You may know Ben Cook as the guitarist in Canadian punk band Fucked Up, but his solo project, Young Guv, demonstrates his broad music taste and undeniable song writing talent. Last year, he unleashed a two-part album “GUV I & II” via Run For Cover Records, which boasted pretty, lo-fi guitar pop songs with a ravishing melancholia. After early-to-mid-2000s stints in hardcore bands No Warning and Fucked Up, it’s safe to say Toronto-based singer/songwriter Ben Cook has found his bliss since setting out on his own as Young Guv. From his 2015 debut “Ripe 4 Luv” to today’s “GUV III”, his third release on Run forCover Records, Cook has been putting out hooky, throwback guitar pop that sounds more like a ray of sunshine than a sock in the jaw.
You’ll know whether you’re onboard with GUV III within seconds, as opener “Couldn’t Leave U If I Tried” leads the way with textbook jangle-pop a la Teenage Fanclub or Matthew Sweet.
“Every Flower I See” by Young Guv from the album ‘GUV I’ out August 2nd, 2019 via Run For Cover Records.
The record maintains that buoyant tone all the way through, folding in power-pop (“Lo Lo Lonely”), psychedelia (“Scam Likely”) and even a touch of the orchestral (“April of My LIfe”) along the way. What’s to stop Cook’s bliss from becoming your own?
Citizen have always eluded definition. The Toledo, Ohio-based four-piece have been making dynamic, wide-ranging guitar music for over ten years, challenging expectations with each new album and refusing to fit neatly in a box. On their fourth full-length, “Life In Your Glass World”, Citizen have crafted their most singular work to date completely on their own terms—proving that only the band themselves can define their identity.
This definition meant taking the entire process home to Toledo, Ohio – the Glass City – and creating everything in-house. Recorded in vocalist Mat Kerekes’ home studio in his garage, Citizen’s need to continue moving forward creatively went hand in hand with their desire to be fully in control of their creative destiny. The new process afforded the band time to focus on each song’s individual mood, making their sig-nature blend of aggression and melody all the more pronounced, and even capturing appealing imperfections. The result is an album that represents the members’ vision in its purest form, something that feels distinctly Citizen while also marking the start of a fresh chapter.
One of the most immediately striking elements of the direction on Life In Your Glass World is the band’s attention to rhythm. Many of the songs feature undeniably danceable beats and sharp, groove-laden guitar lines, which give both the barnburners and the brooding atmospheric tracks a pulsating heart. The band’s desire to assert themselves is palpable both in the music and Kerekes’ lyrics, mirroring not only their creative frustrations but also a long year of personal upheavals. It’s fitting for Life In Your Glass World, a record that proves Citizen’s true identity is rooted in the raw energy of constant evolution.
“I Want to Kill You” by Citizen from the upcoming album ‘Life in Your Glass World’ out March 26th 2021 via Run For Cover Records
This week Philadelphia-based trio Another Michael shared the song “Row,” another sneak peek from their upcoming album. “New Music and Big Pop” will be out next Friday (February. 19th) on Run For Cover Records,
Frontman Michael Doherty speaks about the song in a press release: “‘Row’ is a song that I built around a rhythm guitar line that to me, resembles the feeling of rowing a boat. I wanted to create a song that allowed our acoustic and electric elements to ring out as one texture, and to showcase the range of musical styles that we’ve touched on since the start of this project.”
For Another Michael, it all boils down to trust. In mid-2017, the critically acclaimed indie three-piece packed their bags and collectively relocated from Albany, NY to a shared house in West Philadelphia. This move signalled not only the start of a new chapter for the trio, but also a deepening of the bonds that would come to define their captivating debut LP, ‘New Music and Big Pop.’ “It’s hard for a group of people to get closer than living together,” says bassist and producer Nick Sebastiano. “The stronger our connection grew, the more it shaped the music we found ourselves making.”
It should come as little surprise, then, that ‘New Music and Big Pop’ is Another Michael’s most collaborative work yet. Recorded in a small A-frame house-turned-makeshift studio outside Ferndale, NY, the record finds the trio pushing their sound in a dreamier, more folk-influenced direction, building songs around vulnerable, intimate performances using an ethereal palette of breezy guitars, subtle keyboards, and layered harmonies. As on the band’s early EPs, singer and songwriter Michael Doherty’s mesmerizing voice is front and centre here, calling to mind Robin Pecknold or Ben Bridwell in its reedy, crystalline timbre, but it feels more at home than ever before amidst the album’s lush, Technicolor landscape, which the band partnered with producer and fellow housemate Scoops Dardaris to create. The result is a masterfully understated record that belies its status as a full-length debut, a thoughtful, poetic, collection all about growth and change, hope and faith, endings and beginnings, delivered by a band that’s only just begun to scratch the surface of their story.
The band has previously shared the songs “Big Pop,” “I Know You’re Wrong,” and “New Music” from their upcoming album.
“New Music” by Another Michael from the 7″ / 2 song digital single ‘New Music’ out now via Run For Cover Records
For Another Michael, it all boils down to trust. In mid-2017, the critically acclaimed indie three-piece packed their bags and collectively relocated from Albany, NY to a shared house in West Philadelphia. This move signalled not only the start of a new chapter for the trio, but also a deepening of the bonds that would come to define their captivating debut LP, ‘New Music and Big Pop.’
“It’s hard for a group of people to get closer than living together,” says bassist and producer Nick Sebastiano. “The stronger our connection grew, the more it shaped the music we found ourselves making.”
It should come as little surprise, then, that ‘New Music and Big Pop’ is Another Michael’s most collaborative work yet. Recorded in a small A-frame house-turned-makeshift studio outside Ferndale, NY, the record finds the trio pushing their sound in a dreamier, more folk-influenced direction, building songs around vulnerable, intimate performances using an ethereal palette of breezy guitars, subtle keyboards, and layered harmonies. As on the band’s early EPs, singer and songwriter Michael Doherty’s mesmerizing voice is front and centre here, calling to mind Robin Pecknold or Ben Bridwell in its reedy, crystalline timbre, but it feels more at home than ever before amidst the album’s lush, Technicolor landscape, which the band partnered with producer and fellow housemate Scoops Dardaris to create. The result is a masterfully understated record that belies its status as a full-length debut, a thoughtful, poetic, collection all about growth and change, hope and faith, endings and beginnings, delivered by a band that’s only just begun to scratch the surface of their story.
Serving as a precursor to the bands forthcoming debut LP, the New Music 7″ offers the title track, backed with a truly great non album b-side “Boring for the Times”.
We are happy to announce New Music and Big Pop, the beautiful forthcoming debut LP from Another Michael. The first single “I Know You’re Wrong” is streaming now on Spotify, Apple Music, and on Youtube with an accompanying Runescape visual.
“New Music” by Another Michael from the 7″ / 2 song digital single ‘New Music’ out now via Run For Cover Records
The latest single “Everything I Had”, from Sun June’s beautifully restrained sophomore effort “Somewhere” is streaming everywhere now.
“Everything I had, I want it back”… a fittingly wistful sentiment for a band that playfully describes its sound as “regret pop,” blending the melodic flutter of Colwell’s voice with dreamy tempos that invite contemplation. The lyrics, though, conjure a certain restlessness… – The New York Times
The five members of Sun June spent their early years spread out across the United States, from the boonies of the Hudson Valley to the sprawling outskirts of LA. Having spent their college years within the gloomy, cold winters of the North East, Laura Colwell and Stephen Salisbury found themselves in the vibrant melting-pot of inspiration that is Austin, Texas. Meeting each other while working on Terrence Malick’s ‘Song to Song’, the pair were immediately taken by the city’s bustling small clubs and honky-tonk scene, and the fact that there was always an instrument within reach, always someone to play alongside.
Coming alive in this newly discovered landscape, Colwell and Salisbury formed Sun June alongside Michael Bain on lead guitar, Sarah Schultz on drums, and Justin Harris on bass and recorded their debut album live to tape, releasing it via the city’s esteemed Keeled Scales label in 2018. The band coined the term ‘regret pop’ to describe the music they made on the ‘Years’ LP. Though somewhat tongue in cheek, it made perfect sense ~ the gentle sway of their country leaning pop songs seeped in melancholy, as if each subtle turn of phrase was always grasping for something just out of reach.
“Sun June’s brand of spacious, country-tinged rock songs feels like a gentle, caressing breeze…these songs would echo wonderfully in virtually any backdrop. Laura Colwell’s voice has a timeless veneer, and Somewhere communicates the lasting sentiment that for better or worse, nothing lasts forever.”
“Everything I Had” by Sun June from the album ‘Somewhere’ out February 5th, 2020 via Run For Cover Records
So far, Austin five-piece Sun June has done an excellent job of selling their forthcoming record Somewhereto its intended nostalgic audience, in turn referring to it as their “prom record” and describing their sound as “regret pop.” To add to that, vocalist Laura Colwell describes it as being “bigger, fatter, sadder” than its predecessor when introducing its latest single, the dusty-trail dream-pop (and prom-ready) “Bad Girl,” which longingly looks back on the freedom of Colwell’s teenage years.
To introduce the new single, the band is unveiling a vibrant, sun-soaked visual for the track, setting its moody tones to an ecstatic dance routine. While the influence of Terrence Malick—whose set for Song to Song is where Colwell and bandmate Stephen Salisbury met—is evident in the contemplative cinematography, the band claims to have taken inspiration from “films like Blood Simple and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, which were also shot in rural towns just outside of Austin.”
“Bad Girl” is about a younger version of myself I like to obsessively despise while desperately trying to emulate. It’s about a self-destructive past and how my fear of death and FOMO (for lack of a better term) affected my decision making. I really wanted to make a dance video because the song has so much attitude. The dancer/choreographer Sarah Navarrete really captured the push and pull of the lyrics. The video is like a noir narrative,
“Bad Girl” by Sun June from the upcoming album ‘Somewhere’ out February 5th, 2021 via Run For Cover Records
Philadelphia-based band Another Michael are recent signees to the label Run For Cover Records. This month, they also released their new single “New Music” and b-side “Boring For The Times.” ” Combined with their eclectic, dreamy sound and formed chemistry together as a band, their debut LP has a promising outlook.
One of the most charming things about music is the shared experience of listening, whether it be from a song that resonates with you and someone else, connecting to the artists’ work or any other way in between. Another Michael’s “New Music,” unpacks this sensation as the band sings about the simple yet exhilarating act of listening to new music, particularly when recommended by someone else. “We were up late online talking about new music / and you sent me a link to a song that I’d never heard before / I need to get my headphones on.”
The Philly-based group, made up of multi-instrumentalists Michael Doherty, Alenni Davis, and Nick Sebastiano, draws on numerous genres in their new track, from indie-rock to dreamy lo-fi elements. The song’s raw, guitar plucking-led instrumentals leading up to a lively outro of Michael Doherty’s layered vocals create an intimate world with the dark solaces of the night time further enhanced by an escape into headphones. “New Music” is a relatively quiet song, highlighting the calming, subtle yet emotive vocals of Michael Doherty.
The “New Music” single was released on Bandcamp last week with B-side “Boring For The Times” — a more upbeat track with a heavier guitar riff accompanying Doherty’s high-pitched vocals. It sounds like a combination of Philly’s (Sandy) Alex G’s ragged indie rock-meets-lo-fi pop, the eccentric sounds of Zack Villere, and all pulled together with their unique flair. The different styled approaches to each track are together a preview of the three-piece’s upcoming debut LP that “listeners won’t have to wait long to hear more from,” according to the group’s Bandcamp.
“New Music” by Another Michael from the 7″ / 2 song digital single ‘New Music’ out now via Run For Cover Records
Houston-via-Dallas band Narrow Head is often classified as shoegaze, but as the band’s guitarist, vocalist and only original member Jacob Duarte puts it, “I don’t even think I like shoegaze.” He elaborates, “I like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Chapterhouse all the main stuff — but when it gets too on-the-nose, it’s like, I need aggressiveness. ”Released through Run for Cover Records, blast of grungy hard rock that reminds me of Nirvana but with even more guitar. The most “rock” of any record I bought this year and loving it.
“Nobody has riffs anymore,” says founding member/vocalist/guitarist Jacob Duarte when asked about his approach on Narrow Head’s highly anticipated LP due out on August 28th. “That’s the kind of band we are and to me, that’s just how you write songs. Drums, bass, guitar, vocals. Nothing else. There are no other instruments on the record.”
The Houston-based band’s latest entry is the distillation of the greatest moments in 90’s alternative and hard rock with a fresh set of ears, thirteen tracks of their signature brand of bludgeoning lullabies bursting at the seams with creative ideas, new directions and yes, massive, monolithic riffs. In between the sparkle and smash, open-hearted and emotionally naked song writing showcases a core piece of the band’s identity as one of the best releases of 2020.
Delving into deep-seated themes of self loathing, desolation, self-medication, the loss of loved ones and hopeful redemption as the title suggests, a rock-focused LP themed on transition– exploring the vast abyss of darkness just before the sun cracks upon the horizon. Using distorted guitars as their primary vehicle, Narrow Head’s wall of riffs add stark contrast to their best quality– deceptively sweet pop melodies that channel the lessons of My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Helmet, Deftones and Guided by Voices all at once.
Released August 28th, 2020
Narrow Head is: Jacob Duarte Carson Wilcox William Menjivar Ryan Chavez Kora Puckett
Performed by Jacob Duarte, Carson Wilcox, William Menjivar, Ryan Chavez
The five members of Sun June spent their early years spread out across the United States, from the boonies of the Hudson Valley to the sprawling outskirts of LA. Having spent their college years within the gloomy, cold winters of the North East, Laura Colwell and Stephen Salisbury found themselves in the vibrant melting-pot of inspiration that is Austin, Texas. Meeting each other while working on Terrence Malick’s ‘Song to Song’, the pair were immediately taken by the city’s bustling small clubs and honky-tonk scene, and the fact that there was always an instrument within reach, always someone to play alongside.
Coming alive in this newly discovered landscape, Colwell and Salisbury formed Sun June alongside Michael Bain on lead guitar, Sarah Schultz on drums, and Justin Harris on bass and recorded their debut album live to tape, releasing it via the city’s esteemed Keeled Scales label in 2018. The band coined the term ‘regret pop’ to describe the music they made on the ‘Years’ LP. Though somewhat tongue in cheek, it made perfect sense ~ the gentle sway of their country leaning pop songs seeped in melancholy, as if each subtle turn of phrase was always grasping for something just out Sun June returns with “Somewhere”, a brand new album, out February 2021. It’s a record that feels distinctly more present than its predecessor. In the time since, Colwell and Salisbury have become a couple, and it’s had a profound effect on their work; if Years was about how loss evolves, Somewhere is about how love evolves. “We explore a lot of the same themes across it,” Colwell says, “but I think there’s a lot more love here.
”Somewhere is Sun June at their most decadent, a richly diverse album which sees them exploring bright new corners with full hearts and wide eyes. Embracing a more pop-oriented sound the album consists of eleven beautiful new songs and is deliberately more collaborative and fully arranged: Laura played guitar for the first time; band members swapped instruments, and producer Danny Reisch helped flesh out layers of synth and percussion that provides a sweeping undercurrent to the whole thing. Throughout Somewhere you can hear Sun June blossom into a living-and-breathing five-piece, the album formed from an exploratory track building process which results in a more formidable version of the band we once knew. ’Real Thing’ is most indicative of this, a fully collaborative effort which encompasses all of the nuances that come to define the album.
“Are you the real thing?” Laura Colwell questions in the song’s repeated refrain. “Honey I’m the real thing,” she answers back. They’ve called this one their ‘prom’ record; a sincere, alive-in-the-moment snapshot of the heady rush of love. “The prom idea started as a mood for us to arrange and shape the music to, which we hadn’t done before,” the band explains. “ Prom isn’t all rosy and perfect. The songs show you the crying in the bathroom,, the fear of dancing, the joy of a kiss – all the highs and all the lows.” It’s in both those highs and lows where Somewhere comes alive. Laura Colwell’s voice is mesmerising throughout, and while the record is a document of falling in love, there’s still room for her to wilt and linger, the vibrancy of the production creating beautiful contrasts for her voice to pull us through.
Opening track ‘Bad With Time’ sets this tone from the outset, both dark and mysterious, sad and sultry as it fascinatingly unrolls. “I didn’t mean what I said,” Colwell sings. “But I wanted you to think I did.” Somewhere showcases a gentle but eminently pronounced maturation of Sun June’s sound, a second record full of quiet revelation, eleven songs that bristle with love and longing. It finds a band at the height of their collective potency, a marked stride forward from the band that created that debut record, but also one that once again is able to transport the listener into a fascinating new landscape, one that lies somewhere between the town and the city, between the head and the heart; neither here nor there, but certainly somewhere. “Karen O” by Sun June from the upcoming album ‘Somewhere‘ out February 2nd, 2020 via Run For Cover Records,
We are extremely happy to be announcing the February 5th release of Sun June’s forthcoming LP Somewhere. “We shot the video out on a Texas Hill Country ranch with a spotlight ranchers use to check on cattle at night (very Texas of us). We thought the stage lights and disco ball helped draw out the connection between feeling an emotion and performing it, both for yourself and others. We got lucky and happened to shoot during a lightning storm, so we went full melodrama with it.”
AustinTexas band Sun June returns with a gorgeous new single, taken from the band’s long awaited second album, coming in early 2021 on Run For Cover + Keeled Scales. “Singing”, which singer Laura Colwell calls, “our groundhog day song”, finds Sun June subtly ushering their distinctive, gently twangy dream-pop into more widescreen, “timeless classic” territory, while retaining all of the comforting warmth and bittersweet wistfulness of their beloved debut. There’s definitely a melancholy, “summer’s over” vibe to the whole thing, but “Singing” ultimately exudes a hopeful, almost anthemic quality, and it’s one of the prettiest things we’ve heard all year. Colwell talks about the song’s relatable themes and its accompanying video, which she directed with bandmate Stephen Salisbury:
“‘Singing’ is our groundhog day song. It’s about being stuck in an old argument with your partner, wishing you both saw the world the same way. The video expands on that idea by cycling through various mundane ruts we can get caught in. We also explore around our Austin neighbourhood, where they’re tearing stuff down and building stuff up.”
The five members of Sun June spent their early years spread out across the United States, from the boonies of the Hudson Valley to the sprawling outskirts of LA. Having spent their college years within the gloomy, cold winters of the North East, Laura Colwell and Stephen Salisbury found themselves in the vibrant melting-pot of inspiration that is Austin, Texas. Meeting each other while working on Terrence Malick’s ‘Song to Song’, the pair were immediately taken by the city’s bustling small clubs and honky-tonk scene, and the fact that there was always an instrument within reach, always someone to play alongside.
“Singing” by Sun June out now via Run For Cover Records
The Fat Angel Sings 