Grim New Tune from Wax Idols

With the release of No Future, Wax Idols quickly made my radar as a band to keep an eye on, and news has finally come out that the group’s second outing is being geared for release on March 26th from Slumblerland Records. Listening to the first single from Discipline & Desire, you can tell that the group has put a darker mood into the record, replacing the anthemic power-punk with a more haunting array of sounds.  For one, singer H. Fortune has a more pronounced, albeit more gloomy, vocal presence, while the rest of the band does their best to round out the complete emotional state.  This is shaping up to be a nice gem for your March listening pleasure.

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Another New Jam from Cayucas

It seems that we’re in for a whole lot of infectious pop if things continue to go as planned for Cayucas.  They are releasing their debut 7″ for Secretly Canadian this month, and this tune is another that wears a bright sunny influence.  It’s almost got a tropicalia feel to it, which definitely is something that I enjoy.  If you listen closely you can hear the warm backing vocals just barely pushing through, creating an effect that only strengthens the relaxed feel of this song.  I’ll have no problem playing this number over and over again.

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Art Pop from Beachniks

I’ve heard rumors of Beachniks for some time, but I really haven’t been able to come up with too much information on the group.  That is until I stumbled across news that the band would soon be releasing their album In Color on Neotomic Records sometime early in the new year.  I can’t tell you how great their lead single is; it reminds me of the clever interplay that was always present on albums by Comet Gain…yet it still maintains a sense of harmony and artfulness, enabling me to act all smug when I listen to it.  Actually, I don’t even care about acting cool…this is just a great jam.

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WTF? Ducktails New Jam

Man, I’m really stuck on the fence with this Ducktails track that just came out.  Matt Mondanile has added a posse of contributors for his newest record, The Flower Lane, but I’m not sure I’m sold on their collaborative appeal.  This tune has Dan Lopatin who uses some hipster-approved moniker, and while I appreciate the effortless keyboard work behind the song, I just don’t think it’s quite as enticing as the work done on Ducktails III.  I don’t mind loops and such, but in his early tape days, Matt was using guitars crafting this dense pop collage–seemingly not the case.  I’m not jumping off the fence entirely, but I’m approaching the January 29th release date on Domino with a little trepidation.

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Great New Indie Pop from Alpaca Sports

It’s been what, a few months since I last raved about Alpaca Sports?  Well, the group has a brand new 7″ on one of my favorite little labels, Cloudberry Records.  The 7″ has a few tracks we’ve previously covered, but this is by far my favorite the group has put to tape.  There’s a slight little orchestral maneuver hiding in the dark here, but it really helps to accentuate the jangling guitars and the warm voice of Andreas Jonsson.  Songs like this often seem really simple in the greater context of things, but not too many bands are pulling of the execution as like what you’ll hear below.  Enjoy.

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Rad Rocker from Bird Skulls

I’ve played this song on repeat at least ten times, and I can’t help but be transported back to my adolescence, fueled by angst and hooks.  In two minutes, one of the UKs hottest acts, Bird Skulls, blasts through with distorted guitars at breakneck speed.  It’s a bit of grunge, but a bit of punk rock, so in essence, it’s sort of like everything we all loved about the late 80s/early 90s.  You can get your hands on their new single cassette from the kind folks over at Art is Hard Records, and they’ll throw in a nice little winter hat to make your life warmer.  I’m glad people still make music like this.

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Jangling New Tune from Golden Grrrls

The year of 2013 is shaping up to be quite a nice one already, and one of the leaders of the pack is Slumberland Records.  Glasgow’s Golden Grrrls get things going on February 26th with the release of their self-titled record, filled with eleven gems that will surely help wake you from your winter slumber.  For me, the interplay between male and female vocal parts is reminiscent of the purest time in indie rock, when melody and playfulness went hand in hand.  I also think you’ll like the way there’s just a hint of jangling guitars coming from the three piece as the drums bang out a steady groove to keep your toes a’ tappin’.

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Majestic Indie Pop from Northern Portrait

Finally, the wait is over! After two years, the triumphant return of Northern Portrait is upon us.  Just one listen to this new single and I guarantee you’ll be foaming at the mouth with anticipation.  The song casually opens, with a faint beat in the background and a jingling tambourine…and then we’re off at the 35 second mark.  From that moment on, my body tingled with the pleasure of listening to perfectly crafted indie pop that’s hard to match.  It’s looking like 2013 is going to be a great year for the band, starting with the Pretty Decent Swimmers EP, which is a 10″ being put out by our dear friends at Matinee Recordings.  Yep, I’m in love.

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Just Another Hit from Girls Names

Personally, I couldn’t be more excited about new music from Girls Names.  For one, the band’s drummer Neil has won me over with his Sea Pinks project, but I like the darkened underbelly hinted at with Girls Names.  Apparently after releasing Dead to Me, the band began to rework their sound, which is completely acceptable, but none the less important to the group’s developing sound.  This tune is a good four minutes shorter than their previous leaked single, but I think you’re going to like the feel of the tune.  It’s got a wayward jangle, but there’s a wafting quality created by the guitars and the vocals that carries the mood of the ]track. If you dig what you’re hearing (and you should!) then you can pick up their new effort, The New Life, on February 26th from Slumberland Records.

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New Power Pop from Games

For those of you clamoring to the era of late 70s rock n’ roll where glam met pop met punk, you’re going to love listening to Games.  I came across the band a bit back while catching up with the work of Hozac Records, but the rocking blog, Raven Sings the Blues, just tossed up this gem a few weeks ago so I’m forced to share.  On this track, the group has a softer edge, giving them a hint of refinement, as opposed to some of the other/faster groups that kick out the jams.  You can grab the self-titled debut from Games right now over at Hozac!

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