This is fine.
It’s Friday. Friday’s the new Tuesday, but does anyone even remember Tuesday release days anymore. So, here’s a bunch of stuff I jammed today, and I recommend for you to jam as well. Plus, threw in one of RayRay’s favorite bands too.
Tony Jay – Perfect Worlds (Slumberland)
The Creepy Crawlies – Weeds (Self-Released)
Will Johnson – No Ordinary Crown (Keeled Scales)
Bareknaked Ladies – In Flight (Raisin’ Records)
It’s probably early on in your day, if you’re reading this as I post it. If that’s the case, your day just got better, as there’s a fresh Tony Jay track to dive into right now. Even though the song takes on this mellower vibe, something about it feels adventurous, encouraging you to throw a knapsack over your shoulder and head off into wherever. Intertwining vocals from Michael Ramos and Karina Gill offer this sense of bewilderment, disorienting in the best possible way, begging you to bundle up tight and turn your headphones all the way up. There’s a moment in the song with some light shaker, and you can hear a little rattle in the snare, and for some reason, I just kept diving into that moment; there’s also a really sharp guitar line that sparkles right around 2:25 that stood out to me. More songs please! Tony Jay releases Perfect Worlds on September 15th via Slumberland.
Scenes across the US musical landscape tend to move from time to time, and as of the last couple of years, there’s not been a place I’ve gravitated towards, musically speaking, as much as San Francisco. Today, one of the Bay Area’s biggest labels announces a new release by one of the best bands; Slumberland Records will be releasing the next Tony Jay LP! Now, who is Tony Jay? Well, rumor has it that the band is loosely tied to Michael Ramos of Flowertown, but he’s not singing here, so perhaps the vocals have been leant to video director and Cindy powerhouse, Karina Gill? Most importantly, this song feels like that perfect late night lullaby; it hangs in your brain, allowing you to walk between that realm of reality and deep deep sleep. While it all starts with soft vocals over a subdued beat and a ringing guitar note, there’s a turn to a steadier strum that changes the melodic nature, and it will most certainly take your breath away. Look for Perfect Worlds to drop on September 15th.
