Last Week’s Jams (5.1 – 5.5)

Last week started off with a smattering of great tunes, but I’ll admit to wearing out by week’s end…for some reason just felt like there wasn’t a whole lot out there tugging at me! We were really excited to share some great ATX stuff like the latest from Feeling Small and Johanna Heilman…with Alien Eyelid‘s great new single just a few hours away from our home base. Lots of acts we’ve been harping on had new singles, like Daisies, The Soft Walls; we also got a new single from one of our SXSW raves, Lifeguard. Oh, and we’re starting off with the Particles, as we’re over the moon they’re getting some reissue treatment from Chapter Music.

The Hannah Barberas Prepare Fantastic Tales of the Sea; Share Latest Single

It is the first day of the month, which means we’re in line for a bunch of new records in the glorious month of May, like Fantastic Tales of the Sea, the latest from The Hannah Barberas. Their latest single takes their brand of jangling pop styles and elevates it to this almost theatric nature, making it leap right through your speakers. As the band trade vocal lines back and forth, I couldn’t help but feel as if I was listening to a well-recorded musical; there’s this live spirit in the way the voices get recorded that just jumped out at me, begging me to stand in the aisle and boogie down. Get your pop fix right here, right now; the new LP comes out on May 26th via Spinout Nuggets/Doo Lang/Subjangle, Gazer Tapes.

The Hannah Barberas Drop Winter EP

We’ve not hidden our adoration for The Hannah Barberas, and as they share their Winter EP with this world, why not highlight one of my favorite tunes from the record? They don’t even play around here, jumping right in with that jangling indiepop guitar line as the drums shuffle their way into the mix. Of course, the band, always experts at combining vocals, bring the big harmonies here, matching line for line in the chorus to cleverly slide melody through your speakers. I love the fuzzier bit that comes in around 1:35, just giving a little blast of volume to round out the rock n’ roll joy. All proceeds from this EP go to Shelter.

The Hannah Barberas Drop Fallow Days EP

Hasn’t been too long since the Hannah Barberas dropped Into the Wild, but they return with a brand new set of songs that I figured you indiepop fans are going to want on your radar. The four song Fallow Days EP was recorded during the lockdown, and the band are generously giving all proceeds to the Lewisham Foodbank. The lead single is appropriately jangling in all the right spots, with some great emphatic bounce from the keys, getting you to tap your toes as you try to sing along with Lucy’s melodic vocals. But, both hook-laden and timely, I suggest you also stop in with “W.Y.E.,” Which I’m sure we’ll all relate to almost immediately. One of the best indiepop acts of the moment, so get on it will ya?!

Stream The Hannah Barberas Into the Wild LP

I don’t know about you, but my hypochondria/anxiety are full on at the moment, so I’m going back to my comfort zone…the tried and true indiepop I adore. Luckily, we’ve got Into the Wild, the just released LP from the Hannah Barberas, blanketing me in charms and melodies. I love that the band have a distinctive sound for the genre, which seems to be as diverse as possible within the confines of their influences; they bounce around, trade vocalists, share vocals and ultimately provide you with every direction one would like to see things go in the realm of pop. My favorite tunes are “Our Girl is Gone” and “I Like You in Blue.” The new album is available via tons of great people like Subjangle/Gazer Tapes/Doo Lang Records.