This is fine.
It’s that time of the week, when all the tracks come together on albums and drop for our enjoyment. I’ve already thrown some love behind the new Nightshift, but it’s so great we can talk about it twice! Plus, we’ve really loved the stuff from Julia Sophie’s LP, not to mention that great single that led us to love Manners Manners. So, here we are with a list of good things to jam out to today, and we hope you enjoy!
It’s been a minute since we’ve run a proper Rock n’ Recipes piece, and what better way to get back into the swing of things than to reach out to Spain’s Melenas. Today, Trouble In Mind Records is dropping the band’s brand new record, so we reached out with some questions to talk about the album, having a US label and the obligatory futbol comment.
** Editor Note ** I originally reached out to the band in the middle of the World Cup, wandering how they felt about their team. But, that was before the fallout of Rubiales, so I reached back out with a new question to deal with that, rather than the generic fan question.
Special shout out to RayRay for the formatting and Bill at Trouble in Mind for helping us get organized.
The Spring generally means you’re just going to have to throw down a lot of money and grab record after record after record, so let us throw a few suggestions, or just give you some great stuff to stream, as its Friday, and who really wants to work on a Friday.
Zack Rosen – SYZYGY (Chimera Music)
A struggling artist gone before his time; these songs remind us of the gifts he left behind.
The Reds, Pinks & Purples – The Town That Cursed Your Name (Slumberland/Tough Love)
No one on this planet is writing songs as powerful as Glenn Donaldson.
Connections – Cool Change (Trouble in Mind Records)
If you need a record without a throw-away tune, this is the one.
The Sprouts – Eat Your Greens (Tenth Court)
Australia has a new supergroup, and you have a new favorite band.
Mary Anne’s Polar Rig – Makes You Wonder (Rama Lama Records)
A shapeshifting masterpiece of pop and rock, like if the YYYs, still had that risk factor.
Friday’s, for me, Friday is a little bit of freedom, a little bit of a chance to kind of kick back and look towards the weekend. And, what better way to do that than by finding some sweet records to spend some time with as you so? I’ve compiled a few of the records on my list for today, maybe you’ll spend some time with them as well!
Fixtures – Hollywood Dog (Bobo Integral)
En Attendant Ana – Principia (Trouble in Mind)
Summer Flake – One Less Thing (Rice is Nice)
First Day of Spring – Fly Over Apple Blossom
The Happy Somethings – A Gathering of All Sorts (Subjangle)
At the end of this week you’ll be able to stream all of Principia, the latest record from En Attendant Ana, and if ever there was a single that encompassed an entire album’s worth of material, this is the one. While it opens broadly, stretching splendor via the vocals, the song builds that emotive vibe, like the sun rising in the distance. Then, as the track progresses, a motorik beat drops into the picture, adding a rhythmic punch to the continuous warmth coming through your speakers. At times, the song spins into mystifying exuberance, then pulls back only to let you know all these moves are part of the larger movement, like the bass breakdown right before the pop explosion at 4:44. Like the album, this single’s exploratory, touching on the various pop notes that we all adore, so find out for yourself when the LP drops this Friday courtesy of Trouble in Mind.
It’s been a hot minute since we’ve run our weekly recap, but last week we covered a ton of ground, so why not give you a chance to see what all we were digging on our end? It was good to see Trouble in Mind with a couple of new releases we’re likely to enjoy from Martin Frawley and Connections. We also got to meet new supergroup from Melbourne, Equal Parts and their debut single. Plus, we even got to dip our toes in the Austin waters, with a new Daily Worker tune and a live recording from Balmorhea. Browse below, see what you’re into…likely all of it?
If you’re one of those that missed the brilliant Tower of Age in 2020, then be sure to rectify that by heading to Trouble in Mind and grabbing it. But today, and thanks to Andy at RSTB for pointing this one out, I’m rocking a new Lithics single. If you’re looking for a marching percussive element to drive some wonky art-punk, then, well, you just need to jump on this train as it’s all about a rolling snare mixed in with some light hi-hat. Aubrey Hornor’s deadpan vocals march to the same beat, all before the guitars start to jitter in your speaker, shaking the room with angular spikes. From there, the song snakes its way in and out of your brain, weaving sharp cuts across the backbone of the marching drum beat. I love this band, and you should too!
After dropping the superb Mandatory Enjoyment via Trouble in Mind, Dummy return with a brand new ripper for Sub Pop Singles Club. They pick up exactly where they left off, dropping in these motorik drum beats that race the the song forward, while guitars and melodies battle for control over the direction of the track. Juxtaposed male/female vocals, aided by the rising sun of synth work, build this underlying brightness that the band tame just before the 2 minute mark. That, however, is a momentary blip as the song explodes into euphoric noise at the 2:17 mark to close the tune out in high fashion. Also, keep a look out at your local venues, as the band are touring pretty heavily for the time being.
Did you hear Onyon‘s debut EP? Yeah, me either, but that’s the great thing about labels like Trouble in Mind Records, they’re not afraid to reissue a rad record, just so it ends up on your radar for the future. This record’s filled with jittery darkness, with vocals knifing back and forth between English and German, much like the guitars throughout the EP. If you think you’re getting weary of the post-punk attitude, then throw on a tune like “Shining River Utah” that illustrates how far the Leipzig bunch can push this sound. Shout out to TiM for turning all of us onto this rad album; you can hear the whole thing on the band’s page, or wait and grab the cassette from the label now!
We’ve spent a ton of time discussing the Austin acts on this bill, and maybe even put out a release by one of them, so if you haven’t listened to Being Dead, Queen Serene and Future Museums…do so. But, this post is about encouraging you to show up to Hotel Vegas to catch one of the more underrated, yet highly appreciated, acts in the indie sphere: Dummy. Their work is hard to pigeon-hole, moving between various periods of electronica and indie rock with such ease that one would find it difficult not to be mesmerized. Last year’s Mandatory Enjoyment made a lot of year-end lists, including our own, so clearly you’ve gotta show up tomorrow night. Plus, if you are planning on going, please wear a mask! The band’s already been hit with Covid on tour, so let’s do our best to keep them, and ourselves, safe. Show kicks off at 9:30 with Future Museums.
