Last Week’s Jams (7.17 – 7.21)

We’re still in the middle of a great year of music, and as we hit that sweet spot, there seem to be more tracks coming out every day; we try to cover as much as we can, but admittedly, we’re not perfect! It was really nice to see Emma Anderson of Lush pop her head up with a brand new track from her forthcoming solo LP. Personally, I loved that new Pachyman jam, as that guy rules and I’m totally hoping everyone catches on to his vibe. A little Austin love for Holy Wave who continue to impress with the sounds of their new LP. Then there’s old ATH faves like Pia Fraus and Tan Cologne, plus the Who Is She supergroup making the cut too. Browse, stream, enjoy.

Pia Fraus Release Sunny Afternoon Single

For a band so rooted in the Estonian rock scene, it’s been really great listening to all the various changes in the sounds of the new Pia Fraus record. Sure, I can hear where their latest “Sunny Afternoon” flirts with bits of dream pop or even that sort of psychedelic tinged pop (a la Stereolab). But, even with those nods, which mostly come from the musical element, the track takes on a jazzier bit of focus, spinning into this grand territory where you feel like you’re just sailing away on vacation, drifting out to see with nothing but the sun on your back. Can’t wait to hear it all pieced together when they drop Evening Colours on July 28th via Seksound.

Pia Fraus Share Fog on the Hills

Our good friends over in Estona, Pia Fraus, are prepping for the release of their brand new record Evening Colours, and with the release a month away they offer another single to dive into. There’s always been this textured pop feel to the band’s craft, but it feels as if they’ve landed on their own musical planet. The rhythm section is moving quick here, it’s snappy and sharp, rolling when necessary, but that works in contrast to the wash on the front of the mix, which, dare I say, sounds a bit like a creeping fog rolling over the tune. To me, it feels as if they band are operating on a Stereolab adjacent plane, delving a bit more into the atmospheric spots. Striking piece I might say; the new LP is out on June 28th via Seksound!

Last Week’s Jams (4.3 – 4.7)

There was a ton of great music dropping last week, which seems to be the norm for this Spring…not that we mind one bit. I tried to give some love to our Austin friends like Jana Horn and Letting Up Despite Great Faults, who both dropped new releases…and new tunes from Batty Jr. and Born Twins too, so keeping the ATX alive. It was good to hear new stuff from Estonia’s Pia Fraus, who’ve always crafted great landscape shoegaze. New stuff from Cindy and Beach Fossils wasn’t a bad way to slide into the week either, but we closed it out with a fun feature between My Favorite and Holy Wire. Check it all out.

Pia Fraus Return with French Exit Single

A few years have passed since we last heard from Estonia’s Pia Fraus, but rest assured, the band are never far from my mind. So, when I heard they had landed on a new single, I was ready to charge in and turn it up; I was greeted with this blossoming warmth, and a calm wash of melody that warmed the soul. Hints of the band’s noisier side still lurk just beneath the surface, but they seem to have discovered their perfect balance, allowing the cavernous feel to bubble beneath so the song has more room to breathe. And it does so here, with the coolness of the vocals cruising through til the end where the song opens up for a guitar line to sort of dance and twirl its way to the song’s close. Here’s to hoping there’s more on the horizon!

Pia Fraus Announce Empty Parks

In late November we brought you a fresh track from our favorite Estonians, Pia Fraus; and while we were gone, the band shared another great track from their forthcoming Empty Parks LP. While there’s definitely a frayed fuzz to this tune, the song’s natural propulsion via the rhythm section seems to obscure that factor, building on the toe-tapping joy of pop music. Eve joins Rein on the vocals for this number, melding their voices harmoniously, which allows them to hone in on their melodic tendencies, maximizing the emotional attraction we all seek in our pop tunes. Empty Parks will be released on January 20th via Seksound Record Label.

Pia Fraus Share Hidden Parks

I was really blown away by 2017’s Field Ceremony (Shelflife), the last long player from Estonian outfit Pia Fraus. Since then, they’ve slowly begun to round out the noisier bits into this really beautiful dream pop; it’s the sort that takes all these little atmospheric layers and bundles them together in tiny little pop nuggets. For instance, the vocals almost seem to match, and then again they almost don’t; they seem like these ethereal echoes dancing around one another, which works sublimely with the feathery jangle of the guitars. As I’m writing this, the weather’s damp and rainy, and nothing else seems more fitting than this tune. The band have a new 5 track EP scheduled for early next year via Seksound, but in the meantime, head to their site and hear some remixes of this single!

Fadeawayradiate Drops C86 Cover Compilation

If you stumble upon our site here, you’ll see, at least in my post that there’s a definite influence of C86-esque acts. The legendary compilation hasn’t just influenced myself, but countless others…and several of those have united to cover various acts from the compilation, as well as a few that weren’t on it (but fit in the genre nonetheless). Acts we’ve covered this year such as Pia Fraus (Shelflife), Nah and Skating Party all take a stab at their favorite groups from the period. At this moment, it’s running as NYOP over on band camp…though donations are always encouraged. Stream the whole compilation below via Fadeawayradiate Records.

Estonian Dreampop from Bizarre

Estonia is probably the last place you think of when the topic of dreampop/shoegaze emerges. But, the country boasts Pia Fraus, although before that, they were part of Bizarre. Our first experience with the group, and for many of you, is this subdued number, dominated by the perfect blend of male/female vocal parts. The background fills with guitar chords wandering through the landscape of simple percussive rhythms; it crafts this beautiful realm where you’re free to completely lose yourself in the melody of the track. It’s impressive to see that these recordings were out there in the late 90s, clearly a precursor to a lot of the current vibes going about. Necro will be released on June 4th via Seksound/Darla.

One Last Pia Fraus Tune Before Friday

Field Ceremony will be floating around your record stores starting this Friday, but Pia Fraus wanted to give you one more chance to lose yourself in their sound before you’re required to pick it up. This number’s a slow charmer, really working the pace angle here, allowing you to maximize what you pull from the song’s natural melody. Vocals float and circle one another, wrapped in a blanket of female/male overlapping warmth. Of course a gem of an album could only come out on a label like Shelflife, so support the small guy with great tastes and grab the LP.

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