Tag: san francisco

The Umbrellas Return with New 7″

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A little less than a year after their stunning debut, San Francisco’s The Umbrellas return with a bopping new tune, and a new 7″ to get in your collection. What I love about this new track is that you can trace the breadcrumbs back to the self-titled LP, but the sound feels sonically, well, different. The sharp jangles are a little less present, changed in favor of a fuzzier blast of guitar work, pushed forth with a little bit more rhythmic urgency. Still, the band don’t stray too far from the playful melodic harmonies, which is where you can hear the ties to their earlier work; it fills the stomping interlude as guitars scream behind it! The new 7″ is out on June 24th via Slumberland Records.

Papercuts Share Palm Sunday Single

I appreciate Papercuts waiting until this week to drop their latest single, as I didn’t want to overlook one of my favorite artists…had a few things going on last week. Alas, this new tune has Jason Quever and company seemingly channeling their neighboring soft-janglers, The Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sweeping pop sensibility is present throughout, with that Bay Area casualness, though I’ll acknowledge that Jason seems to hang out with heavier tones. There’s this moment, and maybe its wishful thinking on my part, but when he utters the line “I remember you then” or “I loved you then,” the nostalgic leaning has this slight charm that brings a grin to my face every. Past Life Regression is out on April 1st via Slumberland Records.

Sad Eyed Beatniks Share The Snows of Success

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While we’ve mostly shut down, we’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t immediately share the latest track from K. Linn’s Sad Eyed Beatniks project. I love how the song moves from this home-recording vibe, crackling through your speakers to the split switch to a cleaner production; it immediately builds in the track’s melodic movement, without losing that intimate sentiment. The heaviness of the strum throughout matches up with Linn’s voice, softly toying with imbalance, though each element hits just the right spot, consistently elevating the charm. Super in love with what’s at play here; Claudia’s Ethereal Weaver will be out on January 28th via Meritorio Records.

Another Track from The Reds, Pinks & Purples

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I haven’t written my Best of 2021 yet, mostly out of laziness. But, you can be sure that one thing that’s going to pop up on it is Uncommon Weather from The Reds, Pinks and Purples. That being said, Glenn Donaldson and company have already turned around and prepared another LP for release in early 2022 (I think that leaves room for another LP at the end of 2022 too!). Today there’s another wonderfully subtle pop tune, such that it will cure whatever ails you today. There’s something about Donaldson’s voice that feels like a parent comforting a child, at least that’s the way I’d like to imagine. The soften vocals and light jangles seemingly point to a brighter horizon, even amidst grim imagery like my favorite line “walking in the rain/hoping it won’t stop.” Just please, prepare to empty your wallet to buy all the Donaldson tunes in 2022. Summer at Land’s End drops at the end of January via Slumberland/Tough Love.

Sad Eyed Beatniks Announce Claudia’s Ethereal Weaver

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There’s probably not a scene hotter, in my opinion, than what’s going on in San Francisco right now, and you can add Sad Eyed Beatniks to the mix of projects ready to make their name with new LPs. Kevin Linn and his project just announced Claudia’s Ethereal Weaver this last week via Meritorio, with a scheduled release for January in the new year. Our first song comes by this great video created by Mike Ramos and Karina Gill (both hot commodities on their own!). It begins with the faint sound of chimes blowing in the wind, which creates this sort of expansive openness to the tune. Just after the 30 second mark the rhythm section launches in, providing these overlapping jangling guitar lines; it honestly sounds like what you’d expect to hear from an indiepop version of Joan of Arc (and I don’t mind that one bit!). Loving that sound combined with Linn’s voice, and with it goes another quick $15 I’m personally donating to the San Fran scene; you can grab a copy HERE.

Chime School Announce Debut Album

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This site has paid tribute to the work of Andy Pastalaniec with his work in various projects from Cruel Summer to Seablite, but now Andy’s earning his own stripes with his project, Chime School. This last week Slumberland announced they’d be working with Andy on his debut LP, which at this point, sounds like a fun-filled collection of indiepop ditties. There’s plenty of jangling going on in this lead single, though I’ll admit that the vocals actually feel like they might fit right into a 90s alternative pop playlist; there’s just something about the nostalgic warmth there that sets Chime School outside the modern fare…I love the clarity in those notes for sure. I mean, it’s a band from San Francisco, which is so hot right now, musically speaking. It’s also a band on Slumberland, so you get reliability. And, the tune rules, so pre-order the eponymous debut!

Hits Announce Cielo Nublado

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Is there a music scene hotter than what’s going on over in San Francisco right now? And with that, are your eyes fully on everything going on Paisley Shirt Records? Well, the label just announced they’re bring you Hits (the band, but also they will provide hits as you see below) newest LP, Cielo Nublado. You get to sample a few tracks, and if the bubbling Cali vibes mashed with 60s doo-wop don’t just suck you right in, then maybe it’ll be the Suicide reference that grabs you. Or you could slip into the anti-jangle of “Trotting Lemmings;” the song seems to be working against itself, pushing back against the runaway drum work! Don’t wait for a Cloudy Sky, the new record drops on September 17, so pre-order it now!

Cindy Share Lost Dog Single

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Dammit! Why are you not listening to Cindy all day every day! The San Francisco band shared another single from their forthcoming 1:2 LP, and I’ll be darned if I’m not going to play this during my students’ free write time today. It’s this drifting piece of no-pop, almost as if it’s a song that’s just happy to merely exist in the world. The recording is so intimate, all the way to the crackling of the speakers and the little nuanced electronic notes toying with your ears in the distance. Every time I press play I’m just transfixed, rooted to this sort of other-worldly blank space where there’s nothing but me and this tune, drifting away into the unknown. Whatever. This better be on your year end list or you’re a fake. Look for 1:2 via Tough Love/Mt. St. Mtn. on September 1st.

Flowertown Announce Time Trials

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You might remember our little Rock N’ Recipes with Karina and Mike of Flowertown, but if not, you need to immediately spend your money on buying the new album from the duo. It’s weird that they announced Time Trials on the same day as the latest Damon and Naomi dropped, as it definitely feels like there’s this lineage with Galaxie 500, or maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part. The title track is just ridiculous; it’s too good for you to not listen to it, so you now have a bit of time to rectify that. Then there’s this ghostly haunt for “The Way Back,” like the tune you might here being sung to you by the friendly ghosts of the nearest haunted orphanage. I don’t wanna be the dude that’s like “yo, if your’e not listening to this you’re uncool!” So don’t be like uncool man, go grab the record from Paisley Shirt Records; its out on August 20th!

The Umbrellas Announce Self-Titled Debut

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So, I’m probably a few days late to this one, but I was on vacation! And, as a huge Slumberhead (that’s what we call ourselves, right?), I’m entitled to to post about the announcement of the Umbrellas debut LP! This San Fran act honestly reminds me of their label-mates, the Jeanines, except maybe clearing out some of the fuzzy cobwebs and offering up a more sugary presentation. It’s heavy on the jangles, sharpened with great melodic vocals, and to be fair, it’s everything you’ve probably ever loved about indiepop bands, past and present. A timeless sound that I never tire of hearing; look for the self-titled debut on August 6th via Slumberland!

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