This is fine.
The festival is under way here in Austin, though not the music biz just yet. So, we’ve got to push on and make sure all our interviews are up so you can preview these folks before they get into town! Below you’ll find answers from Oslo’s Darling West, who will be playing at the Music for Listeners Party over at Lazarus Brewing on Friday, March 15th. Worth your time? Read below! Read more
You’d expect nothing short of the sound below if you found out that members of Ex-Cult and NOTS formed a new band named Hash Redactor. There’s this heavy post-punk, consistently being spliced into pieces by jagged guitar chords as the matter-of-fact vocal delivery serves to steady the ship. We get to hang out here, in an anxious state, which only grows around the 2 minute mark as the song gets more frantic, more discordant, rushing listeners to the song’s end. Drecksound, the band’s debut album, will be released by Goner Records on April 26th.
This time around we’re giving our attention to Reaches, the project of Justin Randel. If you get the chance to catch the act during SXSW, you’ll likely here new tunes from the forthcoming Wherever the Internet Goes, Sorrow Follows. Read on for Justin’s responses!
Bad Sports have dropped a new video for the track, “Don’t Deserve Love,” off their recent Dirtnap Records LP,Constant Stimuation.The video shows a drunken night for a sad bastard kind of character that aptly fits the title of the video and, naturally, the anthem of the song. It’s a punk ripper with a catchy chorus that you’ll be singing along to in no time. I will warn fellow Austinites– this video may feel all too familiar to you or remind you of someone you know or maybe last night out on 12th Street (hopefully not).
Bad Sports are kicking off a good sized US tour with a night at Hotel Vegas on March 27, you know, after that SXSW thing is done.
Seattle’s Flying Fish Cove first popped up on my radar with their excellent EP for Jigsaw Records in 2018; they’ve recently announced the follow-up, and today we have another poppy gem to indulge your sweet tooth. Keys and jangling guitars kick things off, you’ll be bouncing in a matter of minutes; those opening 30 seconds remind me of a “Boys Don’t Cry” era Cure, but in the end the song fits with other great acts like Jetstream Pony. In a year when indiepop has been few and far between, this is definitely shaping up to be a must have release; look for At Moonset to drop April 5th via Help Yourself Records.
There’s something about Field Medic that seems so familiar, like a friend playing me his story as we drink beers in apartment. That’s the sort of singer-songwriter vibe I always appreciate; it’s the personal, the empathy from shared experiences that makes you long for days gone long ago. The sound is pretty bare bones, mostly with strummed guitar and some lush arrangement; reminds me of Limbeck (did I just date myself?). Oh, and be sure to stick around for the last line; it’s an important one coming into SXSW…and any other time of the year. Fade into the Dawn comes out on April 19th via Run for Cover Records.
A great deal of my childhood was spent listening to my father’s folk collection, and perhaps that, more than any other memory, will be our legacy. I mention this as Esther Edquist aka Sweet Whirl seems steeped in the rich history of folk music; her powerful voice has this faint quiver in it, something that reminds me of Harris or Baez. The track’s arrangement definitely aid to the songs depth, though those bits seem careful to stay out of the way when necessary. It’s a striking voice, and, for me, a striking introduction to the newest Australian export to land on Chapter Music; the label will release Love Songs & Poetry on May 3rd.
You know that you’re coming to SXSW to find something new, so why not pencil in Atlanta’s Shepherds? They’ve got a forthcoming LP later this year, and they’re self affirmed Sade fans, so you can’t really go wrong winding up at one of their sets. Don’t believe me? Well, read more about them below!
Everyone’s favorite post punk doom-rock band, Protomartyr, just announced that they’ll be reissuing their debut LP,No Passion All Technique,which has long been out of print and not available on streaming services. Such an uncommon phenomenon will be erased for fans on May 3rd, when Domino reissues the album and the band releases an extended digital version. They’ve dropped single “Jumbo’s,” from that first release, with its official video, which gives you a bit of a slice of what it’s like to watch the band live. While “Jumbo’s” feels definitely less polished than any cut off ofRelatives in Descent, the band’s most recent full-length, but that’s the kind of demo-esque gold I imagine we’ll be getting with the rest of this reissue. Pre-order it here.
Okay, so it’s not exactly a clear-cut ballad, but in the grand concept of things, Laura Stevenson‘s new track is a striking ballad. While we’ve heard her with backing bands or playing in other bands, her new album The Big Freeze represents the full experience of Laura operating with little more than her voice and guitar. You can hear the grumbling of her guitar ring out, accenting the rise of her voice. But, once it fades, there’s guitar bits to walk you into the track’s next section where Stevenson reappears with her voice. This track is all about that voice and how it plays into space, almost isolated…which is one of the various themes in this track. Look for the new album on March 29th via Don Giovanni Records.
