Dummy Share Nine Clean Nails

After Mandatory Enjoyment put Dummy on everyone’s radar (they’re EPs were on our radar way early!), the band took time to really break their own mold on the newest LP, Free Energy. As you listen to “Nine Clean Nails,” you’ll notice that the guitars hang off stage to a degree, letting that snapping rhythmic pulse crest and fall before your ears. It’s not until you hit the 1:35 mark where they begin to really tie all the pieces together, letting the guitars ring out sharply, washing the tune in a mixture of noise and bubbling pop. The beat work throughout is really special, snapping in the right spots, and rolling into those bright guitar riffs really builds towards a climactic release that arrives just as the tune draws to a close. Dummy are not ones to repeat themselves, so look for lots of great plot twists when Free Energy drops via Trouble in Mind on September 6th.

Nightshift Share Sure Look

Nightshift‘s forthcoming Homosapien record is definitely one of two hotly anticipated LPs coming from the Trouble in Mind stable, and today we get another single that hurtles us into the dense pop realm these Glaswegians have built. This tune lurks in a cavernous pop space, with the discordant guitar sounds seeping down the walls while the drum work controls the pacing and the vocals. Eothen Stearn is allowed to work playfully through the verses while the drums sit back, but when they rush, it hurtles the track forward, forcing Stearn to keep pace too, reminiscent of some of the great pop pieces Love is All put together. Homosapien drops on July 26th!

Dummy Announce Free Energy

Throughout their first few EPs and their debut LP, Dummy sounded like a band willing to take their love for noise and pop music into new realms; they took the sounds they loved and flipped it on its head, much to the adoration of folks like me. Today, we bring you the welcome news that they’re returning with Free Energy, their sophomore LP. Our first listen has this blend of textures that seemingly don’t coexist, but when delivered by this LA outfit, everything makes sense. It begins with this experimental water science project, just before moving into these rolling house beats hiding beneath this buzzsaw guitar realm that dominates the surface of the tune. What ties it all together you ask? The perfect execution of vocals; the way each voice gets layered crafts its own textural world, building a dreaminess that constantly fights for air in the noisy realm they’ve created. Free Energy will carry you to other worlds on September 6th, courtesy of Trouble In Mind Records.

Nightshift Share Phone Single

It really is beginning to sound like Nightshift are about to drop one of the great albums of the year, particularly when you indulge yourself in this fresh track. The tune’s got a bit of melancholy from the string arrangements, setting up the the tempo to move along casually in the verses. That casual nature allows for a sort of graceful sway, played into by the delivery of the vocals. But, there are some more energetic punches for the chorus where they deliver the line “better off without/better off with you,” reminiscent of something you’d have heard on a Life Without Buildings tune. Homosapiens will be out July 26th via Trouble in Mind Records.

Melenas Announce Ahora Remixes EP

I was a huge fan of the latest LP from Melenas, Ahora, so I was as equally as excited to hear what other artists would do to their work when they announced the Ahora Remixes EP. While the folks like Tim from Stereolab and Peanut Butter Wolf, our first listen has Spanish outfit Hidrogenesse working with “K2.” Instead of the rolling pulse that worked through the original track, this remix version takes the vocal work and layers it atop what’s a more spirited bit of electronics; the beats have more of a thump, with the tiniest percussive glitches springing the tune into life at the get-go. Different way to run with the group’s sound; look for the EP via Trouble in Mind Records on July 5th.

Nightshift Announce Homosapien LP

I can’t tell you how excited about a new Nightshift LP on the horizon. I actually only got into the band a few years ago when they dropped Zoe (though I somehow ended up with a CD not an LP–weird choice on my part), but I did play it out pretty non-stop. I likely wanted to put the Glaswegian lot in that post-punk box, though if you listen to their new work, it’s clear that they’ve carefully been wiggling out of those trappings since the get-go. Little slinky guitar notes angle their way into the picture, washed ashore via the ambient soundscape behind; Eothen Stern scrawls her vocals across that soundscape, though the notes leave plenty of space for musical cascades to fall from the speakers, sharply knifing through each up-and-down note climb. It’s like they’ve embraced the jam, albeit in their own distinctive nature, and we’re totally into it. Homosapiens drops July 26th via Trouble in Mind Records.

Friday Album Streams: Crumbs, Mountain Movers, Lightheaded and More

This is one of those crazy Fridays when its possible there’s just too much music to digest; I think we’ve done a solid job of covering most of the stuff leading up to today, except maybe the brand new Crumbs Video! There’s not a great need to wax poetic, as you can trace these records to our coverage the last few months. All you need to do is dive into the listens and see what you need to buy!

 

CrumbsYou’re Just Jealous (Skep Wax)

LightheadedCombustible Gems (Slumberland Records)

Mountain MoversWalking After Dark (Trouble in Mind Records)

Zero Point EnergyTitled Planet (Danger Collective)

Matthew J. RolinTwos (Dead Currencies)

 

Off the Beaten Path: Holiday Music, Rob Logan and More

Mondays are always strange. I run a bunch of stuff that snuck by, or I throw a cumbia hit here at you…but this week, I wanted to spread the word on some new stuff that maybe doesn’t fall under my everyday coverage…though admittedly, it all fits in this musical world. We’ve got new stuff from Holiday Music, Rob Loagan and Donny Mahlmeister.

Holiday Music, who we’ve covered for some time just released their 333 EP, which is a collection of tunes defined as “bedroom rock mixed with industrial-wave.” While tunes like “333” and “Final Notice” are more traditional offerings, you might dig into some of the more experimental stylings of “Best in Show,” which uses electronic samples and blends it all together. Stream the whole 333 EP below.

Rob Logan just dropped Explode the Rose, which is sort of a cinematic journey of sounds. The work within utilizes textural electronic components to create individual musical paintings. Tunes like “Magic Coin” open up to a feel of escapism, letting you drift into your own meditative state, though admittedly, I’ve been partial to “Portal,” which has slight movement, while still accomplishing that feeling of eternal drift. A cassette is available via Trouble in Mind.

Speaking of Trouble in Mind, they’ve got another collection of ambient electronic works coming from Donny Mahlmeister, who plays in Levinson/Mahlmeister. The music on Paper Glacier feels as if its been constructed to score your walk through your favorite museum; there are moments to pause and reflect, while other moments pulse and encourage you to move into the next room to find another masterful piece. No words, just musical imagery for your brain.

Friday Album Streams: Rural France, Joyer, Writhing Squares and More

Definitely a busy week on the album release list, and if I had more time, I’d be way into reviews. But, life always seems to be in the way, so the best way I can throw my weight behind great music is to give you a chance to stream some of the really solid albums that dropped on the Internet this weekend. So, just check out all the records below, and be sure to buy!

Writhing SquaresMythology (Trouble in Mind Records)

JoyerNight Songs – (Hit the North Records)

Maria Chiara ArgiroCloser – (Innovative Leisure)
Rural FranceExacatmondo – (Meritorio Records)

BabehovenWater’s Here In You – (Double Double Whammy)

HovvdyHovvdy – (Arts and Crafts)

Mountain Movers Share My Holy Shrine Video

Sometimes, the simplest narrative can be the most impactful, as is the case with the new single from Mountain Movers; the song is said “to celebrate everyday places that are ordinary but can also be seen as sacred.” In that, you can be implored to reflect upon your own sacred places, even the most mundane of spots. The band, too, did this for the video, as you’ll see with footage from some of the locations they hold most dear. Still, you’ll need a soundtrack as you meditate on the places that hold the most meaning, and what better than the sprawling number the group has set before you. Like a slow burning candle, the track flickers with light strumming and lead guitar notes that drift overhead, all while a quiet rhythm section does just enough to add to the spirituality of the moment. Further reflection and enjoyment can be found by grabbing a copy of Walking After Dark, the band’s new double LP, out May 17th via Trouble In Mind Records.

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