This is fine.
It’s that time of the week, when all the tracks come together on albums and drop for our enjoyment. I’ve already thrown some love behind the new Nightshift, but it’s so great we can talk about it twice! Plus, we’ve really loved the stuff from Julia Sophie’s LP, not to mention that great single that led us to love Manners Manners. So, here we are with a list of good things to jam out to today, and we hope you enjoy!
If you ran into me in the last two months then I likely told you my favorite track was “1000 Times” from Maine family band, Big Blood. Well, today they’ve dropped another stellar track, albeit with more of a brooding stomp; it almost feels like it’s going to be this psychedelic barn burner, until singer Quinnisa rolls right into the fray. There’s this powerful majesty in her voice, far beyond what one would expect from a 13 year old vocalist. I love the way she’s able to kind of roll with the ebb and flow of the song’s natural movement, perfectly filling in all the corners of the track with emotion. It’s time you hopped on board and fell in love with Big Blood; they will release First Aid Kit on June 9th via Ba Da Bing/Feeding Tube.
A family band often gets treated as if its kitschy, but I don’t think that’ll be a word anyone uses when they listen to Big Blood‘s first single from their forthcoming album. Sure, the band’s teenage daughter is rocking the vocals, but that performance alone sounds like a kid wise beyond their years; she belts out notes with such power and strength that you’d hardly harp on it had I not brought it to your attention. Just take one moment to bathe in the chorus and you’ll ultimately come to the agreement that everyone likely needs to listen to this track. It’s powerful and moving, and I can’t wait to see where the rest of their new record leads me. First Aid Kit will be released by Ba Da Bing/Feeding Tube on June 9th.
Heather Trost is perhaps best known as one half of Hawk and a Hacksaw, but as we’ve tried to show on this site recently, their new album Desert Flowers has us excited for her solo work. We were fortunate to catch up with Heather, talk about the record, influences and her favorite food memories. Plus, she leaves us with a wonderful recipe for corba, which is a great red lentil soup with Turkish origins. Check out the interview and recipe after the jump!
Buy Desert Flowers HERE via Ba Da Bing.
Our friends in Quivers reached out recently to remind me that they had a brand new single, as well as a killer US tour going on; it all follows the success of their brilliant Golden Doubt LP (Ba Da Bing). Bella’s on the vocals here, exuding this confidence of cool that seems to bounce atop the fiery chords that echo just behind her performance. The rhythm section owns this tune, however, setting the mood by building this steadily brooding beat; it matches up perfectly with the cinematography of the video. Plus, if you buy the 7″ version, it comes with a Lucinda Williams cover on the B-Side. The band have a handful of dates out in the West of the US, so check HERE to see if they’ll be near you!
Earlier this year, Quivers released the most excellent Golden Doubt, receiving rave reviews all over the globe…not to mention ATH adoration. So, having followed the band, we reached out to songwriter Sam Nicholson to ask a few questions about the record and its release, and asked him to share a recipe with us. He’s obliged with some incredible answers, and a recipe for Golden Doubt Lemon Delicious Self-Saucing Pudding. Read on and find yourself a detailed recipe you can easily follow at home!
Clearly I’m struggling to not write about all the songs and all the cool things, so why not turn three posts into one, you know, just to cut down on boring you with my mundane thoughts on people’s music. So, below, you’ve got streams to 2 great LPs and a new single.
Shrapnel – Alasitas
This record’s impossible to describe in the absolute best way possible, though I’ve tried to pigeon-hole the band’s sound in the past. Just imagine bits of indie pop, elements of experimentation, prog and psych, then swirled about like the colors on the album art. This is an LP worth self-immersion.
Quivers – Golden Doubt
They’re going to get Go-Betweens comparisons, based on the band’s line-up alone, and parts of that are unfair, but parts are definitely just. What’s just is that they’re writing the same style of timeless pop tunes you want to share with everyone you love. I’m stuck on “When It Breaks” at the moment.
Delivery – Brickwork
I’ve already written about the first single from the band’s forthcoming Yes We Do EP, so, feels like we should continue that support as they offer up another frantic bouncer, an energetic frolic in fast forward. Their new 7″ will drop at the end of the month via Spoilsport!
At this moment, I’m not sure anyone’s writing timeless pop music quite like Quivers; Sam Nicholson has dialed into peak songwriting, and with his band’s arrangements, they’re crafting some truly unforgettable tunes. This latest single opens much the way you’d expect, with semi-wayward jangles and Nicholson’s voice; the steady beat keeps things moving, giving the listener this undeniable connectedness. Soon, a synth note twinkles in the far off night sky, matched by some very faint backing vocals that build towards a burst…a shooting star of pop falling across the song’s skyline. While all this goes on, sit back and watch the great video animated by Jordan Thompson of the Ocean Party; I’m a big fan of the line work there. But, the song’s not done, as the vocals swell, joined by more of a backing chorus, letting the guitars ring silent as the song fades into a tinkering piano line that eventually disappears into the world. Just another string pop number from the forthcoming Golden Doubt, out on June 11th via Ba Da Bing/Bobo Integral/Spunk.
Katie Von Schleicher drops her new album Consummation next Friday, and as we hear another single today, it seems the songwriter has honed her craft into one of shape-shifting prowess. Her last single “Wheel” was this almost buoyant pop ditty, kicking its heels up and having a ball. But, with “Brutality” you get a more thought-provoking slow mover with Katie’s voice draped over a minimal beat and occasional guitar line. As a fan of 10 second pop nuggets, I think you can’t go wrong just check in at the track just before the 1 minute (and again at 1:52) mark, hitting the chorus highlights…worth its weigh in gold I dare say! Consummation is out on May 22nd via Ba Da Bing.
If you listen to the latest single from Katie Von Schleicher, your enjoyment is going to be two-fold. First, Katie and director V Haddad are donating their budget for this video to Safe Horizon (providing support/promotion justice to victims of domestic violence); this especially important considering that abuse often goes unnoticed and unreported during a situation like our current quarantine. Second, the song’s another great tune from the forthcoming Consummation LP; I think I was already hooked upon hearing that angular guitar chugging away in the front of the mix, all before Von Schleicher even entered the picture with her smoky vocal charms. The video’s a lot of fun, capturing women/non-binary artists remotely capturing simple joys to the sound of the song; I’m surprised we’re not seeing more videos like this at the moment! The new LP is out May 22nd via Ba Da Bing.
