Good Looks Drop Bummer Year

Austin’s Good Looks will be releasing their debut album Bummer Year on April 8th, which surprisingly is only a month away. And today, the band shares the record’s title track, bringing out the best in Tyler Jordan’s songwriting. When it opens, I love the space the song takes, like a dark Texas night, with guitar lines sparkling like distant lights against the skyline. But, that leaves so much space in the lyrical delivery, and Jordan blows it out of the water, like old school folk troubadour; his voice sounds lonesome, like you’d expect from the song/album’s title, but it’s a fascinating performance nonetheless. Bummer Year drops via Keeled Scales.

Wombo Drop Below the House Single + Video

When I listen to Wombo, I kind of get reminded of the early days of Deerhoof; it was exciting watching a band shift and change from chorus to verse to wherever they chose to go, and that’s what the Louisville trio call to my mind. This tune has this playful little vocal delivery, almost teasing you with pop sweetness and melody, but its rolling over a heavy drum bit that erupts with the guitars and elemental noise. Is it heavy? Can this be a pop song? I love that they’re just switching it up and playing with the formula by bringing their own vision. The song comes at you courtesy of Fire Talk.

SXSW Interviews: JayWood

Continuing our push with SXSW interviews, and we’ve got one I’m stoked on as JayWood just recently signed up to work with one of my favorite labels, Captured Tracks. I was unaware of their work, so getting to know Jeremy through this interview has been a great introduction for me…hopefully it will be the same for you.

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Roller Derby Share Starry Eyed Single

When browsing through the SXSW list, I always go after the foreign bands coming overseas, as they don’t always get a chance to return. Checking that list, that’s how I was reintroduced to Germany’s Roller Derby, offering this buoyant dream pop, pulsing from beneath the song’s surface. Phline Meyer’s vocals have this sort of sparkling indifference, or perhaps that calmed cool that makes you want to know all her secrets; it adds a nice layer to the tune as the single dances around with jittering guitar notes. And, if you’re looking to be charmed, then don’t shy away from the beautiful chorus the band bring forth in this track. Definitely a rad band to keep in mind!

SXSW Interviews: Sinead O’Brien

Well it is nearly time people, we have but one week left before things get a little nuts here in Austin and SXSW gets underway. Make sure you’ve stocked your fridge with the essentials and finalized any travel plans if you are visiting us from out of town. It will be a crazy week and you don’t want to lose time by not being prepared. With one week to go, we still have a few of our SXSW interviews to share with you all. Today I am pleased to share this one with Irish artist Sinead O’Brien. Hit the jump for full interview.

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Sugar for the Pill Share Drink Conium

Greek outfit Sugar for the Pill will be releasing their debut LP next week, but we’ll be out and about at SXSW most likely, so wanted to make sure we’re up and at ’em by throwing our support behind the group’s new effort. We’ve got a brand new single too, so you win either way! This track is filled with these cascading guitar lines, shimmering behind the vocals, which I think tends to give the track that shoegaze mark, but a closer ear will reveal some extra elements that have me excited about what the band brings to the table. The rhythm section is bouncy, offering up catching lines that have you tapping your toes, so you get a little post-punk inflection in the tune. Plus, there’s these gang shouts that pop up in the chorus and at various other points, breaking through the dreaminess and giving a more punk ethos to the tune. So, while you’d like to lump them in with your like-minded dream gaze acts, check out how they turn it into something wholly their own. Wanderlust is out March 18th via Shelflife Records and Make Me Happy Records.

 

The Here Todays Drop April Single

You ever wake up and you just know the day’s going to be a certain way? Well, I woke up today thinking we’d spend a lot of time in that sort of wistful Spring mode, looking towards a break from the mundane…so it’s great that there’s a new track from Finland’s The Here Todays. My favorite side of the group comes to the surface here, as one fuzzy guitar chugs away, like your little brother/sister jamming out in their room; you can hear it through the walls, but your drawn to something else. That something else, aside from the neon-lights of the vocals, it the other guitar exploding through the heavy walls like fireworks on a dark skyline. But, like fireworks, the song leaves you with that smoky haze, drifting, like your mind, across the night.

Last Week’s Jam’s Today (2.28 – 3.4)

Last week was one of those weeks where I wanted to write about all the songs; Ryan crushed it with tons of SXSW interviews, letting you get to know the likes of Best Move, Coyle Girelli, No Swoon and more. So, we’ve got to go back and give you a quick list of all the jams, and there were tons! You had new stuff from Austinites Friday Boys, Bright Light Social Hour and Wiretree, then Neutrals and Mick Love made my weekend with hits at the end of the week. There’s tons to browse through here, so go check it out.

Neutrals Prep Bus Stop Nights EP

One of our favorite Oakland outfits, Neutrals, are preparing to release the fresh Bus Stop Nights EP, and well, you should use Bandcamp Friday as the perfect time to preorder the new EP! It’s fitting I run this today, as it’s hitting the same rad notes you get from that earlier Mick Trouble track, hitting on those heavier jangle notes with clever vocal delivery that always makes this amateur rock enthusiast think of TV Personalities. The lyrical content is playful and humorous (we all have a Gary Borthwick–it might be me!), and the ripping bops on this tune stick in your head all day long. Plus, the wonderful video by Elyse Schlock is worth the price of admission! You can grab Bus Stop Nights EP via Static Shock Records.

Dream, Ivory Share New Video

The Baello brothers, Louie and Christian, just sprung up recently on my radar with their Dream, Ivory work, and I’m absolutely salivating as the band continue to sprinkle tunes into the world. This latest single has this beautiful patience to it, using the crystalline guitar lines to create this ethereal atmosphere that feels cinematic in nature. As the tune progresses, the jangling notes absorb more textures, giving the track the slightest buoyancy and bop, though never overdone, bringing in the perfect balance between dreaming and play. The brothers will embark on a tour in June through the US, so keep your eyes peeled for dates!

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