Jess Locke Shares Rocket to Ride
If like me, you’re looking out your window, seeing the Earth brandish a vibrant green, then perhaps you’re also seeking something offering a straight ahead rock jam, like this new Jess Locke tune. The Melbourne songwriter isn’t too far off from the likes of the Beths, building these huge distorted riffs that rattle the cones on your speakers; there’s just this honest blast of joy that immediately comes through as you turn the knob to the right. And, speaking of honesty, there’s something in the vocal portrayal that has that same earnestness you might have found in a young Jenny Lewis back in the day. If you’re into it, Jess is releasing Real Life on May 3rd via Dot Dash/Remote Control.
Ever have one of those tracks that just finds its way under your skin, no matter your expectations? Well, this new 
Slow day on the scene as of late, but wouldn’t you know it, 
Swedish pop outfit 
I feel like I’ve only got a handful of bands on my radar in the Austin scene at the moment, and Variety is definitely high upon that list overall. On their latest single, they offer up hints of what could make them exciting as they continue to flesh out their sound. Their first two singles have been right up my alley, but I love how this track seems to almost work in contrast to those early tunes. There’s this harrowing feel, accented by gunshot snare work that almost seems industrial in nature. Guitars snake around, carefully bending behind the buried vocal work. I love how the song’s allowed to breathe within the vocals, building in this natural emotive quality you won’t be able to pull away from below.
I’ll pretty much write about anything that features Stella Donnelly on it, as seen in our sites adoration of her track with Methyl Ethel. Today, she’s popping up on a new single from 
A lot of really great stuff popped up last week, and we did our best to be on top of as much as we could, though admittedly, it’s a bit of a busy season on our parts (life wise). We were stoked to hear some stuff from Austin homies in the Juniper Berries and Strand of Oaks, both offering great new music you’ll love. Zero Point Energy dropped another tune from their exciting debut, as well as new music from Writhing Squares that sees them stretching our expectations of their sound. Plus, got to finally circle back on some things that had been waiting, like Crumbs, System Exclusive and Climax Landers. Oh, and we ran a Rock n Recipes with our friends in Outer World, so be sure to check it. A few acts like Goosewind and Jetstream Pony didn’t have their stuff up on streaming, so be sure to give it a listen if you’d like.