Category: Tunes

Jamming Electropop from SAMT

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There was a time when the electronica was meant to maximize beats per minute and push you out onto the dance floor. When I listen to this new track from SAMT, I definitely recall those hours dancing away to the likes of Bonde do Role, though this time we’re traversing the Germanic languages. The electronic pulses give off a kind of stuttering fuzz, while the drums employ this precision technique that gives the track body. All of it comes together to leave you with this little dance treat that’s going to blow the socks off all your friends at the next dance party. The group release their latest 7″ through one of my favorite labels, Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten.

New Music from Waves of Dread

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Somewhere out in Newcastle, Waves of Dread is building these magnificent pieces of pop music that I’ve found quite inescapable…particularly this latest single. It’s structured like a classic piece of collage-pop, with the guitars seemingly building tension, then other guitars cascade into the distance while the faintly audible vocals nonchalantly enter the picture. That building sensation doesn’t fade, however, and actually seems to build ominously…though the group never completely give in to your need for an emotional release, instead ambling in a different direction as the song fades into the distance. Truly want some music discovery, then come this way.

Lie Ready Hounds

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Feel like today had me going into a casual place of joy, so I had to make sure I introduced you to something slightly darker, like Vancouver’s Lie(note, there’s an accent over the e, wordpress sucks). The group just announced their newest album, Hounds, by offering up this smashing number. Guitars immediately push you in one direction, rushing you with their discordant chugs as the drums shatter through your speakers. Those cavernous folks help the song’s natural ambiance, darkening your soul while your body tries to catch up with the rhythm. Plus, the new effort is guaranteed good times, as it’s being released by Mint Recs in Canada and Monofonus Press in the US; it drops July 6th.

Lola Tried Release New LP Tonight at Hotel Vegas

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First off, you can also catch Lola Tried over at Waterloo Records at 5; there will be free Lagunitas. Second, the band’s new album celebrates its release over at Hotel Vegas, and we highly suggest your attendance. For starters, the band works super hard, not only for themselves, but to see others within the Austin “scene” become successful; it’s high time they got their day in the limelight. This is their debut LP, and you’ll be impressed by how accomplished they sound…probably from all that damned hard work! Plus, the show included perennial powerhouse, Ringo Deathstarr, Duncan Fellows and ATH Records’ own Blushing. And if you do listen, please go buy the record, so they can make another one. Here’s one of the jams off their new LP!

Nada Surf Show Review @ 3Ten ACL

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Sometime in 1996, I bought the first Nada Surf LP. Yes, I bought it for that one song. But, unbeknownst to me, it was the start of my love affair with the band.

But, admittedly, I wouldn’t fall in love with the group until 2003, with the quiet release of Let Go. Notable releases from the same year included Echoes by the Rapture and Meadowlands by the Wrens (among countless others). Somehow, this LP has always stuck by me; of every record released in 2003 it’s the one I still listen to the most (with Ted Leo and the Wrens right behind). It was the perfect pop album, coming at the perfect time in my life.

Saturday night, Nada Surf brought that entire album to life. Surprisingly, I still know every single word to that album, and I sang along throughout the entirety of the first set, other than La Pour Ca (I don’t speak French). Personal favorites like “Blonde on Blonde” sounded as crisp as ever, and I was reminded just how much I love “Killian’s Red.” It’s funny, the ominous tones of that track never quite clicked as much as they did beneath the fog machine and blue lighting of 3Ten. Still, the band went through it in a business-like fashion, never missing a beat, with a few moments of charm added in like Ira and Daniel sharing a mic to open with Blizzard of 77′ backing vocals.

The latter half of the set was filled to the brim with countless numbers from the band’s past and present, even throwing in a Joy Division medley for a moment to charm the audience. And when they ended the evening, it never really ended, as they took it all out to the streets for a late evening serenade. Pretty sure every one left the evening reflective and pleased.

And for what its worth, my night ended with me feeling grateful for all the pop bands still hanging in out there. Nada Surf may never have gotten the critical acclaim, but they just kept writing great songs. They’re still here writing, whilst trends and hip acts have faded away. And as for Saturday night, they gave us a little of it all, reminding me of a never-ending love affair that began in 1996 at the Best Buy near my house.

Pizzagirl Kicks Off EP Video Series

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Pizzagirl is bedroom pop project out of Liverpool by Liam Brown. There is no girl (or pizza) in the band. Having recently signed with our friends in Heist or Hit, Pizzagirl puts down dreamy synth lines while delivering the at times frivolous lyrics with an earnest tone; I’d say it is Magical Cloudz in happier days. We have featured a few songs here already, the EP An Extended Play was out about a month ago. Recommended. Videos will be released for each song on the EP so tune into the Pg YouTube channel.

Enjoy Glass Famine

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Glass Famine is a brand new act out of Chicago, and as Monday’s are great for introductions, why not introduce you all to their new tune. They have a slew of reference points, but they’d probably fit right in with some of the more pop centric outfits on Drag City. I love the subtle backing vocals, and the way the song charms take a casual stroll of cool just around the 2.5 minute mark. Oh, and you’d be wise to check out the wordplay in the lyrics; you’re likely to find a peerless maturity. We’ll give you more from the group as it comes out way!

Pleased to Meet You Teen Pope

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Occasionally really great music escapes me, even from the confines of our own fair city, but I won’t let this Teen Pope slide on by. From the minute I pressed play, there was this old school vibe a la the Feelies, all jangling and sweet. But, going forward, they weren’t a one-trick pony, offering up a DIY ethos backed by an intangible tenacity. Their four song EP is filled with these little nuggets of fun, including hooks and bubbling cool; I definitely think I found a new local band to fawn over for the next little while. Join me in jamming their Going to Vegas EP.

Charmed Pop from Silent James

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Cruising through my usual spots, I noticed that Discos de Korlian had a few new releases up this weekend. One was the reissue of the Yetis 2014 EP, but for this post, let’s turn to the new record from Silent James. It’s an enchanting bit of balladry, with the focus consistently circling the voice of Jaume Benedito. There’s also something nostalgic in its sound; it’s singer-songwriter fare elevated with varying bits of accompaniment, giving off a natural swing…a kin to the earliest of Jens Lekman. What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up will certainly live up to the charms of this track.

 

Late to the Party: Wished Bone

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It looks like our good friend Tom over at GFP is jumping full on into his new record label, Human Noise Recording; his newest release from Wished Bone is another great effort you’ll want to add to your collection. There’s something incredibly intoxicating in the new LP, Cellar Belly. It almost feels like the group are being playful, as if they want you to have fun with their brand of pop. But, in saying that, there’s also a natural foreboding that emanates from the subject matter and emotional pull. I’ve been stuck spinning “Yellowstoned” quite a bit today…but then again, I’m a sucker for anything Yellowstone. Go on and stream the release below, with a physical copy coming out at the end of the month.

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