Tag: new record

Beach Fossils Release Seconds

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With a little under a month to go, we’re about halfway through the new Beach Fossils record, as far as singles go. Today comes one of my favorites from Bunny, holding tight to where the band first caught my ears long ago, but with a more modern charm, as I’ve hinted at previously. There’s something in this that feels like it’s jangling pop, though worked through the lens of an act like Papercuts (who’ve always felt jangle adjacent); there’s this sharpness combined with this pastoral calm, all of it coming to a head when the snare hits snap and the “ahh” vocal soars. It’s really hard to dislike anything from this band at the moment; Bunny drops on June 2nd via Bayonet.

Cindy Share Earthly Belonging Single

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If ever there was a band coming through with a new LP that needed praise and adoration then it would absolutely be Cindy…though I’ve been hoping folks would catch on far earlier. Each single that drops from Why Not Now seems to up the ante on the band’s sound, expanding into an almost bouncy bit of pop on their latest. The rhythm section controls the song here, kicking out this steady little gallop that serves as the backbone for a solid vocal performance from Karina Gill. Strangely, this song seems like a natural progression, and in the whole of the record, it doesn’t feel out of place one bit, as the charm they’ve delivered has always been there, they just push it way up front. Seriously, how is this not already one of the best albums on everyone’s list? Go grab a copy of Why Not Now from Mt. St. Mtn.; it drops on April 14th.

Feeble Little Horse Announce Girl with Fish

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After the deserved success for Modern Tourism, Feeble Little Horse has been on a meteoric rise, at least when it comes into the indie sphere. There’s something refreshing about the band’s approach, as they’ve been quoted as saying “anything that makes us laugh or keep a smile on our faces, we usually keep in the songs.” To me, that’s what makes the band fun, they’re doing it for the camaraderie, for the joy of creating art together, and that shines through on this new track, as there’s an organic nature to the way they switch back and forth between vibes, throwing in the odd little guitar line tickle here and there for emphasis. They release Girl with Fish via Saddle Creek on May 27th.

Connections Prep Cool Change

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We’ve got tons of coverage on Connections here on our site, going way way back. But, last week they made us super happy, announcing a new record, again on our fave, Trouble in Mind Records. They dropped a single with the below video, highlighting the juxtaposition between nature and humanity. Personally, this feels like a road trip, from the backseat of my dad’s car. There’s something in the hurried jangling that rings through the speakers that feels like the world zooming by quickly, with an earnest singer soothing my soul through the headphones of my old Walkman. While it might give me some nostalgic daydreams, the label and the band are constant evolving with the new sounds, so be sure to keep your ears peeled for Cool Change, coming your way in March.

Say Sue Me Drop To Dream Video

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I love the sentiment of this new Say Sue Me track, with Sumi saying “I dreamed everyone was alive, and I came to think that there might be no end. One day everyone will come back and meet somewhere.” That feeling sort of pervades throughout the song, as the guitar work slightly dances in the mix, but the track seems to kind of flow back and forth like waters washing ashore during a calm in the sea. Something about it just feels nostalgic and reflective, but when the middle hits and the distorted guitar rips through the tune, it feels like the sun breaks in and shines that light where we all find ourselves as one, somewhere. The group release The Last Thing Left on May 13th via Damnably.

Dehd Announce Blue Skies

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As of late, I generally try to stay away from the cool kids table when it comes to repeating their posts, but there’s just something Dehd that grabs me each time. Part of it has to be that I continue to marvel at how such a minimal band set up creates such a huge sound. On this new single from the forthcoming Blue Skies, its entirely down to Emily Kempf’s vocal performance, from her pseudo-stutter to her dramatic howl, all of it reeks of breaking into pop rock territory, albeit with that perfect bit of attitude. Looking forward to see where this new record is headed, but if this is our first taste, the LP should be pretty promising. It hits on May 27th via Fat Possum.

 

The Acharis Share False Positive

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Feel like we should start our Monday’s coverage off by going super heavy, and there’s no better way to do that than by turning up this new track from the Acharis first. Their first single from their forthcoming LP had them sort of playing with the poppier side of the dream/gaze realm, but this new one is full-on heavy massacre shoegaze. You can hear the weight of those distorted guitars, crushing against your speaker, trying to get out into the world. Sure, the vocals have this central smoothness to them, but don’t be fooled. I love the breakdown in the end; you can hear these emphatic emotive howls from the background, adding further darkness to the tune. The band will release Blue Sky/Grey Heaven on November 5th.

Simon Merle Drops Solo LP

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To be fair to Simon, he’s received tons of coverage on this site, though that’s been entirely due to his songwriting duties in the now defunct outfit, the Bankees. Simon’s voice has always been a strong pull for me, and it remains one of the central focal points on this album, as he’s working with pretty barebones construction here, mostly wrapping his voice around soft strumming (and the occasional backing vocal) throughout the LPs entirety. But, there are moments when little details creep in, like on my favorite “I Can’t Talk.” There’s even some Bolan-esque ballads here, like “Never Be Famous,” so you’ll likely spend a good amount of time immersing yourself in the entirety of this album. Give a listen and its a NYOP download!

 

Listen to the Curse from Folklore

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I have tons of emails where I’ve been super into stuff, but just haven’t quite gotten to them, and as there seems to be a general lull this week, I’ve started digging deep into some of those emails, which is where I revisited the latest from Folklore. For me, the band take some sounds from the likes of Neutral Milk Hotel and Arcade Fire; they are offering up this pleasant folk pop, but obscured by a willingness to toy with structure. Take the opener from The Curse, “A-Frame Kitchen,” which revolves heavily on a strum and vocals for the song’s first minute, then it sort of erupts, like your speakers got blown, but those sounds don’t bother you as they tie it all together. “The Curse” is a definite hit, sort of harkening back to that Elephant 6 sound, though I’ll admit I’m a bit basic today, and falling for “Hazy Summer.” Give the whole thing a listen if you like, and throw the band a few bucks, as its NYP!

The Shins – Port of Morrow

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Rating: ★★★★☆

If you seriously still don’t know who The Shins are and call yourself a person interested in music I would have to call you a liar! Well, not exactly, but if you’ve been anywhere close to the indie scene since the turn of the 21st century, you should recognize James Mercer’s usually scruffy face as the front man of this band. Whether you’ve known about it or not, the Shins made indie pop classic, releasing three albums that gained them a cult following that has been dying for some new tunes since their five year hiatus. With such a long period between the last release, you walk a tightrope. Stay with what you know and be labeled boring, or move into sacred, fragile new ground and run the risk of not sounding like yourself?

Yes, it’s the fourth album from the The Shins, but it feels the most youthful with respect to energy. Mercer’s voice is louder; it’s in your face, whereas it used to blend so tightly with the guitars. The guitars are more active, exploring twists and there’s an element of jangly that you just can’t really find on prior releases. Take songs like opener “The Rifle’s Spiral,” the single “Simple Song,” and “No Way Down” as testaments to this heightened energy. Each one explores a new and different level of bursting brightness. “The Rifle’s Spiral” gives you layer upon layer of guitar hooks and tinkling high notes embedded into the synth noise. “Simple Song” goes for the prominence of Mercer’s voice that commands the song as it moves through at its confident and collected pace that is expected of this band. “No Way Down” explores a faster pace, with less synth noises and a reliance on sharp-witted lyrics as its champion. All of these songs explore the old Shins style in an updated and fresher filter.

But it’s not all sunshine and daises—there are slower, subdued moments. For me, I feel nods of nostalgia for the older albums of this band on a song like “September,” whose simplicity is well placed and crafted amidst a sharper than expected grouping of songs on the primary half of the album. Another slower number, but by no means boring track is “Port of Morrow,” on which a falsetto’d Mercer leads you twisting through the tale he has crafted.

And in the end, Port of Morrow is a tightrope walked fairly well. Mercer doesn’t fall into the pressures of being anything he is not, he just pulls more quirky yet insightful material from his past and weaves them together with a brighter overall tone, which may stir mixed feelings from past fans and newcomers. It’s unfair to expect “New Slang” Shins after all this time; things have changed. However, you can still expect a relevant and resounding collection of classic indie pop tunes on this album.

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