Author: nicole.baumann

Sucker For Pop: Digging This Single From HaeLOS

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unnamed-31HaeLOS have graced our website quite a bit recently, but I’m super stoked to share this new single, “Separate Lives” with you. It’s a big number, dwelling in the electro pop realm, with vocals that soar through the mix. What’s really wonderful about this single is the way the track builds to its climactic ending, all while giving you a catchy chorus to sing along to. This is one of those songs that you can bet will be huge live, and will put the band even more on the radar of those who take a listen. Look out for their album, Full Circle, which is out March 18th via Matador Records. Be sure to also check out our interview with them for SXSW and catch them while they’re in town for thatchaos.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/IY0JVKORfR4[/youtube]

Can’t Not Share Another Great Track From Mirror Travel

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mirrortravel_hiresOk, I’ll say it: Mirror Travel is one of my favorite underrated bands to come out of Austin… even if they’ve relocated to New Mexico. With each new single they release in anticipation of their upcoming album, Cruise Deal, I get a little bit more excited to hear what they’ve got in store for us this time around. “Aasim” shows the same sort of heavy guitars and big sound that they’ve treated us to with other single, “Yesca,” but this one is a bit more of a slow jam. Make sure you listen below, catch them sometime when they’re around town for SXSW and get ready forCruise Deal, which will be out very soon on March 11th viaModern Outsider.

 

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Softly Jam Along With Chris Cohen

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chris cohenThere’s going to be a lot of political noise and hubbub today, and while that’s all interesting, sometimes it can be a little bit grating. That’s where Chris Cohen comes in to make it all better and give you some reprieve with “Torrey Pine,” the latest single from his upcoming record As If Apart.This track is simply delightful, and it feels like a cool breeze on a warm day. It’s a quiet and mellow jam, but those guitars have a bit of a psych shimmer to them. Of course, Cohen’s vocals are perfectly even-toned, bathing the whole tune in warmth and soothing temperament. And just when you think the song is going to simmer in itself, it builds to the end to keep your full attention. Make sure you get excited for As If Apart, which will be out May 6th via Captured Tracks.

 

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Check Out This Track From Mitski

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unnamed-30I don’t know about you, but I live for the tracks that surprise me. You know, the ones where you think you’ve fully grasped where it’s going and then it spins you in a different, delightfully unexpected direction. This is the case for the newest single from Mitski, called “Your Best American Girl.” What begins as a slow and quiet track explodes sonically into a fuzzy garage-inspired crescendo, bringing a bit of drama. The vocals on this track are impossibly smooth and sweet, at first dominating the quiet mix and then contrasting the intense musical swells. It’s a masterfully crafted tune, that you’ll be playing again and again. Make sure to look out for Mitski’s upcoming album,Puberty 2, which will be out June 17th on Dead Oceans.

 

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Digging This Grunge From Summer Flake

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unnamed-29Stephanie Crase, of Adelaide, Australia, is the front lady behind the moniker, Summer Flake. Together, with her bandmates, she’s got a new album coming out in a little over a month on the fine label Rice is Nice Records. To amp us up for that album, they’ve got a new video for the track “Shoot and Score,” and have also debuted a whole new song, “Wine Won’t Wash Away,” which are both killer grunge-pop tracks that will help you get through the Monday. Personally, I like the way the guitars fuzz out while the vocals are very mellow and even tempered. Take a listen to both below.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/U7A3EO0TjNs[/youtube]

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Risley Tune

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risleyRisley is the project of Portland’sMichael Deresh and TravisStank, who recorded 138 songs with the help of many friends in the process of trying to make a single album over the past four years. One of the results is below with “Kill The Clock,” which is a little under three minutes of garage meets streamlined rock. There’s this great, ripping, guitar riff that opens up the track and comes back in through the mix that screams rock, while the vocals are a bit hazy and distorted, reminding you of your favorite garage band. The song is a nice bit of well crafted energy, not just ending abruptly, butwinding its way down to a close. Take a listen and look out for their self titled LP,which is out today!

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Michael Nau -Mowing

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Erika_12JKT EPS_r4
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Its possible youve heard the work of Michael Nau in some capacity over the years through his work in several other outfits (See Cotton Jones). Mowing marks his first debut recording as a solo artist, and its a nice first album that wont hit you too hard, but will slowly work its way into your heart.

Mowing comes across as a collection of carefully crafted folk lullabies, perfect for those days when you want to dissolve into your music, or at least be carried away on its light breeze. Youll begin to understand this notion when you first enter into the album with While You Stand. Gentle acoustic guitar wafts in like wind chime, and the warm, full vocals of Nau contrast the sweetness of the only other element in the track. Simple, yes, but so elegant; a refreshing break from the usual multilayered hyper-complex music we have so much of these days. But then, The Glass, kicks things into gear with the addition of other instrumentation that puts a little spunk into the mix. Theres a nice presence of ragtime piano and the guitars are a little fuzzy and jazzier. Naus voice is smoky and smooth, riding above the rest of the mix.

The rest of the album continues in this vein, later on in the album, you get the incredible So, So Long, which really hones in on the lullaby nature of the tunes on here. But then, theres also the deep classic blues bass line that you find in alt-country. This beautiful track is followed up by instant stick out favorite, Winter Beat, which is rambunctious as Nau gets; slow simmering drums give it a jazzy flair once more, subtle strings work their way in and out of the background. Youll find yourself closing your eyes and slowly nodding your head with the beat. Its gentle music for Sunday afternoons or waking up slowly in the morning.

Whats wonderful about Mowing is its breezy carefree spirit; it never gets too bogged down in itself. At the same time, this airy lightness makes it bit too transparent at moments, during which, its easy to let the music slip out of your focus. This is a small qualm in a soothing album, and I advise you to pick up a copy and give it a spin.

 

Steady Rocker From Wax Witches

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12509648_1255646871128919_1310003653927682046_nWax Witches, or the project of Alex Wall, has got a new album coming out in just about a month from Burger Records.In anticipation of this release, he’s shared the single below, “Morning Flowers,” which is a hazy rock tune that centers around the clean guitar riffs and distorted vocals. What’s great about this song is that it meanders, but you enjoy every instant of its sprawl– the track loops and loops on itself until you’re mesmerized in its borderline psych sound.

Be sure to lookout forMemory Painting, which is out March 18th.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/247130704″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

 

 

Wild Nothing – Life of Pause

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lifeofpawz
Rating: ★★★½☆

When you hit the ball out of the park on your musical debut and sophomore album, I imagine its somewhat of a daunting task to try and create something that will repeat your success and move into different musical territory. Whether or not this was on Jack Tatums mind when he was working on his third full-length record remains to be known. Regardless, Life of Pause strikes a balance musically between the straightforward dream pop of Gemini and the well-orchestrated synth heavy pop of Nocturne.

Reichpop, begins the album in classic Wild Nothing fashionboiling electronic elements create the undercurrent of the instrumentation as the song heats up. About a minute and a half of build up later, the song coming into itself, the guitars and bass join the mix, adding their lush influence to the simmering track. This song in its easy and steady coolness sets the tone for the rest of the album.

The key to understanding this record comes in the title track, which marks the center point of your listening journey. Synths soar and bubble into the groovy beat, Tatum sings repeatedly at the crux of the chorus, How can we want love? and the synths stutter coldly in the background as he questions human desire for affection honestly and openly. Herein lies the detached emotion that the entire album is entrenched in. On the first few listens, its easy to mistake this for a lack of emotional accessibility, but upon further investigation, Tatum comes through quite vulnerably as searching for something and narrowly skirting jadedness. This is where Ive found the album to be quite raw and not the icy-cool sleek collection of eleven tracks that it may sound like at first.

While the album becomes more accessible with this in mind, the vulnerability is still subtle, hidden under those loud synths and danceable 70s grooves. Life of Pause has immediate hits that will grab you upfront, but there are some slow burning gems that take a bit of time for you to gravitate towards, like Lady Blue, which ends in a switch in rhythm that is simply impossible not to turn up loud and jam out to. Of course there are those reach out tracks like TV Queen and To Know You, that are wonderful examples of Tatums skills at crafting solid tunes that bridge the gap between dream and synth pop.

At the end of Life of Pause, theres a bit of a longing for more; while theres no denying the artful skill that Jack Tatum has poured into the record, you sort of wish that there was more of a fire within the tracks on here. Still a remarkable and worthwhile listen nonetheless.

 

Dreller Gives You White-Hot Electro-Alt Pop

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10986832_1101394843221148_1893510594416241249_oDreller is a multi-instrumentalist based out of London, who also just so happens to be an animator and filmmaker.Now, as you’ll find out from the music video below for “Control,” this track is pretty much radio ready, heavily electronically influenced, pop music, but there’s something compelling in that choral hook that brought me back for repeated listening. Personally, I like the way the track takes a bit of time to really get going, and then once it’s off, those layers of synths and guitars don’t ever stop their dicey groove.

What do you think about it?

[youtube]https://youtu.be/JxOhOraGtcE[/youtube]

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