Tag: 4ad

Kim Deal Share Nobody Loves You More

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I know Kim Deal‘s been at the songwriting game for decades, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to love her new solo effort quite as much as I do, at least based upon the singles we’ve heard. This go round, there’s more of a switch to a ballad format, eventually erupting into a full swing arrangement that buoys the overall vibe. It begins with Deal working atop a snappy percussive element and elegant string work, using her voice to create the emotional pull; it’s a quiet performance, but one that feels like it’s the sort of glue that will tie the whole LP together. There’s a burst of horns and strings, and you feel like she’s in the Copa, but it settles, closing with the more pensive performance where the tune began. Nobody Loves You More is out this Friday via 4AD.

Kim Deal Dazzles in A Good Time Pushed

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Admittedly, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Kim Deal‘s new stuff. Sure, she’s an absolute legend, and to be fair, I’ve got few reasons to doubt her craft…still, we’ve seen some folks drop the ball on their return. This is absolutely not the case for Kim, however, as she’s dropped another remarkable single that feels as vitally important to the current industry as her work was back when that one band she was in was huge (and then that other one too). I love the build in this song, the guitars growl beneath her voice, perfectly setting up the rising action to climax at “we are having a good time.” It balances with the really special rhythmic bubbling beneath, which comes as no surprise considering her bass-playing bad-assery. Nobody Loves You More is out on November 22nd via 4AD.

Dry Cleaning Announce Swampy EP

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Having released the wonderful Stumpwork last year, Dry Cleaning realized they couldn’t fit every possible track on that LP, so they saved a few tunes from that session; today they turn those extra tracks into the Swampy EP. The songs certainly wear the lineage to that last LP, with one operating as an instrumental tune that would have served nicely to link tracks in their original tracklisting. Plus, the new EP features some remixes of Stumpwork tunes that should get mega-fans excited. Stream the two new tunes below, and if you like, order the Swampy EP from 4AD.

The Golden Dregs Share Vista Single

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Having followed The Golden Dregs since around, I’m really excited that I’ll finally get to catch Benjamin Woods’ project live this year at SXSW. But, before that date, I’ll get to spend some time with On Grace & Dignity, the new LP out this Friday via 4AD. Woods possesses this deep tonal quality that’s certainly reminiscent of Bill Callahan. But, while there’s certainly a sort of folk kinship there, The Golden Dregs seems to add a bit more swing to vibrancy to the genre, which has a lot to do with the way Benjamin controls his voice. Sure, there are little Western flourishes in the guitar work, but this new single almost has this killer swagger, an assuredness that the songwriting is some of his best work to date. Looking forward to Friday when I can dive into the whole album!

The Golden Dregs Share Sundown Lake

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The Golden Dregs have been all over these pages the last few years, and I was super excited to hear that 4AD had picked up on the band for their new album, On Grace & Dignity. This brand new single has that deepened croon from Benjamin Woods, offering up this sort of forlorn enchantment meant to set you up for the chorus. When that chorus hits, the song spins right into exuberance; backing vocals join in, horns blast and the whole world twists and turns joyously, which perhaps what sums ups Woods’ songwriting best…pensive and playful. The new LP drops on February 10th via the aforementioned 4AD.

Friday Album Streams: Dry Cleaning, Melby, Lucid Express + More

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It’s that time of year when singles begin to dry up a bit, and everyone’s already sending us a reminder of all the songs/records we should have covered. But, there’s still great music to be had, thus why we’ve got some real bangers to enjoy below. There’s the expected from Dry Cleaning; I mean you can’t miss that one anywhere. Personally, I think the Melby and Twain records are my highlights this week, so don’t skip out there…especially to Melby (if they were from the States or UK, they’d be huge). Then, we’ve got a few others, including a look at Lucid Express, who visit next week for Levitation. Plus, Paul Thomas Saunders new LP gets love.

Lucid Express – Floret (Kanine Records)

Melby – Looks Like a Map (Rama Lama Records)

Paul Thomas Saunders – Figure in a Landscape (7476 Records)

Dry Cleaning – Stumpwork (4AD)

Twain – Noon (Keeled Scales)

Dry Cleaning Share New Single

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You can’t deny the popularity of Dry Cleaning; their new album Stumpwork is likely to make a bunch of year-end lists, if that matters to you. Personally, I’m digging how the band continue to mold their sound to their own sensibility and Florence Shaw’s voice, always seemingly taking a risk or two. In this one, you get Shaw narrating a conversation with a friend, all of it working over some jazzy improvisation; the rhythm section does hold onto some catchy licks, while everything else just seems to sort of expand out into the ether. It’s good to hear a band continue to push themselves a bit beyond the sterile confines of a genre; Stumpwork is out October 21st via 4AD.

Dry Cleaning Announce Stumpwork

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After playing a sold-out show in Austin, and I’m assuming everywhere else they toured recently, Dry Cleaning are ready to announce the news we’ve been looking to hear; the band have a new record on the way called Stumpwork. It’s a short little number, with those angular guitar lines wiggling and squirming behind Florence’s matter of fact delivery; it feels like it packs a huge punch, albeit one that comes in under 2 minutes. I love where Shaw throws in a nice melody at the 30 second mark, adding in another layer to the group’s potent sound. Stumpwork will be out on October 21st via 4AD.

Dry Cleaning Drop Unsmart Lady

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This Friday, 4AD will release the much anticipated Dry Cleaning LP, New Long Leg. Their last single before the record drops opens up with striking discord; you feel as if the band are set to rip through your speakers. But, as always, Florence Shaw stands there, like a lighthouse drawing the band towards safety and security; she’s got this chilling indifference while the band works furiously around her. At this point, its hard to tell what I love more here, the throbbing bass groove that vibrates your soul or the band’s great performance in the video; it’s like yeah, this song rips, lets hear it again. Grab/stream the New Long Leg everywhere Friday!

Dry Cleaning Announce New Long Leg

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Back in November the indie cognoscenti were raving about “Scratchcard Lanyard,” and now Dry Cleaning finally have the announcement of their debut LP, New Long Leg. With it comes a new single, again taking indie rock on their own terms. Musically, it begins with this sort of propulsive dancefloor rhythm, though Florence Shaw’s vocal delivery hold things back, almost dragging the song to a slower pace so that the band supporting her can craft and manipulate sounds. The rhythm section continues their movement, but the guitar work begins to take on a more post-punk sort of explanation; it reminds me a lot of the sonic soundscapes being crafted by Wire in their later releases, angular guitars dancing about in contrast to the rest of the song’s vibe. Definitely an interesting take on modern rock n’ roll, for which I’m 100% in favor; they’re debut drops on April 2nd via 4AD.

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