Last Week’s Jams, Today (2.14 – 2.18)

What were the hot jams from last week? Well. We have them. We put them on a nice little playlist (you can complain about it later) so you could enjoy revisiting the hits. We’ve been running spotlights on SXSW artists, so you’ve got tunes from Logan Lynn, Grant Pavol and Elephant Stone, hoping it’ll catch your eye and get you to check out the interviews. Our friends in Good Looks dropped a new tune, plus we’ve got absolute rippers from Bodega and Dehd, plus some cool shit under the radar from Star Party, Salt Lake Alley, Red Pants and Howless.

SXSW Interviews: Logan Lynn

Stop me if I’ve already said this before, but SXSW is just around the corner and it’s time for you to start preparing like we used to back in 2019. We will of course be doing our best to aid in your preparations with our yearly coverage, recommendations, interviews, etc. Today I am pleased to continue or ongoing coverage with an interview from Portland based artist Logan Lynn. Hit the jump for full interview and some new tunes.

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Whimsical Share Rewind Video

We’re going to have ourselves a little Shelflife party over here at ATH, which is completely okay, as it’s one of my favorite labels. Earlier we had that hot Salt Lake Alley tune, and now we bring you the latest from the dream-gaze outfit, Whimsical. The video, like the song, is definitely shrouded in a bit of denseness, with the guitars churning out this wall of noise that serves as the background; the video uses slow pacing and these similarly heavy color tones to match that vibe. Musically, Krissy Vanderwoude’s voice is able to pierce the shroud of darkness, delivering this pulsing bit of melody that shimmers on the surface, as this genre should. If you dig it, Melt will be out on April 1st.

Cool Album Streams: Red Pants + Die! Die! Die!

There’s tons of new stuff out today, but here’s a couple that I’d like to put up on your radar, in hopes that you’ll find some joy off the beaten path of the hot releases out there.

First up is the new album from Red Pants, When We Were Dancing. It’s like this fuzzy little lo-fi blanket that you want to bundle up in as you sit before a fire on a chilly star-lit night. The LP is out courtesy of Paisley Shirt Records.

Second, New Zealand’s Die! Die! Die! have released their punishing noise-core record, This Is Not an Island Anymore. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of that one Refused record everyone loves, post-hardcore mantras and angular riffs that you can hear ripping your speakers.

Salt Lake Alley Share I’m Always Near

There’s a certain brand of indiepop that always makes me think of discotheques after with fun lighting and easy flowing booze; I see myself in this scene, arms flailing and kicking up my feet on the dance floor while wearing a shit-eating grin across my face. I think of bands like the Lodger, and now I’m thinking of Salt Lake Alley; the Swedish duo with my favorite track of the week dropping today, courtesy of Shelflife. Just listen to the jangling guitars and the way they immediately get your toes tapping, coyly teasing you to join in on the fun in this tune; it’s like listening to the prime-era Smiths, except you know that this band isn’t full of shitty humans. You’ll find this track on their new LP, It Takes Two, out later this year.

Enjoying Singles from Coeur Joie

The good thing about mellow music weeks is that you get a chance to indulge in tunes you might have missed or you can prepare from forthcoming releases from friends. So, here I’ve been listening to French outfit Coeur Joie (translates to heart joy) before the release of their new album tomorrow, and I immediately wanted to share the tunes, despite my limitations with the French language. Somethings supersede lyrical content, and these tracks have that emotional appeal where it just hits you immediately, burying you in a listening cocoon that lets you escape from the world. They release Allumettes au bout des iles tomorrow on Hidden Bay Records, so be sure to enjoy the samples below, and grab the whole meal tomorrow!

Frontperson Announce New LP, Parade

When you are involved in various other acts, like the New Pornographers (Kathryn Calder) or Woodpigeon (Mark Andrew Hamilton), its got to be difficult to lay down the pieces to a new Frontperson LP. There were, of course, other barriers like a pandemic and pregnancy, but now all the pieces have come together and the duo have announced Parade. This track is like a tricked out pop gem, something that doesn’t seem too far away from Kathryn’s other gig. There’s this synthetic key work that plays the role of the background, then it seems like everything else, including the vocals gets layered down bit by bit, building the texture into something full and enlightening. Personally, I dig the restraint, as it would have been easy to sell a hook in this, but they hold it back, letting the layers and the overlapping melodies build that joyous sensation for listeners. Parade is out April 29th via Oscar St Records/WIAIWYA.

Dreamy Piece from Imandra Lake

It’s been quite awhile since we’ve heard from Imandra Lake, with the band last releasing new music in 2015. But, there’s a brand new track to open your day here, and in perfect fashion, it’s like rubbing the sleep from your eyes and you adjust to the sunlight creeping in your window. The song moves slowly, with drum work put down by John McIntire of Tortoise, while Rein and Eve texture the song with dreamy vocal notes that float through the tune like wispy clouds on a windy day. Listening closely, you can hear the song elevate to these bright moments, providing contrast to the heavier tones that adorn the majority of the track. It’s available via Seksound!

Stream Star Party’s Push You Aside Single

Last week Bandcamp gave a huge push to Star Party‘s forthcoming Meadow Flower LP, and while the band were on my radar, it’s only fitting that I share that out with you all too, just in case you missed it. I think it’d be easy to toss the band in the bucket with acts like Best Coast or Vivian Girls, and probably not too far off, sonically. But, there’s this heavy noise element, something that seems a little darker and perhaps a little more counter-culture; they’re the Shangri-Las to everyone else’s Supremes. Their debut album looks to take those bedroom influences and fill your living room with cacophonous noise that echoes while your mind soaks in the sugary goodness of the melodies. The album drops on March 11th, but you can order it now!

Revisiting Mr. Husband’s Portrait of the Artist as a Middle Aged Dude

Kenny Tompkins, aka Mr. Husband, has been writing songs and running Yellow K Records for some time, and late last year he released A Portrait of the Artist as a Middle-Aged Dude, and I let it slip me by, so I wanted to give a little shout out to one of my favorite tunes. This song opens up with this incredible bit of guitar twang, leading you to think you’ve come across a nice little country ditty, which is perhaps why I love it so much. Tompkins vocal delivery begins to set the song in a new direction, something that seems like it might fall in line with a David Berman piece, both playful and reflective and definitely self-deprecating. Need a laugh with a toe-tap? Well, spend some time with the latest Mr. Husband release.

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