San Gabriel Shares Alone in My Room

Austin is going to miss the work of James Bookert, aka San Gabriel. He already built a name for himself with his former Whiskey Shivers project, and was poised to be the glue that brought the pop world together with the indie kids. Now, Austin is at a loss as Bookert has moved off to Oregon, but the world will still get to experience his extreme talents. The mood is set with a few heavy keyboard notes hitting, then the samples open up into this hypnotic ambiance, returning as the beat drops right into the mixture. Once James voice comes in, some of the ambiance fades a bit letting the hooks become the resonating factor as he coolly sings atop; it does, to a degree, feel like he’s crafting this song alone in his room. Really looking forward to his debut Nights and Weekends, dropping on August 15th via Share It Music.

Automatic Return with Is It Now?

If you missed listening to Excess, the 2022 LP from Automatic, you should go give it a few spins, as it’ll get you prepared for the exciting news that the LA outfit has a new record on its way. The title track from their forthcoming Is It Now LP just recently dropped, and already there’s tons of attention growing around the trio. This single emphasizes the band’s focus on the rhythm section, which clearly drives the hook on this song; the punctuation mark comes from the ways the vocals get delivered in and out of the locked hooks in the bass line, begging you to bob and weave around your own room. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a nice wash of synthetic atmospherics sliding across the tune either. Is It Now will drop this Fall via Stones Throw.

Wombo Release Neon Bog

There is something refreshing in the approach that Wombo take to songwriting, at least if we’re to believe the narrative. Their current single, for instance, came about as a recording error, leaving the group with this haunting little march that they fine tuned into this structural masterpiece. Rather than have one focal point, the song seems intertwined with both its mood, themes and title…with Sydney commenting on how things can get murky in relationships, so you find yourself slogging through, weighed down by history, much like one would do if they were stuck in a bog. It’s refined and orchestrated perfectly, tethered to the band’s trademark craft; this continues to weave mystery and promise into Danger in Fives, out August 8th via Fire Talk.

Another Far Caspian Tune

The forthcoming Lp from Far Caspian is one to keep an eye upon, as Joel Johnston’s project is certainly one that’s blossoming before our eyes; you can just tell by all the attention around the new LP just how high expectations are for Autofiction. This latest single has a great guitar line that is also the focus of the video below; it’s a pretty choppy note, giving some natural rhythm to the tune itself, which is meaningful, as there isn’t a true percussive note (aside from the nearly silent metronomic beat that slides in midway). Instead, another guitar begins to twist behind the heavier strum, layering the tune with it’s light-hearted melody, soon to be joined by the dual vocals that overlap in wintry blanket of harmony. It’s a song about texture and detail, which is what makes all Johnston’s work so mesmerizing. Autofiction hits on July 25th.

Chris Staples Shares Doesn’t Matter Now

For all the noisier stuff I’ve been embracing today, I think the quiet of Chris Staples new single is one of the best ways to settle into my Tuesday. For the most part, the tune feels pretty simple, with a light strum and Staples’ voice remaining the focus for the first bit; drums kick in after the first 30 seconds, opening the song to more arrangements that support Chris’ gentle guitar play. Musically, the song’s moving when it gathers all the moss and rolls forward, but the magnificence of the track relies upon the voice. It’s something that feels both intimate and familiar, yet there’s this sense of longing that makes you yearn to sit in quiet with the tune itself. A nice little treat, and be sure to pick up Don’t Worry before it hits on August 5th.

Anna Tivel Announces Animal Poem

If you are going to announce a brand new album, you better come out swinging like Anna Tivel has with the title track from her forthcoming Animal Poem. The lyrical content alone plays with juxtaposition in such a striking fashion, and yet I continue to sort of get stuck on the “you breathe/then you’re not breathing,” though I suspect that’s my own anxieties of the world shining through. All of it, even its commentary on how difficult it is to be someone who loves are delivered in such a careful fashion that you can feel yourself sort of traipsing through the song as each syllable rolls off her tongue. Musically, the shooting star of a guitar line at 1:29 totally broke me, in the best possible manner. Cannot wait to see how the rest of the record unfolds for listeners; Animal Poem drops August 29th via Fluff & Gravy Records.

New Music from Cass McCombs

I feel like Cass McCombs is an artist I consistently take for granted, though I’ll admit to owning several pieces of his work; he seems to pop up in the quiet times in the industry and just deliver these powerhouse ballads. For instance today, he dropped a track with a steady little strum driving the track forward; there’s a snappy rhythm section behind it too, giving energy to the tune while the vocals would seem to be floating in the outer realms. He also has these tonal vocal switches that remind me of the magic of Sufjan, taking a kind of calm delivery and turning into something more ethereal. But, don’t ignore the nuance in the tune, as that’s what makes Cass’ work special; there was this cymbal build I heard that I thought was going to smash through the roof, only to get pulled back. Looking forward to hearing Interior Live Oak, out in August via Domino.

Living Set Share The City is Right

Over the last 15+ years of running this here little site, we’ve covered Quin Galavis in a lot of different ways, and been fortunate to do so. He’s one of the rare Austin artists that goes about his business in his own manner, like last year when he released Define Your Time in the form of a book. At the moment, he’s focusing on his new group, Living Set, and their latest single is phenomenal. The tune opens with this beautiful little indie rock riff riding hard, with Quin’s voice working atop; he’s got this little hint of a growl in his delivery that I totally adore. Things start to get really interesting after the 1.20 mark, where the tune embraces a heavy hand and unleashes a wall of noise. But, the group are careful not to entirely pull away from the pop sensibility, with the lightest little backing vocal adding in a textural melody. They go back and forth, back and forth, and every time that punch kicks in on the volume I crank it up a little louder…and I loved the ending fade. Such a great tune, and excited for more to come our way.

Beaming Share 4 U Single

There are some really great releases coming out this Friday that will unfortunately fly under the radar; I’ll be traveling on the road with my family, so I obviously won’t get to them appropriately enough. One of those releases with the bop nature is the new EP from Beaming; they’re creating this crisp summery pop, reminiscent of the earliest days of the Drums. The first minute or so of this tune has this jump to it, with all sorts of textures building up into this huge chorus that is as infectious as anything else you’ll hear today. Their self-titled EP hits on Friday courtesy of Rose Garden.

Ryli Share Friend Collector Video

One of the great treats of this summer is going to be Come And Get Me, the latest LP from Ryli; they’ve already won us over with a handful of singles, and the latest might be one of my favorite from the new LP. I love the way the guitar has that light strum meets jangle intro, waiting for the drums to drop in before the tune officially kicks off. There’s this lightness to Yea-Ming Chen’s delivery that has this timeless charm to it, especially when it moves into the chorus where the tone slightly changes. While you can see like-minded artists pushing the tempo, the group seem to revel in a settled vibe, sitting back and locking into the groove while Chen’s melodious delivery sweetens the deal. Grab the LP before it drops on June 27th via Dandy Boy Records.

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