The BVs Share Taking Pictures of Taking Pictures

What I’ve always adored about the BVs is their adherence to building albums where each tune feels purposeful; there’s intent in the style and the placement of tracks. It seems like we’re nearing another bit of that with their latest LP, if we’re to compare and contrast this new single with their first. “Clipping” came out at the end of last year, arriving as this bounding piece of energetic pop. But, today, they share the title track of their new album, and it’s a much more pensive piece, building slowly, churning and turning in upon itself a reflection of the imagery that flashes through the video (created and animated by the band’s Fred). Pictures flash and fade away, with drawings moving like op-art, where you’re unsure whether its the song or the image moving…or both. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the 2:40 moment hits and the exuberant nature of the band begins to shine through; lyrics are delivered more quickly and the drums seem to have a bit more snap, shifting the tune ever so slightly, naturally creating this feeling of longing that I hope you’ll love. Taking Pictures of Taking Pictures will be out on February 16th via Shelflife/KUS!

The BVs Announce Taking Pictures of Taking Pictures

I’m a bit late to this one, and by that I mean that three days is entirely too late to share the joy of the new BVs track for you. We’ve always loved the group, but this new single has them taking their buoyant brand of pop to the top; I almost jumped right out of my chair and started bouncing about in my classroom. That crushing guitar line shoves you right through the door, with this faint since of longing hanging about in the tones, all of it making me feel like I’ve finally found a musical home. It’s energetic and magical and you’ll find that you can’t pull yourself away. I didn’t even realize how much the band were huge sports enthusiasts either…as you can see in this fun video! They’ll drop Taking Pictures of Taking Pictures via Shelflife and Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten on February 16th.

Lavender Blush Share Jealousy Track

You can label this Lavender Blush track as one of my favorite tunes of the week, perhaps even at the very top of my list, as its that special. Even better, it’s on the group’s new There’s Nothing Inside Your Heart EP, which you can grab since it’s Bandcamp Friday. Admittedly, I’m a sucker for the way the vocals seem to work in contrast with musical element; the guitars are shimmering noisily in the distance, punched up by a thunderous bit of percussion. But, the vocals seem almost stationary, like watching someone stand beneath an umbrella in a rain storm; they’re just standing there, smiling. It’s like this little pop ball of light shining through the darker edges of the galaxy, and I’m totally in love. The new 12″ officially comes out on December 1st via Shelflife Records.

Lavender Blush Share New Single

While early recordings melded the sounds of distortion with pop tendencies, the rumor has it that the latest release from Lavender Blush will pull back a bit on the noise work, letting the band’s power evolve more organically. Our first listen to their new work has the band immediately forcing toe taps with a driving rhythm section and a marched vocal delivery. Longtime fans needn’t fret, as the group still has keenness to work those pedals back into the mix, as you can hear feedback lurking here and there, opening up just before the two minute mark, bringing the song to a noisier close. You Love Me Now Wait is the band’s forthcoming EP, it’ll drop on November 17th via Shelflife.

Soft Science Share Single, Announce New LP

What a great day to return from a minor surgery to find fresh Soft Science music to spin for you. Personally, the band brandish my favorite style of the indiepop realm; it’s equal parts dreamy/gazey and jangly, giving the song this sort of mellow drift that’s pushed forward by the punching rhythm. You can feel the guitars grab you by the neck and swirl you about in the air, only to get caught in some magical gust that carries you to find what dreams may come. You’ll either get caught up daydreaming, or put this on a playlist for a drive under the night sky, but either way you’ll be a winner if you grab this from Shelflife Records; Lines is officially out on September 8th.

Last Week’s Jams (5.8 – 5.12)

Last week kicked off with a bang; we covered a whole bunch of tunes right off the bat, only to kind of fade towards the end of the week. Still, we managed to get up 20 tunes you should listen to, though the Mope City single isn’t out there yet on streaming services. Some Austin love came our way with Tearjerk and Balmorhea getting solid mentions, while we couldn’t help but to continue our fawning over Night Beats and their latest barrage of bangers. Threw in some new Shelflife releases from Lost Tapes and Youth Valley, and in the end, the new stuff from Shrapnel and Special Friend definitely won awards for my faves of the week. You’ve got an hour of legendary streams below!

Catching Up with Shelflife Records: Lost Tapes + Youth Valley

As much as I might hate to admit it, I feel like sometimes I take Shelflife Records for granted. Much like a Slumberland or Trouble in Mind, they just put out such consistently great albums, that I’m like “Yeah, of course I’ll love it, I’ll come back to it.” But, as was the case the last few weeks, we missed some real gems from bands we love: Lost Tapes and Youth Valley. Lost Tapes has a new Crossing Towns EP coming out in June (6.21), and the first single has a slight jangle, perhaps melted a bit in the global warming crisis, turning into a mellower slow churn that flirts with dreams. Over in Greece, Youth Valley are dropping a quicker bit of jangle pop, bringing sharp notes that open up for the melodic vocals to hide in the song’s middle; they’ll release their new Lullabies for Adults LP in June (6.25) too! Don’t take your favorite labels for granted! Go check out all the other stuff Shelflife has for you!

Oceans Share New Single, High

The lockdown, while still looming in our thoughts, brought about a lot of creativity for artists, and it seems to have spun Australia’s Oceans in a slightly new direction. Now operating as a full band, there’s a bit of promise on the horizon, and I mean that in more of a metaphorical sense. You can still feel the darkened edges that were present on the Come So Far EP, but there’s an electricity that seems to be dashing through on this brand new single (the first as a full band). For starters, the time stamp has it at just over 2 minutes, meaning the band have to apply a frantic nature to it; you can hear that in the drum’s pounding away and the stabbing guitar lines that knife their way in and out. Still, that dreamy vocal seems to rise and crest, just as the guitars hit with more enthusiasm, blasting you with a cool breeze of delightful melody. This new single is brought to you courtesy of Shelflife Records.

Submotile Shares Foreshadowing Single

Dublin’s Submotile aren’t quite content with rehashing the past or touching up on fads regarding the shoegaze genre. Instead, they seem to have taken notes, then said “fuck it” and crafted their own vibe, which is both powerful and refreshing. Starting off running, you get this propulsive rhythm pounding the beat with cascading guitars working in the background; it starts to evolve into a really heavy post-rock soundscape vibe, which makes the drop in all the more special. Noise swirling, vocals come in, melodic and cool, crafted in such a way that it almost feels like another layer gets built into the complex fabric. Personally, the back and forth between the noisier elements and pop hooks is what just tugs at me, so I’m all in for the band’s new LP. One Final Summit Before the Fall will be out on October 21st via modern legends Shelflife Records.

 

My Raining Stars Share Behind Her Lovely Smile

Thierry Haliniak is no stranger to the sounds of pop music, having been on the edges of the indie pop realm since the early 90s, but it’s really been the last decade or so when his solo work as My Raining Stars really seems to have sprung to life. There’s that nostalgic carousel of jangling guitar licks chiming through your speaker. All that, dreaminess, yet its still the warmth of Thierry’s voice beckoning you to dive further into what’s lurking in this new LP. Searching for crisp pop music to transport you back to the 90s? Well, then you’re going to want to grab 89 Memories, the new LP, which is dropping today via Shelflife/Discos de Kirlian.

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