Tag: smoking room

Still Ruins Share Of Devotion

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Chances are, if you’re crafting music in Oakland these days, I’m probably going to be way into it, which appears to be the case with Still Ruins. When you listen to the latest single from their new 12″, it’ll easily be lumped in with the modern dream pop sounds. But, that put before you, I beg you to give a further listen, as there’s this dance with more crystalline guitar notes that feels much bolder. There’s something in the breathy vocals and the lyrical content that definitely hold tightly onto nostalgic grooves, like a track just waiting to be used for a rainy scene in a John Hughes film. If you’re looking for more than atmosphere and reverb, try their self-titled EP, out this Friday via Smoking Room/Cercle Social.

Mo Dotti Share Loser Smile

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Mo Dotti‘s been bouncing around in our small circle for a few days now, and it’s definitely something we’d like on your radar. Plus, it’s got a personal touch with our old friend Joey Oaxaca doing the recording here; he executes the perfect balance between the two guitar lines allowing the rhythm to maintain the song’s gravitational pull while the other guitar sputters off into space-age dissonance. Throughout, Gina Negrini’s sweet voice serves as the sun, with everything orbiting around it; I do love when they peel back the noise to hit at a more traditional 90s guitar sound around the 3 minute mark, which is my sweet spot! The band drop their Guided Imagery EP on March 18th via Smoking Room.

Noisy Rocker from TONER

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For some reason, my Tuesday feels like a Monday; the usual energy of the week hasn’t quite kicked into gear, so I needed some slightly more angsty than my typical fare…thus the latest from TONER. The Oakland outfit specialize in that noisy guitar rock at the intersection of pop sensibility and shoegaze. At times, the weight of the song feels oppressive and ominous; layered noises can be heard darting through the song’s background. But, while they stray, there’s still breadcrumbs leading back to the land of pop…and thus I can be gloomy and smile. This jam appears on the group’s new LP, Silk Road, out April 17th.

Brand New Tony Molina!

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I owe Matt at Forged Artifacts a huge thanks for pointing me in the right direction, namely towards these glorious 2 minutes of new Tony Molina. I loved Kill the Lights, and pretty much raved about it anywhere I could, and now there’s a new 7″ on its way. The first of the tunes seems to pick up where that record left off, crafting this generous pop vibe, then moving into a nice heavy riff that closes the song out. On the latter tune, it’s a blaster, kicking off the pop hooks in a fuzzy manner before just calling it quits right before the 1 minute mark. This is pure Tony Molina at his best, and deserves your attention immediately; it’s out on a new LP titled Songs From San Mateo County via Smoking Room on July 19th.

New Slow Jam from Justus Proffit

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There’s been a whole in my heart since the tragic passing of Elliott Smith, but it looks like I’ve now got a new artist to fawn over: Justus Proffit. His songwriting definitely recalls Smith’s work, from the whispering notes of his vocals, to the sounds of each string vibrating in the recording. There’s a bit of mud on the mix, however, which allows Proffit to seek out his own songwriting ground, in the land wear Elliott meets modern bedroom tropes akin to Coma Cinema. I’ve been longing for something that felt so personal again, and it looks like this is going to be the perfect trick. Look for his new Ups/Downs EP on March 17th via Smoking Room.

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