Month: August 2019

Thigh Master Share Entity

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As of right now, Thigh Master are the perfect 2 for 2 with their singles; they won with “Mould Lines” and “Entity” might be even better. I love the frantic attitude that opens this tune with its devil-may-care faux jangle; it’s got this natural bravado that seems wholly unintentional. But, for me, the pop sucker, it’s that slight turn starting with “I’m looking for an entity” in the chorus that makes my pop ears stick right up in the air! It’s hard to sound casual and cool with this buoyant bounce just riding right on through until the end. Now For Example will be out worldwide on September 27th via Goner Records!

Ted Tyro Drop Reappears EP

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I’m out here trying to get you all those oddball pop numbers for you weekend weirdos, and I’m thinking that this new EP from Ted Tyro might do the trick. I want to focus on “Sea Glass,” my favorite of the 4 tunes. It has this warp in the production, keeping the song’s wonky flavor while the track slow-slinks along; the lyrics seem like they’re prancing through the distance, careful not to traipse too heavily upon our ears. It’s just playful enough to reach into the pop sphere of things, despite jumping through the warped textural touches of this gem. Venture into the Reappears EP if you will; it will be out on Obsolete Staircases this Fall.

Ram Vela & the Easy Targets Drop New Tunes

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As long as we’ve run this site, there’s been a Ram Vela in our lives. He’s been buds with RayRay forever, and his old band Whitman played countless ATH shows. But, he’s been quiet for a bit, focusing on other things. But, as of late he’s been working with his new band Ram Vela & the Easy Targets; he’s been in the studio with Taylor Muse from Austin’s Quiet Company. As of today, he’s got two pop rock nuggets ready to go for you; they’re heavy on riffs and hooks, two things you can always count on Ram to give you in his songwriting. I love the breakdown in “Garage Apt,” while “If I Fail” is more anthemic, built for crowd sing-a-longs. Ram and the band will be playing at Mohawk next Friday with Quiet Company.

Obligatory Comet Gain Post

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This post gets to be the first of the day because the song’s been out for 24 hours and has popped up where all the cool kids gravitate. Normally I stay away from such things, but I’ve always sort of felt like the Comet Gain were simply a band solely for me. I can still remember the first time I stumbled upon Casino Classics in a chat room for nerds in the late 90s. I still say City Fallen Leaves is my favorite. Alas, the new stuff. I think my favorite on the new LP is “Bad Nite at the Mustache,” but the chorus on “Mid 8Ts” is just so striking that its bound to get stuck in your head all day long. Listening now, I just don’t get how more people don’t adore the fuck out of this band. Just go listen. Fireraiser Forever is out October 11th via Tapete Records.

Capitol Share In Ceremony Video

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At the moment, two labels I can always look to for solid releases are Meritorio Records and Kingfisherbluez; they’ve teamed up together to release the new LP from Ontario’s Capitol. Honestly, this video’s opening 20 seconds grabbed me; it was as if I was hearing the track from the other room; it was a teaser that opened up into this dreamy jangling guitar line bouncing right into my heart. That guitar continues along, mingling with this slightly hazy vibe that walks the tightrope between dream pop and shoegaze. But, what I have been gravitating towards is the deepness in the vocals; it sounds weird, but they sort of resemble Matt from the National…I wouldn’t expect it to work but it totally does. Doesn’t hurt that the video’s a lyric film disguised as a karaoke scene. Good tunes are hard to come by, so turn to labels you trust; these two great labels will release Dream Noise on October 25th!

Shadow Monster Share Punching Bag Video

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I’m a sucker for singles; I get songs stuck way inside my head, like the latest single from Brooklyn’s Shadow Monster. For a two piece, this tune packs a lot of punch, a combination of the distortion ringing out from Gillian Visco’s guitar and the crashing cymbal (and fill) work put down by drummer John Swanson. Visco has this softness to her voice, also present in the guitar notes beneath the first layer of fuzz; it builds this slow moving tension, moving back and forth like a pendulum of impending release. Just at the two minute mark we get that glorious emotional release (somehow it sent me down a Get Up Kids wormhole), but it’s a glorious way to close out with some cacophony. The band will release their album Punching Bag via Dadstache Records on October 11th.

They’ll be celebrating the release of this new single at Our Wicked Lady in Brooklyn on 9/4.

Black Marble Shares Feels

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As I was sitting down to listen to this song, I was imagining myself dancing around my living room, entertaining the wee 1 year old that crawls about our house; it has an energetic uptick in the sample percussion. But, when Chris Stewart’s vocals come into play, they’re heavy and dark; they almost evaporate that pop sensibility in the best possible sense. It creates this great juxtaposition that definitely lands well on my end, straddling the highs and lows of music, much like we do in life. To me, this feels like the most intimate Black Marble album to date, so it’s not surprise that it is being handled by Sacred Bones Records; they’ll release Bigger Than Life on October 25th.

Good Morning Announce Basketball Breakups

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I’m pretty anxiously awaiting the US arrival of Good Morning; I’ve been jamming to the band for several years, and this will the first time to step foot on our soil (as a band anyways). It looks like they’ll be doing so with a new record, their second this year, in tow, as today they announce Basketball Breakups with a brand new single. This song and its accompanying video are equally charming. The guitars have this tornado of light jangle working around the casual vocal delivery; the video is entirely filmed inside an IKEA, though I’m a bit bummed they didn’t seem to sample the meatballs. Some bands get prolific and then they get boring, but Good Morning seems to be taking it all in stride, and our ears are better for it. Their US tour runs from October thru November.

Beret Announces Jesus White

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Every once in a while, you get stuck in a rut, feeling like everything is stuck in come cyclical motion…and upon first listen, I sort of felt that way with Beret. I thought I knew exactly what I was going to get; the vocal delivery and the pulse of the bass totally told me the song was going to kick on with these tight drum fills crafting this wonky jangling art rock. But no! Ian Kurtis Crist has devoted his craft on Jesus White to go predominantly sans drums. Sure, there are some mild percussive elements afloat here, but you get this entirely different vibe from the song; you can hear the yearning of the guitar chords, searching for connection. Definitely caught my ear. The album will be out on October 18th via Born Yesterday Records.

HOLY Returns with Hot on the Heels of Love

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Back in 2018, HOLY released All These Worlds Are Yours; it was this kaleidoscope of pop that seemed about as near as perfect as one was like to find. Now, the project is back with a brand new single, one that hopefully leads into an album at some point. This go round, it’s less an amalgam of pop influences, and more just straight pop songwriting, almost an homage to lounge singers. It most recently seems like something Jonathan Bree might offer up, being melodic and charming while also demonstrating a slight flare for fantastic. Hannes Ferm’s artistic touch is always stunning in my opinion, so fingers crossed for more real soon.

 

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