This is fine.
Boy Harsher is among the dark waviest of the dark wave revival. Sparse and haunting, with hooks that are designed to put you into a dizzy trance. “Face The Fire” is no diversion from the formula. It is gorgeous and the video featuring ATX native Sara Cummings suits its buried vocals and haunting loops. The full length, Careful, is due next February on Nude Club, preorder here.
Chicago act Dehd have a pretty solid pedigree, but we needn’t focus on that when they’ve got this stunning new track to enjoy. The track really has this sound that seeps into your soul, and I get that that sounds strange, but those guitar chords seem to weave their way into your skin as the vocals take on a heavy solemnity. All the while you feel as if the track is rolling, churning you over and over like a wave crashing upon the shore. Man, this is a serious jam for serious people. Rock it out and have a happy Friday.
I was a huge fan of Scottish power-poppers The Pooches, and while the band is seemingly defunct, U.S. Highballs offer a little solace, albeit in a softer pop version. It’s a fairly simple number with roots in James’ first trip to Japan. The duo work over synthesized percussion, but it’s the feather guitar that I’m drawn to here; it works perfectly with the natural melody created in the vocals. If simple pop songs are your thing, then you’re going to really enjoy the duo’s new Think Again EP, which drops next Friday (11/9) via Lame-O Records.
There’s always tons of album streams at the end of a week, so I’d like to point you in a direction that might take you off the beaten path…but only go this road if you’re a fan of soft pop rock. The Last Detail is comprised of Mehdi Zannad and Erin Moran (A Girl Called Eddy), and together they’ve decided to give you a collection of swooning pop songs. Several tracks offer that airy introspection, while others have this understated elegance, like “Lazy.” If you’re looking for a hit, give a listen to “Fun Fair,” though I’ll admit I’m partial to “Talk to Me.” If you dig it, the self-titled LP is available today from Elefant.
Athens based rock group Deep State wooed our ears around this time last year with banging track “Time Unrivaled” and we’ve been eagerly awaiting new music ever since. Well wait no longer fans as the band recently announced a new album and shared this raucous new single called “Under the Gun”. Here we see the band bringing the same level of intensity they did with last year’s release as the song powers through close to three minutes of gritty vocals and distorted bass lines. Don’t call them indie rock, this is true rock n roll.
Deep State will release The Path to Fast Oblivion on February 1st via Friendship Forever.
Caleb Nichols claims that the latest single from Soft People came to him via an infectious melody on a long bike ride that he just couldn’t escape. I’d be weary of such a claim if it weren’t for the fact that this song’s melody is precisely what drew me into the band’s newest track. But, the more time I spend with this track, the more I tend to marvel at the fragility of the vocals just before the 1 minute mark, furthering my appreciation. It’s clear to me that the husband-husband duo have this beautiful balance writing together, and here’s to hoping we get more pop tracks like this from the duo; look for this track on a new cassette on their label Sandwich Kingdom.
If I were to set the scene for you, I’d start by asking you to recall your favorite guitar rock band. Turn the volume down, add a little pop sensibility and you get the brand new Soccer Cousins tune. This isn’t meant to demean the band’s effort, rather to call your attention that your favorite rock gods probably all have a penchant for writing a catchy ballad like the tune below. I like the increased tempo bouncing the song along in the last minute of the track…carrying an infectious nod all the way to the track’s close. The new single is available now, with a promising new EP in the works for next year via Gentle Reminder.
It would be easy to offer up New Rose as Americana revisionists, but in listening to their new single, it almost seems as if they’re revisiting what all those revisionists were revisiting. The coating on the lyrics almost has this wispy crackle to it, as if it’s been worn by years of existence; it works wonderfully with the guitar bending in the distant horizon while cymbals sway through the speakers. It stretches out over 3 and a half minutes, tickling the fancy of all those steeped in the roots of American rock n’ roll; look for the band’s Crying Eyes on November 9th via Broken Circles.
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I had to search our own site to find out how long it’s been since I’ve posted an album review and I will refrain from embarrassing myself with the exact timeframe, though you could search yourself I guess. We as an ATH staff have been neglectful as a whole when it comes to album reviews and we are hoping to rectify this moving forward. Hopefully you can understand that if an album has brought me out of my review slumber it must be a great one. The very soon to be released new album from Dan Mangan, More Or Less, is just such an album because, holy hell, it’s impressive. Hit the jump for some thoughts, photos, and tunes.
If you hit play below and begin reading these words, you will likely finish the song before you finish reading the post. Yes this new singled called “Super Pop” from Brooklyn based duo Washer is a short and sweet rock n roll song urging you to turn up the volume. It’s a little old school garage rocker with some nice elements of an updated rock sound to give it a solid edge. I’ve already played it three time while writing this post.
Washer is releasing a new split 7″ EP with Bethlehem Steel due out on November 30th via Exploding in Sound Records.
