Top Albums of 2021

Honestly, I’m pretty over lists at this point. They’re arbitrary and don’t really reflect anything but someone’s tastes, except here where they reflect the tastes of three individuals…because that’s how we roll. So, take this list with a grain of salt. These are the records we thought were the best, which mostly just means these are the ones we listened to on repeat throughout the year! Feel free to leave a comment on what you think we missed, or why we’re dumb; we love good comment trolls.

Also, because this list is really about crediting the art that made us happy, we wanted it to make you happy too, so we included purchasing links where we could. Read more

The Week in Music April 26-30

Yo. We forgot last week. Sorry. Please forgive us. Here’s a great way to start off your Monday with a playlist of last week’s hits. We added a few from some of the records we were jamming like Mope City and Phantom Handshakes…not to mention a hit from the great album ATH Records just dropped from Space Tan! Just a nice easy hour of listening to get you in through the morning Monday blues. So yeah, no need for more…just jam to some hits.

Stream Albums from Space Tan, Phantom Handshake, Rosie Tucker and Mope City

There’s always tons of stuff to stream and check out on a Friday, and I’m sure there will be lots of buzz around the new Crumb album, and its a solid jam for sure…but here’s a few of the records I’m stoked on today, so maybe you’ll get a chance to jam something else on the outside.

Space TanInti Raymi (ATH Records)

Okay, so we’re putting this out on our ATH Records label, doing a fresh to death cassette designed by the band. Musically, its a blend of modern indie pop with dashes of psychedelia thrown in to expand your mind.

 

Phantom HandshakeBe Estranged (Z Tapes)

We’ve covered all the singles from this record, so that should suffice to say that this New York duo have crafted a wonderful collection of dream pop tunes that we can solidly support day in and day out.

 

Rosie TuckerSucker Supreme (Epitaph)

Rosie Tucker has been one of my favorite songwriters since the drop of Never Not x 3, and they don’t miss a beat with the new LP. You’re not likely to find a lyricist as clever, at least not today, so save yourself the trouble, if that’s what you’re looking for in your jams!

 

Mope CityWithin the Walls (Tenth Court)

Imagine being in a band and loving Lift to Experience, Low and Bedhead, then throwing all that in a bowl and stirring it up with an inclination to fit into the Aussie pop scene, and that’s what you get here. This is one of those bands I wish more folks in the US got into, but you can’t save ’em all.

Mope City Share Don’t Understand the Shorthand

While I get that few people on this side of the pond have probably heard of Mope City, I kind of wish that would change, mostly so I could talk to someone who loved the band’s work as much as I do. At times, I feel like I’m listening in on some private late night whispering between Matthew and Amaya, but at other times, I’m taken aback by the barrage of feelings their work creates. Every time I look for pigeonholing, I can only come with references to the likes of Low, Lift to Experience or Bedhead/New Year…but maybe with like this quieted charm you might have picked up on a Moldy Peaches record. There’s really nothing like this Aussie outfit; look for Within the Walls on April 30th via Tenth Court.

Mope City Share Rocket Surgery

Ever just wanna get in your feelings? Well, have you tried listen to Sydney outfit Mope City? I’m quite partial to their 2019 LP News from Home, but this new single is pretty much putting me into a one track state of mind. Just imagine the abandoned child of Low and Bedhead being left on your record player. There’s distorted edges, barely shaking your speakers, careful not to overplay against the underlying melody. This new jam features on the band’s forthcoming LP for Tenth Court, Within the Walls, which drops on April 30th, but the Rocket Surgery EP has three bonus tracks recorded during that session that will certainly put you in the mood for what’s in store here!

Top 25 Albums of 2019

This is the list you’ve all been waiting for, well, sort of. This is my Top 20 LPs of the year. Admittedly, there’s none of the high profile hitmakers on here, but that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy those albums. I loved Purple Mountains just as much as the next person, same with Weyes Blood, but in a pickle, would I choose it over that Martha LP? Uh, absolutely not. Plus, I ran a lot this year because I got tired of being fat, so the majority of this stuff is pretty upbeat and “runnable.” There’s no order because all are equal under my ears.

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New Music from Mope City

Don’t let that sludgy guitar deter you from finding the pop nuggets lurking in this brand new track from Aussie outfit, Mope City. I love the mellow pace of this track, letting you sink into your chair as it takes over while Matthew and Amaya trade vocals with one another; it reminds me of the cute moments in a Moldy Peaches song, though much much cooler. But, just as I was comfortable, the band blast forth with a forceful moment of rock n’ roll, making me jump out of my chair. Haven’t heard anyone execute the quietLoudquiet routine this perfectly in quite some time. The group will be releasing their new album, New from Home, on January 18th via Tenth Court Records.

Downer Pop from Mope City

The name Mope City alone suggests the down-trodden, and I bet the band doesn’t mind that one bit. In the guitar sounds, you have a sort of laid-back grunge to it, though dropped in tone so that it seems to merely crawl through your speakers. You’ll find the vocals steady and solemn, with little intonation…that’s until the Amaya lends her voice to the track. It’s that slight little touch that elevates the tune into the realm of pop sensibility. This song will appear on the Aussie act’s News From Home, which will drop this October via Tenth Court.