This is fine.
We’ve shared pics from the ATH vs SOTO party and a few in our SxSW 2018 Awards post, but I want to share a gallery of my faves from this year’s Conference. I also have a link to my photos website with the GIANT collection of photos from all days, every days I was at SxSW this year. I hope you enjoy reliving SxSW with us one last time.
Portraits, friends, lights, atmosphere and more than a few musicians.
I haven’t actually written about the Color Waves in almost three years, but thanks to a friend I’ve discovered the band have a new tune…and a new LP on the way. This track has this jangling chilled out vibe, with electronic rhythm section keeping the song’s pace. Those guitar chords wrap around your innards, pulling every drop of emotion; the vocals, particularly in the song’s latter half are warmly charming. Wish I had a whole lot more to offer on the new release, but as of now, we know it’s titled At Bay…we’ll keep you posted if we get more.
Philadelphia’s own, No Thank You, will be releasing a new album called All it Takes to Ruin it All on April 6th and they have some new music to share in preparation for the LP. This new one is entitled “Dash” and features a nice play on slow build ups rising into ferocious and well timed choruses. The band could best be likened to a fellow female fronted band like Rainer Maria if they had a bit more bite and edge to their sound.
I love this new Ari Roar tune; it reminds me of our friends Summer Salt in so far as Roar’s voice rises and falls with the song’s structure. This is his latest track from his forthcoming debut, Calm Down. It’s almost as if he’s channeling that sweet spot between bedroom pop and full-on arena ready rock n’ roll; it’s brimming with an infectious quality, though still carries a personal intimacy that appeals to many fans. Sometimes a carefree tune can change your day, so here’s to you on this Wednesday; look for Ari’s debut on May 25th via Bella Union.
Random “discovery” thanks to the big data that feeds tracks to the auto playlists on streaming services…
Dose is a band out of Newcastle. I didn’t know anything about them until I left a Soundcloud stream playing after setting my headphones down and returning to my desk twenty minutes later only place said headphones on at the start of this track. It seems our future robot overlords wanted me to hear this lush, guitar-driven haze that has motion and light despite a dark undercurrent.
Singles and things available. Check it.
Warrior, the new album from Nicole Schneit’s Air Waves project comes at you next Friday, but before we get there, let’s have one final single, shall we? The album’s title track is not only a powerful step in the thematic elements of the record, but it’s also a testament to the driving infectiousness that pervades the LP. A propulsive guitar line pushes you through the entirety of the tune, vocals delivered in an almost chant/protest fashion. It will also carry a bit of weight that her friend Kevin Morby joins her for some backing vocals on this number; look for the LP April 6th via Western Vinyl.
If you’re in the mood for some feel good rock music, I’d suggest you check out this new track called “Christa” from Brooklyn based Las Rosas. It’s pretty straightforward indie rock with some great sounding guitars and a super tight mix. The band might be confused for early era Phoenix or even a little bit more of a guitar driven act like The Vaccines. Call it what you will, I dig it.
This track is currently available on a fancy pink 7″vinyl version you can buy now via Greenway Records. It will also appear as the lead single to the band’s new album entitled Shadow By Your Side due out May 11th.
I’ve written about Good Morning in some form or fashion almost every year, and while that seems to have stretched back to forever, the band are just now announcing their debut LP, Prize//Reward. It’s interesting, as we get two new tracks to share with you today, yet they’re both offering a slightly different sound than what we’ve heard previously. Honestly, this sounds like a band that decided to write a record where Pedro the Lion and Beat Happening were huge influences, of course, I could be completely off with that. Maybe the current love of Hovvdy would be an apt comparison…if you threw in a slight Woods influence. You see, the group provide an all encompassing pop sound the whole world is going to love. Their new LP drops on May 11th via Bedroom Suck Records.
Please stop me if you’ve heard this before, I have a special place in my heart for the post-rock/post-emo genre. What’s even more exciting for me is the resurgence of the genre with bands like TWIABP or Us and Only Us. What can I say, it was the turning point of “good music” for me back in the day and it’s stuck with me ever since. So consider me excited when I hear a song like “Fair” from Boston based band Animal Flag. It has the hot riff guitars, reserved vocals, and perfect explosions into ferocity from the slower moments of the song. YES.
You can hear this song and more on the band’s new album Void Ripper out April 13th on Flower Girl Records. Pre-order yeah?
Oh Girls Names, how we’ve missed you. The long time ATH fave has just announced their return with this dense new single, opening with this brooding post-punk for almost two minutes before vocals even enter the picture. Honestly, there’s not a whole lot of movement following that, but I love the group’s ability to evoke maximum emotion with such simple structures. I can even hear a slight King Krule influence on the way the vocals come across during the verses. It’s an interesting entry into an already stellar catalog, so I look forward to seeing what comes out of it all when Stains on Silence is released on June 15th via Tough Love.
