In 2015, New York musician Sean Henry released his acclaimed 16-track demo tape, It’s All About Me. A fittingly personal collection of songs about friendship, love, life and death, it’s the perfect setup for Fink, the artist’s debut studio album, out July 13th via Double Double Whammy. Henry expands and matures on Fink, but on new single “Imperfection,” he’s consumed by anxiety. “Lately, maybe, it’s like you hate me,” he sings. “Why?” The song’s warm, poppy melody and cushy beat is the ideal backdrop for Henry’s insecure and wholly relatable musings.
written by Sean Henry
performed by Sean Henry & Daniel George Jr.
“Hard Down” drums by Colin Sullivan
“No More Feelings” arrangement by Daniel George Jr.
additional guitars by Brian Antonucci & Eddie Golden III
This LP is, a ripper. Perfect from start to finish with it’s jangly sounds and melodies, but still with a fair bit of an edge to it. It’s hard not to listen to it all in the one sitting, though at only 22 and a half minutes you pretty much can anyway. The short length of the album is the only fault I can find, and Chitter Chatter is the standout track. was among my Top 100 Albums Of 2016 .
Terry is the bastard child of everything great about Australian post-punk and for lack of a better word ‘slacker’ rock. Live they become something even more powerful. A true cult classic
TERRY a band from Melbourne, Australia. Divide him in half and you split the genders, into quarters and you get Amy Hill (also of Constant Mongrel, School Of Radiant Living), Xanthe Waite (Mick Harvey Band, Primo), Zephyr Pavey (Eastlink, Total Control, Russell St Bombings) and Al Montfort (UV Race, Dick Diver, Total Control). Guitars, bass, drums, all four sing. Terry are busy people and Terry is a particularly active project too, having released two EPs and a full length album (‘Terry HQ’) last year on Upset The Rhythm Records.
The Stevens aren’t as patient as other Australian bands like the Rolling Blackouts on their two albums they constantly jump from idea to idea and song to song, often moving on after only a minute or so. Their songs rarely feel like fragments, though—they’re all fully realized ideas, even if they only run for 70 seconds. That’s obviously unlike Rolling Blackouts, who tend to explore their songs for three or four minutes. They both have that FlyingNun approach to guitar pop, though, with intricate and tuneful guitar interplay and matter-of-fact vocals that might sound resigned but rarely feel dejected.
Centred around guitarists Alex MacFarlane and Travis MacDonald, scratchy pop foursome the Stevens released a 6 song EP in 2012 that was without doubt the catchiest non-Chapter release of the year. Originally on CD-R and cassette only,
Melbourne scratchy pop favourites the Stevens return with their second album “Good”. Good picks up where their 2014 debut A History Of Hygiene left off – 18 short songs, alternately frenetic or laconic, packed with twists and hooks that merge lo-fi outsider songcraft with 70s prog wizardry and classic rock swagger.
After establishing a shared obsession for bedroom recording and favourites such as Wire, Guided by Voices, R. Stevie Moore and Flying Nun releases, they began combining their home projects. Together they started writing songs and soon enlisted the help of Macfarlane’s old school friends, Tam Matlakowski and Callum Foley. In 2011 they officially coalesced as a band, which also meant picking a name. They all agreed that Steven was a name
This Cincinnati quartet refer to themselves as “all-girl moth music” and whatever it is, we’ll take it and then some. Following up their stellar first effort, Creature Nature, comes The Ophelias’ Joyful Noise Recordings debut, Almost, filled with Spencer Peppet’s quaint and comforting vocals and Andrea Gutmann Fuentes amazing violin. Every track is brimming with youthful nostalgia and the presence of Fuentes’ strings — written into just about every track — really sets The Ophelias apart as one of our most delightful recent discoveries
The Ophelias – “Fog” off the album ‘Almost’ on Joyful Noise Recordings.
The Ophelias – “General Electric” off ‘Almost’ out July 13th, 2018 on Joyful Noise Recordings.
Let’s Eat Grandma release their second and stunning album, I’m All Ears, via Transgressive Records. I’m All Ears is an even greater revelation than Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth’s globally acclaimed debut, I, Gemini. The second act from the British teenage vocalists, multi-instrumentalists and songwriters, is the most startling, infectious, innovative and thrilling record you’ll hear this year. It is alive with furious pop, unapologetic grandeur, intimate ballads; with loops, Logic, outrageous 80s drum solos, as well as production from David Wrench (The xx / Frank Ocean / Caribou), SOPHIE (famed for her own material and work with Madonna, Charli XCX and Vince Staples) and Faris Badwan (The Horrors). It’s an album that cements Let’s Eat Grandma as one of the most creative and exciting bands in the world right now.
The finale of Let’s Eat Grandma’s intoxicating, expansive second album I’m All Ears is the intricate 11-minute drama “Donnie Darko”—named, of course, for the 2001 film that has become a byword for suburban teenage angst. Director Richard Kelly served that familiar emotion with a hefty side of disturbing magical realism; nothing is quite as it seems, but emotions run high.
“We watched Donnie Darko while we were still writing our first album, years ago,” explains Jenny Hollingworth, one half of the U.K. duo, alongside Rosa Walton. “We weren’t writing about the film—there’s nothing about giant rabbits—but it was an inspiration, especially the part when [Donnie’s] run over. Some of the themes match some of ours: [being] a teenager, navigating the world, and things being ambiguous. Even in terms of the sounds on the album, it just made sense.”
Hollingworth and Walton have been best friends since kindergarten, and bandmates from the age of 13. They put out their first album when Walton was just 16 and Hollingworth 17—astonishing, given their debut’s musical and lyrical range.
Let’s Eat Grandma – It’s Not Just Me (Official Video) The song will be on our second album ‘I’m All Ears’ which is coming out 29th June 2018,
Let’s Eat Grandma – Hot Pink (Official Music Video) The song will be on our second album ‘I’m All Ears’ which is coming out 29 June 2018,
Wistful indie rockers from Busan, South Korea who capture the loneliness you can only find in a crowded room.
After releasing their gorgeous second album Where We Were Together in April, four-piece Say Me Sue decided to record and release It’s Just A Short Walk! It’s a small, but perfectly formed EP of covers from legendary American rhythm & blues, new wave, punk, and rock acts like The Velvet Underground, Blondie, The Ramones, and Bobby Freeman. Their lush shoegaze and indie rock-inflected versions speak to both their knowledge and respect for 20th-century American music and the coolly detached, eye-of-the-storm calm with which they present their greyscale reflections on urban life in South Korea’s sprawling cities. Flip back over to Where We Were Together, however, and you’ll discover fast-paced, joyful dream-pop in the same tradition as Asobi Seksu’s dreamy reflections. If you like Pavement, The Clean, Carsick Cars yuoull enjoy this for sure.
It’s been a tempestuous times for Dilly Dally since the release of their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Sore.’ It appears that the pressure environment of life on the road, the cycle of relentless promo and touring took a toll on the band’s mental well being to such an extent that they almost called it quits.
They took time out to deal with their own individual needs, find some much-needed headspace and when they the felt ready regrouped and made a decision – ‘fuck this, let’s do our thing.’ The result is their second album, the appropriately named ‘Heaven’ which guitarist and singer Katie Monks has described as “the album we’d make if the band died and went to heaven,”. The lead track ‘I Feel Free’ demonstrates that Monks’ trademark razorwire nettle sting roar remains as impassioned and potent as ever whilst her bandmates have reignited that raging fire that made their debut such a thrilling listen.
The wonderfully poignant cinematic accompanying video, written and directed by Monks herself, sees her literally digging her bandmates (and a rather sexy flying V) from the grave in an attempt to bring them back to life. It acts as a curiously moving metaphor for the recent turbulent times the band have endured as Monks desperately tries to revive them, pleading with them as if to say – let’s not kill this, let’s fight for each, the band, and what we’ve created between us. It’s a stunning return from Dilly Dally who have always managed to mix rage with vulnerability to produce some wonderfully real visceral music and ‘I Feel Free’ just might be the Toronto four piece’s most succinctly powerful moment yet.
“I Feel Free” from Dilly Dally’s new album ‘Heaven’ out September 14th, 2018.
A Seattle by way of Los Angeles four-piece who drag the sounds of 60s girl bands and classic surf rock into a sun-kissed Californian present.Exuding effortless cool, La Luz take the lazy, endless summer mood of Los Angeles at sunset, and essay on it through driving rhythms, honeycombed vocal harmonies, and breezy surf and garage rock guitar figures straight out of the Takeshi Terauchi playbook. On Floating Features, the four-piece write rich, vivid, and impressionistic studies of life viewed through the surreal, hallucinogenic haze of the city of angels, earning their spot in the Californian sun. La Luz hasn’t made one single weak song- everything they do rips. This new album just continues their unbeaten streak.
With comparisons to Mild High Club, The Shangri-Las, Dum Dum Girls La Luz started in the summer of 2012 by Shana Cleveland (guitar), Marian Li Pino (drums), Alice Sandahl (keyboard) and Lena Simon (bass).
‘With Animals’ will be released on August 24th and Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood have unveiled deep and brooding title track.
talking about the track, Lanegan says:
“The record was recorded in my house by Duke alone and my five Animals to keep him company. If someone were to listen closely with headphones they might hear a bark, meow, growl or whine embedded in the music. Hence the title of the song and album.” Duke Garwood adds:
“It was a heatwave in LA. 109 in the shade. The riff was early morning, slow cooked in the heat haze, until the awesome moment when Mark laid down the vocals. A delish dish.” The equally dark video for the track was directed by Steve Gullick.
‘With Animals’ the title track to be taken from Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood’s new record ‘With Animals.‘
‘With Animals‘ is released via Heavenly Recordings on Friday 24th August.
Auckland-based internet pop star Princess Chelsea (aka Chelsea Nikkel) has returned with a new single ‘I Love My Boyfriend‘, the heartfelt track from her upcoming new album The Loneliest Girl. The gently rocking tune explores the dynamic between love and lust, and is accompanied by a self-directed video featuring a full band of Princess Chelseas floating through the cosmos, one of whom is wearing a tee emblazoned with the logo of Wellington thrashers Stalker. The artist even busts out an emotionally frank rap, which could be interpreted as making fun of the narrator’s own feelings. Don’t get confused with any other Princess Chelseas on the internet, the multi-talented artist generously took time out to dish the dirt on her latest creation…
“Playing bass in Hang Loose made me want to write a song on the bass so this came out. It’s the first song I wrote on the bass and I can tell the difference listening – its simpler somehow which I like.
The drums and guitar I played really badly on it for demo purposes but ended up keeping the takes, as when I asked someone else to play them in them better they were like ‘it already sounds good’. That’s why I thought it was funny to clone myself in the video. Also (I’d) just seen Bladerunner 2049 and was obsessed with the billboards. So I tried to do my Chelsea version of Bladerunner billboards which came out like how it did.”
Princess Chelsea never disappoint me. Her new single is about being in a relationship, and loving someone else, and she does it with sugary sweet vocals and a mix between indie/chamber pop and the 60s girl group style. The video is shot in her bedroom with a green screen, and she has directed and edited it herself.
‘The Loneliest Girl’ is out Friday 7th September via Lil’ Chief Records.
