When Dog Park released their Festina Lente album last year, the school year had just begun, so I was lost in a sea of new students and building relationships. Alas, they visit us today with a brand new video for standout track, “Kaleidoscope.” The light jangle that opens the song should be enough to hook you, as it was definitely one of the ways I fell for this song. Additionally, the tune lets you settle in on your own terms, as it never feels overly forced, with feathered vocals carefully coating the steady snap of the rhythm section. Recline your chair, turn on a fan, and just let yourself be washed in the joy of this jam. Festina Lente is available now via Geographie!
I’m increasingly fascinated by the story of Tee Templeton, who just turned 67 this week, and yet is prepping to release his debut this Summer. Listening through his latest single, there are some moments where his song craft is a marvel, like the subtle move into pure pop bliss right around the 2 minute mark. Throughout this number, the song moves into careful pop steps, buoyed by these perfect arrangements that draw obvious similarities to Robyn Hitchcock, while there are other more modern touchstones in the overall songwriting. It’s really a great story of an artist coming to terms with his craft…better late than never…or so they say.
Boleros Psicodelicos was chock-full of bangers, and so expectations for BP II is already high, especially with the debut single that featured Cuco. This round, Adrian Quesada has employed Angelica Garcia as his accompaniment, and in doing so, knocked another one out of the park. This track feels entirely cinematic, something ripped straight from a Tarantino film, and that matches perfectly with the video version accompanying the track. In some way, it also feels like a Latin gangster film, with our singer giving out warning to those in attendance that our singer “no juego” (doesn’t play games), only adding to the theatrical element the tune encompasses. It’s another smoking hot track that has me doubling down on Boleros Psicodelicos II, which drops on June 27th via ATO Records.
Austins Psych Fest kicks off 4.25 and runs through 4.27, and maybe a little insight into what Im looking forward to specifically some sleepers or lesser-knowns is warranted. I know you didnt ask, but Ill tell you anyway.
Day 1, get there early and get the weekend started right. Sandwiched between the sweet sounds of Jesse Sykes, and the local headliners The Octopus Project and Explosions in the Sky, is a whole lot of black. And I love black sonically and visually.
It would be an easy stab at pushing the other blacks in the middle pack, but Blackwater Holylight deserves the attention just as much as the others. Austins Psych Fest has never been shy about showing off their love for the heavy, stoner, psychedelic, shoegaze-sludge rock and they packed in a few hours of this right about the time that most cubicle-occupying day-walkers are mid happy hour, washing away their weeks worth of toil and making plans to utilize what little time they have to enjoy over the next few days. I think you know what you should be doing in lieu of that time-honored, soul-suck of a tradition. Blackwater Holylight.
The band just released their 2025 EP If Only You Knew, which sees the members exploring more personal themes lyrically while steering into the same sonic vibe. A few singles have surfaced already, if you’re looking for a taste. And the All I Need Cover is kinda cool.
Danish outfit The Setting Son are on their way to releasing Cul-de-sac this June, and a little listen to this ditty might have your ears perked up, ready to try on something new going into next year. The group have been around for some time, and they do make some nods to psychedelia throughout their catalogue, but the way the two guitar lines work in unison on this album really makes me think upon the Go-Betweens. It’s pop music, but it feels elevated and yet so simple that you can’t help but treat is as a little piece of tasty ear candy you can come back to again and again. Light jangle, little haze and a hell of a melody…check it!
Austins Psych Fest kicks off 4.25 and runs through 4.27, and maybe a little insight into what I’m looking forward to, specifically some sleepers or lesser-knowns, is warranted. I know you didn’t ask, but I’ll tell you anyway.
King Hannah: Sunday, 2:55 PM, Janis Stage
King Hannah‘s unique blend of influences think PJ Harvey, Massive Attack, and Mazzy Star makes for the perfect concoction to set the tone for the 90s-heavy Sunday lineup. While the bands roots may be in Liverpool, the American influence left on them during their first North American tour found its way smeared all over their 2024 release Big Swimmer.
Referencing songwriting legends like Bill Callahan and John Prine in lyric, while still maintaining their own distinct perspective, makes for incredibly enjoyable listening especially when a patient ear is applied. Dig into their catalog of two full-lengths, and some notable covers (Madonnas Like A Prayer and Bruce Springsteens State Trooper) and you’ll find yourself awash in a constant glaze of slow-building sonic landscapes, accented by Hannah’s deeply personal and reflective lyrical process.
Coming off a lengthy, successful European tour with countless sold-out shows, the band returns to North America for the first time in a few years. Get there early.
Feels like its been forever since we’ve heard from Bouquet, who generated a good amount of buzz with their 2015 In a Dream EP, but until this year, they’ve stayed mostly quiet. Alas, they’ve returned with this burning bit of pop, meandering between a dreamy state and a more playful brand of indie rock. There’s this snaking guitar line that runs throughout, seemingly dodging the keyboard notes that rain down in the background, all while the vocals overlap one another to create this thickened pop soup. And, while I admittedly see the proximity to dream pop and such, I can’t help but hear these notes that almost feel like a young Jenny Lewis in their presence. They’ll release their first LP in a decade, Spellbreaker, later this year!
Former Austin resident Lauren Green has been working with Marissa Macias for several years now, and each time they drop a new Tan Cologne song or record, you can hear them twisting and knifing through new territory, embracing whichever way the sonic winds blow. On their latest single, it begins with a synthetic percussive note, operating more like a metronome than a musical element. This backbone allows for the guitars and vocals to kind of float like bits of vapor, churned in the ether and shining under the light. You’ll find a warm ebb, nipping at your ears, washing over you carefully, and once you awaken from your musical trance, you’ll want to grab Unknown Beyond, their latest LP for Labrador Records.
What!? You thought Skep Wax and Slumberland were done with pop announcements today!? Nope. They’ve doubled down with more LP news today; this time the two powerhouse labels team up for a new Lightheaded record, with the group aiming to build on the underrated Combustible Gems. Not sure anyone can argue, but this New Jersey lot come out of the gates with a masterful pop swoon, mastering the art of combining girl-group harmonizing with a modern vision that embraces a world where chamber pop is king. You’ll hear tons of touchstones throughout this singular song, but for me, the arrangements in the back perfectly texture their striking sound. Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming will likely be a personal favorite when it hits on June 27th.
We get a lot of emails, and I have a strange way of listening to the lot; I open 20+ tabs and just bounce back and forth between them to see what sticks in my brain…but then there was this Artificial Go track that just kept coming on and on again, and I couldn’t stop playing it. Going back to the email of the tune, it was talking about C86 and Sarah, but the more I played it, the more something felt very Raincoats-ish. It’s got that same sort of punk sentiment, using sharp guitar sounds to crank out melodies with a snappy little drum kicking right behind to maximize the hook. Then, soak up the vocals; they’re joyous and bouncy, except when they’re not, and they hit a sharper attitude, all throwing caution to the wind and bounding forward with exuberance. Their new record Musical Chairs will be out on May 16th via Feel It Records.
