Author: nathan.lankford

Bright Pop from Sherbet Tone

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We’re so close to the weekend (and my birthday) that I can taste it! I needed some spirited pop ditties to get me started, and this new Sherbet Tone track is just perfect. It’s got crisp guitar notes, hanging on the edges between jangling and garage rock; the infectious nature is omnipresent in the songwriting, but if you’re looking for that swoon moment, be sure to turn it up around the 1.5 minute mark. Crashing “oohs” lift the song and churn out some melodies that you won’t want to run away from, and I couldn’t think of a brighter way to start off your Thursday.

Fort Not Announce You On Repeat

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Swedish outfit Fort Not have been quiet for several years, but they make a bold pop statement with their return today, announcing they’ll release You On Repeat this February. Their sound pulls from a rich history of underground pop artists, combining jangly strummed guitars and light vocal notes to deliver these bright ditties. Since they’re pop focused, the melodies get to shine here, but there’s still some heavy waves of guitar underneath their feet, giving some depth to the track. There’s some Teenage Fanclub in this, but I can also hear similarities to ATH faves Pop Filter in the way the vocals kind of crest and ride atop. Really stoked to hear there’s a new LP, so be sure to get your hands on a copy before February 27th when You On Repeat hits courtesy of Meritorio Records.

Hannah Lew Announces Self-Titled LP

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We’ve spent a fair amount of time writing about Grass Widow associated musical projects, so it feels only natural that we get a few words concerning Hannah Lew‘s debut LP. When you click play below, you’re going to be greeted by complete nostalgia, in so many ways; the video full of neon notes and tracers feels very much like an early MTV moment, and while that also works in terms of the music, I tend to push on 20 years into the early 00s. The music, of which I’m sure Hannah was aware, was thick with club beats and heavy grooves, sort of immersing us all in this dark brand of pop disco…Soviet comes to mind for me here. There’s this beautiful pullback around the 2.24 mark, letting angelic drifts filter out while a steady synthetic sound slides sneakily towards the stomping stop. The self-titled debut will be out on April 10th via Night School Records.

The Leaf Library Announce After the Rain, Strange Seeds

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In about 37 seconds (not 6-7 you knobs) the Leaf Library managed to completely captivate me, without even so much as a whisper; it’s just driving rhythm movements and a guitar circling overhead, and I was head-over-heels. Then Kate Gibson enters the picture and the vibrance of the song is cemented within my mind. As they progress, the quartet is patient, careful not to lay all their cards on the table; you get a plot twist around 1:40, with additional textures thickening the pop swell. They lock in, coming in and out, flickering as a candle in a gentle pop wind, like “golden moth outside my window” that’s continuously repped in the tune. Really striking way to open up this morning; they release After the Rain, Strange Seeds via Fika Recordings on March 20th.

Heavy Jam from Trauma Ray

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I definitely spent a lot of time jamming to the debut LP from Trauma Ray; it was heavy in all the right spots, with the faintest hint of melody lurking to keep pop fans like myself enthused. Well, yesterday they dropped an EP announcement with this new single and it’s totally bringing me back to mid 90s shows at Liberty Lunch here in Austin. The heaviness of the riff work recalls a number of acts from that era, though the earlier Deftones LPs certainly come to mind. I think the way they flirt with soaring vocal melodies is reminiscent of Water and Solutions by Far, mastering heavy riffage with a huge set of pipes! Think the group’s new Carnival EP will be pretty solid, out February 20th via Dais Records.

Kim Gordon Shares Not Today

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It’s been really interesting listening to the evolution of Kim Gordon‘s music since her Sonic Youth days, but if this video and song are anything to go by, she seems to be having the time of her life lately. This song opens up with a propulsive groove, tightly wound so that it provides a snap, allowing Gordon to embrace the rhythm and let herself go in the video format. This tune could easily operate on that, letting her deliver heavily smoked vocals atop of that groove, but as Gordon is her own artist, the tune gets filled out with ambient noises, operating like sonic glitches in the pop structure, mixing the worlds in the best fashion possible. The freedom presented in the video really is a joy to watch, so hopefully we can all be as lucky; it’s a really impressive tune to kick off the album cycle; look for her new LP, Play Me, which drops March 13th via Matador Records.

Dreamy Pop From Deary

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Since their earliest singles, London outfit Deary has crafted ethereal pop music, continually evolving their sound, adding texture as they build. Today, the group announce their debut LP, and while the cavernous ambiance is ever-present, I’m immediately drawn to Rebecca Cockram’s vocals. The waves of cymbals crashing again and again seem to coat her voice, almost creating this sensation that allows it to operate as a layer of texture. The video accompanying this song embraces their shadowy pop, using reflections of light to create this prismatic shimmer that contrasts the darker tones of the tune. Birding is out on April 3rd via Bella Union.

Alec Siegel Shares False Alarm

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Some time during this past Summer, I stumbled upon Alex Siegel, so when his new single came my way, I was all about it. Siegel’s voice has this heaviness to its performance, almost operating as if its providing its own rhythm, even as the notes hit their highs. Push that up against the bass bob and you’ve got a recipe for infectiousness; I just have to remind myself to let myself free, swinging those arms and stomping the floor as the chorus drops and there’s a slight little shuffle in the synthetic texture. If you’re seeking a nice pop ditty, well, thank me later!

Power Pop from Duane Hoover

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Music runs in cycles, and the last several years have the garage rock and psychedelic realms opening their doors for the power-pop maestros…and thus we have Duane Hoover. The dude seems to just write and write and write, and if you’re that dedicated you’re going to land on a gem like the one below. It’s got this light piano backbone working beneath the surface, lifting the song as the guitar has a jangling strum to it. There’s some Bolan-esque balladry at play here, and that’s never a bad way to kickstart your day. If you’re enjoying what’s here, be sure to check out the newest LP, Magic Mirror Story Book.

Swirls Release Neverland Single

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The theme of never growing old is timeless, assuredly around long before JM Barrie penned his famous story of Peter Pan; it looks as if French outfit Swirls share the sentiment, with a nod to the literary legacy of said aims. They present it with this scattering bit of angular guitars and matter-of-fact vocal delivery, holding tight to the refrain of “I don’t have to grow old/I don’t have to grow at all.” A steady drive from the drumming helps the tune march, turning the track from self-reflection to an advice column, reminding the listener that “YOU don’t have to grow old!” They’ll release their new album Surge on March 6th via Howlin Banana/A Tant Rever Du Roi.

 

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