Launder Releases Become Single ft. Soko

Launder is sure to be a name shared by everyone this year, as they’re already one of those “wary of the hype” acts due to tons of early coverage, including my own. Songwriter John Cudlip has even enlisted the help of Jackson Phillips (Day Wave) and Cole Smith (DIIV) to help build up his soundscapes…and this time he adds French artist Soko on the vocals to flesh things out. Hype or not, the sound of this tune alone illustrates why Launder is such a commodity, taking the elements of dream pop and shoegaze and putting some polish atop to create these perfect pop nuggets. Happening may be a debut LP, but it’s sounding more and more like a seasoned artist hitting their stride; it drops on July 15th via Ghostly.

Introducing The Birthdays

Towards the end of last week, an announcement came out sharing news of a new musical project called The Birthdays featuring indie greats Jackson Phillips from Day Wave and Ben Grey from Dear Boy. As they are both ever growing stars in the indie scene, one would expect a collaboration to produce some interesting material, and their first single together, “Bunny”, does not disappoint. It has a very washed out, guitar pop vibe to it with a super slick bass line and tonally engaging guitars. Hopefully this is not the last we hear from this new project.

Hella Catchy New Day Wave Tune

Though it’s been a hot second since we last posted on Oakland based Jackson Phillips and his project known as Day Wave, we’ve shared tons of his songs over the years. Today we are treated to a hot new track called “Potions” from the Cali based artist and it is a real delight to listen to on repeat. For me it has that Cali, indie pop sound similar to old school The Drums or even some of the earlier Day Wave tracks that originally revolutionized the genre. You’ll find that this song will perk up your mood in these strange times.

Day Wave is releasing a new EP entitled Crush on April 24th via [PIAS].

 

Brand New Day Wave

We haven’t heard from Day Wave since The Days We Had…though we did catch the band’s set at ACL last fall. Now, we’re getting a glimpse of where Jackson Phillips has been with a new single popping up today. It’s a bright pop song number, with just a hint of atmospherics textured into his vocals, giving off that popular dream quality. While the song’s front half is filled with energy and hooks, it’s the back side that has my interest, with a thoughtful fade out that wraps you up in warmth before the song disappears. No word on a release, but the way Phillips works, I expect an EP any day now!

Bedroom Pop from Henry Nowhere

California native Henry Nowhere has spent the last several years as a member of Day Wave, and while a paycheck is all well and good, he couldn’t resist the opportunity to craft his own tunes. His first single has him working over this casual bedroom beat; it’s surprising how the mere mention of his locale evokes waves in the movement/propulsion of the beats. He throws in this light guitar line, more dreamy than jangle, though perhaps meeting in the middle ground of the two. Be on the lookout for his debut EP real soon…I’d happily take five more songs like this any day.

ACL Weekend Two Wrap-Up

No Spoilers.

Admittedly, all the huge buzz leaks out as all the kids party on Weekend One, so attending Weekend Two for the first time, I was curious as to whether or not it could keep the same vibe from its predecessor. Surprisingly, the fest didn’t seem to miss a beat.

We have photos from around the grounds, randoms and portraits, friends and colleagues, bootlickers and signs. We also have plenty of notes rehashing last week’s favorites and highlighting the changes, so read on for highlights.

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ACL 2017 – An ATH Playlist

Well ACL is officially here ladies and germs. Hopefully you’ve looked over your schedule a bit or maybe checked out some guides and interviews provided by your trusty ATH staff. If you’re still in need of some musical recommendations, I spent a bit of time this week putting together a playlist of my top bands for both weekends. It’s lengthy so skip anything you aren’t feeling and hit the ACL schedule for anything that catches your ear. I recommend a little shuffle action.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFKfcEIQB2ZzzOtaMy3Rnaw1zoV5CK5M2

The Top ACL Undercard Acts

Unfortunately, a festival has to curate line-ups that cater to that audience, and as such, some bands unfortunately fall victim to the undercard slot…the slot before the day really gets going or on the smaller stages. Whether you see it as a slight, or just one of the many headaches with scheduling a mass festival…here are my highlights for bands on the Undercard slot (pre-2 PM).

Recent things that we loved that fit this description: Lucy Dacus, Slaves, Jose Gonzalez, Albert Hammond Jr., Rey Pila, The Rosebuds, Wild Nothing, FIDLAR, Widowspeak, Pinback, Willis Earl Beal, Gardens & Villa, and on and on…

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Kicking It with New Day Wave

12593504_468969969953751_163989100646231908_o-2I wonder if Day Wave will be able to continue on the back of all the buzz; I don’t want his music to be another Black Kids tragedy. But, I think at least in this incident, his singles, like the new one below, have all displayed a knack for being more than just one-hit wonders. You’ll hear a clear progression from some of the earlier lo-fi tendencies, maximizing the effects of the song’s melody, which ultimately is what brings us back to some tunes.

 

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ICYMI: Crisp Pop From Day Wave

12593504_468969969953751_163989100646231908_oDay Wave, or the project of Oakland’s Jackson Phillips, has become one of those bands that we can count on to deliver spot on lo-fi/synth pop tunes and so it’s not a surprise that we’re posting about him again. The latest news from Day Wave is that he’s got a doubleEP coming out pretty soon, which is called Headcase/Hard to Read.From that upcoming release, Phillips has shared “Gone,” which is a stunning example of the infectious pop tunes that Day Wave really excels at. The guitars cut cleanly through the mix, while the vocals are hazy and far away. Take a listen and preorder the double EP here.

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