Author: nathan.lankford

Pleased to Meet You: The Pennys

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Okay, so I’ve admittedly met the Pennys before, but just in different acts. The new project is made up of Mike Ramos (Tony Jay/Cindy) and Ray Seraphin aka RE Seraphin; we’ve been covering the two in various ways for years, and it seems impossible to me that the two are just now getting together. Mike’s soft-spoken performance seems the perfect counterbalance to Ray’s penchant for pop, and their first single feels timeless, like you’re all set to just get carried away. Whether it’s the gentle guitar lines or the way Mike and Ray wrap their voices around one another, there’s this undeniable collection that feels like they were meant to write songs together. The Pennys self-titled EP will be out this Spring via Mt. St. Mtn.

Sugar for the Pill Share Anelia

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Of late, there have been several bands that have been driven by the heady club vibes of the late 80s/early 90s; they’ve repurposed that sound into something grander…and in the case for Sugar for the Pill, dreamier. They’re taking those heavy club reverberation, akin to the stuff we heard on early Dummy LPs, then transforming it into something heavenly. The vocals embrace the more ethereal realm, sort of cascading off into the shimmering edges as backing vocals layer the effect. It encircles you, swoops in, then carries you away, and it does so over and over again, each time letting your brain drift into the far off. Deifnitely hope we get more from the Greek outfit soon.

Strange Pilgrim Release Embers

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Nearly a full three years ago, Strange Pilgrim dropped their debut self-titled LP, but, like all things, a little bit of time gives you perspective, so they went back and revisited some of these tunes, releasing them on a new EP titled Embers. I’ve really taken to the number below, which was the opening tune on their debut; they go full on into the foggy pop that reminded me of the Clientele. A carefully buzzing keyboard and some beach-like instrumentation only makes the song a bit deeper, leaving a lot of space for those vocals to really sink into your skin. And man, the line of “I should have said I loved/more than I did” just crushes me every time. Embers is available now via Royal Oakie.

Spritely Pop from The Simple Present

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The Simple Present

German label KUS has been putting out a ridiculous amount of glorious pop music over the last few years, and it looks like they’ve doubled down by picking up The Simple Present. The group is so new, this is their very first recording (that we know of), and man, its simply magnificent. Guitar notes are sharp and dancing around your ears, and while I hear where they could easily take off to the stereotypical pop jaunt, they hold back with a touch of restraint, letting the song sort of weave in and out of your consciousness, though I’ll admit that it’s stuck inside my mind. Definitely for fans of acts from the Sarah roster, or more recently, the Jeanines. An absolute stunner.

CLAMM Share No Idea

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There’s a lot of softness on the site today, so I wanted to make sure I included something a little more abrasive to satiate those punkers out there. CLAMM have been one of Australia’s hottest rock acts over the last few years, and their new album Serious Acts aims to continue the meteoric rise, and they kick right into gear here. The aggression pushes the tune’s message with urgency, delivering lines like “this can’t be it/we must make change,” and we all can see that if there ever was a time, that time is now. Turn the volume knob to the right and keep an eye out for Serious Acts, dropping May 20th via Meat Machine.

Lily Seabird Shares Arrow Single

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I was fortunate to catch Lily Seabird do a set two years ago at a SXSW show, and ever since then, her name’s been on my radar, and I’ve been especially excited with Trash Mountain ready to drop this week. But, before we’re there, Lily has one more album teaser to get us excited. For me, the fragility of her vocal performance on this tune is one of the many reasons her work is so special; it feels like her soul’s cracking as each note escapes her mouth. Plus, this song builds and builds, rising spectacularly into this full explosion of folk songwriting, buoyed by the arrangement of those who worked on the song. Trash Mountain hits Friday via Lame-O Records.

Cleopatrick Drop Talk Down

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While Cleopatrick has been around for nearly a decade, it seems their name just keeps popping up more and more around here. They just recently released Fake Moon, and already they’ve returned with a brand new track. You’re greeted with a thundering blast of guitars, perhaps shattering your calmed morning routine. But, they let the noise pull back, working more with a gentle whispering ballad that works over a heavily strummed guitar bit. From there, the group sort of tease you…will they explode, will they meander off into more ornate nature? Rest assured, they’re going to bring the rock your way, letting it hit once again as it reverberates through its surrounding. Guess you never know when they’re going to strike next, so maybe there’s even more new rock around the corner!

Tokoloshe Share Toxins Single

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Don’t be fooled by the early strum on the acoustic guitar, as this new track from Tokoloshe has so much more to offer you; it goes beyond mere folk and embraces a slowcore sentiment that hits with a sobering blast. There’s such an expansiveness to the tune, like you can fill in the details with your own brain, suspending the musical reality as its presented, which I suppose is what the group was after. Stay tune when they get to the second verse, as you get another vocalist supporting the first, and that overlapping gives it this sort of outlier pop vibe that has me playing this one over and over.

Last Week’s Jams (3.24 – 3.28)

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In playing catch-up from Spring Break, we covered quite a bit of new music, though I may have run out of steam at week’s end. Still, we brought you some new music from Austin artists like Sophia Warren, Adrian Quesada, Will Johnson and Day Friend. Unfortunately, the Day Friend was your sneak peek before their show this Friday at 13th Floor, so we’ll include that in next week’s jams. We also got to premiere a brand new Why Bother jam, so be sure to give that one a listen. Some of my personal favorites from the week are down below, like a new Dumb Things single, as well as fresh Pachyman to boot. And as always, the sounds are all over the place, from the folk of Swedes Egentid to the crazy joyousness of Johnny Maraca‘s garage punk! Play it all below!

Day Friend Drop New Single + Release Show (4/4) at 13th Floor

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Thanks to my friend Mark during the planning stages of our annual ATH vs SOTO show, he turned me on to one of our new favorite Austin outfits, Day Friend. The band have graciously allowed us to share their brand new single before it’s proper release next Friday! I love the way they set this whole Double AA side up; the first side is a love letter from a parasite to its host, while the flip side has the host giving a big fuck you to said parasite. You can even hear the dynamism in the way they approach the songwriting, with Part 1 embracing a more melodic nature, still angular but with the softer side one associates with a love letter. Turn it over and there’s nothing kind being offered, with a powerful blast of rebellion coming from the host (we could all use a lot more rebellion right now!); this half also features a huge ripping breakdown, with the group’s musicianship on full display. One of the more exciting acts in town at the moment; they’ll celebrate the release of their new single at the 13th Floor, next Friday with Exotic Fruitica and Feedr.

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