This is fine.
Not too long ago, I just casually dropped a new tune from Brooklyn’s the Holy Tunics, in hopes that it would build some anticipation for their latest album, Hit Parade Lemonade Supersonic Spree. Well, tomorrow Meritorio Records will drop the entire thing, so we wanted to give you a sneak preview of what was laying in wait for you. Grab the album HERE, stream below…and jump July Tour Dates for random Nathan thoughts on each track.
I first got turned on to Holy Tunics when they dropped Butter Dish last year, so I’m really stoked that Hit Parade Lemonade Supersonic Spree has been announced. I think you’ll find that this new single from the record fully employs the band brandishing their best power-pop. In the opening guitar lines you almost get this grungy college rock vibe, which fits the initial vocal burst. However, “bahs” and harmonies jump in on the chorus, satiating your pop needs for the day, or for these 2.5 minutes anyways. Good marker for this might be a band like Sloan, though feel like they’re going just a notch above in their volume production here. If you need guitar pop, then I suggest you keep an eye out for the new LP; it drops via the esteemed Meritorio Records on June 14th.
They’ve also got the following tour dates in July:
In quiet circles around the Internet, folks are on the edge of their seats waiting to hear the new Monnone Alone LP; the former Lucksmiths guitarist is held in high regard, and Summer of the Mosquito largely lives up to those expectations. The record is fill with mostly sunny numbers, apt for an LP with such a title…though you might find a melancholy tune hanging about. Regardless…people will fawn over this for some time, so I wanted you to be one of the first to hear it all the way through. Stream it or Buy it from these folks: Lost and Lonesome (Australia), Meritorio (Spain), Emotional Response (US), and Royal Mint (Finland). For an added bonus…you can click after the jump and read my thoughts on each track!
Mark Monnone’s been teasing us with a single here and a single there, but now we finally have what we knew was coming, the announcement of the second Monnone Alone LP. It takes just 8 seconds for the song to hit you smack in your pop face, dropping this huge riff to match Monotone’s voice. Interestingly, the delivery here of those vocals almost has a snarky punk attitude to it, which for me, bridges the gap between power-pop and indiepop, making the song all the more appealing in my ears. Summer of the Mosquito will be out on May 10th via all your favorite pop labels (too many to name).
We alluded yesterday to new music from Monnone Alone, the latest project of Mark Monnone of Lucksmiths fame; today we have one of those new tracks to share with you. Surprisingly, it’s a pretty rocking number, almost like a barroom brawl with fuzzy guitar chords. But, it is Mark Monnone, so he’s going to spin everything he does with the best pop sensibility around. Just listen to the breakdown around 1:22 mark, building this swelling roll of poppy guitars that bring the song right back home to a sense of exuberance that seeps through your speakers. This track appears on the very limited lathe-cut 7″ being released by Emotional Response/Lost and Lonesome/Meritorio on February 22nd.
Toronto supergroup The Seams want nothing more than to have you spend the next three minutes drifting through the realms of pop music. The first single from the group’s forthcoming LP has an undeniable hook, established from the get-go by the bouncing rhythm section. That sits in direct contrast to the way in which the vocals are crafted, scrawled across the song as if done by some musical skywriter. It’s got all the touches that make musical waves nowadays, from a slight hint of the jangles, dreamy touch on the vocals and the faintest hint of paisley to top it off. Another Side of the Seams will be co-released by Meritorio Records and Hand Drawn Dracula.
What!? You’re not up on the latest and greatest from the Dutch pop scene? Well, get acquainted with The Maureens, who are currently working on their third album, Something in the Air. Citing references from Big Star to the Beach Boys (a modern nod would have them somewhere between Nada Surf and Teenage Fanclub), the band are definitely building songs through blended harmonies and pure melody; it gives the song’s a sort of timelessness that encourages you to spend more time laying beneath your stereo soaking it all in. The new record will come in February of next year via Meritorio Records, so keep an eye out.
Perhaps the greatest thing about running this site are all the obscure labels that have reached out that have either become friends or shown me the way to new music. Spain’s Meritorio Records is one such label, and they’ve had a pretty incredible 2018…so let’s reflect on that a little bit. March saw them release a great new Stephen’s Shore album, for those already familiar with one of indiepop’s finest. Then, they turned their attention to New York’s Holy Tunics, dropping Butter Dish; it’s al album brimming with guitar pop genius that you’ll revisit time and time again. Oh, and they’re not stopping, having just released the brand new LP from Poppel…seriously, just listen to this band! Hopefully, if you haven’t heard from Meritorio before, you’ll spend some time with their recent releases below.
