This is fine.
UK based artist Mope just dropped this new single “Velveteen” and I simply had to share it with you all this morning. The song has this really groovy, soulful inspiration of droning organ paired with hints of singer/songwriter stylings and psych rock sensibilities. It flows together beautifully and shows an expert level knack for how to craft a solid, ear worm inducing song. Stay tuned for more music as the news comes in.
A month or so back, Worker & Parasite dropped their latest, the Politics EP. For a brand that sports angular post-punk, the title was pretty apt, and got tons of spinning over here at my home DJ station. But, perhaps the Melbourne band and their cultural ministry of cool slipped under your radar, so they’ve aimed to rectify that with this visual simulation. Sonically, the band are sharp and witty, reminiscent of US acts like Bodega, though you’ll clearly hear that they’re not shying away from dropping the hooks right into your lap either. If you’re digging the vibe, you can stream the whole EP right HERE.
We are being shown the future this week, with clever pop tunes from The Laughing Chimes…and now Sean Trelford. Sean’s a teenage songwriter who turned to songwriting to write his way out of his feelings during the pandemic. Those songs have now been compiled to create Care Home Party, a 9 track collection of bedroom pop being championed by our friends at Hidden Bay Records and Field Mates Records. This lead single is playful, and honestly, it’s not too far off from more mainstream indiepop, though the way the tune evolves and sort of trickles down the line is what totally sold me on the sound. Excited to hear the entirety of this LP; it drops on November 18th.
When I heard this Work Wear single the first run, I was really digging into the way the band flirted with light jangle rock, that roundabout churning guitars we know and love. That’s definitely still got its moments, but there’s also this earnestness in the vocals that I can’t seem to escape; there’s something that feels like we’re taking a journey with the band during the verses, all in order to arrive at the top of the mountaintop with an emphatic punch in the air. I love the balance between a sort of chugging indie rock and lighter indiepop vibe, balancing pop and left-of-the-dial til the end. Enjoy.
There’s a new hhhhhh track floating about, and well, I’m a fan of the band’s work, so I wanted to start off this week’s coverage giving it a little spin. Originally, the project was crafted to accompany the short film “Twenty Four Heaven,” a film wherein the protagonist downloads an app to connect with a lost one. For me, the song sort of feels like the waiting music, like Heaven’s put you on hold, so you’re just encouraged to let your mind drift into some sort of trance while you wait to converse with your lost loved one. Feels like the perfect Monday vibe, if you ask me.
Leave it to Slumberland Records to try and squeeze the last few drops out of my bank account before the year wraps up; they announced another crisp collection of pop to add to their roster of great releases in 2022…the Laughing Chimes. While that doesn’t surprise me, the talent of the Seurkamp brothers at such a young age; this first single takes on a timeless bit of pop charm, rocking with those classic circular jangles that swirl through your speakers amidst a steady stomp. I will say that the vocals certainly take on a nice bit of wistfulness, making this the perfect Monday tune to get you started. Their Zoo Avenue EP will be out on November 18th.
Strangely, I thought we covered a lot of territory last week, especially as I ran too much goodness on Friday. But, apparently we had a measly 14 songs run, plus some Levitation wrap-ups and a show-preview or two in the pages. I was excited to hear new music from both Seazoo and En Attendant Ana, both who’ve been quiet for a bit. Plus, that Field School and Heather Trost dropping Friday pretty much made the week a whole pile of awesomeness, in my book anyways. Visit if you will.
As many of you know, the ATH team is made up of a few dudes who are absolutely obsessive about collecting records. Seriously, pretty much all we do during the day is waste time (between posting tunes of course) chatting online about what’s currently on our want lists or what we found while digging around town. Heck, I’ve even started selling, Nathan puts out records, and we’ve all been spinning our tunes around town as much as possible.
We’ve tossed around some ideas about how to bring our love of collecting to the pages of ATH, and one idea that stuck was to create some playlists from our various collections. I recently played around with this at home and we’re making a couple of those streams available now on our new ATH Vinyl Mixes page, coming via hosting service MixCloud. These are still pretty rough as we figure out the best system for recording, but we’d love for you to check them out and offer any feedback. Our very first mix is below with another more hip-hop oriented set over on our new Mixes page. All songs are recorded using records from our own collection with zero editing, streaming or digital music. Keep physical media alive y’all.
We’ve got more ideas brewing so stay tuned and happy digging.
I’m super appreciative of Heather Trost‘s craft at the moment; she’s taking some modern fads and pushing them to the edges of our expectations. Her latest single starts with a soft croon, which is rather run-of-the-mill, but then the song spins into the next realm. It takes on almost a circus-nature, lifting the playfulness all sort of arranged pieces that encircle that steady Trost vocal delivery. Sure, I still marvel at her voice every time I press play here, but still can’t help but be swept up by the song’s new energy; I feel like I’m watching a carnival congo line march by and suddenly I’ve latched onto the end, joining in the fun. Won’t you come with me? Heather’s new record, Desert Flowers, is out on November 12th via Ba Da Bing Records.
Only a couple of weeks until Field School release When Summer Comes, but as its Bandcamp Friday, we get to enjoy another charming single from the release. When people send me “bedroom pop,” this is sort of the style I’m looking for on my end of things, giving you an intimate pop hook that doesn’t feel like it’s trying to beat you over the head. Charles Bert’s voice sits perfectly in the recording, just above the soft beat and aligned right next to the ringing guitar sounds, balanced right in that wonderful sweet spot where it feels like the sun’s shining on your entire life. When Summer Comes is out on November 18th, but you can grab it from Bobo Integral today!
