Last Week’s Jams, Today (7.18 – 7.22)

We got back to being super busy last week, with RayRay premiering that new No Win jam, plus a bunch of other new stuff that we were stoked to dive into. Good to see Free Time and Laura Jean back with new stuff, not to mention a little local love from the likes of First Names and Twain (he lives here!). All in all, its a bunch of stuff, all over the place musically, just like we do, so hopefully this kicks your Monday into gear!

Wilder Maker Share Static ft. VV Lightbody

Everyone needs a crunchy indie rock tune in their day, and you’re not going to find a better one than this new Wilder Maker track, featuring V.V. Lightbody on lead vocals. On my first few listens, the song has this sort of nostalgic rock vibe, like an updated version on what attracted us to Fleetwood Mac. As the tune moves on, there’s this understated little band from the riffs, channeling good old classic indie rock vibes…the sort that get your feet stomping and your hands clapping. V.V. Lightbody’s performance is perfect for the track too; they add in this sort of smokiness that’s brimming with confidence. I love when the vocals and the drum seem to kind of snap into place together, picking up the energetic tick just a bit, at least in my old ears. Male Models will be out next week via Western Vinyl.

Last Week’s Jams, Today (5.31 – 6.3)

Man, even in a short week, I managed to cover a whole lot of ground that we should remind you ran last week on ye’ ole site. Clocking in at just under an hour, you get a reminder to check out Team Play‘s debut LP, or maybe jump on the Onyon bandwagon with the rest of us now that Trouble in Mind have reissued their rad debut. Maybe you just want tried and true, like a new Florist tune or a Slow Magic remix for Letting Up Despite Great Faults. Pick your poison…it’s probably in here. Paris. Yeah.

Wilder Maker Announce Male Models

We’ve been covering Wilder Maker for several years now, and I’m really excited with their new album, Male Models, being announced, courtesy of our friends over at Western Vinyl. Gabe Birnbaum’s songwriting and lyricism is something we should all cherish, but what they’re doing in this track really sees the band hitting their musical stride as a whole…with an added bonus performance by Katie Von Schleicher. In a way, it reminds me a lot of the Glands or something in Jason Lytle’s solo catalog; it’s rooted in this almost Southern spirit, tinged with boogie, but not afraid to try and push those boundaries into weird pop realms. Male Models drops on July 29th.

New Music from Gabriel Birnbaum

I’m probably most familiar with Gabriel Birnbaum due to his work in Wilder Maker, who I’ve written about quite a bit. Now, Gabriel is doing a little solo work, and he’s just released a track off his forthcoming LP. Going through this track repeated times, I’m drawn by the contrasting guitars, fighting with one another throughout. One guitar has this almost feathery strum, giving off a light-hearted vibe; the other guitar takes on a more forlorn tone, bending around Birnbaum’s voice at every turn. No word just yet on when the album will be finished, but what a wonderful first entry we have here.

Wilder Maker Release New Video

Brooklyn’s Wilder Maker are prepping Zion, their forthcoming LP for Northern Spy Records, and they’ve just released a new video from the album. There’s a bunch of things to love about the video, not the least of which is the music. The band employ a careful approach, letting the song build upon itself rather than filling in every inch of space with sonic touches; it leaves the song open and welcoming. That’s perfect, as it allows for Katie Von Schleicher to offer up an expected vocal performance, smoky and soulful. The video itself features a party scene played out in reverse, with the world’s tiniest ping son table and a plant spinning records. Look for Zion to drop on July 13th.