This is fine.
Profligate is a new to me, but not some friends in the know. Josh from Missions and Nathan from Austin Town Hall sent word of this jam. Those are two heavyweights in the industry. I’m sold. This is sparse and cold, dark synth pop from space. “Hang Up” is the first single from the pre-orderable LP on Wharf Records called Too Numb to Know. I get some Xymox and Yello (not the Ferris hit) vibes, yet having bits of playfulness peaking through.
Two of my favorite labels, Trouble in Mind & Upset the Rhythm, are teaming up to release the new LP from Naked Roommate. Honestly, the band reminds me a lot of Aussie outfit Holy Balm, perhaps with a nod to the Blow; it’s like house music, but stripped of the reliance on the beat. In leaving the song specially open, they’re allowed to build in their own artistic notes, while still grasping onto our preconceived concepts of what makes a song. Amber Sermeno’s vocals have this matter of fact delivery (which is where I felt the Blow reference), though when she puts emphasis on syllables, they seem to echo through cavernous hallways, ringing out as the beat skips along beneath. Cool vibes going on, so give a listen. Do the Duvet will appear on September 4th.
I had no idea who Kevin McKay was, but his recent album was recorded with Fred Thomas, so having that backing says all I needed to know. It’s really hard to pinpoint his sound too, which actually makes his work all the more intriguing to me. At times, it’s almost this light dream pop, using slightly jangling guitars to add pace and craft a shimmering wall. But, the softness in his voice seems to have this smokiness, albeit faint, that also harkens to the work of Papercuts…like the perfect blend of psychedelia and indiepop. You’ll find this gem on Kevin’s album Neutral Mind, out on Cudighi Records today!
Tugboat Captain were slated to come to Austin this year for SXSW, and while we all know how that ended up, I’m still really intrigued by the band’s offering. They tricked me here, offering up this almost post-punk guitar for just about 11 seconds. But, then the song swells, as you’d expect from a band specializing in sweeping pop stylings. While the beginning seems calm and traditional in presentation, they get a little bounce and a little sonic explosion of exquisite noise too…that sort of texturing makes the song all the more memorable after you’ve reached the 4:18 mark. This tune appears on Rut, the band’s debut dropping this October.
Having written one of my favorite albums of 2019, Cool Sounds are back with a brand new EP on the horizon. The songs on Sleepers EP were written over the past couple of months, surprisingly offering up a light-hearted feel, despite the dire situation surrounding us. Opening with a light strum and gentle percussive stomp, the band begs you to circle around the campfire and join them in their chorale vocal approach; it’s that united melody that made me immediately feel as if I was part of something better, bigger in the world. Plus, the middling “nah nah nah” don’t do a damn thing to diminish the inherent joy of this tune. Look for Sleepers on July 31st!
Leeds outfit Eades are a few weeks away from the release of their debut EP, and with that, they’ve tossed out one final single to entice your ears. For me, I gravitated immediately to those sharp edged guitar chords; it’s that sort of angular cut that reminds you of bands like B Boys or Omni. But, what I love about this bunch is how they kind of pull back the covers to reveal a more subtle approach, pacing themselves with a steady vocal delivery that kind of glues everything in the track together. Jittery and calm all at once…a twist I admittedly hadn’t expected here. Looking forward to Microcosmic Things dropping on July 10th.
Looks like I’m spending a lot of my coverage today over in France today, as Cloud Factory is another outfit hailing from overseas I’ve been bouncing around to this morning. Alice kind of lulls you into this false sense of safety the way she opens the track with this sort of quietly dreamy vocal, but there’s no time to fuck around as the song bounds off energetically, matched by a more frantic vocal. I love the ever so slight change around the 1:40 minute mark, throwing out a momentary bob that has this sort of garage rock indifference. Stoked to hear what the rest of Cloud Factory #1 entails; it drops on July 3rd via Howlin Banana!
This Fall, our friends over at Geographie will be releasing Full Time Bored, the brand new long-player from Born Idiot. This past week, they dropped this brand new single, which I’ve taken quite a liking to this morning. It’s a subtle pop number, almost as if it draws inspiration from the modern bedroom pop tendencies; it feels almost quite and soothing. That said, this is a full band affair, meaning you get a little more texture and swell to the band’s sound, adding that depth that more often than not lacks in the bedroom genre. Stoked to hear another great release from the folks over at Geographie; this drops in October!
There’s something so perfect about the approach Gold Star Gold Star are taking with their songwriting; they’re offering their own spin on radio pop from the classic era, though doing it with a little updated flare. Honestly, it kind of reminds me of a lot of the late 90s/early 00s college rock. I can hear little bits of things like Grandaddy or Elf Power kind of lurking in the shadows, whether intentional or not. But, the opening vocal entry was enough to grab me and encourage you to give it all a listen today…I’m a man of simple 10 second musical pleasures. Their debut album, Introducing…Gold Star Gold Star, drops on August 7th via Earth Libraries.
It’s been quite some time, five years to be exact, since we last posted about NYC founded group Radical Dads. It looks like we missed out on a single from last year, but other than that, the band has stayed relatively quiet having moved to different parts of the country. Despite their extreme distance from each other, the veteran trio managed to write and record an 8 song album out now entitled Paved Mountain. As a preview of the new album, the band is sharing this new single called “Institution” which should definitely entice you into checking out the entire LP. Let’s call it an official return to form for our old favorites Radical Dads. You can stream their entire new album over on bandcamp.
