Month: October 2018

Dan Mangan – More Or Less

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Rating: ★★★★☆

I had to search our own site to find out how long it’s been since I’ve posted an album review and I will refrain from embarrassing myself with the exact timeframe, though you could search yourself I guess. We as an ATH staff have been neglectful as a whole when it comes to album reviews and we are hoping to rectify this moving forward. Hopefully you can understand that if an album has brought me out of my review slumber it must be a great one. The very soon to be released new album from Dan Mangan, More Or Less, is just such an album because, holy hell, it’s impressive. Hit the jump for some thoughts, photos, and tunes.

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Straight Rock From Washer

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If you hit play below and begin reading these words, you will likely finish the song before you finish reading the post. Yes this new singled called “Super Pop” from Brooklyn based duo Washer is a short and sweet rock n roll song urging you to turn up the volume. It’s a little old school garage rocker with some nice elements of an updated rock sound to give it a solid edge. I’ve already played it three time while writing this post.

Washer is releasing a new split 7″ EP with Bethlehem Steel due out on November 30th via Exploding in Sound Records.

Welcome Back Pedro the Lion

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There are certain paints that just pervade your soul; they sink deep into your humanity and refuse to let you go. Pedro the Lion/David Bazan is one such artist. Almost every album he crafted as Pedro has a certain spot in my own musical evolution, or even in my own personal evolution, thus I’m really excited that he’s revisiting the old name. Immediately he begins to tell the story of Christmas morning in 1981; it’s his lyrical work that’s always made him so accessible, wishing we could all be so poignant in our words. Of course, this is a new version of the project, so you get that full-band sound once the song gets into gear. Maybe people forgot how great Bazan was, but here’s to hoping we all lend him our ears; Phoenix will be out on January 18th via Polyvinyl.

Zac Denton of the Ocean Party Passes Away

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I’m generally a man of few emotions, but news of the passing of Zac Denton is hitting me pretty hard. I released one LP from the Ocean Party on my label, mostly due to the fact that I kept in close contact via the Internet with the band. Since those days, they’ve pulled out several other releases, all excellent. I was fortunate to host the group on their US tour, and I spent a few days trying to get the band accustomed to Texas. I remember Zac as this giant of a man, with an even bigger smile; he worked the stage like an aged veteran, he was just this gentle giant happy to be playing music with his friends. It’s strange how chance encounters leave lasting impressions, and I’m sure everyone whose spent time with the Ocean Party feels the same great loss. My thoughts are with his brother Lachlan, the band and his family.

In honor of Zac, the group have released their new LP The Oddfellow’s Hall a few days ahead of its release; you can stream it below.

A Slice Of Something Divine With This Video From Tōth

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I don’t care if you’ve already seen this video, I’m pretty much obsessed with it, so I needed to share. Tōth is the project of Rubblebucket’s Alex Toth, who is making some lovely tunes under this moniker. The latest of these tunes is “No Reason,” which is accompanied by this incredible illustrated video from artistAmanda Bonaiuto that I could honestly, and have, watch all day. Bathed in pastel colors and sychronized animals, the video is utterly captivating, as is the song that Tōth has crafted. It begins as a slow march, with twinkling subtle piano, light strumming, and these silky falsetto vocals that bathe the whole track in this easy calm. Calm, yes, but also utterly engaging lyrically, as we’re serenaded about a longing for bliss and sincerely this track gives that very sensation. About halfway through this lone trumpet chimes in and its solitary, muddy sound is so striking in the mix before it’s joined by the rest of the elements, including choppy hand-clap-esque percussion, for its orchestral climax. Take a peek and fall in love.

 

Did You Listen to Nana Grizol’s Theo Zumm

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Back in 2017 Nana Grizol released the incredible Ursa Minor; it was one of my favorite releases that year, and one with staying power in my rotation. But, just this last week, the band put up some early recorded tracks from the group, some that made it onto later releases, and some not. I’ve been listening to these tracks pretty non-stop all evening with my daughter; it has this oddball charm that reminds me of my college years when I was looking for anything that could make me dance or laugh out loud. Seriously, this is how you should spend your morning, visiting Theo and his guitar in the early days of the band; you can grab Theo Zumm right HERE.

Melby Share Delightful Pop Number

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Melby have been on my radar for just a bit, having signed up to be part of the strong roster over at Rama Lama Records. They’re currently wrapping up their debut full-length for the label, but have dropped up this wonderful teaser to whet our appetites. There’s a dreamy guitar that meanders carefully through the song, watchful of the precise percussive elements (that sound a little like the percussion on “Young Folks”). As the two vocalists share contrasting vocal lines, a keyboard begins to emerge, elevating the track as the guitar tones, also, give the song a bit of a pick up. If the debut LP is this good, they’re knocking it out of the park!

Always Down for New Deerhunter

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Bradford Cox and Deerhunter are never far from my mind; I feel like Cox has crafted some of my favorite tracks over the last decade or so. Now we’ve got news of a brand new LP, one that gets production credit from Cate Le Bon; I feel like her influence can be heard almost immediately, riding through the background of the track. I love how the song swells to a bold punch around the 1 minute mark, creating this sly punch. That power gets emphatic as the song draws near a close, so it’s hard to turn a blind eye to Cox at his songwriting best. Look for Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared via 4AD this January.

Moving Panoramas Ready New LP

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We’ve long been supporters of Leslie Sisson’s outfit, Moving Panoramas, and we might be even more impressed by the group’s newest single. It starts with this krautrock cum psychedelic guitar and keyboard line, pushing the pace from the get-go before we even get a hint of the vocals; it’s a fairly primal power, which works in contrast to Sisson’s voice. And what a performance by Leslie here. She carries this pristine sparkle to notes that dreamily soar over the top of the musical mix, aided by some warm “aahs” to flesh out the vibe. It’s one of those rare tracks that balances the walk between heavy and saccharine; you’ll find this track on the band’s next LP, In Two, dropping in February via Modern Outsider.

Listen to Pale Lights Cover Lake Ruth

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Last week we brought you the wonderful Lake Ruth cover from their split 7″ with Pale Lights, and it only seems right that we share the flip side, right? Pale Lights take the nostalgic leaning pop of the original and spruce it up with a dreamy sense of longing, with guitars seemingly racing through the speakers while Phil has this warm croon, backed by a female counterpart, adding a depth to the tones present in this number. The split sold out in an instant, but you can always enjoy both band’s versions of one another…and you can’t go wrong with either, if you ask me.

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