This is fine.
I know SXSW has made some errors, and it’s hard to support something so massive in the current climate. But, one thing I’ve always appreciated it that a lot of country’s send their favorite artists abroad to spread the word on their art scenes…and Scotland’s Cloth is one such group we’re excited to get to know better when they make their way next week. They’ve got a new record titled Pink Silence coming out in April, so take a quick read below and get to know them!
Despite the song title offering up a grotesque image, the new Weatherday track offers a more intimate glimpse at the songwriting from the Swedish project. For the most part, the song is dominated by a heavy strum, which feels like it’s done so passionately that you can imagine blood dripping down the body of the guitar; there’s something to it that reminds me of the early Bright Eyes stuff where everything felt primal, as if there was no other option but to let it out into the world. Subtly, a sly little bit of electronics bubble, building towards the chorus, offering this softened charm that seduces the listener. This wonderful new tune appears on Hornet Disaster, dropping on March 19th via Top Shelf.
At this point in the indie sphere, it seems (to me at least) that The High Water Marks should be required listening. They consistently churned out a brand of power-pop, envied by their peers and relished by fanatics who trace the band’s musical construction back to its early Elephant 6 roots. Sure, those days are long in the past, but you can certainly hear the way that vocal melodies are layered atop one another, carefully, so as to subtly encourage you to dig beneath the surface. And of course, they’re never straying from pop pieces, as that’s their bread and butter, and they do so with just enough attitude to make the cool kids swoon. Their new album Consult the Oracle is out May 16th via Meritorio Records.
I’m always going to get behind a Drew Danburry release, and his latest single under the Icarus Phoenix moniker has him revisiting softened indie days of old. There are moments when his voice recalls the works of Ben Gibbard or even Jason Lytle, taking on this stretched syllabic melody. Guitars and ambient notes follow suit, stretching the scenery behind Drew’s voice, lifting it up with subtle textures that rise through the speakers. It’s really interesting when it’s juxtaposed with the acoustic demo, which is also attached to the release, as you get to hear the way the song’s initial stages unfold into this rich pop tapestry.
Admittedly, I’m a sucker for a post-punk style jam that feels like it was made in the basement of a dingy apartment, and I mean that in the best way. I miss Blank Dogs! But today, we’ve got this new Ruby Moon tune, wearing the same pair of pants, and in saying that, there’s also a little plot twist that makes the work below uniquely it’s own. Sure, the beats maintain that industrial pop synthesis, but the melodic focus on the vocals and underlying guitar licks offers a shimmering bit of joy that I can’t pull myself away from. Think you’ll feel the same by pressing play below.
There’s a lot going on in the Austin scene at the moment, with our own SXSW show on the horizon, but last week, this Paper Sister track caught my attention. The group swear an allegiance to the left-of-the-dial anthemic pop of the late 90s, which fits my listening habits of late, as I’ve oddly been on a Cranberries kick (ain’t no shame!). This track puts the pop focus in the verses, walking you into the tracks with a softness that seduces the listener at first. They don’t hang out there forever, however, as they’ve also got a penchant for noisy indie rock, which you can hear filling the backdrop of this tune when the chorus kicks in. Just another reason to keep an eye on the ATX scene this year!
Welsh outfit Wylderness have been consistently dropping great pop hits since we stumbled upon them several years ago, and their latest single continues in that tradition, even offering a glimpse at where the band go from here. The balance between light guitar notes and heavy riffs is perfect, weaving them together like some dreamy rock quilt of perfection. In that, they manage to use that balance to keep a steadied pace that allows the tune to create a natural tension; they hold that feeling tightly, waiting to unleash it until after the halfway mark of the tune where things spin and crash beautifully. They’ve got a new Safe Mode EP on the horizon, so we’ll keep you posted!
After a long absence from recording, Canadian lot Pike are back with a couple of new songs you should get into while you can. I like the straddling pop styles of the tune below; it kind of seems like it’s playing a musical hopscotch, bopping from side to side in the speakers. Erik Hamilton and Katie Laine trade vocal spars, often overlapping one another to build this textured melody that gets cut into pieces as the song takes on a more angular approach in the track’s latter half. If you’re looking for a solid vibe of cool, then you can’t get much better than pressing play on the new single below.
Through the years we’ve happily covered the work of Phil Sutton and Pale Lights; we were even fortunate enough to work with him on one of his Love Burns solo efforts. There’s news of a new mini LP coming our way, and our first listen is as delighting as we’d expect from Phil and company. A quick jangle kicks things off before the tune jumps into a full-on gallop, popping up on the backbone of some quick cymbal play and the angular strummed notes. Sutton does his best croon, coating the track with his heavy melody that you can’t escape; he even gets a little backing nod from one of his female counterparts, only maximizing the joy as an organ plays out in the distance. Can’t wait for us to hear the entirety of the new LP; it’ll be out later this Spring via KUS and Jigsaw.
Denver’s Don Goblin swung for the fences with this new Extra Bitters EP, but there’s one EP that I can’t stop playing, thus I had to get in your ears before I forget to spread the good work. Explaining this tune is a touch troubling, as they seamlessly move between a solid indie rock vibe and an ode to the jangling pop that I consistently dive into every day. When the tune opens, you expect this sharp and smoothed melodic focus from the vocals…and to a degree, sure, but they switch it up with subtle nod to the Dead’s “Touch of Grey,” or at least that’s how I hear it.
