Special Friend Announce Clipping

If you consider yourself a fan of great indiepop then today’s news of a new LP from Parisian popsters, Special Friend, should be a nice little treat! The duo waste no time building in infectious moments, dropping this snappy rhythm and jangling riffs instantly make your body wriggle with joy. Erica’s vocals have a punctuated delivery, while Guillaume weaves his own lines into the mix, each voice complimenting the other. They toss in a nice little fuzzy riff every now and then, as they don’t want to give your ears a cavity from too much sweetness. Clipping is now on my list of hotly anticipated records coming out this year; it drops via Skep Wax, Howlin Banana and Hidden Bay on March 20th.

Hannah Lew Announces Self-Titled LP

We’ve spent a fair amount of time writing about Grass Widow associated musical projects, so it feels only natural that we get a few words concerning Hannah Lew‘s debut LP. When you click play below, you’re going to be greeted by complete nostalgia, in so many ways; the video full of neon notes and tracers feels very much like an early MTV moment, and while that also works in terms of the music, I tend to push on 20 years into the early 00s. The music, of which I’m sure Hannah was aware, was thick with club beats and heavy grooves, sort of immersing us all in this dark brand of pop disco…Soviet comes to mind for me here. There’s this beautiful pullback around the 2.24 mark, letting angelic drifts filter out while a steady synthetic sound slides sneakily towards the stomping stop. The self-titled debut will be out on April 10th via Night School Records.

Heavy Jam from Trauma Ray

I definitely spent a lot of time jamming to the debut LP from Trauma Ray; it was heavy in all the right spots, with the faintest hint of melody lurking to keep pop fans like myself enthused. Well, yesterday they dropped an EP announcement with this new single and it’s totally bringing me back to mid 90s shows at Liberty Lunch here in Austin. The heaviness of the riff work recalls a number of acts from that era, though the earlier Deftones LPs certainly come to mind. I think the way they flirt with soaring vocal melodies is reminiscent of Water and Solutions by Far, mastering heavy riffage with a huge set of pipes! Think the group’s new Carnival EP will be pretty solid, out February 20th via Dais Records.

Kim Gordon Shares Not Today

It’s been really interesting listening to the evolution of Kim Gordon‘s music since her Sonic Youth days, but if this video and song are anything to go by, she seems to be having the time of her life lately. This song opens up with a propulsive groove, tightly wound so that it provides a snap, allowing Gordon to embrace the rhythm and let herself go in the video format. This tune could easily operate on that, letting her deliver heavily smoked vocals atop of that groove, but as Gordon is her own artist, the tune gets filled out with ambient noises, operating like sonic glitches in the pop structure, mixing the worlds in the best fashion possible. The freedom presented in the video really is a joy to watch, so hopefully we can all be as lucky; it’s a really impressive tune to kick off the album cycle; look for her new LP, Play Me, which drops March 13th via Matador Records.

Swirls Release Neverland Single

The theme of never growing old is timeless, assuredly around long before JM Barrie penned his famous story of Peter Pan; it looks as if French outfit Swirls share the sentiment, with a nod to the literary legacy of said aims. They present it with this scattering bit of angular guitars and matter-of-fact vocal delivery, holding tight to the refrain of “I don’t have to grow old/I don’t have to grow at all.” A steady drive from the drumming helps the tune march, turning the track from self-reflection to an advice column, reminding the listener that “YOU don’t have to grow old!” They’ll release their new album Surge on March 6th via Howlin Banana/A Tant Rever Du Roi.

 

Cootie Catcher Share Puzzle Pop Video

Cootie Catcher has given us their refined brand of indiepop with spirited single after spirited single, but today’s offering gives a look at the group’s ability to mix it up on their forthcoming LP, Something We All Got. Nolan takes on the lead vocal role this go round, but it’s more about the calmed approach to the verses that sets the tune up for success. In a sense, the tune’s themes of being non-confrontational shine through the songwriting, though the group is sure to bring it all back to their pop purveyance in the chorus, as they never stray to far from offering joy to the listener. Carpark Records will release the new LP on February 27th!

Dog Chocolate Drop Green Stuff Video

While they’ve been laying low for the last few years, Dog Chocolate have popped up to remind us all that in our battle of industrialization, the green stuff “will always win the war.” It’s a furious bit of angular guitar lines dancing around the verses, which, by the way, were written individually by Rob, Andrew and Matthew. Crawling through the speakers like vines, the guitars scratch at our ears, each round amplified by a burst of drum hits that set up the chorus. Back and forth the song goes, much like man’s back and forth with nature…a reminder from the band that it’s a battle we can’t win. This ditty will feature on the group’s new LP, So Inspired, So Done In…out February 27th via Upset the Rhythm.

Stuart Pearce Delivers Dances with Starships Video

Last Spring, Stuart Pearce released the delightful All This Vast Overproduction, but great records never disappear, so Stuart has decided to revisit the closing track, “Dances with Starships.” When this tune kicked off, it sounded to me like a British version of Pavement, and I mean that in the best way possible. The pop driven chug of the guitars circle back again and again, with a growling guitar clearing the way for this burst of hooks to settle into the chorus. It’s clear the song’s a standout, but seeing as it was hiding at the end of a great record, not everyone listens all the way through. Perhaps now you’ll give it some time and go back and hear the record in its entirety…courtesy of Safe Suburban Home.

Daniel Romano’s Outfit Announces Preservers of the Pearl

Not sure it would quite feel like a fresh new year if there wasn’t a fresh piece of music from Daniel Romano’s Outfit. Today they drop the news that they’ll be kicking out Preservers of the Pearl for a March release, and our first listen confirms that we’re guaranteed good times across the board. It’s a no bullshit rock n’ roll approach, bouncing upon the jangle of cymbals, tambourine and snapping kicks and snare; Romano’s ability to meld hooks and grit are unmatched these days, and the chorus here definitely doesn’t hurt anyone. Also nice to see a little Austin connection by way of the collective’s Carson McHone, who put out her own great LP last year! Look for Preservers of the Pearl to arrive on March 13th via You’ve Changed Records.

The Orielles Offer Double Single

The crafting of careful noise is a gift, and today’s new singles from The Orielles displays the craftsmanship that often seems unparalleled. Billowing in for a near two minutes, the song seemingly toys with ambiance, only to build into a wall of noise and movement, perfectly aligned with the accompanying video. Flipping that over the second track takes on more life, though still dwelling in an ethereal realm of modern pop music. Really excited to see where the band travels on their new LP, as the group was one of my SXSW highlights a few years ago when they opened up for New Order. Only You Left is out on March 13 via Heavenly Recordings.

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