Author: nathan.lankford

Fib Share You Ruined Everything Single

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You’re going to have to wait for another week for the new LP from Fib, but in the meantime, the Philly bunch have gifted us another peek behind the curtain. I love the way I was greeted with overlapping, and seemingly juxtaposed, guitar riffs; the initial contrast cleared the middle space for the vocals to slink into the frame quietly. But, where Fib excel is they pivot, moving into a fiery burst of energy and sharpness; it mixes up the monotony of the sound, providing a natural movement that keeps your ear as you turn the volume dial up. They’re releasing Heavy Lifting on April 25th via Julia’s War.

 

Lightheaded Return with Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming

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What!? You thought Skep Wax and Slumberland were done with pop announcements today!? Nope. They’ve doubled down with more LP news today; this time the two powerhouse labels team up for a new Lightheaded record, with the group aiming to build on the underrated Combustible Gems. Not sure anyone can argue, but this New Jersey lot come out of the gates with a masterful pop swoon, mastering the art of combining girl-group harmonizing with a modern vision that embraces a world where chamber pop is king. You’ll hear tons of touchstones throughout this singular song, but for me, the arrangements in the back perfectly texture their striking sound. Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming will likely be a personal favorite when it hits on June 27th.

Another Tune from Guy Blackman

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After the devastating news that Chapter Music would be closing its doors to new music, we’ve got to make sure we uplift the new stuff they have left, like label head Guy Blackman. Today, he’s dropped the latest single from the forthcoming Out of Sight LP, and it stretches Blackman’s tastes into bold balladry. His heavy and honeyed vocals ease through the track, supported by these sweeping string arrangements and backing piano lines, giving heft to every inch of the song. It’s a sound fitting for a one man act, crooning to an audience of adoring fans with an orchestra behind him, and as such, we’re glad to have been a member of the pit lifting up Guy and all the work he’s put into great music over the years. Out of Sight is out on June 13th.

Jeanines Announce How Long Will It Last

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There’s something strange afoot this week, with an abundance of pop music coming out our way, though if we’re being honest, a new Jeanines LP might just be the highlight of week! This go round, they’re taking on a tumultuous world; it’s one rife with changes, and as such, the band are embracing the deeper meaning in their lives and their work. That said, you wouldn’t know it by listening to this lead single, quickly bouncing right into reflection with lines like “I want to lay in the grass with you/watch dead leaves turning green and new,” illustrating that despite trials, there’s a brightness in the future. And, all of this gets put to task with their sharp guitar lines and Alicia Jeanine’s punctuated delivery. I always marvel at how their songs seems so long, yet they barely ever stretch over 2 minutes. If you’re interest is piqued, they’ll drop How Long Will it Last via Slumberland and Skep Wax on June 27th.

Pleased to Meet You: Hot Lava

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Okay, so Hot Lava isn’t entirely new, but RayRay and I had just begun this little blog here when their first album came out in 2008. But, while we missed that, the band recently have risen from the ashes, due to some changes in songwriter Allie App’s life that had her circling back to her love of music as a starting point for a fresh outlook on the world. I was immediately caught off guard by the immediacy of the guitar line here, though Allie’s vocals take on this sort of sly cool to them, like she’s toying with the listener, drawing them in with a little syllabic curl that you’ll want to play over and over today. They’ve got a whole record ready, but they couldn’t sit on this great tune (and a handful of others), so we hope to hear more about the LP soon!

Fotoform This City is Over

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Friday’s a busy day on the release schedule, and Fotoform will be dropping their latest effort, Grief is a Garden (Forever in Bloom). Alas, you can’t head into the weekend without one last convincing hint at the record, like the latest single “The City is Over.” This go round, the entirety of the song is a personal reclamation of meaning in our life, realizing that goals and expectations are part of the cyclical nature of modernity, and as such, are destructive forces in our lives. All of this is supported by a shiny bit of industrial-influenced dream pop, filled by hazy guitar lines and a exploring the negative space with bubblegum melodies. Grab the LP this Friday!

Yea-Ming Covers The Velvet Underground

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If you were fortunate enough to attend the Oakland Weekender in 2024, you might have picked up the tape that featured Yea-Ming Chen‘s cover of “Pale Blue Eyes.” But, while working on the next album (‘rumors’ have it slated for a 2026 release0, Yea-Ming wanted to make sure she got this Velvet Underground cover out into the world. I love how her vocal resonance sounds similar to Lou Reed’s, slightly smoky in its presentation, though clearly grasping to pop sentimentality. Chen recorded the majority of the song herself, so a lot of the VU excess is gone, leaving you a bare-bones version that’s equally as stunning in its own right, with Yea-Ming admitting she embraced some of the imperfections in the recording as a way of connecting with Reed’s spirit. Stream it now below!

Artificial Go Play Musical Chairs

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We get a lot of emails, and I have a strange way of listening to the lot; I open 20+ tabs and just bounce back and forth between them to see what sticks in my brain…but then there was this Artificial Go track that just kept coming on and on again, and I couldn’t stop playing it. Going back to the email of the tune, it was talking about C86 and Sarah, but the more I played it, the more something felt very Raincoats-ish. It’s got that same sort of punk sentiment, using sharp guitar sounds to crank out melodies with a snappy little drum kicking right behind to maximize the hook. Then, soak up the vocals; they’re joyous and bouncy, except when they’re not, and they hit a sharper attitude, all throwing caution to the wind and bounding forward with exuberance. Their new record Musical Chairs will be out on May 16th via Feel It Records.

Little Mazarn Announces Mustang Island

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Since their earliest EP back in 2016, Little Mazarn has felt like a great secret within the confines of the Austin music scene; they are the artists’ artists; they are a band with an unparalleled musicianship…and now, they’re stretching their sound beyond ‘the gate’ of their own sound. On this first single from their forthcoming LP, the group have almost entirely erased their folk traditionalism (thought faint hints remain) in favor of embracing the expanse of the world as a whole, allowing this to work almost more as a vocal piece. It leaves the lyrical content front and center, and in the case of this song, touching upon the concept of grief and how one deals with its omnipresence. Honestly, this feels like Little Mazarn taking their sound and moving it into territory previously occupied by Low. Mustang Island is out on June 20th via Dear Life Records.

The Perfect English Weather Share London-By-The-Sea

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For me, Tuesday’s are always the struggle (I’m a Monday kind of guy!). So, with that, this velvety bit of jangling pop from the Perfect English Weather is the perfect salve for my morning grumpiness. According to the notes, the tune was penned after the band reflected upon a chance meeting with Morrissey back in 1984, and in that, our narrator seems to question is it possible to still love the person he has become (or that’s how I see it). If that’s the case, it’s a quite biting tribute, but disguised in this chamber pop fever dream that seems perfectly suited for a cafe in London-by-the-Sea. The group will be releasing their first album in seven years, Just Beyond the Lights, will be out this May via Matinee Recordings.

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