not quite jangle but definitely in my wheelhouse. They go on to combine vocals, not quite harmonizing but supporting one another…all dreamily drawing out the song’s chorus. Plus, they even step on the pedal to offer some fuzzy riffs later on in the tune, always returning to their poppier craft. So damn good. This is the B-side to their new 7″ for Domino, out August 30th.

Spinning Coin Return with Visions at the Stars

I remember back in 2017 listening to Permo, and just being blown away by the distinctive style of songwriting that Glasgow’s Spinning Coin brought to the table; it always seemed like every person in the band had a little say in what was going to come across, making for a diverse listen. But, they’ve been super quiet until today when they announce a brand new 7″ with this joyous new single. It opens with some interesting vocals, perhaps from Rachel, kind of like something Dirty Projectors would have spun. But, it’s a nice juxtaposition for the relaxed feel of the rest of the track; I think it also brings in this slight melody very carefully that cruises through the song’s entirety. The video footage seems to have been filmed by the band themselves, which in general, is a sign of a band out having a fun time. You can grab the new 7″ on August 30th via Domino!

Top Albums of 2017

Lists are arbitrary and burdensome, but why not join the fun everyone else is having? We gathered our lists, separate lists for all of us, then combined them into one that had 50 albums. What you get here are the four writers/contributors of ATH, giving you their meaningless opinions on what we thought was the jam in 2017. It’s alphabetical, and we put the initials next to it so you could track down your enemy!

 

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Spinning Coin Share New Video

Today is the day! Spinning Coin‘s new album, Permo, officially hits the streets. In honor of the release, the band have dropped a new video for “Money for Breakfast,” which is one of the album’s standout tunes. I think it really highlights the casual pop vibes the group have created on this effort…a sound that leans more towards Aussie pop tropes of late, as opposed to the band’s hometown of Glasgow. You can also stream the whole new LP today right HERE, and then you’ll hopefully realize this is a batch of songs you need in your record collection; it’s available today from Domino!

Brand New Spinning Coin Jam

Last year during SXSW, a good friend from across the pond threw a wonderful party of Glaswegian acts; it was there that I first fell in love with what Spinning Coin were doing. We’re inching closer towards the release of the band’s debut, and as such, we’ve got an incredible tune for you. I think there’s a great nod to the sort of soft post punk that permeated indie record stores in the 1980s. There’s hooks, but they’re not overbearing. You’ll hear male/female vocals, though not kitsch. You just don’t hear tunes like this, sadly, as I could use a whole lot more; I’ll get it on November 10th when Permo drops via Domino.

 

Spinning Coin Announce Debut Album

We’d likely have posted about Spinning Coin again, as they’ve just announced their debut album. But, for me, the importance revolves around Edwyn Collins of Orange Juice doing the production work for the band in the studio (makes my day). The video encapsulates a casual experience, but the song seems to pull from our favorite parts…all from different directions. The vocals occasionally reach for the skies, tonally, a la Real Estate‘s early work. Guitars have a definite jangling affinity for all things Oceanic (both modern and past renditions). Plus, there’s this steady bounce that should please any pop fan. All these combined in one track make the odds of Permo being a success rather high; look for the LP on Geographic Music on November 10th.

New Jam from Spinning Coin

I was fortunate to catch Spinning Coin at the Glasgow Buckaroo Ball, so as I went through my emails, this tune stood out, grinning at me, waiting for me to play it. It’s an out-of-tempo little gem, semi-shuffling with choppy guitar chords and the occasional emphatic shout from the distance. While there’s a definite pop sensibility within, you get the sense that this group is working outside the confines of tradition and style, brandishing their own flare as they push forward. They’ll release the Raining on Hope Street 7″ via Domino on March 24th.

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