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I first came to discover Parrot Dream through my Interwebs friendship with band member Matt, who also played in Exiles. He dropped me some tunes, and when I heard they were coming for SXSW, so I reached out hoping to catch them for a few quick questions. There’s also a few singles hanging out at the end of the Interview for you to enjoy.
I can’t stop playing this brand new track from Jaala. At times it seems as if it’s a soulful R&B performance, but the edges aren’t as soft and the fleshed out sound seems a touch more artful. Singer Cosima Pay flirts with various nods to other artists, but she has a voice all her own; I’m particularly impressed by the range of notes she can pull of, even when she’s delivering vocals in a stop/start fashion. Ultimately, this track’s a soulful ballad under the umbrella of experimental pop tunes. The group will release Joonya Spirit on April 20th via Bedroom Suck Records/Captured Tracks.
Malena Zavala will be releasing her debut album, Aliso on April 13th, and we’ve got one last tune for you to enjoy before it drops. This song is striking in that it the first half of the song is a pretty barebones affair; careful notes hang in the ether while Zavala’s voice draws all your attention. But, as the song turns in its latter half, backing vocals and the lightest bit of percussion enter the picture, albeit just for a moment. Eventually the song evolves into a spacy fade out where Malena drops the chorus one final time for emphasis. A beautiful performance from a beautiful record; look for it in stores via Yucatan Records.
As this new album from A Place to Bury Strangers begins to take shape before the Interwebs, I’m starting to really be drawn into the goings-on. This track opens up with an emphatic drum march and discordant chords swirling about. Vocals enter in a spoken fashion, with a more prominent role for Lia Simone quite noticeable. The trio let loose on the noise too, but in a much more controlled fashion than we’ve previously heard from the band; it leaves you to focus on the band’s message in this track: “there’s only one of US.” Pinned definitely feels like its that proverbial onion with layers waiting to be peeled; it drops via Dead Oceans on April 13th. They’ll also be part of this year’s SXSW festival…playing near 100 times.
Yesterday, Marmalakes dropped a live version of the below track, recorded at the home of drummer Josh; you can check that out HERE. This is one of my favorite tracks on their new LP, Please Don’t Stop, which we’re fortunate enough to be releasing on ATH Records on May 11th. It’s such a great tune, and hopefully it convinces you just how great the entirety of the new LP is, so you’ll wanna go grab it. Regardless, listen to the song a whole lot!
BOYS flirt with indiepop on the start of their new single, slightly hanging those crips guitar chords out in the air. But, where many would push on into the realm, these lads turn the song into deeper textures. For starters, there’s a level of haze added to the vocals, perhaps moving towards dreamier pastures. But the core of the song has this driving guitar line that really pushes the natural tension of the song; it’s the driving force in the song, rushing the track to its finale. And then, without overstaying their welcome, the tune’s over. You love it, and you go on your way.
We’re just a week and a bit from SXSW, and I’ve had RVG penciled in as one of the acts I absolutely cannot miss this year. I adored the band’s album A Quality of Mercy, and have been anxiously awaiting their arrival in the States. They’ve got hints of Go-Betweens sure, but I hear a slight Byrne affection in the vocal delivery on this track. The drums roll across the track, the guitar notes seem spritely and the lyrical content has a sinister playfulness that you can’t ignore. All of these things make the band something to keep an eye out for, so get hip to them now!
Talos has already had huge success with the release of his latest album,Wild Aleeacross the pond. But, the Irish act are one of the many braving the distance to try win over the hearts of everyone in attendance at SXSW. Read on below for some quick answers, and be sure to check the band out live on March 15th at the Velveeta Room, with many other Irish acts!
The Love-Birds first came to our attention with their excellent Filled with Hate EP for Empty Cellar Records. Now, they’ve landed on perennial powerhouse Trouble In Mind Records for the release of their new LP. We find them treading interesting ground on this new single, somewhere between playful folk and steady power-pop. Little textural flourishes, like the “woo woo,” little keyboard notes or the speedy way the song closes, define the lasting impression of this single. Look for their In the Lover’s Corner to drop on May 25th.
You might not recognize the name Class Angles as of yet, but I assure you that you’ll be supremely rewarded if you spend a couple of minutes with the track below. The band is the project of Rob Barbato, who quietly went about production work on all your favorite records (or at least mine). But, in this, he seems to have crafted a sound that’s timeless; it’s immediately accessible, yet there’s these little artistic flourishes that illustrate the care in the songwriting. It’s hard to even pigeonhole the sound; there’s movement, there’s a slight folk influence, a dash of psychedelia and ultimately, you’re just left with an incredible song. This is the first single from an upcoming LP, which we hope to have more details on in the near future.
