Author: nathan.lankford

Another Pop Gem from Azure Blue

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The hot streak that Tobias has been on with his Azure Blue project just keeps on rolling forward. This track, off his forthcoming LP, hits hard almost immediately, darkly pulsing with synth work once you press play. But, then things get pulled back just a hint, allowing for Isaksson to lay on his thick blanket of pop crooning atop the song. Listening through, I think I like, more and more, the fact that the chorus is barely discernible; there’s a little bit of a twist on the percussive beat, but overall, everything blends together so seamlessly that you’re just washed over by this charming tune. Images of You will be available courtesy of Matinee Recordings at the end of June.

DD Island Shares Sawtooth Sunshine

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I don’t really know how to describe Nashville songwriter D.D. Island other than to say that his music is really, really good. Even with that praise, it’s hard to define his sound; it takes on elements of current dream pop, but also looks nostalgically upon groups such as Galaxie 500. It seems sort of down-trodden and forlorn, though there are these bright little guitar lines that pop in the mix adding just a glimmer of hope to the listener. There’s even a breakdown of sorts in the song’s latter half, giving hope via the lyrics. If you’re into it, his debut full-length Lost Dog drops this weekend.

Possible Humans Announce Everybody Split ReIssue

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Okay, so maybe this Possible Humans isn’t exactly a reissue, per se, but maybe just a world-wide release so you can all enjoy what those 200 folks over in Australia were able to get their hands on back in April. Everybody Split garnered raves from P4k, and of course, ever with a finger on the Aussie pulse, Trouble in Mind jumped on board to give the band’s debut a broader release. All that leads us to the track below; it’s different than say your Twerps or your RBCF, at least here. Weirdly, this track sounds an awful lot like what GBV would sound like if they found/wanted a proper studio recording; the chords (both guitar and vocals) sound worn out, like their on their last breath. That modest pace builds the tension, allowing for the song’s latter half to really let the guitars/vocals free, taking off on their own before returning home. If you have this LP, you’re lucky, but if not, TiM has you covered on August 2nd.

Beautiful Tune from Jordan Moser

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It’s kinda rainy here in Austin, and been sort of a shit morning, so it was nice to hear a stunning new number from one of our own, Jordan Moser. Jordan’s got a really striking voice, at times has that smokiness of M. Ward, but it has this ability take that then suddenly stretch it to more angelic tones when necessary; it doesn’t help that the wonderful Molly Burch is back there providing backing vocals. Musically, I think there this brilliance in the sort of understated nature of the whole thing; the drums are steady, but never rocking, while the guitar sort of courses in and out on its own journey. It all leaves this empty space that allows Moser and Burch to drop their vocals inside your ear channels. Long Night will be out in July courtesy of Keeled Scales.

Stream the Umpteenth LP from Onesie

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Listening through the entirety of Onesie has made me feel comfortable and safe; it’s like a warm blanket of nostalgia wrapped tightly around my ears. Umpteenth is as scatter-brained as Leos Consume, their last LP, but you can easily follow the power-pop bread crumbs from the get-go. Opener “Ten Times Tinnitus” has hints of that Big Star sound, though as it carries on, it also starts to lend itself over to Jets to Brazil territory, which inevitably sets you up for the more Jawbreaker-ish follow-up track “Customers;” this one’s slightly heavier on the riffs, but still adheres to pop sensibility. Skipping down to ”
Would You Be My Goon,” you get a glimpse of the landscape created by acts like Teenage Fanclub, with riffs muted slightly in favor of layered vocal harmonies. And, all that diversity comes before the band hit the sweet spot with “Awards Show” in the album’s latter half…it’s the pop rock number you didn’t know you needed. All this is just to say you could feel good too; you too can smile while you rock, but you can only do so by picking up Umpteenth, the new LP from Onesie, out this Friday courtesy of Dadstache Records.

Pop Ditty from Cat Apostrophe

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I like waking up to really good pop songs, especially as that’s when I tend to get most of my work done. So, it was great to see this new Cat Apostrophe song getting some solid traction. It starts with this heavy bass line and steady rolling percussion; I love how the vocals sort of creak their way into the mix, like a door ajar casually blowing in the wind. Suddenly, the vocals stretch into cacophony, seemingly absorbing power as they burst through your speakers. And as quickly as they came, they’re subside to let the natural pop sensibility make its way into the mix. I like hooks, and this tune’s got ’em. They’ll be releasing their album Lifelong Amateurism via Everything Sucks Music on July 19th.

Jay Som Announces Anak Ko

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When Everybody Works was released, it seemed that everyone unanimously fell in love with Jay Som, myself included. So, will Anak Ko live up to the expectations? Honestly, not sure, but I sure do love this new single; it’s sort of an amalgam of sounds that I’ve grown to love; there is that ringing guitar sound with roots all the way back to the Flying Nun scene, synth work is built into provide some texture, and later on there’s this buzzsaw guitar knifing its way through the tracks latter half…and it’s all spun with exuberance that immediately makes you press play and listen again. Sometimes bands can fill too many ideas and muddy the mix, but here, the execution’s perfect…all the more reason to look forward to Anak Ko, out on 8/23 via Polyvinyl.

Mal Blum Return with Salt Flats

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A few weeks ago Mal Blum released “I Don’t Want To;” it was a pretty insatiable pop number, but that’s not what you’re going to get on this new track. This one is more of a slow burner, building the tension with careful percussion and an almost muted guitar throughout. At the 3:30 mark the tension is finally released with a noisy crash of guitars and pounding drums, but as quickly as it appears, it recedes, slowly grinding the track to a close. Lyrically, it’s not overly verbose, using simplicity to tie in the greater life choices the protagonist has to make through the entirety of the song/record. Look for Pity Boy on July 12th via Don Giovanni.

Mellow Ballad from Jacob Faurholt

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I’ve really been enjoying this brilliant new tune from Jacob Faurholt; it’s a good discovery, as I hadn’t heard of Jacob previously, and yet he’s got a deep deep catalog. This track sounds forlorn, and continues to build…the cascading guitar line in the distance and the solemn bounce of the piano all work to further that agenda while Faurholt throws his vocals across the whole mix. At times, I definitely hear the good version of Neil Young shining through, though Jacob sounds youthful and yearning for things yet to come. His new album Shake Off the Fear will be out on September 6th!

Light Indiepop from The Slow Summits

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It’s great when bands find you and send you their work just because they know they’re your ideal style; this is the case for Sweden’s the Slow Summits. They work with that bouncing brand of indiepop that seems so simple, but only succeeds if the execution is spot on. They just dropped their Languid Belles EP; it’s four tracks with understated swagger and a playfulness in the backing vocals that can’t be matched (doesn’t hurt that one of those voices is Amelia Fletcher). I think “A (Hit) to Your Wallet” is currently my favorite of this collection; it has that slight guitar shuffle mixed with quick percussion that reminds me of the Lodger. But, its indiepop so I’ll just go and repeat these tunes all day. Will you do the same?

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