Cool Vibes from Twinsmith

As the musical climate seems to pull from our parent’s music catalogs, looks like we could add Twinsmith as one of the acts polishing off smoothed out pop tropes. It’s like a wonderful combination of yacht rock and your favorite 80s movie soundtracks…and that’s not to knock the band in any way. Their hooks are infectious, yet not overstated, allowing you to slide right into the natural groove. The band have just signed onto Saddle Creek for the release of their album, Stay Cool, which will hit stores on July 14th.

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Hear New Rat Fancy Music

Do you ever get the feeling that the old hits just aren’t the same, that they don’t hit the spot like they once did? That seems to be the sentiment expressed by ex-Sweater Girl Diana Barraza on her latest song with Rat Fancy; you have to grow and find new gems to adore. Musically, the song pulls from the sunnier side of pop, with a steady bounce from the rhythm section that make the likelihood of toe-tapping rather high. Barraza’s voice has a cool summery breeze, floating through the brief song with grace as added keyboard textures ramp up the pop sensibility. Loving it? Yes, you are, so grab the band’s Suck a Lemon EP from HHBTM on May 26th.

Happy Birthday Hardly Art

We’ve been running this little blog here just about ten years, which, no coincidence, is the same age as Hardly Art Records. They’re kicking off things right by bringing out a new compilation, Hardly Released…and in style, they’re opening up the vault with this unreleased Hunx and His Punx tune. I know we’re tired of garage rock, by and large, but no one has ever put it together quite like Hunx; Hairdresser Blues (which came out on Hardly Art) is a must have for anyone that’s a fan of the genre. Looking forward to seeing what else is unearthed in this collection; you’ll find out on June 2nd.

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This Is the Drums

I’m going out on a limb to say I was one of the first followers of the Drums…really really way back. They had this undeniable catchy deliver that you use couldn’t ignore; you wanted to play it all day long. Since then, the band has faded a little bit, though I still find the early hits sneaking back into my life. Now, as we near the delivery of Abysmal Thoughts it seems that Johnny Pierce has the group right back on track; you’ll tap you toes as Pierce delivers his airy pop. Sometimes you find a band and you just can’t pull away…I fully expect this album to be as such; it hits on June 16th via Anti.

A New Future Lives Record Is Coming

The pedigree of the members who play on the latest Future Lives LP should grab your attention; you’ve got players from King of Prussia, Drive by Truckers, Japancakes and more. They’ve quietly announced their debut album, Mansions, which comes out on June 27th via Soft Magic Records, so perhaps we should visit their music. There’s almost a folk indiepop vibe going on, interwoven with pedal steel and strings; it’s the best sort of orchestrated pop music, offering up lighthearted joy for us all. This is just the sort of gem you expect from a band hailing from Athens.

Brand New Annabel Allum

If anyone asked me about what my favorite act during this past SXSW year, I probably would have had Annabel Allum high upon my list, if not at the top. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to bring the whole band our way, but the recorded version of her latest tune has me just as excited as the intimate display she offered us. She’s got this incredible knack to create these insatiable hooks within her songs, even as she sounds dangerous and devil-may-care. I love how she even brings in a brief respite near the song’s end before blasting to a close. She’s done it again…so keep her on your radar.

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The Terminals Return with New Album

It’s been a decade since we’ve heard anything fresh from New Zealand’s The Terminals, one of the country’s most prominent figures. They return this year with Antiseptic, and the announcement comes with this brilliant track. The sensation and the song title, “Runaway Train” fit together perfectly, and the tune leads you down the harrowing path of a locomotive losing control. Strings are stretched in the background, wound discordantly in your ears, then Peter Stapleton brings in his near-operatic deep vocal tones. I have no idea where this train, nor this LP, is going, but if I can grab a ticket, I surely will. The album comes out on May 19th via Ba Da Bing.

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Slotface Announce Their Debut

Just by clicking the soundcloud stream, you can see that in a mere matter of days, Slotface has started to become a name that will surely be more than just mere buzz. The group delivered a raucous set during SXSW, which was rather surprising considering the Norway group’s young age. This is anthemic rock n’ roll of the best sort, and it carries with it a huge hook that nods to Patti Smith…showing that while they may be young, they know what’s good for you. Be ready to have a rocking good time when the band release Try Not to Freak Out in September.

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Mat Hunsley Croons New Single

My schizophrenic music day looks to bring in a folk vibe in my listening, encouraged by this great new Mat Hunsley track. The musical performance here is rather sublime, but also fairly limited, built around intimate strumming with some added layers. What will steal the show for your ears is Hunsley’s voice; this is the sound you want to hear as you’re fading off into a deep slumber. It’s soothing, softening around each corner as Mat offers up the notes. Those of you looking for great voices in your ear today will hopefully pick up on this new gem.

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Suntrodden Is Back with a New EP

I raved and raved about Suntrodden last year, and now we return with the latest piece from his final work in his 3-EP series, III. As usual Erik’s tossing a gentle vocal atop really carefully crafted pop styles; this is what always draws me into his songwriting. But, I really like the attention given to the recording, with various textures of guitar added atop one another to really add depth to the song…not to mention a little bit of keys hanging about too. The latest edition in the series will drop on June 30th, so you can bet you’ll hear more from us as the release date nears.

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