Author: nathan.lankford

BS Return with Dead Flowers

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It’s always a good sign when the Austin scene can kick start the year with solid tunes, particularly as BS has always supplied us with hook-laden vibes that wiggle between indie rock and electronica. On their latest track, “Dead Flowers,” the band are offering up a really solid blend of the two, and while there’s a certain familiarity to the approach, they build in so many light twists and turns that their sound feels freshened. If you pull your ear closely, you can hear the chugging of the guitars in the far-off, allowing them to come up front before they stutter right back into another verse. Plot twists, hooks and grooves? Thanks BS!

Pullman Share Bray Video

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Before we get carried away with the day, we should try on a different hat, such as this new Pullman tune, hitting right before the group drop their new LP this Friday. Decades after their first releases for Thrill Jockey, the supergroup finds a home on Austin’s Western Vinyl, continuing their foray into post-rock. Immediately you’re thrown aback, with a distorted blast of muddy noise smashing in upon pressing play; the band’s expertise allows that initial blast to blossom into a more avant noise approach, letting each instrument follow its own distinct path to stretch the song into a noisy meditation. Little nature clips arrive with the video to provide a sense of serenity as the song’s weight provides a marked contrast. III arrives on Friday via the aforementioned Western Vinyl.

Endearments Announce Debut LP

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The year is already off to a great start for pop music, and today’s announcement from Endearments is welcome news to my ears. The Brooklyn act are playing on the softer side of indiepop, taking the dreamier moves of the genre and fleshing them out with a thumping rhythm section. Upon my first few listens to the record’s lead single, there are some sonic and structural similarities to acts like Pains of Being Pure at Heart, though they soften the edges of the distortion, offering up a more melodic center to the track. An Always Open Door will be available for you on March 6th.

Twilight Sad Share Fresh Single

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Long long ago in a land we called the real Emos, I watched the Twilight Sad, enthusiastically soaking up their thunderous performance while a young man behind me snapped photos; it was here that I met our B. Gray, thus our eternal love for the Scottish outfit. Today, they follow up their recent single with Robert Smith by dropping another brooding number in order to announce their first LP in several years. This song wins me over in various ways, with my recent attraction being the tonal playfulness of James’ voice throughout the track; his control and switching back and forth completely captivate through the course of the song. Their continued evolution through the years has been quite a joy to follow, and we’re really looking forward to It’s The Long Goodbye when it arrives on March 27th via Rock Action.

Joyce Manor Share I Know Where Mark Chen Lives

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I think if Bob Nanna was working in the modern pop scene, he’d probably sound an awful lot like this new Joyce Manor single, and I mean that in the best way. There’s something about Barry Johnson’s delivery in the middle of the verses that just has this natural bounce to it, and in doing so, it opens up the chorus for this massive hook. That chorus hits you with this explosiveness that doesn’t shy away from being catchy, embracing the band’s lineage and pushing forward simultaneously. Personally, I’m drawn to their naturalness, if that makes sense, as the track’s don’t seem put on or like their mimicking their heroes, so it’s refreshing to hear a song hit in this fashion. Looking forward to I Used to Go to This Bar, out January 30th via Epitaph.

New Jams from Wild Billy Childish and CTMF

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Billy Childish shouldn’t be a surprise name popping up on our end, especially as his project Wild Billy Childish and CTMF has jumped into the fray of modern pop with a brand new 7″ for Spinout Nuggets. The A side has this stomping drum beat that feels primal and thunderous, while the vocal performance harkens to a sort of old British explosiveness…big sound with a twist of discord rocking out. Turn it over and you get a rock-a-billy take on the Batman theme, grooving and weaving through a mostly instrumental jam. Always great to see what Childish is up to, but you better hurry, as there are only a handful of 7″ left!

Heavenly Announce New LP

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Legendary indiepop act Heavenly have been fairly active the last few years, offering up reissues of their catalogue, as well as a little compilation of their hits (they’re all hits, dammit!). Alas, today comes the news we’ve been holding out for, a brand new LP! They come out of the gates swinging, using the interplay between Cathy and Amelia to recall a teenage romance with the nerdiest person in school; you can tell that their ability to harmonize and drive melody into our ears hasn’t escaped. When the chorus opens up and drives that punk energy into the hook you instantly get taken back to the glory days of the Sarah Records scene. You’re day can only get better from here. Grab Highway to Heavenly from Skep Wax before its February 27th release date. And, there will be a slew of dates to follow the release, though sadly no Austin show!

Dry Cleaning Share Final Single from Secret Love

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When listening through the lyrical content of the latest Dry Cleaning single, it might come as a surprise that the initial concept came to be through the viewing of advertisements in the Virginia Tech History of Food and Drink archives…but, it’s the message that should resonate as we turn towards a new year. The theme of “being sweet” could mean many things, ultimately leading all of us to look to more kindness…to ourselves and community. What I love the most about this track is the way Florence Shaw switches up her typical spoken-word delivery into a charming little croon; you get your first chance to hear it right after the 30 second mark. Wonder what else the group have in store for us when Secret Love drops on Friday via 4AD. Here’s to more “Joy” in 2026.

Circling Back on New Exek

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Amidst the year end goings-ons, I kept trying to circle back towards Exek‘s latest single…but despite being a fan of the group for nearly a decade, I just didn’t have the time (I failed!). So, here I am a good month later reminding you that the group has signed to DFA, and with that, there’s a new LP on the way, and it already sounds super rad. On the lead single from the album, it’s hard to identify what I love more about the track; I keep getting drawn to the sharp march of the drum work, snapping me into step with snare smashes. But, they seem to be embracing a sort of carousel psychedelic approach, spinning you up and down as the track circles, pushing you to maximum bliss. Really excited to hear what Prove the Mountains Move sounds like when it drops!

Flesh Cherub Offers Blind Single

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My personal aim for 2026 is to continue to operate all over the musical map, within the realm of my personal tastes. For me, an artist like Flesh Cherub is one of those haunting voices that you turn to when the world seems at its grimmest moment; there’s this heavily pained delivery, yet it’s got this uncommon beauty to it that keeps me thinking of a world between Jeff Buckley and King Krule…striking imperfection! The weight of the guitar strum was so soulful that it soaked deep into my skin, unable to scrub it off (not that I wanted to!). While there’s a definite vibe in the first half, wait for the burst of noise that greets you around the 2:05 mark, carrying the song into this splendid world of where serenity and cacophony do a proper dance. The artist will release Drowning in the Expanse of Looking Up on January 17th via Crossing House.

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