Last Week’s Jams (5.8 – 5.12)

Last week kicked off with a bang; we covered a whole bunch of tunes right off the bat, only to kind of fade towards the end of the week. Still, we managed to get up 20 tunes you should listen to, though the Mope City single isn’t out there yet on streaming services. Some Austin love came our way with Tearjerk and Balmorhea getting solid mentions, while we couldn’t help but to continue our fawning over Night Beats and their latest barrage of bangers. Threw in some new Shelflife releases from Lost Tapes and Youth Valley, and in the end, the new stuff from Shrapnel and Special Friend definitely won awards for my faves of the week. You’ve got an hour of legendary streams below!

Balmorhea Share Latest Video, New Conditions

Knowing that there is a new Balmorhea album on the horizon is always an exciting time of the year in Austin; you can expect the band to pop up somewhere interesting to share the album and the experience…which is always equally as special as the music. On this new single, I love the way the song builds in slowly, tinkering with pianos before you even get a bit of percussion to liven up the feel. Those moments are fleeting, and purposefully, letting the song ebb and flow, allowing the listener to sort of move in and out of consciousness as the song unfolds before them. Pendant World is out on June 16th via Deutsche Grammophon.

Jack Moody Shares Stay II Video

We started out this morning with a bit of a ghostly number, letting your mind drift toward the weekend. But, now that we’re there, I’ve got this new tune from Jack Moody to up the ante a bit, put some energy right into those dancing shoes, in case you’ve got them on already. Moody’s music recalls the work of Black Marble, working in that post-punk realm of darkened pop, where the melodies have you shuffling your fee just enough to keep things interesting; the vocals keep the dark motif, tossing out these coated deep tones that align with the weight of the genre. Just another jam for your Friday.

Estrella del Sol Shares Figura de Cristal

Estrella del Sol really won me over with the first single from her forthcoming record, and next tune picks up, building otherworldly pop music that’s equally as mesmerizing as it is haunting. At times the vocals are barely audible, lurking in the shadows; it’s almost like listening to the score for some magnificent Kubrick movie, albeit one set in Latin American. You’ll hear this light pulse, the heartbeat just faintly warbling beneath the atmosphere; it creates the perfect cinematic feel that should hopefully turn some heads towards Figura de Cristal; it’s out via Felte on June 30th.

 

Far Caspian Releases New Video for Own

One of the modern musicians shape-shifting with almost every song is Far Caspian; Joel Johnston’s approach to indie diversity usually keeps listeners on their toes. Throughout the newest single from his forthcoming LP, Johnston takes a mellower approach than the last tune we heard; this one trickles, running over a perfect guitar chord that recirculates and charms as you listen. For me, the stuff that makes Joel’s work standout is the attention to detail; the light strings and the ghostly backing vocals add the perfect depth of texture to the tune, which is one of the reasons I love Johnston’s construction practices. The Last Remaining Light will be out on July 14th via Tiny Library Records.

Shrapnel Share Catch You Out; Ready New LP

Having already covered Mope City this week, it only makes sense that I include another project featuring members: the much loved, Shrapnel. The last time we heard from them was when they dropped Alasitas back in 2021, but it sounds like they’ve got another LP ready to go later this year. “Catch You Out” drops in with this heavy rock riff, working in some of that glam-psychedelia stomping; it soon fades away to allow this steadied cool, something that sounds like it would have come from a post-Elephant 6 act. Sure, there’s an assertive bravado to the way the riffs ring out, but even as they’re reverberating around my room, I can’t help but harp on the natural charm, calling to mind heavy guitar poppers like TFC and the like. I’ll keep you posted as I hear more about their new LP!

Show Preview: Cursive @ Mohawk (5.12)

I feel like a majority of the people that stumble upon this site had a period in their life when they were so heavily into music that it accompanied them everywhere. For me, 1997-2004, it was my main companion. Walking to class, walking to work, driving in my car on long road trips…no matter where I went, there was something playing; I honestly cared more about music than most of my relationships at that time. And, a huge part of those years was the Saddle Creek discography, particularly Bright Eyes and Cursive. Well, this Friday, Cursive is coming to Austin and the Mohawk to play the entirety of their 2000 classic, Domestica. So, in anticipation, I wanted to do a track by track breakdown, 23 years down the road from when I first listened. If you haven’t gotten your ticket; you can grab them HERE.

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Sunsee Share Fresh Single: It’s Gone Wrong

My musical ADHD has me all over the place today, but definitely happy to settle into this new tune from New Zealand’s Sunsee. There’s little elements of guitar pop flare running through the entirety of the tune, but I really loved the mellowness of the pace. There’s something calming in the soft percussive elements and cooled vocals that allows the listener to kind of sit back, basking in the glow of the track’s melody. And, when you hit those final moments of the tune, the volume explodes in your ear, sort of an awakening that sets you ready for the rest of your day. Get into it.

Special Friend Release Selkie Video

Is it a seal or is it a human? Well, depends on how you look at the mythological Selkie, the title of the latest single from Special Friend…but who am I to decided for you? What I can tell you is that this might be the tastiest bit of pop music you’re going to hear today. I was hooked with the guitar notes immediately, setting me up to swoon later once the duo opted to combine their voices so seamlessly. In doing so, there’s something in the sound that seems like a lantern floating through the sky, filled with the promise of tomorrow. There’s this tonal switch and string arrangement after the two minute mark that cut right to the core, so I fell in love with the tune all over again. The group will release Wait Until the Flames Come Rushing In via Skep Wax, Hidden Bay and Howlin’ Banana on June 27th.

Beach Fossils Release Seconds

With a little under a month to go, we’re about halfway through the new Beach Fossils record, as far as singles go. Today comes one of my favorites from Bunny, holding tight to where the band first caught my ears long ago, but with a more modern charm, as I’ve hinted at previously. There’s something in this that feels like it’s jangling pop, though worked through the lens of an act like Papercuts (who’ve always felt jangle adjacent); there’s this sharpness combined with this pastoral calm, all of it coming to a head when the snare hits snap and the “ahh” vocal soars. It’s really hard to dislike anything from this band at the moment; Bunny drops on June 2nd via Bayonet.

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