Mamalarky Announce Self-Titled LP

If you’ve had your eyes on Mamalarky, you might have noticed some bubbling tunes popping up this past year, hinting at their debut LP…and that time has finally been announced! Fire Talk will be releasing the self-titled LP on November 20th. With the news comes another single to tease the release, and it captures what I really enjoy about the band’s work. The playfulness in the video somehow always also seems to be part of the music too, balancing these exuberant notes with more serious approach; you can hear that in the anti-chorus moments going on here when Livvy’s voice sort of settles in more directly, kind of flattening out and making you take note. It’s like a fun rock party, and I’m totally here for it.

 

Jumpei Kamiya Shares New Single

Japanese composer Jumpei Kamiya is undertaking an interesting album, not too far off from various projects that have bubbled to the top amid this global pandemic. He’s crafted an album worth of songs, allowing talented vocalists to write lyrics and sing on his tracks. The first single from the release features Yuga; you’re definitely going to want to stick around for the entirety. At first, it definitely has this sort of elegance, building this trance with Yuga’s voice. Just as the 1.5 minute mark strikes, the song quietly erupts, dropping in this slight atmosphere to sweep you up in the tune’s emotion. Just wanted to hit you with a striking tune first thing in the morning!

Pleased to Meet You: Pressed Orchid

Let’s face it, you don’t get to listen to all the bands you should, so when a friend sends someone your way, you should always listen…that’s how I came across Richmond’s Pressed Orchid. Their musical style is this very subtle bedroom pop, but they build in these little textural notes that bubble to the top and elevate their sound, such as the saxophone or the chirping of birds present in the video below. Sarita’s vocals move between this ethereal realm and this angelic playfulness that rewards the listener time and time again. If you dig what you’re hearing, the duo will be releasing Velvet Confessional on via Brilliant Corners Records later this year.

Helena Deland Shares Truth Nugget Video

In the year of years, there’s still great art being made everywhere; we’ve had our eyes (and ears) on Helena Deland‘s forthcoming Someone New LP. The visualizer is this water feature, lodged in this dense forest with a light shining upon the fountain itself; Deland is quoted as saying that the image represents something “you stumble upon unexpectedly, familiar but exciting, the way friendship can be.” It comes back to the theme Helena has mentioned previously of finding your place, even amongst your closest friends. The song itself, operates much like the fountain, this angelic spotlight of a voice signing upon the darker textures of the musical craft behind it. Someone New drops on October 16th; pre-order HERE.

Wedding Dress Share Dropped Coins Video

The Flood Feeling officially releases to the public today, but the record has been a long time in the making; Erin Elders has been working on this Wedding Dress record since leaving Maps and Atlases in 2014, often on “the edge of an emotional collapse.” Upon first listen, you might not find that to be the case, as the beat that opens the song almost seems built for uplifting; I think the atmospheric wash of keys in the back is what perhaps starts to shade the emotional songwriting here. You can feel it in the way that Elders has organized his peers in the studio; the flourishes of horns, the backing vocals, and the electronic aura all flood the song with feeling. Elders, for his part, has this delivery that feels both solemn and playful, perhaps in the way he leaves the notes with just a hint of an uptick in energy; his performance in the chorus is cathartic, at least in my eyes. Enjoy the tune and the great accompanying video, and grab the Flood Feeling today.

Wiretree Share Nightlife Video

Today you can grab the new Careless Creatures EP from Wiretree, but in case you need a push in the right direction, we wanted to toss out this track to catch your ear. For me, I was sold on the background beat; it’s reminiscent of the simple catchy electro hooks Depeche Mode was crafting in the early 80s…never go outta style. Kevin Peroni’s voice still maintains its usual softness, fitting in perfectly to the bedroom bounce he’s crafted on this tune. Feels sort of like taking late 90s college rock and upping the ante with a big dose of sugar…I don’t mind that at all. Give a listen.

Sun June Sign with Run for Cover Records and Share Single

Austin’s Sun June probably need no introduction out there, but rest assured, they’re one of the best exports we’ve had in our fair city in a good bit. Today we get news that they’re signing on to work with Run for Cover Records (they’ll still work with Keeled Scales too!) for their next album, slated for release in 2021. They’ve made said announcement with a new single, and a video featuring their local ATX neighborhood. It’s hard not to be mesmerized by Colwell’s voice in this one, with this powerful softness that exudes confidence. Behind her, the band work on creating this delicate space, perfecting notes that hang in a Hill Country landscape. Simply put, this song feels like home. Look for more from the band as we try to escape 2020.

Smokescreens Share I Love Only You

I’ll be the first to admit, this new Smokescreens LP might be the gift I most needed this year, yet didn’t actually know it was on its way. Sure, throw in David Kilgour (the Clean) on production duties and you’ve already got my attention, but I’m just enamored with this latest single. Immediately, the song just builds on textures, guitar strum and a thin beat work in unison with a tinkering bit of keys, awaiting the vocals; that voice comes in a bit of a sort of devil-may-care, matter-of-fact manner, perfectly fitting the song’s vibe. All that said, I wasn’t head over heels until the swelling of backing vocals that began to brim just before the 1 minute mark; it’s a sublime pop moment that stuck with me when the song came to a close. A Strange Dream is out via Slumberland Records on October 30th.

Shy Boys Return with View from the Sky

It’s been a short couple of years since Shy Boys dropped Bell House and reminded everyone just how great a band they are; honestly, I think even as fans of their self-titled LP, even we here at ATH forgot. They’ve got a new record on the way titled Talk Loud, and while this new single has some of that upbeat swing mentality; it also kind of seems like its got something else that will pique your interest altogether. I kind of feel like it’s this amalgam of the band’s penchant for hooks, presented with this sort of 80s cinema soundtrack vibe; I don’t know, maybe part of that is the harmonies and backing vocals. The band claim that the track is them “letting loose and dancing a bit,” so you can’t begrudge them that…better yet, you may as well join them! Talk Loud drops September 25th via Polyvinyl.

Stiletto Feels Share That’s Gonna Leave a Mark Video

Our friends over in Stiletto Feels are ramping up the push towards their sophomore LP, Push Back, the follow-up to 2015’s The Big Fist. Predominantly the project of Geoff Earle, he’s surrounded himself with some local heavy-hitters to build up the band’s sound, featuring members of Ume, Octopus Project, the Sword (and Skate or Die). This song trickled out earlier this summer, but now there’s a video treatment to the track to further entice you, filmed solo by Earle so as to follow social distancing guidelines. I love Geoff’s enthusiasm, moving between punching the air and playing some air piano as the film moves about downtown Austin. Musically, I love the contrast between some of the percussive elements hard-hitting and Earle’s drawn out croon of the chorus; it builds in that natural hook that keeps listeners interested. The band drop Push Back on October 2nd.

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