Rishis Share Just Between You and Me

When you press play on your computer or stereo, what are you seeking? For me, I want that instant moment when everything in the world seems to align and the hairs on my arm raise. This is exactly what I got when I turned on the latest track from Elephant 6 affiliated the Rishis; the song has this natural immediacy that I couldn’t quite escape. The guitar lines are solid guitar fuzz, but they’re calm, easing into the picture, which allows the set up the vocals. Something lurked there, something so perfect in tone that I just wanted it to envelop me whole. If this moment sounds like something you’re seeking, then grab August Moon from Cloud Recordings when it drops this next week!

 

The High Water Marks Return with New Single

If, by some odd chance, you missed out on last year’s Proclaimer of Things, you can certainly rectify that by running to listen to last year’s hit LP. But, if you just want to jump right in to the new new, give a listen to the High Water Marks latest single, with the promise of new LP coming later in the year! I won’t even mention the ties to Elephant 6 (oops!) because the song’s just a straight pop rock tune that you’ll want to play again and again. It brings about just the slightest heaviness in the riffs, with a solid bop going on in the percussive element keeping your toes tapping. Oh, and if your band is doing dual vocal approaches, please make them this delightful. We’ll keep you posted on Your Next Wolf when we hear more!

The Rishis Announce Debut Album for Elephant 6 + Share Wake Up

With the Elephant Six documentary floating about in limited theaters, we’re lucky that the historic label is adding another act to the roster…The Rishis. The duo of Sofie Lute and Ranjan Avasthi have fleshed out their band with members of the collective, so in a sense, this if a full Elephant 6 family affair. Musically, it’s not too far off from that either, moving back and forth between explorative folk and fuzzy rockers, with this new single hitting more on the folk side of the realm. The whole of this single works over a light strum and this familiar vocal, as if you’re sitting in a guitar circle with a bunch of close friends. And, as would only make sense on the label, the track is elevated by the atmospheric nuances that float in just beneath the surface. We’re getting a cold freeze down here in Texas, but when the band release August Moon this April via Elephant 6/Cloud Recordings you can already tell that this will be perfect vibes for blossoming trees and cool breezes.

Stream Pterodactyl from Oro Swimming Hour

Back in 2017, this site was filled with notes about Oro Swimming Hour; I loved the band and their various releases that year. But, as happens more often than it should, I hadn’t checked in on them until an email came my way letting me know they had this new LP, Pterodactyl, out in the world. I’ve included the whole thing below, and with all the recent talk about Elephant 6, I encourage you to spend some time connecting the dots between Athens, Georgia and Bristol. They kind of feel like their an amalgam of pop, at all times. You hear little bits of power pop and psychedelia, but then there’s lots of little weird excursions and hidden moments that make it like the most joyous scavenger hunt for discerning music nerds. “Crocodile” and “Cold Tangerina” are my personal favorites at the moment, so find yours below! The LP is out now via Gold Day Records!

The High Water Marks Release Proclaimer of Things

If you’re looking to uncover a power-pop gem that might not be on everyone’s radar, you should definitely spend time listening to the latest LP from The High Water Marks. Sure, you’re going to get drawn in by the Elephant 6 connection, but you need to really focus on just how great all the songs are inside. I mean, I’m dropping one track below that just feels like the perfect piece of summery pop, rich with this vocal vibrancy that explodes through your speaker hitting you smack dab in the face. Each song’s immediately charming, immediately winning you over, and immediately encouraging you to press play again. Proclaimer of Things is out now!

The High Water Marks Share Fantastic Machine

The High Water Marks are perhaps most well-known as a band led by Elephant 6 co-founder Hilarie Sidney; I think their glorious return in 2020 with Ecstasy Rhymes showed that the band is more than just the history of its members. Their newest single immediately should let you know the band mean business; it’s a quick pumping pop rock tune, gritty in its riff work when necessary, though all pulled together by the melodic notes that dominate the verses. There’s this emphatic moment in the vocals leading into the chorus like when it says “do you have to go” where the tones get this slight urgency, and it just gets me every time; then it leads into the chorus where Hilarie makes a nice vocal appearance in the backing ground. But, it’s not all melodic pop, with a fierce instrumental battle closing out the tune! This track features on Proclaimer of Things, the new album out on February 4th.

Great Lakes Drop Last Night’s Smoke

Sometimes old habits are hard to kick, and in the case of my appreciation for Americana, I’m almost there…except when it comes to Ben Crum’s Great Lakes. Prepping the band’s 7th album, Contenders, Ben and company released this new single, and I can’t stop just jamming out to it at my desk. It’s got all the elements you’d expect from a Southern rock record, influenced by heavy jams and country licks, but there’s also something really intimate and personal about Ben’s vocal delivery; it sounds like you’re sharing a beer with your poetic best friend…and we could all dig on that vibe. Contenders will be out February 4th via HHBTM.

The Gerbils Get Reissue Treatment

Amidst all the playlists and streaming platforms we often forget out history, our heroes. One such grouping, and one adored by so many, is Elephant 6. They’ve kept a low profile while we’ve all fawned over “premieres” and festival sets by DJs…but they’re making waves once again. They’ll be releasing some new music, but also going back and unleashing some old gems, like this Gerbils LP, Are You Sleepy. The band featured several members of Neutral Milk Hotel…but listening below and you’ll hear they had a sound all their own. Some of the guitars even feel like they’ve got that Flying Nun churning guitar sound, while the fuzzy pop sensibility offers up its own charms. This reissue will be out on August 9th, and you can order it HERE; it’s time we all go back to our heroes.

Brand New Tune from The Minders

mindersThose of you with an ear for the Elephant 6 brand should have heard of the Minders, but don’t think of the band as the second-coming of NMH. I like to think of the band as a more extravagant pop band, akin to the greats of indiepop. The songs, like the one below, are filled with undeniable melodies, but they’re fleshed out with strings and production that elevate each track. The band are set to release a new album, Into the River, via Space Cassette Records on September 9th.

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