Month: August 2020

Fort Not Share Love Me Do

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There’s only a few months left in this shitty year, but one bright spot I’ve picked out is the release The Club is Open by Sweden’s Fort Not. Today they’re sharing another stellar song that should whet your appetite as well. Perhaps this is the song that gets the notice of the greater populace, as it definitely seems to combine some of that Aussie indiepop style that’s in fashion with a love for 90s American college rock; I guess what I’m trying to say is that it sounds like Dick Diver or the like doing their best to cover something you’d find on K Records…which is a pretty great concept. Maybe a slight dose of power pop too! The whole LP drops on September 18th via Meritorio Records.

Sumos Share Quiet Place

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Sumos was a bedroom project, and then it was a band, and now it’s been forced to return to the bedroom. But the songwriting hasn’t suffered one single bit, pushing you right into the bounding rhythm, encouraging a little day time frolic in the confines of your work space. Rhythm means little, however, if its not wrapped up with a nice little melodic bow, caught here with these lightly jangling guitar notes and really soft vocals, the perfect indiepop meld. It’s a light-hearted way to kick on into the work week, whatever that means, but at least you can do it with a good tune?

Last Week’s Misses: David Nance and the Green Child

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Last week there were tons of tunes that caught my ear, but admittedly, I couldn’t get to it all in one sitting. Still, there were a couple of gems I really loved I wanted to highlight right quick: The Green Child’s “Low Desk” and David Nance’s “When the Covers Come Off.”

The Green Child tune is the first single from the forthcoming Shimmering Basset LP for Upset the Rhythm. Mikey Young (Total Control, ECSR) and Raven Mahon (Grass Widow) have both been featured on several occasions on this site, not to mention the countless acts Mikey’s helped along the way. Chilled out pop stylings with a nice little futuristic electronic twist. No one doesn’t love this song.

David Nance seems to be reverting back to a more roots-oriented vibe for his forthcoming Staunch Honey LP for Trouble in Mind (11/13). It’s got this sort of rough-edged folk mentality, something that’d likely go real good with a nice glass of whiskey and a nice fire on a starry night.

True Blossom Share Serious Boys

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As we got off into the Friday sunset (though every day weirdly feels like Friday), I’m trying to offer you up some at-home dance party grooves. We’ve already tossed out the Naked Roommate tune, so now we’re here with the latest from True Blossom. The Atlanta synth outfit will be dropping In Bliss via Citrus City come this October, but here’s your first sneak peek at what you’ll get. I love the percussion that opens, giving almost a tropical feel rather than an industrial vibe; it opens up the song to a little more sunshine rather, accented by synth stabs and dreamy vocals. It’s like an updated take on 80s pop music, taking the template of dance party grooves and building in more textured depth that brings their style into the current climate. Thank me later when you’re done dizzying yourself up in your room.

Naked Roommate Share Repeat Single

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Next Friday, you’re going to want to make sure you’ve ordered a copy of Do the Duvet, the debut LP from Oakland’s Naked Roommate. You see, this is the dance record for these anxious pandemic/political times; it’s clever and hypnotic, yet antagonistic and evasive; you’ll move the whole way through. Take, for instance, “Repeat,” the latest single. For 45 seconds, passive listeners will hear just another electro-pop groove. Sure, that’s omni-present in the beat-making, but wait for Amber Sermeno’s vocals to join up; they come off playful and fun, but there’s this sort of flare of disdain as she’s shouting “look good/smell good.” As the voice fades for a mid-track interlude, you get these little guitar lines dancing in between the beats, teasing the reentry of the vocals. It bursts and blooms, eventually fading away as “repeat” hangs in the distance atop carefully constructed pop notes to draw the tune to a close. If you grab the album on September 4th from Trouble in Mind/Upset the Rhythm, you’ll be ready to shake it, or, as might be preferred, lay on the floor and let the refined subtleties of the band’s craft lift your soul.

The Slow Painters Share No Teens

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It’s a big day for huge guitars over here at ATH, with me sitting over here trying to drown out the noise in my brain. You know what else goes on today? The Slow Painters will drop their debut LP, despite having been together for some 16 years…good things comes to those who wait. I love that this track just jumps right into a huge wall of clanging guitars; there’s no bullshit, no teaser, just noise. But, the reason I adore this band is their ability to balance that noise on a knife’s edge, ever so often stumbling into a nice pop territory. This song is one such tune, and its all about the melody in the voice just emanating through, giving the tune a perfect see-saw between quiet and loud.

Did You Die Share Latest Single

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When you’re struggling, sometimes you have those go-to sounds that make you feel safe; I think going to this Did You Die track definitely helped me out; it was like throwing an anxiety blanket on my eardrums, in the best possible way. I love how there’s this wall of fuzz that bleeds through your speakers, and while I’m all about that sound, they peel it back like a banana, revealing this ripe pop sensibility that I thought really made the song sparkle. Definitely feels like the perfect way to fade into the weekend with a nice little noisy buzz, if you’re asking me.

Shy Boys Return with View from the Sky

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It’s been a short couple of years since Shy Boys dropped Bell House and reminded everyone just how great a band they are; honestly, I think even as fans of their self-titled LP, even we here at ATH forgot. They’ve got a new record on the way titled Talk Loud, and while this new single has some of that upbeat swing mentality; it also kind of seems like its got something else that will pique your interest altogether. I kind of feel like it’s this amalgam of the band’s penchant for hooks, presented with this sort of 80s cinema soundtrack vibe; I don’t know, maybe part of that is the harmonies and backing vocals. The band claim that the track is them “letting loose and dancing a bit,” so you can’t begrudge them that…better yet, you may as well join them! Talk Loud drops September 25th via Polyvinyl.

Stiletto Feels Share That’s Gonna Leave a Mark Video

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Our friends over in Stiletto Feels are ramping up the push towards their sophomore LP, Push Back, the follow-up to 2015’s The Big Fist. Predominantly the project of Geoff Earle, he’s surrounded himself with some local heavy-hitters to build up the band’s sound, featuring members of Ume, Octopus Project, the Sword (and Skate or Die). This song trickled out earlier this summer, but now there’s a video treatment to the track to further entice you, filmed solo by Earle so as to follow social distancing guidelines. I love Geoff’s enthusiasm, moving between punching the air and playing some air piano as the film moves about downtown Austin. Musically, I love the contrast between some of the percussive elements hard-hitting and Earle’s drawn out croon of the chorus; it builds in that natural hook that keeps listeners interested. The band drop Push Back on October 2nd.

Dream Pop from 1996

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I guess I’m on a big Mike Lee kick as of late, which is probably never a bad thing, if you’re asking. Last week we shared his new band Family Mart, and this week, I’m here to spotlight another great project he’s working on, 1996. He’s composing these songs with the help from fellow musicians, with each track recorded by an artist in a different city; seems like the perfect quarantine goals. This round, we’ve got Lauren from Velveteen Echo on vocals. Don’t let the angelic wash of her voice tease you, as the song quickly drops into place, adding dance floor rhythms and that ensnaring guitar style carrying you off in a pop tornado. I love the way her voice is used at different levels too, giving this sort of ghostly beauty to the song’s horizon. Going to be excited to see where this is all going.

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