Chad Offer Park n’ Ride Single

Portland’s Chad definitely know the way to my heart, quickly grabbing me with light snare snaps and a delectable little keyboard line; it sets the mood and blankets the room with warmth before Sarah Lane enters the room with her silken vocal lines. A little subtle change hits with a punctuated synth line and growling bit of vocals, allowing the track to break up the forward push, especially when the second round opens up into a big instrumental breakdown that gets haunted by Lane’s voice. This song will appear on the group’s debut LP, which is slated for release this May.

Lost Film Return with Pilot Light

It’s been a couple of years since Jim Hewitt’s Lost Film project has thrown anything our way, but let’s hope that, like the song title, this track is the ignition that gets more grooves coming our way. Personally, I love his adherence to the bouncier brand of indiepop here, with that sound building it’s own energy in the snappiest of fashions. While there’s certainly a driving spirit, the vocals come across the speakers like a really cool breeze, fluttering softly but with enough cool to soothe all that ails you. This song wouldn’t be out of place on a playlist with the likes of Beach Fossils or Ducks Ltd., so if that’s your vibe, then this is your (and mine!) jam.

GMO Drop Double Headed Gemini

Guess we’re going to rock with dope post-alternative vibes today, like this super rad GMO tune that just dropped. The group features former members of ATH faves B-Boys, but don’t let that be your guide, as the sound below is completely headed in the other direction. They roll out heavy samples that recall Sneaker Pimps, taking a striking vocal, indie rock staples and fusing it with an understated electronica pulse. What I love is the emotional saturation here, with the pacing of the tune just letting each element kind of soak the skin, working it over and over until you have no choice but to admit to yourself that you probably need more of this in your life. Be sure to go revisit their Repeat/Rewind EP if that’s the case!

Robin Kester Announces Dark Sky Reserve

We like to keep you on your toes by mixing it up all day every day, and seeing as we’ve dropped some nu-indie and some power-pop, it feels right tossing in this Robin Kester groover. The Dutch artist is blending a softer side of pop with electronica, though I feel lie that’s possibly oversimplifying the artistry. This track operates much like a Kate Bush tune, pushing this infectious energy that gradually builds tension, and you think it’s going to explode into euphoria. Instead, it fills the background with saxophones and ambiance that continues to let the song grow and grow and grow. Dense pop music is where it’s at! Robin will release Dark Sky Reserve this September via Memphis Industries.

Bouquet Return with Moon Was Made

Feels like its been forever since we’ve heard from Bouquet, who generated a good amount of buzz with their 2015 In a Dream EP, but until this year, they’ve stayed mostly quiet. Alas, they’ve returned with this burning bit of pop, meandering between a dreamy state and a more playful brand of indie rock. There’s this snaking guitar line that runs throughout, seemingly dodging the keyboard notes that rain down in the background, all while the vocals overlap one another to create this thickened pop soup. And, while I admittedly see the proximity to dream pop and such, I can’t help but hear these notes that almost feel like a young Jenny Lewis in their presence. They’ll release their first LP in a decade, Spellbreaker, later this year!

Pleased to Meet You: Hot Lava

Okay, so Hot Lava isn’t entirely new, but RayRay and I had just begun this little blog here when their first album came out in 2008. But, while we missed that, the band recently have risen from the ashes, due to some changes in songwriter Allie App’s life that had her circling back to her love of music as a starting point for a fresh outlook on the world. I was immediately caught off guard by the immediacy of the guitar line here, though Allie’s vocals take on this sort of sly cool to them, like she’s toying with the listener, drawing them in with a little syllabic curl that you’ll want to play over and over today. They’ve got a whole record ready, but they couldn’t sit on this great tune (and a handful of others), so we hope to hear more about the LP soon!

Fotoform This City is Over

Friday’s a busy day on the release schedule, and Fotoform will be dropping their latest effort, Grief is a Garden (Forever in Bloom). Alas, you can’t head into the weekend without one last convincing hint at the record, like the latest single “The City is Over.” This go round, the entirety of the song is a personal reclamation of meaning in our life, realizing that goals and expectations are part of the cyclical nature of modernity, and as such, are destructive forces in our lives. All of this is supported by a shiny bit of industrial-influenced dream pop, filled by hazy guitar lines and a exploring the negative space with bubblegum melodies. Grab the LP this Friday!

Little Mazarn Announces Mustang Island

Since their earliest EP back in 2016, Little Mazarn has felt like a great secret within the confines of the Austin music scene; they are the artists’ artists; they are a band with an unparalleled musicianship…and now, they’re stretching their sound beyond ‘the gate’ of their own sound. On this first single from their forthcoming LP, the group have almost entirely erased their folk traditionalism (thought faint hints remain) in favor of embracing the expanse of the world as a whole, allowing this to work almost more as a vocal piece. It leaves the lyrical content front and center, and in the case of this song, touching upon the concept of grief and how one deals with its omnipresence. Honestly, this feels like Little Mazarn taking their sound and moving it into territory previously occupied by Low. Mustang Island is out on June 20th via Dear Life Records.

The Perfect English Weather Share London-By-The-Sea

For me, Tuesday’s are always the struggle (I’m a Monday kind of guy!). So, with that, this velvety bit of jangling pop from the Perfect English Weather is the perfect salve for my morning grumpiness. According to the notes, the tune was penned after the band reflected upon a chance meeting with Morrissey back in 1984, and in that, our narrator seems to question is it possible to still love the person he has become (or that’s how I see it). If that’s the case, it’s a quite biting tribute, but disguised in this chamber pop fever dream that seems perfectly suited for a cafe in London-by-the-Sea. The group will be releasing their first album in seven years, Just Beyond the Lights, will be out this May via Matinee Recordings.

The Electorate Return with the Great Divide

Having played in the Aussie music scene for some time, the mates in The Electorate are coming at us with a professionalism that, honestly, we just don’t get that often nowadays. The arrangement boldly builds, only to pull back so that the lyrics can join in, moving towards that sweeping jangle I adore. Light little bits of accented vocals give emphasis to the main mix, creating this budding heaviness that washes over the listener as the song seems to spin into sonic territory that borders on shattering all the pop sensibility they’ve built up. Yet, the restraint and production are such that they never seem to step out of line, making their new album, By Design, seem like a forthcoming highlight of our year; it drops on May 30th.

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