Tony Jay Announces Knife is But a Dream

Michael Ramos, like many folks in the Bay Area, whether that’s with Tony Jay or Flowertown, all of whom which have had releases in the last couple of years. Today, we get news that his Tony Jay project will be releasing Knife Is But a Dream, a new collection of music to prepare for his August tour of Japan. You get two tracks to sample today, one being more of a noisy piece of ambiance to prepare you for your listen, with the other more of Ramos’ bread-and-butter. Personally, the way the traditional ballad is presented in the second track is quite special; it operates as sort of two musical pieces, one being the central ballad and Ramos’ soft voice, while the other seems to be an entirely separate movement of ambient symphony, laid behind the ballad to create this dense drone of striking pop. The release will be out on August 16th via Paisley Shirt, Galaxy Train and Slumberland Records.

Nights Templar Announce Half the Year

When Paisley Shirt Records backs a band, you better believe I’m going to be paying close attention, as is the case with Nights Templar, the label’s newest release. And if I’m to be honest, this is exactly how I wanted to begin my week, as the first single “Floorboards” is the perfect piece of danceable post-punk, not far away from some of the more accessible bits on a Blank Dogs LP. Flip to the next track released, “Blocks,” and you find the project exploring a little more of the empty space in their songwriting; there’s still a heavy pop wash working throughout, but the tune feels a lot more open, letting the melodies fill some of the space that’s been left behind. Half the Year will be released on March 29th.

Flowertown Announce Mini LP for Paisley Shirt Records

If your site isn’t covering Flowertown, do you even really like music? Sure, Karina and Mike both have other popular acts to their name (Cindy/Tony Jay), but this isn’t a side-project, at least to my ears. They’re offering up some of the most stunning down-trodden pop you’re going to find this year. Period. Full stop. Whatever. Light percussive elements create a looped background with guitar lines carefully crafted to cruise beneath Karina’s voice. There’s always something in her vocal tones that feels pained, something that just feels so inherently personal when its presented in this fashion…I find that increasingly enchanting. Still, I love the little nuances in their craft, like the beautifully dancing guitar line at 1:50. Tourist Language is out February 29th via Paisley Shirt Records.

Whitney’s Playland Share Mercy Single

There’s something rad going on with the craft of Whitney’s Playland; they feel like they’re channeling elements of 90s radio rock, a la Elastica or Breeders, but in that, they’ve updated it to make it a bit more current. I like the fuzzed out riffs, almost drowned out by the strength of the vocal performance. Something in the execution or presentation feels effortlessly cool, so I’ll feel like I’m just transported back to my teenage life, acting like I’m the next incarnation of Jordan Catalano (though I was more Dicky Barrett). If you’re looking for cool, it’s here, so be sure to grab Sunset Sea Breeze via Paisley Shirt Records/Meritorio Records.

Stream Galore’s Blush EP

There’s only one thing wrong with the new Blush EP from Galore; it’s only five songs! We ran “New Living” last week, and honestly, if I had held up our sites Top Tracks, this song would definitely have made it in there; it’s got just right jangle. Running through the rest of the EP, you’ll find the quartet playing with a little more space, letting the song’s have a bit of room to breath, like in “Ladders.” That track has a crisp guitar line, and the vocals seem to completely shine on the listener like rays of sunlight breaking through the San Fran fog. Honestly, this is a great way to just spend your morning on repeat. Blush EP is available now through Paisley Shirt/Safe Suburban Home.

 

Galore Share Video for New Living + Announce Blush EP

Generally speaking, Friday’s always seem to carry with them a bit of yearning, and perhaps you’ve found the soundtrack to your yearning below by way of this fresh new single from San Francisco’s Galore. They’ve just announced their Blush EP, with this striking single, with the promise that the five new songs come across with a bit more “arthouse, droney sound” being employed. You can hear that here, as there’s a crisp jangle, albeit one that seems a touch decaffeinated at first. Still, the quartet finds a way to punctuate their sound, punching up the volume a bit at the 1:22 to mark, allowing overlapping vocals and a heavier texture to sort of raise the bar on vibe. Even with that kick, the band still manage to take another twist, keeping that textured feel, but bringing back a sense of longing, only coming from the vocals in the song’s latter half. All of this is set to a wonderful camping adventure shot at Point Reyes National Seashore by the band’s own Ava Rosen. The Blush EP comes your way on Friday the 16th, courtesy of Paisley Shirt Records and Safe Suburban Home. Pre-Order HERE!

Stream New Flowertown LP

San Francisco based Flowertown has received just about as many posts as a band can on this here website over the last year or so. Simply put, the ATH team are all huge fans of the band and the music they create. Last year around this time, the band released their stunning album Time Trials, and somehow they have yet another album, Half Yesterday, out today. We would be remiss to not post the entire album stream below and shoot you a recommendation to stream it this weekend. You will not be disappointed. It looks like the cassette release is sold out from Paisley Records, but vinyl versions are still up for sale.

Neocons Prep EP, Share Two Tracks

If you were to recreate a modern version of The Warriors today, only with futuristic gutterpunks, then the soundtrack is going to have to be done by Neocons. The LA outfit are bridging territory between stark synthetic pop and post-hardcore. On “Shoot/Kill” you’ll find these ripping riffs working over shuffling beats, while the vocals feel like they’re stalking prey of some sort, growling akin to what you’d find on any number of LPs out right now. There’s a little soft melody working in “New Boots,” so I’m interested in hearing how that plays out, as it still feels dangerous, particularly in the lyrical setting. Neocons will release their EP on July 1st via Industrial Cowboy, a sister-label of Paisley Shirt Records.

Flowertown Announce Half Yesterday

I know Steve Albini winning a WSP bracelet is big news…but what’s even bigger is that there’s a new Flowertown LP on the way. Just listening to these two tracks, we’re reminded of the band’s approach to simplicity at pop’s finest. I mean, listening to the first of the two tracks from their forthcoming LP (you can find a VIDEO HERE), it just comes across with a steady strum hitting the right notes, albeit in understated fashion, allowing the melody to wash over your feet as you stand upon the shore gazing at your future. When Karina and Mike trade verses in the second tune, you can feel the intimacy of pop music drawing you into the quiet space where the two record, just the three of you, marveling at music’s moving moments. Half Yesterday is out on July 8th via Paisley Shirt Records and Mt. St. Mtn.

Tony Jay Shares Hey There Flower News

Tony Jay is the solo project of Michael Ramos, who we’ve chatted with about Flowertown (he also plays in April Magazine/Al Harper), and we should celebrate today with the announcement of a vinyl LP version of Hey There Flower. The video version of this has been floating about for a bit, but why not share it all together, as it seems to also encompass a little bit of Ramos’ sense of humor. I love the balance in his songwriting; it alternates between this intimate dreaminess and this darker personality, all the while selling this incredible guitar sound that seems omnipotent, despite the pull of lo-fidelity. It’s been a slow news week for my tastes, so having a reason to post this video again seems perfect. The vinyl version will be out in May via Mt. St. Mtn.; you can also listen to it all over at Paisley Shirt who put out a version of it on tape last year.

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