This is fine.
I favorited the set from Jet Cemetery at the annual ATH vs SOTO party during SXSW in our recap. It was darkwave perfection, an underlying tension with glorious synth loops and dream-fueled vocals. “Melt Away” is an absolute beauty of teaser track for what we understand will be more of a full length than EP coming early next year from TaSzlin Trbuchet and Lars Wolfshield. I’m ready to pre-order based on this jam alone.
Before you settle into your day, you’re best served with a pleasant sit outside, soaking in the world around you while you sip your tea or coffee, and with that, you might just like some light accompaniment, the sort innerinnerlife is providing on their latest single. The Polish artist crafts really delicate ambient pop, and when he slips into the vocal work on this tune, the casual cool makes some references to any number of electronic indie acts (though I hear bits of Radio Dept). It’s a pensive piece, and one that allows you just let your mind get swept away, where anything goes and nothing else matters but the moment. If Only. Thew new LP, IfOnly is out on November 7th.
There were so many good records that came out on Friday, from new the new Massage to the Telephone Numbers LP, but one that I probably didn’t give enough attention to in the lead-up was the new LP from Possible Humans. The Melbourne outfit has been mostly quiet since their brilliant Everything Split, delivering some of the best guitar pop you’ll get to hear this year. In their songwriting, they typically take a solid bit of propulsive rhythm and lock it into something special, letting it settle into that locked groove so that the guitars can spit out their delightful harmonies. There’s nine track of energetic indie rock jams, and they waste no time, so from “Slouching Hat” to “Akimbo,” you’re going to get the ultimate pop reward! Out now via Hobbies Galore.
It’s likely going to be a pretty sparse day in terms of new releases, so let’s glance over our shoulder at this new tune from Estonian outfit Pia Fraus. On this go round, the rhythm section is the driving force, hitting heavier notes than what we’ve heard from the group in previous outings. That said, they’re still switching up the style within, moving within their own confines, taking heavy notes and letting them billow into melodic moments that make the track standout. They continue to balance their own velvety sounds with their adoration for noise, coming out as winners yet again.
It was a fun week of super underground jams, though I made sure to throw in some bangers from Jay Som, Joyer and Radioactivity to kind of grab at the masses! I was really excited by the return of Hadda Be, as their new post-punk jam is opening up the playlist; I likewise was stoked to see Cistern drop new of their debut album too! Caught up late to KanKan and Pocket Full of Crumbs recent split 7″, so gave both some special love this week. Be sure that you power-pop fans check in on that Trash Man tune hanging out in the middle of the playlist, but really, not a track you’ll want to skip on this, so dig in!
It’s the saddest part of the year for me, as today marks what looks like the final installment in the monthly singles from Sweden’s Club 8. They’ve delighted with dreamy pop ditties and more exploratory electronic opuses, and this final one seems to stretch into the latter. The pace expresses a bit of patience, with the guitars wriggling around the snapping of the drum work, while the vocals seem to coil around those notes, kind of dimly flickering upon the dense pop backdrop. I’m sad because I love it, but with this single, they’e released all 10 new songs from this year together as Seasonal Echoes…and this one sets up the perfect contrast to “Lazy,” if you’re jamming to the whole LP in order!
You’ve always got to keep an eye on what’s going on down in the Athens music scene, and it looks like we’ve got great news as there’s a new Sloan Brothers EP on the horizon. The working project of R. Sloan Simpson and friends come out of the gates swinging here, taking an Americana-drenched power-pop and stirring it up with some dreamy elements to keep you on your toes. Those fiery guitar licks are omnipresent in the group’s work, but its the way the vocals settle into the fuzz that really stands out, dampening the punch just enough to allow the masterful hooks to ease under your skin. If you’re into it, then be sure to look for the Middle-Aged Love EP, out on November 7th.
Tessa Collins is a relatively new voice out of Australia, working under the moniker Altai. We’ve covered quite a few of the singles, but today we’ve got one final tune to celebrate the release of All At Once, the debut EP from the songwriter. This new single highlights the strengths in her songwriting, offering glimpses of what was ornate and detailed, then letting those rise in the studio into huge pop masterpieces. Her gentle whisper on the tune below, accompanied by twinkling guitar notes, perfectly highlight that closeness she shares with the audience, though the production hints at huge pop swells that you’ll welcome in your listening rotation. All At Once is available below, so you can stream all of that HERE.
The other day we dove into the latest track from Pocket Full of Crumbs, who just released a split with Kan Kan. But, I forgot to flip the 7″ over, which was my mistake, as there’s a definite tasty morsel awaiting your ears. On the tune below, it’s got that sort of solo J. Mascis feel to it, albeit with a touch more warmth on the guitar notes, sliding more into that melodic realm. Those guitars notes seem to kind of curl up and wrap themselves around the vocals, giving off this intimacy that’s surely going to seduce listeners sitting by the glowing embers of this tune. Their split 7″ is available now from Cherub Dream Records.
Sunday at Austin City Limits Festival was pretty photogenic. I took too many photos (again), but that’s cool. It was fun. Over three days, I clicked in 18 miles on the grounds. That is quite a bit of meandering.
For Sunday, we had no headliners to contend with as both were closed pits, but the card up to then had planty of entertainment. From local hiphop, to 2010’s indie mainstays, we got a good dose of festival life. Bands for Sunday: Hey, Nothing (solid again), Geto Gala, The Dare (one man hype machine), Chuwi (Puerto Rico is America, really good), Wet Leg (festival set on lock), Gigi Perez (not my thing, but I get it), Passion Pit (big crowd, small tent) and Phantogram (okay, cool).
Click through, y’all…
