Tag: Z Tapes

Beach Vacation Share Moving On

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Of all the beach associated acts, I feel like Beach Vacation has the brand down. Their latest single opens with this pulsing groove, like the rush from the car to the first splash in the ocean waves, running as fast as you can to hit that water; it keeps the song progressing, adding the pace where its needed. Taking on the vocals, you get that cool wash of mist smashing against the rocks, coating those nearby in this damp cool. Plus, if you wanted to score someone skating along the beach boardwalk, I couldn’t think of a better tune to hit the spot. This tune available courtesy of Z Tapes.

Stream Albums from Space Tan, Phantom Handshake, Rosie Tucker and Mope City

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There’s always tons of stuff to stream and check out on a Friday, and I’m sure there will be lots of buzz around the new Crumb album, and its a solid jam for sure…but here’s a few of the records I’m stoked on today, so maybe you’ll get a chance to jam something else on the outside.

Space Tan – Inti Raymi (ATH Records)

Okay, so we’re putting this out on our ATH Records label, doing a fresh to death cassette designed by the band. Musically, its a blend of modern indie pop with dashes of psychedelia thrown in to expand your mind.

 

Phantom Handshake – Be Estranged (Z Tapes)

We’ve covered all the singles from this record, so that should suffice to say that this New York duo have crafted a wonderful collection of dream pop tunes that we can solidly support day in and day out.

 

Rosie Tucker – Sucker Supreme (Epitaph)

Rosie Tucker has been one of my favorite songwriters since the drop of Never Not x 3, and they don’t miss a beat with the new LP. You’re not likely to find a lyricist as clever, at least not today, so save yourself the trouble, if that’s what you’re looking for in your jams!

 

Mope City – Within the Walls (Tenth Court)

Imagine being in a band and loving Lift to Experience, Low and Bedhead, then throwing all that in a bowl and stirring it up with an inclination to fit into the Aussie pop scene, and that’s what you get here. This is one of those bands I wish more folks in the US got into, but you can’t save ’em all.

Phantom Handshakes Share Cricket Songs

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We’re back with another fresh tune from the forthcoming Phantom Handshakes LP, No More Summer Songs. As I listen through this, I have a feeling that the band are sort of at the pinnacle of dream pop; they’re utilizing these crisp guitar notes, faintly fading into the dreamscape. The drum work is steady, almost like a metronome keeping the time so everything can swirl melodically around it. Federica Tessano’s voice has the perfect tonal quality to seep into your skin; just let your body absorb those melodic notes and cool your soul. Not quite sure this genre gets much better than this! No More Summer Songs drops on April 30th via Z Tapes.

Phantom Handshakes Share No Better Plan

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Having released their Be Estranged EP last year, Phantom Handshakes are ready to drop their debut full-length in 2021, and we’ve got one of the new singles to share with you. Spending a lot of time listening to indiepop, you can’t help but immediately be drawn to that synthesized beat working over darkened guitar lines that curl and bop their way through your ear holes. Federica Tassano has this endearing voice too, hanging low with this coat over it that matches the mood of those aforementioned guitar licks; the tone changes to a more crystalized polish at the track moves into the chorus, bringing in this almost childish euphoria that only stands to make folks swoon. Their debut LP will be out later this year via Z Tapes.

Enjoy This Orchid Mantis Tune

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It’s more likely than not that you are unfamiliar with the experimental sounds created by Atlanta based musician Orchid Mantis. I assume this not because the music is not worthy of recognition, but because the artist has flown largely under the radar for the last several years (possibly on purpose). Popularity and notoriety will surely follow if more songs like this one called “Can’t See the Sun” continue to find their way onto the interwebs. Though somewhat experimental, the track is just downright catchy as hell and evokes a feeling of a more stripped down version of Beach Fossils with vocals akin to Jonathan Pierce of The Drums.

This song appears on a new album entitled Far From This World due out November 20th on Z Tapes.

 

Beach Vacation Release I Fell Apart

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Begun long ago, the story of Beach Vacation is continuing with their excellent I Fell Apart LP, which drops today courtesy of Z Tapes. I wanted to kind of pick up on one the album standouts, which gives you a glimpse to the various sides of the band’s sound. You get this initial shimmering bounce, kind of a rougher edge before the song sort of slinks off into this mellower pop vibe. Soft vocals coo across rhythm, counteracting against the energetic forces pushing through. Every once in a while the band get a little heavy, offering a look at the various styles you’ll get to hear on the LP.

Dead Katz Share Dance of the Dead

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I love when discordant guitar sounds seem to chime out in the perfect way, coming across as melodic in a sense; that’s the feeling I got from this new Dead Katz tune here. Those guitars are jagged and sharp in the mix, but they get the balance from those smoke-like vocals, billowing all the way across the tune as the volume reverberates in your ear. I love the tempo slow mid-track, drawing the listener back in with the faintest hint of respite from the noise. If you’re a fan of the steady blend of pop and noise, then look no further; the band will release Dozens in Idaho via Z Tapes on October 27th.

Birdspotter Drop Gusty Album

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I’m not going to lie, today’s going to be a weird day for me; I’m returning to my classroom to teach with students for the first time in over 7 months. So, I needed something calming to get me started this morning as I prepped mentally, which is why this new record from Philly’s Birdspotter is perfect. The entire listen is filled with these subtle little bedroom pop tunes, little pop earworms that creep into your brain and make everything else irrelevant. At times, the tunes are quiet and intimate, other times you get what I’ve chosen for you below, just the slightest uptick in energy as the guitar lines weave in and out of your speakers. Happy Monday to us all, right? The Gusty LP is available via Z Tapes!

New Tune from Lentamente

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I’ve really been enjoying the stuff I’ve heard from the forthcoming Lentamente LP; its kind of all over the place in the best way possible. There’s this sort of inherent bounce you’d find in a number of post-punk bands, but it still kind of has this bedroom feel that comes from the vocals, giving it that sort of DIY street cred…plus it never hurts to shine a light on one of ATH’s favorite companies. It’s tough to describe, throwing in all the jangles and all the feels, but still being perfect enough to really satiate your pop tastebuds. Give it a listen, and if you dig, there’s a cassette release of Galeria de Espejos Paralelos on October 19th via Z Tapes.

Stream Boy Romeo’s New LP, Pure Soul

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I’ve spent the last week or so really digging deep into Pure Soul, the newest LP from John Steiner’s recording project as Boy Romeo. Every time I press play, I can’t help but wonder how some folks get big and famous, while others toil in obscurity. For me, this whole LP is a brilliant collection of pop songs; it should be a huge record, even as indie standards go. You can just take the singles to start. “Let’s Roll” has this surf-y swagger filled with hints of doo-wop and vocal layering that would make Brian Wilson smile. “Sophie” brings in a high-stepping jangle, meant to kick your heels up and have some fun, even with a sly hint at 80s club dance floors. But, a great LP needs a ballad, which you get in “Daydream” as the album draws near a close. That doesn’t even cover a song like “Pastels,” which could draw Steiner some Dent May comparisons, but here we have him going all in with a big horn solo added to the mix. Oh, and you need an art-y song too? Well, there’s “Waiting for My Call,” which stretches a solid pop number into a synth exploration. This LP has it all, and you can have it all too if you grab a copy from Z Tapes tomorrow when the album drops! Here it all below!

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