Special Pillow Share Banana Freak Out

If you’ve ever heard the George Guzman classic “Banana Freak Out,” be prepared to hear it in a new perspective from the upside down, as New Jersey’s The Special Pillow have taken it to some dark places. Musically, they’ve taken the old school funk/soul nature and turned it into this thundering piece of brooding psychedelia. The vocal work is heavy and definitely sits well in the mixture, almost like a demonic presentation as the drums thunder in the background. Seems like the perfect adaptation for the spooky seasons we’re in…and yet also just another reminder of the great work the band keep churning out!

Marni Share Boozer Single

If we’re being honest here, I am not entirely sure what the FML Era EP will sound like when it hits the airwaves. There are several singles from Marni where they sound like this huge wall of noise crashing into you, pummeling your ears with hooks and distortion. But, then there’s the single below, a quiet walk through the park as the band holds your hand; each turn of the path is accompanied by a guitar sliding up next to you and guiding you along the way. This tune sits perfectly in the middle of their new EP, perhaps offering listeners a touch of respite, or a calm in their beautiful storm. Only time will tell, and that time comes in 10 days; FML Era drops on October 10th.

New Music from Devin Shaffer

Perhaps we should get out of the gloomy realms of today, instead moving into the more pensive pieces such as this track from Devin Shaffer. According to Shaffer, the track encompasses the album’s concept, with the aim “to surrender to the pace at which things move. As the song title would suggest, a light strum barely crawls its way into the foreground, just patiently sitting behind the vocal that seems to ebb and flow with the passage of time. Little flourishes of percussion and weeping strings come into the background, though careful not to overpower the vocals, allowing you to just sit with the emotion, or surrender to its passage of time. The new album, Patience, is scheduled to drop on November 7th via American Dreams Records.

Spritely Post-Punk from Faded Cassettes

This new track from Faded Cassettes works for me in multiple ways; it offers these softened post-punk textures, working atop a synthesized beat, but it also brings to life my love of the Spanish language. The title of the track loosely translates to “I love you so much I already hate you,” which seems like a fairly depressing admission. That said, it’s presented in the dark sweetness only great post-punk can deliver, with the corners of the guitar notes twisting you and turning you as the beat has you stomping your feet upon the floor. Really love listening to the this project, especially as it hits all my favorite little notes!

Matt Pryor Offers The Dishonesty

The music of Matt Pryor is permanently etched inside my brain; I have several albums of his lyrics probably stenciled on the walls of my skull so that I’ll never forget them. So, with a new album on the way, I’m always going to lend an ear to Matt’s work; he approaches everything with sincerity, often openly admitting to his own mistakes as he’s traversed a career as a musician and a human being. If you’re looking for lyrical content, it’s pretty clear that the song revolves around how our own selfishness (whether its drugs, narcissism, workaholics, etc) can often hit those we love the hardest. Maybe it’s a reminder that we’re all still growing and improving (I hope). Look for Matt’s new LP, the Salton Sea, will be out on November 14th via Big Scary Monsters/Nightshoes Syndicate.

The below vid was created by Josh Berwanger of Anniversary fame!

Magic Fig Announce Valerian Tea LP

What a delightful way to slide into the middle of the week, especially after spending a weekend Levitating; there’s a new Magic Fig LP on the horizon for us all to enjoy. They take a poet approach to psychedelia, almost kind of like they’re loping about in a field filled with tall grasses and flowers; the song’s fleshed out with all sort of other little flourishes, with the group traipsing into new sonic territory with every little corner they turn. For instance, the middle of the song begins to take on this haunted mansion mentality, furthered by a vocal from beneath the seas…though it just as quickly turns into this blissed ballad of sunlight that highlights the future of great pop. Look for Valerian Tea via Exploding in Sound Records on November 21st.

Sweet Nobody Release Another Pop Ditty

The new record from Long Beach’s Sweet Nobody is shaping up to be quite a listen, hanging on the edge of pulling from nostalgia and updating it for pop fans everywhere. On their latest single they let the rhythm section take complete control, with the pace of the vocals and each little saccharine note matching the snap of the beat beneath their feet. Speaking of those vocals, they offer up the best version of pop on this side of the dial, making you swoon with this near dreaminess that launches into pure beauty at the 3:40 mark as the song comes to a close. If you’re enjoying their new stuff, be ready for Driving Off To Nowhere, out on November 7th via Repeating Cloud.

Devon Church Announces All That’s Solid Melts Into Air

There’s something perfect about Devon Church‘s voice that just pulled me right into his new single, coinciding with the announcement of a brand new album. He’s got that affected bravado, kind of like a sober version of Julian Casablancas, so you can still follow each little lyrical line. In the single below, it also seems to embrace this bit of swagger, at times pulling back to keep cool, then rushing ahead to deliver some emphatic notes that match with the musical piece behind. Those musical notes for the most part feel nicely crafted, then broaden to a more anxious moment in the way the guitars ring behind Church’s voice. Looking forward to hearing All That’s Solid Melts Into Air in its entirety; it comes out on November 7th.

That Joyer Jam from Last Week

Usually, our last week’s jams covers all the stuff we covered, but it was missing this sweet Joyer tune that dropped midweek, and I keep coming back to it, particularly as I’m quite in love with their vocal work here. To be honest, the musical stuff is consistently good, falling right alongside all the purveyors of great guitar pop, but on my end, I keep circling back to the way the voice seems to rise, if only for a few notes, then settles back down, giving the track this cyclical nature of subtle hooks that, like me, lead you right back to pressing play all over again. Their album, On the Other End of the Line is out on October 24th via Julia’s War Recordings.

Head Back to Too Bright Planet from Strange Pilgrim

While I must confront my own sort of neurotic enjoyment this morning, I’ve moved from dark wave into this blissful excursion into the coolness of guitar pop from Strange Pilgrim. We’e already covered various tracks from the group’s Too Bright Planet LP, so since we were out covering Levitation, I wanted to circle back as a reminder to enjoy the whole LP. Below we’ve got the title track of the record, casually dropping in its charms by way of these tasty little overlapping vocals that are perfect morsels of joy for pop fans. The whole of the record seems to encompass this search continuous search for the brightness, and in that, I’m hoping we can all stumble upon that light by spending time with the LP; it’s out now courtesy of Royal Oakie.

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