Last Week’s Jams, Today (2.14 – 2.18)

What were the hot jams from last week? Well. We have them. We put them on a nice little playlist (you can complain about it later) so you could enjoy revisiting the hits. We’ve been running spotlights on SXSW artists, so you’ve got tunes from Logan Lynn, Grant Pavol and Elephant Stone, hoping it’ll catch your eye and get you to check out the interviews. Our friends in Good Looks dropped a new tune, plus we’ve got absolute rippers from Bodega and Dehd, plus some cool shit under the radar from Star Party, Salt Lake Alley, Red Pants and Howless.

Frontperson Announce New LP, Parade

When you are involved in various other acts, like the New Pornographers (Kathryn Calder) or Woodpigeon (Mark Andrew Hamilton), its got to be difficult to lay down the pieces to a new Frontperson LP. There were, of course, other barriers like a pandemic and pregnancy, but now all the pieces have come together and the duo have announced Parade. This track is like a tricked out pop gem, something that doesn’t seem too far away from Kathryn’s other gig. There’s this synthetic key work that plays the role of the background, then it seems like everything else, including the vocals gets layered down bit by bit, building the texture into something full and enlightening. Personally, I dig the restraint, as it would have been easy to sell a hook in this, but they hold it back, letting the layers and the overlapping melodies build that joyous sensation for listeners. Parade is out April 29th via Oscar St Records/WIAIWYA.

Pleased to Meet You: Frontperson

Let’s get niceties out of the way; pleased to meet you, Frontperson. Wait! This band is Kathryn Calder and Mark Andrew Hamilton from Woodpigeon forging out as a unit? And Stereogum premiered their video over Kanye news!? Honestly, I’m just being a dick, but I really like this track. Even though the band features Kathryn from New Pornos, the tune seems to have this early Broken Social Scene feel…maybe it’s that underlying groove during the verses…regardless, it gives the song that hook. I also think Calder’s voice has this delicate sharpness that contrasts perfectly with Hamilton’s. Together the two will release Frontrunner on Oscar St. Records.