Cozy Slippers Drop Brand New Single

The last we heard from Seattle’s Cozy Slippers they were dropping the A Million Pieces 7′ for the esteemed Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten…and they pop up out of nowhere today with a brand new single of bouncing pop rock, at least on the A-side. “When Will When Come” is this infectious pop tune of driving rhythm and soaring vocals from Sarah and Barbara; they use a semi-dreamy style and fuse it with a whole lot of bop. But, flip to “Be Alone With Me” and they blend in this rad college rock feel; I kind of get classic Juliana Hatfield vibes on it, and I don’t mind that one bit. Really great to see the band up and running, so lets hope we get more from them soon!

The Telephone Numbers Share Kaleidoscope

Our list of albums to look forward towards as the year ramps up includes this forthcoming LP from The Telephone Numbers. While the track may feature the slightest of acoustic jangles, its the work behind Thomas Rubenstein’s voice that really elevates the song. String arrangements are the most obvious, like a hand from the the heavens sprinkling magical melodic dust, sweeping across the song to coat it in this textural warmth. Behind that light jangle you can also hear another guitar line, sort of dancing a jig around the front of the mix, but it adds punctuation to both vocals and guitar notes, giving Thomas a pop hero’s welcome. The Ballad of Doug is out June 25th via Meritorio/Paisley Shirt.

Another Carter Tanton Single from S/T Album

Next week, Carter Tanton will be releasing his new self-titled album over on Western Vinyl Records, and of the singles we’ve shared or heard, this one might be my favorite of the lot. The song’s power is this resonating vocals that seems tethered to the guitar work, so much so that they never seem too far away from one another. Tanton’s vocals are glass-fragile, as if they’re about to shatter the minute they cross through your speakers; you’ve got to love the intimate presentation here, like sitting in on a studio session for one of your favorite songwriters. This song’s all emotion, no frills; it drops with Carter Tanton next Friday!

Verandan Share Open Sea

We’re over a year or so into this pandemic, and we’re all tired. For me, the Zoom meetings, the lack of interaction with my students, etc just drains me, so this tune from Verandan (who I adore) is perfectly fitting, both in sonic feel and thematically. To paraphrase Ville Hopponen, the tune’s about putting work behind you at the end of the season and sailing off into the unknown…be it tragedy or adventure…you take it all on openly. Interestingly, the music feels similar, to me. It begins with pushing the musical boat out to see and raising the sail, catching a gust and moving a little quicker. But, the seas are mostly calm here, so you’re carefully cutting through the sea to an unknown destination. This single comes to you courtesy of Soliti!

Mui Zyu Signs with Father Daughter Records

It’s always nice to see what Father Daughter puts out; they’ve been the quiet powerhouse label for years, probably as long as we’ve been running this silly site. Today they announce the signing of Mui Zyu, the project of Eva Lu, currently based out of London. With that announcement comes a great new single/video, packaged together beautifully, leaving us with hopes of a powerhouse release down the line. Lu’s voice is striking on its own, a calm in the storm of the heavier tones created around the vocals; you’ll find the the voice surrounded by this cavernous beat-laden brooding and black and white footage. Inside the tune you’ll find a few brief moments of angelic pop rise, but the reward only comes with the juxtaposition with the whole of the song.

Liz Lawrence Tells Us Where the Bodies are Buried

My infatuation with Liz Lawrence today is all about her willingness to take bits and pieces of various fads and weave them into something new and refreshing, like she’s done with her new tune. Opening with some vocoder vocals here kind of threw me for a loop, as it seemed to offset the power of her voice. But, then the bass enters and that vocoder fades, allowing Lawrence to dominate the track. Suddenly, a huge riff drops in and blows your hair back, then just as quickly a few synth stabs takes the tune and gives it this infectious bounce. While the raucous moments are enthralling, she even teases a touch of dreaminess too in between all her built-in hooks. A powerful tune for people who like to power dance in their bedrooms!

Dag Share Another Single from Pedestrian Life

There have already been a couple records dropping this year that have absolutely charmed me, making them (in my mind) better than anything else. While this is on the second single from Pedestrian Life, I can feel that this forthcoming Dag LP is going to weasel its way into that 2021 pantheon of greats. I was sold at the open, with careful guitar notes staggering in off-kilter, matched by great strings and; they’re soon joined by harmonica and a catchy little rhythmic bounce. You get all that in the first minute, quickly followed up by overlapping vocals, one more of a spoken-sing-song with the other operating in a more melodic registry; this is the little nugget I put in my pocket to carry away. Is it weird that I want this song soundtracking the next year of my life? Pedestrian Life is out June 25th via Bedroom Suck Records.

Quivers Share Hold You Back Single

Remember when you bought that first (or second) Camera Obscura record, and then they came in and blew you away with Let’s Get Out of This Country? Well, I do, and those are the same vibes I’m getting listening through to the singles on the next Quivers LP. For instance, take their latest single “Hold You Back;” it’s got a punchy drum stomp, with Sam weaving and wrapping his vocal notes around every corner. But, those bits were already there on their debut, We’ll Go Riding on the Hearses, but, with this LP, it’s all about those little arrangement details that make you swoon at the band’s feat. Strings hit you immediately here, then they come in and out of the song to build a deep texture that you only get with the best pop songs. Oh, and if you want the real special bit, wait for Holly and Bella to sweep you away with dreamy vocals around the 2:45 mark. Golden Doubt hits on June 11th via Bobo Integral. There’s a video version HERE too!

Pastel Coast Announce New LP, Sun

Are you ready to get your summer playlist jacked up? Yeah you are! You want that perfect hit for cruising through the streets, warm breeze blowing through your hair; I know you do! Well, luckily, we get news that French band Pastel Coast is going to be dropping their follow-up to Hovercraft this summer via Shelflife Records/Groover. Listening through, its frantic pop, with a little bit of indiepop flare to it, but to be frank (“Hello, I’m Frank!), the song is super reminiscent of Phoenix before they became mainstream crossover darlings. Think about Phoenix circa It’s Never Been Like That, particularly “Rally.” The same sort of hook-laden pop potential courses through this Pastel Coast tune, but just as you’re about to pigeonhole the sound, the band seduces you with a counter melody that draws out the song’s approach, dipping their toes in a dreamier bit. You get it all here, and most of all, you get to revel in a great pop tune; Sun will drop this June!

Ovaltine Announces Help Yourself with No Weekend Single

You might not have heard Evan Kallas and his Ovaltine project before, but I’m hoping to change that as we share news of the forthcoming Help Yourself LP. Listening through the album’s first big single, you’re going to get little breadcrumbs to Kallas’ songwriting process…I can hear little pieces of Pavement/Malkmus, as well as some of the math-y stylings of Pinback; the song has plenty of space too, allowing those pieces to sort of ebb and flow, ultimately colliding into one solid tune. I just appreciate the craft in the project, sort of like a tightly wound ball of yarn waiting for you to unravel it and find the pop gem hiding in its delicious center. Help Yourself is out on May 7th via Anything Bagel!

1 174 175 176 177 178 212
Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com