Author: nathan.lankford

Last Week’s Jams (2.16 – 2.20)

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We covered just under 20 songs last week, though the Leaf Library’s brilliant new music hasn’t quite made it to the streaming services yet, but don’t fret, as there’s plenty to devour! Honestly, the first three tracks on the recap playlist are just straight jams you’ll want to check out: Special Friend, Jon Hood, and Prism Shores all delivered, with Jon Hood scratching a particular itch that I adore. Little love for some Austin acts like Genuine Leather and Sundozer, plus love for newer favorites like Endearments and Inner Magic. Little bit all over the place for an early Monday morning run, but in the best way, as you get hit after hit if you just press play below.

Genuine Leather Drops Gunshy Single

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Over the years, Chris Galis and his Genuine Leather project have slowly evolved, allowing for influences to blossom into striking bits of synth pop. This go round, Galis allowed little memo notes from his phone to serve as the seeds for great pop that will arrive on the group’s forthcoming EP, and this tune celebrates the mixture of the old and new. Careful ears will hear the nods to trip-hop and underground club vibes, but there’s a brightness that unfolds, rolling in little samples and curled loops that provide the perfect pop personality. Looking forward to uncovering the little easter eggs lurking in the new EP, which will drop later this year.

New Jam from Prism Shores

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Power pop goodness is on the menu today with a fresh banger from Prism Shores. This song’s brilliance is on the balance between the chugging ring of guitars and the sated delivery that calms the rock ethos burrowed beneath the track. When those huge riffs dropped in at the get go, I was expecting a following punch, but the vocals pull you back in with a more melodic touch, softening the punch. It’s the perfect move, so as to not get pulled under by the bristling bounce of those crunchy jangles. I have a feeling we’re in for another solid collection of bops when Softest Attack arrives via Meritorio Records on April 10th.

Makthaverskan Share Black Waters

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There’s one ominous tune left before Makthaverskan release Glass and Bones to the masses, and it’s now available for you to crank below. Lonely guitar lines open up the scene, dominating the production from the instant you press play. When the vocals come into the picture, they almost seem like a plea for help, which correlates to the thematic discussion of addiction in the song. For a band with such a dominating pop song coursing in their veins, it’s a nice plot twist to seem them turn inward and carefully melt into classic pop construction. Glass and Bones drops on April 3rd via Welfare Sounds and Records.

New Now Announces Red Xerox Compilation

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If you’ve been paying attention to the various blogs and sites covering indie rock the last few years, you’ve likely encountered a number of ridiculously talented young acts hailing from the greater Chicago area: Lifeguard, Friko, Horsegirl, Free Range and more. This week, New Now has announced the release of a compilation celebrating the scene, with a bonus LP release coming out too! Today, we’ve got a pair of jams to run your way, with one offering a sort of scuzzy brand of brash pop that feels as if it was recorded in some hollowed out warehouse; the other tune gives you a bit more of an intimate performance, delicate and moving. If you’re into it, you can grab Red Xerox on March 18th, courtesy of Desert Island Recordings.

Andreas Grundel Delivers Lydia

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As someone who has run a label, making it 10 years of sending out emails, doing your best to support bands, and then coming home to a pile of debt is no small feat…which is why we are here to celebrate Varo Records…as well as Andreas Grundel. The label has hit their 90th release, but also their 10th year as a label over in Sweden, and in celebratory fashion, they’ve got this dreamy pop number that will grab your ears instantly. The immediacy of the guitar lines dancing while washes of synthetic texture work beneath the surface is exactly what folks who’ve adored the genre (especially the Swedish sort) will claw towards. Grundel’s got those soft textured vocal notes too, gathering support from a vocal foil too, furthering the melodic depths. Really enjoying this number. Congrats Varo!

Wendy Eisenberg Shares Old Myth Dying

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For an artist with a storied career such as Wendy Eisenberg, the continuous search for meaning in both art and life has created this sense of wonderment and whimsy that ultimately ends up rewarding the listener. There’s an ornate nature to the opening, carefully pulling at the guitar string before the vocals carefully step onto the stage; for a few seconds you get to embrace that solitary joy, but then gradually textures take shape, with softened drums and strings buoying the depths of the tune. As I mentioned, there’s an element of playfulness within the soul of the tune, at least to my ears; take a listen around 1:45 where Wendy enters the chorus and then delivers this almost bouncing bit of vocal lines as the strings swarm atop…it’s a really special moment that gets played out again later in the tune. You’ll be able to grab the Wendy Eisenberg LP on April 3rd!

Pleased to Meet You: Inner Magic

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If you mention a blend of krautrock and Felt as your influences, that is definitely going to get my attention, which is what came our way with the PR from Inner Magic. Sure, former members of Chromatics and Smashing Pumpkins should have caught my attention, but the above line was what sold me…that and this cascading bit of pop music. This lead single is a big striking guitar pop song, sort of sedate in its presentation, though I prefer to think of it as more meditative. The vocal glow gets the added bonus of accompaniment from Ruth Radelet (also of Chromatics), so they’re clearly not shying away from the delights of harmony. Plus, if you go to the bandcamp page HERE, you can also grab a B-Side where the duo cover a bit of Spacemen 3, so clearly they’re checking off all the boxes on my tastes.

Endearments Share Marianne Single

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As they near the release of their debut album, Endearments completely have my attention, especially on this new single. It kicks off with this popping bass line, then a wave synths washes over it as the vocals carefully serenade us. Then the guitars jump right in and the track rockets into the perfect blend of softened pop notes and dreamy guitar textures; their fixation on melody makes every inch of the tune a listener’s treat, even when both vocalists combine for a grittier presentation. I feel like this track is going to get a lot of plays on my end of things for the next couple of weeks, and maybe that’ll lead me or you to pick up An Always Open Door, which arrives on March 6th via Trash Casual.

Cola Announce Cost of Living Adjustment

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There’s never a bad day when Tim Darcy and Cola drop a new track. What I am interested in is the impact of trip-hop drumming sneaking into modern indie rock; it’s definitely something that seems pervasive in the rock scene, and honestly, I’m not mad at it. The big draw, however, is the familiarity of Darcy himself, who has had such a distinctive delivery that seems to change with the times; it feels more melodic on this venture, which seemed to really take flight as his last project came to an end. Cost of Living Adjustment is the name of the new LP, and it drops on May 8th via Fire Talk Records.

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