Last Week’s Jams (2.16 – 2.20)

We covered just under 20 songs last week, though the Leaf Library’s brilliant new music hasn’t quite made it to the streaming services yet, but don’t fret, as there’s plenty to devour! Honestly, the first three tracks on the recap playlist are just straight jams you’ll want to check out: Special Friend, Jon Hood, and Prism Shores all delivered, with Jon Hood scratching a particular itch that I adore. Little love for some Austin acts like Genuine Leather and Sundozer, plus love for newer favorites like Endearments and Inner Magic. Little bit all over the place for an early Monday morning run, but in the best way, as you get hit after hit if you just press play below.

New Jam from Prism Shores

Power pop goodness is on the menu today with a fresh banger from Prism Shores. This song’s brilliance is on the balance between the chugging ring of guitars and the sated delivery that calms the rock ethos burrowed beneath the track. When those huge riffs dropped in at the get go, I was expecting a following punch, but the vocals pull you back in with a more melodic touch, softening the punch. It’s the perfect move, so as to not get pulled under by the bristling bounce of those crunchy jangles. I have a feeling we’re in for another solid collection of bops when Softest Attack arrives via Meritorio Records on April 10th.

Makthaverskan Share Black Waters

There’s one ominous tune left before Makthaverskan release Glass and Bones to the masses, and it’s now available for you to crank below. Lonely guitar lines open up the scene, dominating the production from the instant you press play. When the vocals come into the picture, they almost seem like a plea for help, which correlates to the thematic discussion of addiction in the song. For a band with such a dominating pop song coursing in their veins, it’s a nice plot twist to seem them turn inward and carefully melt into classic pop construction. Glass and Bones drops on April 3rd via Welfare Sounds and Records.

Andreas Grundel Delivers Lydia

As someone who has run a label, making it 10 years of sending out emails, doing your best to support bands, and then coming home to a pile of debt is no small feat…which is why we are here to celebrate Varo Records…as well as Andreas Grundel. The label has hit their 90th release, but also their 10th year as a label over in Sweden, and in celebratory fashion, they’ve got this dreamy pop number that will grab your ears instantly. The immediacy of the guitar lines dancing while washes of synthetic texture work beneath the surface is exactly what folks who’ve adored the genre (especially the Swedish sort) will claw towards. Grundel’s got those soft textured vocal notes too, gathering support from a vocal foil too, furthering the melodic depths. Really enjoying this number. Congrats Varo!

Wendy Eisenberg Shares Old Myth Dying

For an artist with a storied career such as Wendy Eisenberg, the continuous search for meaning in both art and life has created this sense of wonderment and whimsy that ultimately ends up rewarding the listener. There’s an ornate nature to the opening, carefully pulling at the guitar string before the vocals carefully step onto the stage; for a few seconds you get to embrace that solitary joy, but then gradually textures take shape, with softened drums and strings buoying the depths of the tune. As I mentioned, there’s an element of playfulness within the soul of the tune, at least to my ears; take a listen around 1:45 where Wendy enters the chorus and then delivers this almost bouncing bit of vocal lines as the strings swarm atop…it’s a really special moment that gets played out again later in the tune. You’ll be able to grab the Wendy Eisenberg LP on April 3rd!

Pleased to Meet You: Inner Magic

If you mention a blend of krautrock and Felt as your influences, that is definitely going to get my attention, which is what came our way with the PR from Inner Magic. Sure, former members of Chromatics and Smashing Pumpkins should have caught my attention, but the above line was what sold me…that and this cascading bit of pop music. This lead single is a big striking guitar pop song, sort of sedate in its presentation, though I prefer to think of it as more meditative. The vocal glow gets the added bonus of accompaniment from Ruth Radelet (also of Chromatics), so they’re clearly not shying away from the delights of harmony. Plus, if you go to the bandcamp page HERE, you can also grab a B-Side where the duo cover a bit of Spacemen 3, so clearly they’re checking off all the boxes on my tastes.

Endearments Share Marianne Single

As they near the release of their debut album, Endearments completely have my attention, especially on this new single. It kicks off with this popping bass line, then a wave synths washes over it as the vocals carefully serenade us. Then the guitars jump right in and the track rockets into the perfect blend of softened pop notes and dreamy guitar textures; their fixation on melody makes every inch of the tune a listener’s treat, even when both vocalists combine for a grittier presentation. I feel like this track is going to get a lot of plays on my end of things for the next couple of weeks, and maybe that’ll lead me or you to pick up An Always Open Door, which arrives on March 6th via Trash Casual.

Cola Announce Cost of Living Adjustment

There’s never a bad day when Tim Darcy and Cola drop a new track. What I am interested in is the impact of trip-hop drumming sneaking into modern indie rock; it’s definitely something that seems pervasive in the rock scene, and honestly, I’m not mad at it. The big draw, however, is the familiarity of Darcy himself, who has had such a distinctive delivery that seems to change with the times; it feels more melodic on this venture, which seemed to really take flight as his last project came to an end. Cost of Living Adjustment is the name of the new LP, and it drops on May 8th via Fire Talk Records.

Allapartus Share Long Con

Not sure if it’s nostalgia or the fact that I’ve been jamming that new Joyce Manor LP so much lately, but my love for good pop punk has definitely been swinging in full of late. That’s where I picked up on this new track from Allapartus, which captured me instantly, using all the tricks of the genre to make me a big sucker for the tune. I love how it opens with a swirl of angsty noise, only to pull it away in the first verse to allow for the song to seduce with the brevity of its pop moments. Once they hit the chorus, the whole song unleashes all that pent up energy, soaring into anthemic heights with a call to take back the world from those that seek to exploit it…doesn’t get more punk than that!

The Leaf Library Share Catch Up Isobel Single

We’ve been actively following The Leaf Library since their early days on WIAIWYA, but I’ll admit to being completely taken aback by the strength of their new batch of tunes. “Catch Up, Isobel” follows “The Reader’s Lamp” with another single that straddles the realms of indiepop with more modern explorative touches. Around the 1:15 mark, the group take that jaunt into more of a jam, letting the guitars and synthetic textures take the lead and release a little bit of that tension. They tightly roll it back into a dreamy brand of pop that celebrates the crest of melody we all love; you better believe that After the Rain, Strange Seeds, is going to be a delight when it drops on March 20th via Fika Recordings.

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