Last Week’s Jams, Today (2.21 – 2.25)

We hit it hard last week, mostly because we’re gearing up to see how this whole SXSW thing goes down. Plus, there were tons of new songs dropping everywhere. Two of my favorite Austin artists, Rad Gnar and Twain (he’s from Austin now dammit!) dropped new tracks, so that rules. Plus, the Jeanines dropped what might be the best pop song of the year, though the Stereogum comment section likely disagrees. We’re also including all the jams from artists we talked to that are heading our way for SXSW this year, so check tracks from the likes of Paul Jacobs, Phebe Starr, Teke Teke and more!

Pleased to Meet You: Charley Horse

Our friend Kevin, who used to operate in Austin’s Allgood, reached out with his newest project Charley Horse, so we wanted to be sure we hipped you to the dreamy landscape that’s he working with now that he’s got a new band. As the album art would hint at, the group are playing with bit of tropical psychedelia, flirting with the genre’s pop boundaries, particularly on “Exercise.” When you get to the second of the tunes, “Weather,” it seems like the group are playing in a more relaxed groove, hitting the perfect notes when they get to that soaring chorus. Always nice when your friends write great tunes; we’ll keep you posted as we hear more from the new project.

Boy with Apple Share Linger On

While Sweden’s Boy with Apple work on their debut album, they’re spending the Spring months dropping little breadcrumbs so we can follow along. I love everything about this latest track, drenched in these heavy notes and cascading guitar notes glittering across the song’s backdrop. Theres’s something about the vocals that shimmers and reverberates in your ears as the rhythm section thumps; it leaves you with this blanketing melodiousness that soothes you as the darkness echoes behind. Really love the way the band is working things out, and I’m super excited to hear where they end of with this debut; the new single is out today courtesy of Varo Records.

SXSW Interviews: Paul Jacobs

We’re keeping up our preliminary SXSW coverage, hoping to get as many names out there, and as much info out there for artists as we can. Today we’ve got our little interview answers from Paul Jacobs, the Canadian songwriter. Read up on his answers, then pencil him in as an artist you’d like to see when you hit up SXSW. You can check out his latest album, Pink Dogs on the Green Grass after the questions!

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Rad Gnar Drop Dead Strings

Our friends in Rad Gnar definitely have kept themselves busy throughout the last year, and I’m going out on a limb and tossing this new single as one of the best tunes they’ve put together. There’s a little moog action running through, so grabs on to a little of this sort late 90s emo or even-Rentals vibes in there. But, for a band dedicated to keeping the spirit of punk and skating alive, they still manage to spin a bit of heavy riffage and guitar-mony work into their songs; this gives the band the perfect balance of hard edge and sugary sweetness, keeping you coming back time and time again. Look for the Dead Strings EP from the band this today!

US Highball Announces A Parkhead Cross of the Mind

Man, there’s a seemingly infinite amount of great tunes coming out this week, and while I know a lot of this has bounced around, one of the charmers I hit upon is the latest from US Highball, the Glaswegian pop outfit readying their new LP for Lame-O Records. “Double Dare” is the perfect way to jump into the new album, toying with the jangling riff work, though still hyper-reliant upon the combined melodic focus of Calvin and James. Tossing in a synth solo mid track just illustrates the band’s willingness to really take a spin and have some fun with their craft. I’m a sucker for this chorus too, particularly when that drum rolls across the background. A Parkhead Cross of the Mind is slated for release on March 25th.

Twain Shares King of Fools Single

New Austinite Matthew Davidson, aka Twain, has a new track out there, and with it, we can only hope that it signals a new LP on the horizon. There’s something special about Davidson’s songwriting, something that feels naturally cinematic in nature. Through the verses on this song, there’s something both wistful and spritely, setting up the vocal meandering of the chorus, where Matthew clearly flexes his voice for the audience. Honestly, his range is all over this track, stretching to his unexpected notes here, settling into angelic moments there, all letting us rejoice in his craft. This single is out now via Keeled Scales, so let’s hope we get something more real real soon!

Kindsight Share Hi Life Single

Danish quartet Kindsight will be dropping their new full-length, Swedish Punk at the end of March, and they’re teasing us with another delightful single today. Nina Rasmussen dominates the verses, sneaking in with these vocals that feel like a sunnier Juliana Hatfield. But, for all Rasmussen’s endearing notes, the band still kick up some bite when you get to the chorus, shattering the pop faade with an emphatic burst of noisy fury; the drums pound and the guitars are nothing but sheer noise, with Nina cutting through it all. It’s a great mix, keeping Swedish Punk in my mind as the band’s breakthrough performance; it hits on March 25th via Rama Lama Records.

Cola Announce Deep View

Cola‘s album announcement is yesterday’s news, and it came with this great video here, so I couldn’t just ignore it. That, and well, I’m a huge Tim Darcy stan, so it definitely is fitting over here. Honestly, this doesn’t feel too far off from Ought, those there’s a little bit more softness on the notes here, hints at sunnier melodies lurking. Darcy’s performance in the chorus feels a touch like Travis Morrison, adding emphasis without really stretching his pipes too far. All of it feels like the next logical step for Darcy and his new band, as you could feel him toying more with melody as Ought progressed. But, there’s still this bit of wildness in his songwriting, and if he keeps that, Deep View‘s going to be a surefire hit; it’s out on Fire Talk on May 20th.

Jeanines Announce New Album, Don’t Wait for a Sign

This is the best Wednesday news I never expected! New Jeanines! The band today announce Don’t Wait for a Sign, doing so with a spritely pop ditty to hum in your head all day. There’s this timelessness in Alicia’s performance here, her voice rising and falling, always hitting the perfect pop notes. Those looking for the perfect piece of indiepop won’t find a better tune nodding to the past and living in the present of the genre. The brevity is perfect too, as you can circle back and fall even further in love with each repeated listen, as I’ve been doing the last hour or so. Don’t Wait for a Sign is the fifth release from Slumberland Records this year, and the fifth that’s certainly going to end up on my shelf; the hits just keep on coming.

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