This is fine.
Jacksonville-based project LANNDS may not be a household name just yet, but someone has to be a “break out” artists at SXSW, right? We caught up with the duo before they headed our way; they’ll likely be playing several tunes off their forthcoming EP, and you can sample one of those singles below. They take the stage at Sidewinder on March 15th.
For the longest time Wax Idols have been one of those bands I never tire of, and it’s been a fun ride watching the growth of Hether Fortune and her band from the early days. This track has that shimmering guitar line popular with the dream pop bunch, but Fortune’s voice soard much louder; she’s never afraid of being up front in the mix. She’s fully embraced her affection for pop sensibility, and through American Tragic up to now, the band continue to step out of the realms of post-punk into the realms of swirling pop music with a guitar edge. Look for the new LP,Happy Ending, to drop on May 16th.
Cali artist Evalyn released her Sandcastle EP, a blend of pop, R&B and soul. She’s headed to Austin for SXSW and we got in touch to have her answer our questions. I’m a bit surprised at her pick of Gryffindor to win the World Cup, as Slytherin are definitely the team to beat out there. Check out her hit “Filthy Rich” beneath the interview. She plays at Thursday, March 16th at Palm Door (10:10).
There’s a natural frivolity in the music being crafted by High Sunn. People likely attribute that to the young age of Justin Cheromiah, but regardless, he’s got such mastery over his work that it’s hard not to find it endearing. Dance wildly about for the song’s first few moments, before Cheromiah slows the production with his voice cresting in a downtempo moment. Then, energy is back up and we’re bouncing through the chorus, smiling all the while. The debut record Missed Connections will be out on May 4th via PNKSLM. Just another reason all eyes are on this young project in 2018.
Just a few weeks back RayRay caught up with Bad Moves for a SXSW Interview, and now the band are back with a bashing new pop number. They dropped this tune today, and you’ll only need a few seconds to catch onto the band’s infectiousness. But, more importantly, like similar spirits The Spook School, they’ve crafted social criticism beneath the guise of incredible pop music; it’s some of the most important music being written today. This particular tune tackles the commodification of art by the disenfranchised and spitting it out into the masses. They’ll also be touring with Jeff Rosenstock for a few weeks in late April, so hopefully we all get a chance to catch their greatness live!
Brian Merrill just released a joyous little EP last month titled Bliss Bunnies. It’s crafted around short little bedroom pop gems, carefully recorded for maximum emotional appeal. He’s headed to SXSW next week, so we wanted to get his name out there in front of you with our little interview questions. You can also stream that EP at the bottom!
This delighting tune from En Attendant Ana just goes to show you that you can’t pigeonhole labels any more than you can pigeonhole bands. Sure, I already adore Trouble In Mind Records but by adding this French quintet, it’s basically seems like I should just donate all my spare money to the label…it’s going there anyways. The notes here hint at jangling pop, but the band swing in with these charming vocals, almost like early Camera Obscura. There’s a natural energy that indiepop fans will adore, and I’m stuck on the flourishes, like light horn touches as guitars anxiously ring out, or perhaps just the constant forward movement of the tune pushing ahead. Another example of fine pop picked up by TiM; look for Lost and Found on April 6th (June for LP).
Seems like only last year that Katie Von Schleicher released Shitty Hits…wait, that was last year! She’s back now with the announcement of a new 7″ coming your way in a few months. Opening with a crunchy guitar seemingly gets the listener on edge, before Katie comes in with her voice to soothe your ears. Beneath, there’s almost a steady, percussive stomp, allowing a platform for guitar chords to knife in and out behind Von Schleicher’s voice. And then, right after the 2 minute mark, you think you’ve got it all figured out, but her voice soars putting some finality to the gem of a tune. You can grab the new 7″ on May 4th via Ba Da Bing, and catch her next week at that whole SXSW thing!
If your’e not into Drawing Boards yet, then let me turn you towards the band’s debut album, which dropped less than a week ago courtesy of Gentle Reminder Records. The single below offers a glimpse at the joy you’ll have when cruising through the album; it starts calmly, with guitars faintly ringing in the distance behind the vocals. Slowly the song builds and burns in your ears, with slight building crafted by layered guitars riding atop the rhythm line. It’s a subtle charmer, and that’s precisely what you’ll find when digging into the self-titled LP; you can grab yourself a copy right HERE.
Blonde Maze is the project of New Yorker Amanda Steckler; she’s probably sitting at home right now crafting delighting electronic pop gems. She’s getting tons of traffic as of late, and we’ll hope you’ll take a little time out of your day to learn a touch more about her. She’ll be playing her set at Iron Bear Bar on March 14th at 10 PM. You can also stream a tune down below to catch the feels.
