Month: June 2019

Mal Blum Return with Salt Flats

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A few weeks ago Mal Blum released “I Don’t Want To;” it was a pretty insatiable pop number, but that’s not what you’re going to get on this new track. This one is more of a slow burner, building the tension with careful percussion and an almost muted guitar throughout. At the 3:30 mark the tension is finally released with a noisy crash of guitars and pounding drums, but as quickly as it appears, it recedes, slowly grinding the track to a close. Lyrically, it’s not overly verbose, using simplicity to tie in the greater life choices the protagonist has to make through the entirety of the song/record. Look for Pity Boy on July 12th via Don Giovanni.

Mellow Ballad from Jacob Faurholt

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I’ve really been enjoying this brilliant new tune from Jacob Faurholt; it’s a good discovery, as I hadn’t heard of Jacob previously, and yet he’s got a deep deep catalog. This track sounds forlorn, and continues to build…the cascading guitar line in the distance and the solemn bounce of the piano all work to further that agenda while Faurholt throws his vocals across the whole mix. At times, I definitely hear the good version of Neil Young shining through, though Jacob sounds youthful and yearning for things yet to come. His new album Shake Off the Fear will be out on September 6th!

Light Indiepop from The Slow Summits

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It’s great when bands find you and send you their work just because they know they’re your ideal style; this is the case for Sweden’s the Slow Summits. They work with that bouncing brand of indiepop that seems so simple, but only succeeds if the execution is spot on. They just dropped their Languid Belles EP; it’s four tracks with understated swagger and a playfulness in the backing vocals that can’t be matched (doesn’t hurt that one of those voices is Amelia Fletcher). I think “A (Hit) to Your Wallet” is currently my favorite of this collection; it has that slight guitar shuffle mixed with quick percussion that reminds me of the Lodger. But, its indiepop so I’ll just go and repeat these tunes all day. Will you do the same?

Listen to Little Oil

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I think one of my first musical loves as a late teen was falling in love with sort of weirdo-folk; I blame whoever gave me those early Elf Power CDs. Here we have a new act by the name of Little Oil; there’s definitely a group that are really going to appreciate this stuff. At times, it reminds me a bit of Coma Cinema, especially in some of the verses. But, and as much as I love CC, this has a little bit more musicianship to it in the long run, from the way the notes are strummed to the recording of the vocals; it’s this quietly unassuming gem that I can’t get outta my head at the moment.

Cigarette Share Video fro Drips

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Next week, Cigarette will release their new album Light Blues, a record filled with these ornate pop touches that walk the fine line between slow-core and bedroom pop; I think in a lot of ways it’s really similar to the Clientele, but stripped bare of the various psych flourishes. The brilliance of this video, for me, is that the tune and video are so closely tied to one another; the filming seems to move in step with the ringing of vocal notes and guitar chords. Then, just as I think I’ve done a great job pigeonholing the sound, I notice this note or that, drifting away, like Sandra Bullock in Gravity; I guess it’s me who’s floating. Beautiful sound to get you through Monday…Light Blues is out next week.

New Music from Abram Shook

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As you know, we’re big Abram Shook fans; he even let us put out an LP by his Feverbones project, so when he’s crafting new tunes, our heads turn right away. I think those longtime fans will immediately notice that this record is a bit of a new twist for Abram; it sounds and looks like a pop record, albeit one spun through the lens of Shook. His soft vocal delivery seems to highlight the song’s natural rhythm, while synth stabs build in a toe-tapping groove beneath the whole mix; it’s all crafted under Abram’s typical attention to detail, with every note throughout being purposeful. The Neon Machine will be available on August 16th via Western Vinyl.

Waves of Dread Share the Make Believe

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Up until now, our experience with Waves of Dread have been all positive; they move back and forth between these billowing noise pop numbers and then the softer, seductive side of dreamy pop music…it looks like we get the latter with their new single “The Make-Believe.” It opens by leading us on a sort euphoric jaunt via soft chanting, all right before the guitar come in and cut it in to give a little shimmy and shake to the track; I think the vocals perfectly fall in line, shrouded just a little bit, though still carrying that swagger. In the latter half you have the group toying with the noisier side of their sound, though this track is surely a pop number. Give a listen.

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