The Week in Music May 10 – 14

Here we are. Here you are. It’s Monday morning, so let’s go back in time. Way way back, to last week. We’ve got new hits from the Goon Sax and Quivers, as well as some more obscure stuff like Keron and Nina Savary. Plus, we’ve got some old favorites in Dentist, Leon Bridges and Tapeworms, piled on top of a few tunes we dug that already got the mass of hype you’d expect. As per our tastes, its all over the place, which is sort of how I’m feeling on this Monday morning. Have a rad day my friends!

Tape Waves Share Invisible Lines Video

I think one of the things I love about listening to Tape Waves is how safe (no-frills, comforting, etc) their brand of dream pop is, meaning that in the best way! You get folks over indulging in beats, or minimizing the strum of a guitar, and maybe even sometimes coating the vocals in too much of a studio wash. But here, as you can hear with their latest single, Tape Waves don’t need to employ any of those little textures; their songs succeed on their own merit. And, you can hear light guitar strums, steady drum bounce, and Kim’s wonderful voice fitting right into it all; they’ve managed to balance in such a way that you might even just call normalize it by calling it some of the best pop music all around. Good songs supersede technological studio tricks, in my mind anyways. Plus, the video’s adorable, featuring cats, ice cream and a couple going through their record collection! Bright is out soon via Emotional Response!

Jesper Zacco Shares Dream Single

I’ll admit to not knowing much about Jesper Zacco, prior to this debut single for famed Labrador Records, but I’m fully on board with what he’s doing in this brand new single. The song opens with a careful vocal lurking behind some careful notes…ringing notes, synth echoes and atmospheric washes; it’s like a mischievous character playfully lurking around trees in a foggy forest. But, that mystery unfolds in the chorus, delivering this momentary clarity; it’s this sort of subtle warmth that I remember washing over me when I had early records by Nada Surf on, or maybe even the Wrens. Jesper will be releasing his debut this September, so we’ll keep you posted!

Lachlan and Snowy Release Phone In

I’ve no qualms stating that anything loosely affiliated with the Ocean Party will likely get space on our site, but even more so if its got great songs, like the latest release from Lachlan & Snowy (now of Pop Filter, among others). In fact, Lachlan reached out to let me know the project began as sort of a joke, but when you’ve got two great songwriters and friends, its hard to keep great music buried. There’s maybe a few tunes lurking in here that you could maybe forgive for being playful recording banter, but even then, you’re not going to find many songs better than “Blame it on the Seasons” or “Triple End; I just don’t know how you call either of those tunes ‘jokes” in the grand scheme of things. Honestly, one of those tunes might be one of my favorite of the week! Go ahead and find yourself falling in love with two great friends writing music together. Stream Phone In below:

Wombo Share Situations Single

Wombo will be releasing their new Keesh Mountain EP at the end of the month, and this new single has me rather stoked to hear its entirety. I think every time I listen, I get closer to calling the band the bastard child of Deerhoof; Sydney Chadwick’s vocal performance here is pretty spot on hereditary lineage, but the rest of the band sort of mix things up. Sure, there’s still a sort of natural bounce to this, but the guitar tones are much much warmer, and the sharp edges I loved about Deerhoof seem rounded out here, almost muted. I don’t mean to say any of this to knock on the band, as I think they’re making a similar sound their own, just throwing out some pigeons in the hole. Look for Keesh Mountain on May 28th via Fire Talk.

Yesterday’s Massage Video

We’ve definitely been supporting Massage on their new LP, careful to throw in only the appropriate Pains of Being Pure at Heart references where applicable. Here we are a day late on their new video for the record’s first single, which is the opening track on Still Life. For me, this tune is all about the juxtaposition of the varying guitar sounds that course through the song. At times they’ve got that disorienting fuzz, other times you get crisp circular jangles, at times both battling for air…and all of it dripped over a simply thunderous beat. Honestly, what’s amazed me the most about this record, or at least the singles, are how well balanced everything is…every guitar sound, drum beat, and vocal; its really a special treat for us all. Still Life is out in July via Mt. St. Mtn./Tear Jerk/Bobo Integral.

Nina Savary Shares Second Guessing Video

French performer Nina Savary is a true multi-disciplinary artist, whether she’s dancing, acting or singing, which is the case here; she’s signed on to work with Tin Angel Records, releasing this debut single for us to share. The song’s a very delicate number, leaving a great deal of space for Savary to work with her voice in and out of the notes; she maneuvers carefully around synth notes and rolling drum hits. That voice has mesmerized me, feeling like it could eventually evaporate into nothingness as she moves onto the next note. There’s also this wonderful little guitar interlude right around the 2 minute mark that’s very brief, but very special. The song was written for Nina by Chris Cummings (Marker Starling), and it’s a quite nice way to ease into your morning.

The Goon Sax Announce Mirror II

Through two albums, the Goon Sax have been nearly flawless with their brand of jangling guitar pop, but as they announce Mirror II, their third LP, it sounds like they’re taking some chances. In this tune, both the video and the song seem to have this heavy anxiety, almost a sense of foreboding; it’s a weight that even seems to hold the chorus down, with Riley and Louis seemingly holding back where they’ve been buoyant before. Still, that little change has me drawn to the tune like a moth to the light; I particularly like Riley’s vocal performance just as the song fades to nothing but synths and drums at the 3 minute mark. They’ve changed things up a bit, while still managing to sound wholly like the vibrant pop band that seemingly sprung out of nowhere; I’ve got to applaud them for pushing their sound into new territory. I look forward to hearing more from Mirror II…out July 9th via Matador Records.

Pearie Sol Announces Real Happiness

If you ever caught DC’s Gauche live, then you likely got a glimpse at Pearie Sol, the man behind the keyboards, but now with Real Happiness, we can peel back the skin and see inside the man! This song rides a wonky bounce, like a frantic train terrorizing its patrons as it speeds down the tracks led by the maniacal engineer. Pearie Sol howls at the passengers, matching the song’s natural propulsion with his own exuberant vocal display. But, don’t let the crazed joy of this tune be your sole memory; the song is a call to arms for all of us to embrace what’s real, what’s before us…real sadness and real pain and real joy and real happiness and everything in between! Celebrate something real; the album drops on June 18th via HHBTM!

Shrapnel Annoucne Alasitas

Shrapnel have been toiling around Australia for a hot minute, and now they’ve got a brand new record on the way courtesy of Tenth Court. This time around, the band have expanded their line-up, adding new instruments to flesh out their sound beyond the confines of jangling pop rock. Here you get a subtle nod towards psychedelia, with faint little woodwind nuances layered over the guitars. It almost feels out of place, but in the best way, reinventing the pop of 1970s communes and filling it with this new vibrant nature that makes it magical in its own way; you’re honestly not sure what direction they’re going, or where they’re taking their cues, but your ears are rewarded with every textural note. Alasitas drops on June 11th.

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