SEABLITE – ” Grass Stains and Novocaine “

Posted: January 16, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , ,
0

Image may contain: 2 people, possible text that says 'seablite grass stains and novocaine'

This San Francisco band blends shoegaze guitars with jangling power-pop accents. Standouts like “Time is Weird,” “Pillbox” and “Lollipop Crush” should earn them comparisons to everyone from Velocity Girl to Alvvays. Of course, Lush and My Bloody Valentine also come to mind. When the distortion gets reduced on the driving and atmospheric, “There Were Only Shadows,” a lot more moodic textures are left to explore. This is one of 2019’s biggest word-of-mouth wins.

There’s a delightful layer of guitar fuzz over all 11 of the pretty, peppy songs on the debut album from this San Francisco-based quartet Seablite. Their music is shoegazer-y, but with a forward propulsion that’s pure pop, not about to drift too far off into the ether.

The album’s packed with melodies and harmonies, of the perfectly formed sunshine-pop sort; the music’s noisy atmosphere is a countervailing force of weight, adding texture and depth of feeling to songs that could lift off into the sky if allowed to. In the middle songs like “(He’s a) Vacuum Chamber” unexpectedly slow things down, pulling us into a more foreboding sort of loneliness.

Band Members
lauren , galine,  jen,  andy

“There Were Only Shadows” from Seablite’s debut LP “Grass Stains and Novocaine” out now on Emotional Response!

FRESH – ” Withdraw “

Posted: January 16, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , ,
0

The British band’s new album “Withdraw” definitely ups the ante from their past work, while maintaining their appeal. That wonderfully sludgy riff that serves as the anchor of the title-track will leave you hitting the repeat button, while the jangle-pop of “Nervous Energy” and the playful pop-punk glide of “Going to Brighton” in undeniable. “No Thanks” sounds like it has startling pop-radio crossover potential while “New Girl” is a pristine dose of thought-provoking, well-plucked indie rock. Front-woman Kathryn Woods’ lyrics keep their bite no matter what the backdrop. This record is brisk but feels thick with details. The lyrics go straight through my chest like laser beams, and the sound is so fun and joyous.

http://

Punx from London who love emo, shredding, touring, oat milk, and using friendship to fill a gaping uncertain hole inside of yourself.

YOLA – ” Ride Out In The Country “

Posted: January 16, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: ,
0

The 35-year-old English singer-songwriter Yola may sound very American on her Dan Auerbach produced debut full-length album, but her voice has a distinctive drawl. It’s not the American South one hears, but a British accent (think the Kinks’ “Muswell Hillbillies” or Dusty Springfield in Memphis recordings). That somehow gives her vocals an authenticity because she sings without imported affectation. Yola has a winning stage presence and can move an audience equally with lyrics about a quiet Sunday drive or a sultry, loving all-night experience.

Yola’s “Ride Out In The Country,” from her Dan Auerbach – produced debut album, “Walk Through Fire”,

Her country influences may be clear, but her London via Bristol connections also come through. That may be one reason she covers Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” in concert. Yola may have been looking for Oz. She seems to have discovered her heart, brains, and courage as her original material proclaims she has found them by looking inside and being true to herself. Auerbach may be a musical wiz, but it’s Yola herself that is the center of her story.

Yola’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” from her Dan Auerbach-produced debut album, Walk Through Fire,

J. McFARLANE’S REALITY GUEST – ” Your Torturer “

Posted: January 15, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

The Melbourne band Twerps had a solid near-decade run as a melancholic, melodic guitar-pop band. Twerps guitarist Julia Macfarlane’s current solo project, J. Macfarlane’s Reality Guest, gets stranger and cuts deeper to the heart and bone. Ta Da’s first track is a mood piece, with ample silence; it’s a signpost of Macfarlane’s experimental approach to pop and it’s a preparatory step, getting us in a proper head-space of caution and anxiety. The songs have the ecstatic optimism of exploration, working through ideas in skeletal form.

Musically think of the Raincoats’ Odyshape, the primitive and visceral sound of early rock guitar, a one-person homegrown Stereolab, melodies you dream about and try to recapture when awake, small Casio keyboards trying to play psych epics on their own.

“Ta Da” is also a sustained exploration of heartbreak, over one dissolved relationship but also the whole of humanity. It’s the sound of someone realizing a relationship has become a dreary series of cold transactions… or realizing life itself might be becoming a dreary series of cold transactions on a planet nearing its end days.

Cheerful music, yes? But it is…and invigorating, exciting, adventurous, emotional. It ends with a gorgeous ballad aiming a direct question at the universe: “Where are you, my love?”

From the album “TA DA”, available though Night School Records on vinyl, CD, and digital https://nightschoolrecords.com/produc…. Originally released through Hobbies Galore.

JEANINES – ” Winter In The Dark “

Posted: January 15, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , , , ,
0

Jeanines is a compact, breezy distillation of the stripped-down essence of what indie-pop is, and has been, about. On their 16-song, under-30-minute debut album, the duo of Alicia Jeanine and Jed Smith remind us again that sometimes all we need are simple, heartfelt sentiments, sung sweetly to catchy melodies over minimalist guitars and drums.

Brooklyn’s Jeanines specialize in short bursts of energetic but melancholy minor-key pop. With influences that run deep into the most crucial tributaries of DIY pop — Television Personalities, Marine Girls, early Pastels, Dolly Mixture — they’ve crafted a style that is as individual as it is just plain pleasurable. Jeanines specialize in 60s-meet-80s melodies that combine with timeless guitar jangle in a way that recalls the UK’s C86/C88 era, when smart young bands crafted perfect pop gems enlivened by the inspiration of punk. Clearly, with 16 great songs included, there is a lot at work here on this standout debut album. Jeanines have been compared to such cult pop icons as Dear Nora, Black Tambourine, and more recent acts like Veronica Falls and Girl Ray, but their dark, modal melodies and pensive, philosophical lyrics ensure them a place of their own in today’s crowded but boisterously healthy DIY pop scene. Throw in a cover of the Siddeleys‘ classic “Falling Off My Feet Again” and any indie-pop fan should be besotted and besmitten.

Taken from their self-titled debut album, out now on Slumberland Records.

FRENCH VANILLA – ” Suddenly “

Posted: January 15, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , , , ,
0

Image may contain: food

There’s a no-wave anxiety pulsing through French Vanilla’s sound — through the punchy saxophone and bass, and singer Sally Spritz’s vocal delivery — but also California sunshine.

Their second album playfully asks cutting questions about identity, society and power dynamics on songs like “Lost Power” and “Bromosapien”, taking a sense of humor to the struggle. The songs have a punk sense of rebelliousness but also come off like the start of an eternal dance party.

Music video by French Vanilla performing Suddenly.  Danger Collective from the album How Am I Not Myself?

The STROPPIES – ” Cellophane Car “

Posted: January 15, 2020 in MUSIC
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Image may contain: 4 people, indoor

From across the world, Melbourne, Australia seems like a city filled with youthful bands breathing new life into old formulas of melodic guitar-pop. Each of the last few years, the number of great bands coming out of Australia, especially the city of Melbourne, has steadily impressed. The Stroppies‘ self-titled 2017 EP was a great rough-around-the-edges work of experimental pop, with an air of Flying Nun Records to it. Their album “Whoosh!”is comparatively next-level — anthemic and multi-layered yet still driven by a loose DIY impulse. The voices of Gus Lord and Claudia Serfaty alternate, overlap and complement each other, as the instruments do much the same. Theirs is a comfortable, familiar-in-a-good-way sound that also feels fresh and exciting.

Taken from the debut album, Whoosh, out 1st March 2019.

BROOKE BENTHAM – ” All My Friends Are Drunk “

Posted: January 15, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , , , ,
0

Image may contain: one or more people, people standing, tree and outdoor, possible text that says 'Everyday Nothing' The Debut Album Out 28th 8th Feb Feb Pre-Order Now'

Following on from the release of two well received EPs, London-based songwriter Brooke Bentham returned this week with her latest single, “All My Friends Are Drunk”. Brooke is just off the back of a tour with Bill Ryder-Jones, who produced this single, and will be following it up next month with huge shows supporting Sam Fender.

Much of the appeal of Brooke’s songwriting lies in her impressive lyricism, a songwriter detailing the post-university fog of your early 20s, a time when insecurity looms large and the world is simultaneously full of opportunity and utterly terrifying. All My Friends Are Drunk is a musing on growing apart, an attempt to capture “that wishful longing for what was”,set to a backing of driving rhythm guitars and the steady clatter of cymbals. Sliding in neatly alongside the likes of Soccer Mommy or Hazel English, Brooke Bentham creates a world of hazy, tumbling emotions, this feels like the start of something huge.

http://

All My Friends Are Drunk is out now on AllPoints.

CABLE TIES – ” Sandcastles “

Posted: January 15, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

Cable Ties, photo by Spike Vincent

Melbourne trio Cable Ties have announced their second album, ‘Far Enough’, will be released on March 27th through Merge Records and follows their excellent 2017 debut.

They precede it with the record’s lead single ‘Sandcastles’, debuted via the Danny Cohen-directed visuals below.

“‘Sandcastles’ is a criticism of the idea that an effective activist community can be created by shouting down and casting out anyone who doesn’t abide by the social norms or language of an exclusive community or group,” explains vocalist Jenny McKechnie.

“The song is aimed at a figurative individual who doesn’t have any interest in making positive changes in society or participating in open and productive discussions about political and social issues. Rather, they set themselves up as the gatekeepers of progressive groups by aggressively policing language and immediately casting out anyone who doesn’t abide by the codes of behaviour they have created. This turns purportedly inter-sectional, progressive groups into exclusive clubs only accessible to people with homogeneous opinions, social and economic backgrounds, and ways of speaking.”

Jenny McKechnie, Shauna Boyle, and Nick Brown will release the album “Far Enough,” out March 27th, 2020.

ORCHARDS – ” Sincerely Overwhelmed “

Posted: January 15, 2020 in MUSIC
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

Orchards have announced their debut album. ‘Lovecore’ is due to arrive on March 13th via Big Scary Monsters, with the band’s debut headline UK and European tour set to follow in April. They said:

“It’s our statement, a flag in the ground letting people know we’re here and this is exactly what we’re all about. It’s the product of years of touring, meeting new people, hard times, good times, loss, friendships and growth. We’re starting a party and everyones invited.”

Alongside the announcement of the record, the quartet have shared a new single. “Sincerely Overwhelmed” features their unique, upbeat blend of math-rock and pop, complete with endearingly candid lyrics.

Band Members
Sam Rushton – (Guitar)
Dan Fane – (Bass/BVs)
Will Lee-Lewis – (Drums)
Lucy Evers – (Vocals)

Tue April 07th 2020 – NOTTINGHAM Bodega Social

Older Entries
Newer Entries