Last Week’s Jams (11.27 – 12.1)

I know Spotify is the devil, so please pass judgment knowing that I know it’s the devil, but I can’t turn my back on the beast…not to mention, the ease of access for everyone, which is where Spotify dominates the market. Alas, yes, I’m using Spotify for my playlist…until Bancamp offers me something better, but even they can’t be trusted anymore! So, I’ll just wrap up last week on my one! ATH Wrapped! We covered a lot of music, with some heavy-hitters like Real Estate, JAMC and Ducks Ltd. popping off with new stuff. There was a ton of tuneage from Australia: Pop Filter, Sachet, The Brights, Alluvial Nuggets and Good Morning. Plus, I’m flipping a coin between the Umbrellas and Bolis Pupul for my fave track of the week. What’s yours? Find out below!

Stream The Lighter Age from No Museums

Quietly going about their work, No Museums have always had a really special place in my listening rotation. They’ve crafted these intimate listening situations, continuously evolving and continuously releasing great LPs. Today, there’s a new single (and a new album) I wanted to turn your attention towards, as it represent a very underground pop turn that I hope you’ll find charming. After a quick sound bite, guitars ring out brightly, buoyed by an established heavy groove beneath them. That groove allows the song to have natural movement, even though the vocals and mood of the song may feel weighed down with emotion. Here’s to hoping you love this song and go check out their new LP, the Lighter Darker Age.

Last Week’s Jams, Today (10.17 – 10.21)

In a week where tons was going on, we hit it fairly harder than I remember. We ran a preview of Levitation (kicking off this week) by catching up with La Femme, plus we learned how to make a sweet acai bowl with Ribbon Stage. Dropped a few brand new tunes from folks like The Living Pins and Elizabeth, plus through out some encouraging album streams from Melby, Twain and more. This is a great way to catch up on all those tunes we ran, and maybe jump back in time and look at our interviews. Or, just turn it up and rock it out, cuz you know, Monday.

No Museums Share Folk Art

No Museums are no stranger to these here Interweb pages, and I’m really stoked on this ripping tune they’ve just gotten out there. In this song, it feels like that sort of middling ground between noise exploration and meditative rock. There’s a guitar line, galloping like a wild horse through the song’s horizon, juxtaposed with this melodic vocal that sort of operates with some sort of pop gravitational pull. It feels like at any time the band could lose it and entirely let go, or, perhaps not. Interested to see if this is a precursor to a new album, but for now, I welcome the noise!

No Museums Announce Pale Blue Eyes LP

I’ve been covering Edmonton’s No Museums for almost as long as we’ve been running this site. Aside from great songs, I admire that the project just goes about its business, reshaping the sound with every release. On the new single form the forthcoming Pale Blue Eyes, the song feels like it should rush through your door; it has this heavy ringing feel to it that just builds brooding guitar pop. But, where the pace could be pushed, the band hold back, instead adding in extra textures, keeping the rhythm steady and layering with some keys and strings, all of it giving the song this sort of resolute stature. Pale Blue Eyes is out on February 25th.

No Museums Release Youth Club Is Over

I love the work of Edmonton’s No Museums; they seem to just go quietly about their business, building these albums that are perfect for burrowing into your own musical cocoon. Let’s be real though, you’ve got to listen to the standout, “Hotel.” It sounds like what you’d envision if Galaxie 500 decided to write a new record today; it’s got that signature fuzz, ringing out to create a mood before the drums even kick on into the picture. Man, this whole record really rips. There’s 11 new tracks on Youth Club is Over, so dig in and let me know what your favorite is!

No Museums Return with Moths

How is it that some bands get all the accolades and popularity, yet there are tons of working bands putting out brilliant release after brilliant release, and it seems like its only me listening over here. No Museums are one such band, occupying the larger indie rock space, though they’ve been mostly doing it on their own terms through their high albums. On Moths, their second LP this year, they draw on various sounds that have my ears alert…like the Blank Dogs (ish) Local Cold or the GBV style of “Things I Have Hidden.” On the latter, the sonics get drawn out into that tundra of negative space, filling it with chugging guitars and stomping rhythm, something you generally find in the works of a Gedge-penned number. Bits and pieces for everyone to love, and ultimately, another well rounded release from this Edmonton outfit.

No Museums Share The Mail Train

Canadian outfit No Museums generally gives us something new to listen to each year, and it looks like we’re on the cusp of a new LP as the band have just uploaded a new tune/video. It’s definitely a track built upon the tension of the guitar chords, pushing the train (mail train?) along with very minimal percussive elements; they’re hiding out there in the woods while the guitar is up front in the mix. The vocals sort of hang in the middle of the tune, like traditional slow-core…not overbearing, but just audible enough for you to be hooked on the lyrics. It looks like The Artifact is Nothing is going to be a great guitar album; and there are hints we’ll hear it before May is up!

New Release from No Museums

At least once a year, we’re gifted a release by No Museums; they’re always creating, and always succeeding in crafting enjoyable tunes. Today they drop It All Begins to Feel, an exercise in brevity and hooks. Six of the seven tracks all come in at under 2 minutes, though the craftsmanship maximizes your listening in enjoyment. These are subtle pop tunes, filled with smoky vocals and great guitar work; at the moment my favorite of the 7 is “Old Projectors.” So much substance packed into an enjoyable 11 minute adventure. I’m hoping that the band will have another release for us by year’s end, so cross your fingers while you enjoy.

Brand New EP from No Museums

I don’t know what it is that’s always drawn me to No Museums, but I keep coming back as they write new tunes for me. This week they’re releasing the Surfers to the Beach EP, and I hope you listen to each track on this release. Some of the tunes have this spirited brightness, like opener “The Surfers Leave” and “In a Camper Van,” yet you’ll find a different emotion in others like “The Abandoned Reel.” For that track, it feels like the group chose to record it rather simply, almost as if the song barely made it onto tape; there’s an undeniable personality to it, something that drags you into your speakers. I can’t escape this band, and for that, I’m grateful.

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