Hanemoon Shares Single + Releases Rain or Shine

Had a hectic wrap-up to last week, so didn’t get to dive into all the albums that dropped on Friday. But, one that was definitely in my musical wheelhouse, that might have slipped under folks radar, is Rain or Shine from Germany’s Hanemoon. The record is filled with these lightly jangled guitar lines, offering up subtle melodies that allow to let the day drift outside, melodically bouncing down the sunny road. If you’re missing the sort of bright pop styles popularized by the Lucksmiths and the like, then you’ve got to pick this one up immediately. It’s available today from Jigsaw Records!

Pale Lights Announce Waverly Place

If you’re a pop fan, or you followed us on our cassette release for Love Burns, you’ve got Pale Lights on your radar. Now you’ve got reason to celebrate, as the band just announced a collection of singles and 7″ tracks, combining them all in a compilation titled Waverly Place. So, this tune below is not a technically a brand new single, but a celebration of the great work that Pale Lights have accomplished in their time; you’ll find this track originally on the Seance for Something EP from 2016, which can inevitably lead you down a trail of great pop tunes, courtesy of Phil Sutton and friends. Waverly Place is out on Jigsaw Records/KUS this Friday!

Slum Summer Drop Tenderize the Night Video

If you missed out on Slum Summer‘s 2019 masterpiece, ABABO, you missed an incredible batch of pop rock tunes that you couldn’t get out of your head. So, you should start THERE. Once you’ve done that, check out the brand new video from the group’s forthcoming record, then relish the feel good vibes your soaking up at the moment. Musically, the band are playing a heavy jangling pop rock at the moment, akin to recent stuff from Monnone Alone or the like; it’s energetic and driving, with these riffs ready to rip right through your apartment walls. Hugh Noble’s voice on the other hand, still holds a bit of that ex-Brit tone, though I’ll admit, his delivery has him channeling a bit of a more melodic J. Mascis…adding to the enjoyment factor on my behalf. You’ll even get an added kick when there’s some backing female vocals giving the hook a bit of extra depth! I love it, as you should. And, if you do, then grab be sure to keep an eye out for Living in Milk, dropping August 6th via Jigsaw Records.

Stream Love, Burns Album, It Should Have Been Tomorrow

Hopefully you’ve been following along all week as we’ve dropped a Love, Burns tune here and there with commentary from the songwriter himself, Phil Sutton. But, along with our friends at Jigsaw and KUS, we’re super excited to bring you the record in its entirety, which you can now stream below. So, you don’t need to hear me wax on and on about what a great collection of songs you’ll be getting, you can just stream It Should Have Been Tomorrow below and enjoy the day!

Another Love, Burns Tune — Album’s Out Tomorrow!

Tomorrow’s the big day my friends; we’ve got It Should Have Been Tomorrow dropping this Friday, and Phil from Love, Burns has been sharing his thoughts all week long; don’t forget to buy the album in your preferred format from ATH/KUS/Jigsaw. Here we have some thoughts on “A Gate and the Ghost:”

“Franoise Hardys recording of La maison o j’ai grandi is all over this song. The tune and lyrics are my own, of course, but I wanted the song to have a gradual build up, something Hardy does on her recording. Its one of the few songs where I was quite specific with Hampus and, especially Kyle, as to what I wanted in the arrangement. Start off with the acoustic, drums, bass, then the keys come, and then electric rhythm, guitar solo, harmonies all going off. Gary Olson does all of the harmonies on the LP, btw. Im a big Franoise Hardy fan, like a lot of indie pop types. Charles Blackwell did the arrangement for La maison Mat Patalano did a lovely promo to go with Gate and the Ghost that features two years old me, filmed by my Grandad. The LP sleeve pictures were taken around the same time, by my Dad. Thats me and my Mum on the sleeve. We’re somewhere near Ballykinler, in Northern Ireland. Gate and the Ghost is about returning home (as is the Hardy song). And theres a building in it. Its no Cattle and Cain, but I think its the best song Ive written. I know for a fact that Lloyd Cole and Tracyanne Campbell like it. They said so on Twitter! I use my 1965 Burns Nu-Sonic this song, because that guitar has a fantastic tremolo. Its my Pale Lights guitar, and this is its guest appearance for Love, Burns.”

Love, Burns Announces It Should Have Been Tomorrow

It seems only fitting that we begin covering music in the new year by covering our first release of 2022; It Should Have Been Tomorrow by Love, Burns. The band is the solo project of Phil Sutton, who plays in Pale Lights (among other acts like Cinema Red and Blue and Comet Gain!), but the album features help from Kyle Forester, Hampus Ohland-Frolund, and Gary Olson…so it’s kind of a big deal! We’re releasing it in conjunction with Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten, Calico Cat Records and Jigsaw…all great labels run by admirable persons, so we’re fortunate to be part of this release (we’ll be handling the cassette version)! But, we can’t really convince you to pick it up without a little taste now can we? Here’s a few tunes from the album, which will be out on February 4th; buy it from us HERE.

Plus, Phil recently recorded a wonderful cover of the Wake’s “Crush the Flowers” with Suzanne Nienaber for Soleado, a Tribute to Siesta Records, organized by Fadeawayradiate. You can hear that below:

Phil photo courtesy of Dominick Mastrangelo Photography.

Stream Crabber’s Latest LP, Who Let the Ducks Out

We’ve covered German outfit Crabber since their first LP a few years back, and, well, I feel like I’d be remiss if I didn’t encourage you to take a peak at Who Let the Ducks Out, the band’s latest LP. This go round, you can start with a little nod towards the crisp jangling pop of the Lucksmiths on opener “Climb Into My Mind,” and its a sound that pops up throughout the whole of the LP. But, you also get a bit of a heavier edge, a la early Boyracer, albeit with a push towards the more melodic; you can just listen to “A Kind of Tragic,” to get where I’m coming from here. Each time I listen, a new reminder pops up, so let me sum it all up for you. This new record is specifically for those who love Field Mice, Lucksmiths, Buzzcocks and Boyracer…then all the various bus stops in between. Seriously, just stream this album; its available via Jigsaw Records!

Crabber Share Katherine/Waves

This November, all those folks that pine for Sarah Records 7″ on Discogs (like myself) will certainly find themselves being absolutely charmed by the sophomore album from Germany’s Crabber. Honestly, listening through this new single, one thing sticks out in my mind; the song sounds a lot like Comet Gain, except its just a pure pop version there, getting rid of some of the lo-fi effects in order to bring out more from the melody in these lines. I’m not sure how someone doesn’t listen to the soft crystalline guitars and just fall to pieces at how glorious they sound dancing down your ear canal. Their album drops via Jigsaw in November!

Hanemoon Share Not My Fault Video

German outfit will Hanemoon drop their debut LP this Friday via Jigsaw Records, and I promise you that you’re going to want to spend a lot of time with it. It’s pretty classic power-pop, though its spun in that sort of left of the dial feel you might associate with GBV or Galaxie 500. It’s energetic and bouncy, with hints of fuzz that leave the song dreamy to a degree. Haze bop is how I’m branding it today, and it goes perfectly in line with the wash of the video at hand here too, so turn your speakers up and play this as many times as you damn well please! The Last Thing I Heard should be in steady rotation for the next few months!

Stream The Rightovers Kruise Kontrol EP

The last time that I checked in with The Rightovers, they were crafting these jangling power-pop gems; the tunes were happy, shining with melodies and hooks. On their latest Kruise Kontrol EP, they’ve traded the jangles for a heavier feel, giving the band a heavier vibe, though one still wholly rooted to the vibes of pop rock. Some of the songs have these huge sonic walls, like the instrumental piece “Want You,” feeling like some leftover piece of Kevin Shields artistry. “Stereocrush” is probably one of my favorite tunes here, offering up this sort of 80s influenced bedroom pop vibe. And, maybe you just want good old fashioned pop rock n’ roll, so check out “Kruise Kontrol,” a tune that lets you know the band never left the hooks behind. Jigsaw Records just released the EP, so get to it!

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