This is fine.
Sure, we kept you up to speed the whole way through the conference. Sure, we have the big summary post. Now, I have the big gallery of pics from the week.
Lets get into it with a few highlights and the eye candy featuring shots from ATHvsSOTO, New Order, gravel pits, shiny backgrounds, bad lighting, temporary stages and new names for old favorites.
Click through, yall.
In the second week of April, you’ll be able to get your hands on a copy of Furnishings, the latest LP from Australia’s Lachlan Denton (Pop Filter/Ocean Party). But, there’s one last tease before you get out your credit card! The song is is one of the man special moments on the album, taking Lachlan’s voice and presenting it on the backbone of a pulsating synth line; it somehow manages to add even more drama to the performance, pulling at you dive deeper. As the song unfolds, there are light little flourishes that burst forth and add depth, all of which comes to head right at the 2:40 mark, with full backing vocals, horns and more. You can grab Furnishings on April 14th via Bobo Integral/Spunk/Osborne Again.
Really excited to get to feature a new track from Gualajara’s Uay, as it gives me a chance to kind of step outside of the Americanized psychedelic world, and into that of the vibrant Mexican scene. The group just announced a new LP for Halfshell Records titled Kukulkan, and I’m totally in love with this tune, which is capable of carrying you into a universe all your own. There’s a penchant for the use of a lot of Latin elements, particularly in the percussive area, which loosely ties the band to acts like Os Mutantes. But, I love when they leave some areas for breathing in the song, letting the guitars twist and turn throughout as the vocals bring in a slight melodic touch to texturally lift the tune. It’s a chance to listen to incredible musicianship and step-outside our Anglo-centric psych scene, so keep an eye out for Uay when they drop the new LP on June 6th.
It only took me a few seconds to latch onto this new track from Oakland’s Low Praise; I love the jagged guitar vibe that cuts through this one, and that bob-and-weave bass line doesn’t hurt one single bit. Once the song takes off after the maneuvering mantra, the track begins to really unfold into this post-punk bit of trance; I definitely hear some Wire tendencies in the way the vocals get delivered. But, for all the nods to their forefathers, the group also are willing to bang out some heavy grooves, which you get a glimpse of when they deliver their pseudo-chorus, crashing through the speakers as opposed to bobbing up and down. If you dig on it, the group are releasing Dressing on May 19th!
There are a lot of records that people will define as a purely Texan sound, but having been born and raised in these here parts, sometimes a tune just clicks with you, just feels wholly Texan. That said, Alien Eyelid aren’t aiming to be purely Texan I’m sure, though that bleeds through the band’s work in this new single. There’s a matter-of-fact delivery, which recalls any number of Texas songwriters, with something in the guitars feeling like they’re fueled by the slow-burning embers of a friendly campfire amongst friends; it’s a warm sound that feels familiar and ever-present. The band will release Bronze Star on May 5th via Tall Texan.
The Beths should theoretically be riding the high of the release and success of Expert in a Dying Field, but there’s no slowing down it seems, as today they’re sharing a fresh new anthemic pop song. In truth, the song’s a leftover hit from their last album, with Stokes writing about her love of learning about movies through reading their credits, though they tell the story through the director’s lens. Musically, it’s everything that you’d come to expect from the band, delivering hooks and rock wrapped into a tight little package that will surely get you singing with the band; there are many writing sing-a-long hooks like The Beths. Look for the band touring the world, including tons of US dates in the Summer/Fall…all date HERE. You can also check their brand new Tiny Desk Concert!
Listening through to this single from Statisk Stoj, it’s interesting that he attributes the influence of this song to his love of Low, as the song very much has that sort of early vibe, where it was all about textural building. This tune feels stationary, riding on this sort of trudging beat, but the layers that creep in and out, add the depth you’re seeking, with guitars shooting off here and backing vocals building a melodic foundation. It’s one of those listening experiences that begs you to really immerse yourself, let go of the world around you, coming out with sort of a sonic cleansing. Enjoy.
Teenage Tom Petties won us over with the self-titled LP they dropped, but they don’t miss a beat with their brand new punchy AA single. Both tunes on the single are anthemic jangling pop-punk, perhaps with more allegiance to punk. Honestly, “Posters” is precisely the style of pop punk that has me screaming at the top of my lungs as I mow the lawn and frighten the neighbors; the riffs are fast and furious, with a steady rhythm and lyrics you can easily sing too. Plus, the brevity of the singles make it easy to press play and run through them both again and again, just to memorize the hook-laden fun! Coming to us courtesy of Safe Suburban Home/Repeating Cloud.
Last week was a busy one over here, with the team wrapping up our SXSW coverage to a degree, then full steam ahead into all the great music that was coming out. Perennial favorites RVG had a new single (which we caught live on several occasions), and the High Water Marks continued their prolific run with another high power-popped single. I was excited by new stuff from Black Thumb and Talking Flowers, so hopefully the rest of the month continues to roll out great hits. There’s a few missing tracks from Interbellum and Wares, so be sure to hop back and check those out…plus we included favorite songs from the albums we encouraged you to stream too, so look for those lurking in the midst.
The Spring generally means you’re just going to have to throw down a lot of money and grab record after record after record, so let us throw a few suggestions, or just give you some great stuff to stream, as its Friday, and who really wants to work on a Friday.
Zack Rosen – SYZYGY (Chimera Music)
A struggling artist gone before his time; these songs remind us of the gifts he left behind.
The Reds, Pinks & Purples – The Town That Cursed Your Name (Slumberland/Tough Love)
No one on this planet is writing songs as powerful as Glenn Donaldson.
Connections – Cool Change (Trouble in Mind Records)
If you need a record without a throw-away tune, this is the one.
The Sprouts – Eat Your Greens (Tenth Court)
Australia has a new supergroup, and you have a new favorite band.
Mary Anne’s Polar Rig – Makes You Wonder (Rama Lama Records)
A shapeshifting masterpiece of pop and rock, like if the YYYs, still had that risk factor.
