29 | October | 2016 | Heartbreaking Bravery

October 29, 2016

The Wisconaut – Dad (EP Review)

the-wisconaut

EDITOR’S NOTE: This series of posts reflects back on some of the best material to be released over the past few weeks. Each post with this heading is a part of this series. After this series has concluded regular coverage will resume.

One of the most effective ways to discover new artists is through the lens of other artists. Petite League‘s Lorenzo Cook was kind enough to provide such an introduction via a recommendation to The Wisconaut, a retro-leaning, punk-tinged basement pop project from a young Wisconsin-based musician. Dad, the project’s latest release, is a two-song EP that quickly demonstrates what makes the project so intriguing; an informed sense of musical history, a reserve of energy, and a commitment to the material, which frequently sounds like a slightly more polished take on the type of music that the Black Lips were peddling over their earliest releases.

Neither “Salt Shaker” or “Pipe Dream” exceed the two-minute mark but both songs come loaded with conviction, feeling, and an infectious lightness. Dipping into a ’50s doo-wop influence and expertly combining in with proto-punk aesthetics, The Wisconaut still manages to find a way to sound decidedly modern. The clever lyrics are well above par, the vocal melodies are earworms all on their own, and each of the songs pack enough power in their running times to start a whole host of parties. Fun, impressive, and surprisingly substantial, Dad‘s does more than enough to make sure that this won’t be the last time the name The Wisconaut is printed on these pages.

Listen to Dad below and keep an eye on this site for more updates on the project.

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October 29, 2016

Walkingshoe – All the Wrong Places (Stream)

walkingshoe

A strange amount of comfort can be found in invoking nostalgia by staying true to trends from decades past. Walkingshoe takes that philosophy to stratospheric heights with “All the Wrong Places”, which combines that approach across multiple decades and congeals those tendencies into an astonishingly coherent whole. ’60s instrumentation, ’70s composition, ’80s excess, ’90s aesthetics, and ’00s manipulation all find fascinating ways to connect on “All the Wrong Places”, leaving the song as a modern day miracle.

Impressively, from second to second, all of the nostalgic points are incredibly malleable. The most dominant frame of reference is likely the slacker pop movement of the late ’90s and early ’00s that found an unassuming figurehead in Ben Kweller. Walkingshoe, while not too far removed from Kweller and his ilk, still comes across as refreshingly new. Bold and unpredictable, “All the Wrong Places” is the sound of a new artist finding an engaging voice. It’s an extraordinary feat and it deserves to be recognized, shared, and celebrated.

Listen to “All the Wrong Places” below and download it here.

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October 29, 2016

The Van T’s – Fun Garçon (Stream)

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Earlier this week, The Van T’s reminded everyone of their formidable strength with the rousing “Fun Garçon”, a sharp blast of pop-friendly basement punk. Scrappy, melodic, and incredibly forceful, “Fun Garçon” brings a shoegaze influence to the forefront and grounds itself with the swirling, reverb-soaked lead guitar line that dominates the proceedings.

Every decision the quartet makes on “Fun Garçon” propels the song forward, sending it blindly hurtling towards an inevitable moment of impact with reckless abandon. Riding a wave of excess adrenaline, The Van T’s draw power from sheer aggression and never look back at the terrain they’ve scorched. Unwieldy and wildly entertaining, “Fun Garçon” finds The Van T’s fully charged and ready for anything. With the momentum they’re building, it’s best to try to get on board, if only to avoid getting absolutely flattened.

Listen to “Fun Garçon” below and keep an eye on Bloc+Music for the November 25th release of “Fun Garçon”.

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October 29, 2016

Splashh – Rings (Stream)

splashh

Every now and then, a relatively unknown band will emerge with a song that makes a whole lot of people sit up and take notice. Splashh’s “Rings” is definitely one of those songs, a taut basement pop number that swings from hard-charging, lo-fi punk to expansive, impressively orchestrated psych-pop on a dime. The former constitutes the verses while the latter transforms the chorus section into a genuine standout moment.

Either would work to an exhilarating degree on their own but in finding a way to fuse them into a successful marriage, Splashh reveal a mixture of ambition, maturity, and fearlessness that can be hard to find. In three and a half minutes, the quartet re-enforces their singular identity and execute complex ideas with a startling amount of confidence and conviction. If this is a decent indication of what we can expect from Splashh’s forthcoming Waiting A Lifetime, expect to be hearing a lot more about that record as the year winds to a close.

Listen to “Rings” below and keep an eye on this site for more updates on Waiting A Lifetime.

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October 29, 2016

Forth Wanderers – Nerves (Stream)

forth wanderers

In a few weeks, Forth Wanderers will release Slop, one of 2016’s best EP’s. “Slop” and “Know Better” have both already found release and been featured on this site and now the band goes three for three with “Nerves”. Opening with an intriguingly ominous guitar figure that sounds like a Morricone sketch, “Nerves” quickly kicks into full gear, affecting the kind of mid-tempo charge that’s quickly becoming the band’s calling card.

For all the starts, stops, frenetic drumming, and dreamlike vocals, “Nerves” never sounds like anything less than a very complete whole. If a lesser band took stabs at a similar approach, the song would likely disintegrate under the complexities. Here, those complexities energize an already incredibly tantalizing song. It’s another casual masterwork from one of the most intriguing emerging acts on the circuit. Dive in and find some casual bliss in navigating its twists and turns.

Listen to “Nerves” below and pre-order Slop here.

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October 29, 2016

Bruising – I Don’t Mind (Stream)

bruising

Last year Bruising very quickly established themselves as a site favorite and they’ve only solidified that status in the time between the release of “Think About Death” and now. Just a few short days ago, the band unveiled the electrifying “I Don’t Mind”, which finds their sound reaching exhilarating new peaks. In full control of their craft, the band leans into a towering, dynamic basement pop anthem leaving nothing but smouldering wreckage in their wake.

In just under three minutes, the band offers up a striking reminder of their preternatural abilities with melody and composition. There’s a sense of ennui but it’s offset by a frantic sincerity that continues to pay massive dividends for the band. Every second of “I Don’t Mind” is impressive and continues to heighten the anticipation for the day the band issues their debut full-length. Until then, “I Don’t Mind” will be on repeat until the other half of the band’s forthcoming single finds release.

Listen to “I Don’t Mind” below and pre-order I Don’t Mind b/w Rest In Peace Kurt Donald Cobain (1967-1994) here.

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October 29, 2016

John K. Samson – Select All Delete (Stream)

john-k-samson

Winter Wheat‘s an extraordinary album that arrived just in time for the weather’s calm descent into desolation. Anyone that’s paid attention to this site’s most recent string of posts will have seen two of the record’s songs — “Virtute at Rest”, the culmination of the shattering Virtute trilogy, and “Postdoc Blues” — covered to great extent. The album’s quietly devastating opener, “Select All Delete”, now joins their ranks.

For more than a decade, Samson has excelled at subverting ballads but “Select All Delete” finds the songwriter operating on a different level. The amount of sheer despair that informs “Select All Delete” feels bold even for someone who has a noted reputation for reducing listeners to tears. From the shuffling brushes on the snare to the defeated vocal delivery, there’s an odd absence of hope in “Select All Delete”, which sets the tone for the rest of Winter Wheat.

In one of the most gorgeous moments of any song all year, a wordless backing vocal swoops in to accentuate the chorus before the whole thing gives way to a spare, somber piano figure. There’s an undeniable elegance that runs through “Select All Delete” that winds up enhancing the sorrow at the song’s center. Over a handful of records, Samson’s never presented a narrator as hopeless and lost as the one that serves as the engine for “Select All Delete”, which makes it all the more effective. It’s a startling development, a breathtaking song, and another moment of delicate perfection from one of this generation’s most gifted songwriters. Hit play and give in to its weight.

Listen to “Select All Delete” below and pick up a copy of Winter Wheat here.

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October 29, 2016

Fred Thomas – Brickwall (Stream)

fred thomas

Last year Fred Thomas released a breathtaking meditation on life, love, and loss in All Are Saved and has been quietly releasing various pieces of music ever since its release. One of those releases was “What Changes When the Costumes Come Off”, which was written specifically for the A Step Forward compilation that marked this site’s 1000th post (and that gesture will have my eternal gratitude).

Now, the acclaimed songwriter returns in earnest with the first look at a fully-formed new record, Charger, by way of lead-off single “Brickwall”. Characteristically wry, lived-in, and wise, “Brickwall” showcases Thomas’ enviable lyrical prowess and skill in composition. Comprised of not much more than a clean guitar tone and anxious vocals, save for what may be the most intense solo in Thomas’ storied discography, “Brickwall” finds the songwriter in rare form.

At every turn, there’s a measure of deep feeling that can be heard even through the rapid-fire barbs that are aimed at just about everyone that surrounds the central character of “Brickwall”. It’s a compelling, fascinating listen and it’s one of the more accessible and immediate songs that Thomas has released. Bold, gripping, and loaded with conviction, and sets a very high standard for Charger. If the rest of the record can live up to this precedent, 2017 will start off on the right foot.

Listen to “Brickwall” below and pre-order Changer here.

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October 29, 2016

Bellows – Thick Skin (Music Video)

House of Nod Productions has earned a lot of praise from this site in the past and their incredible winning streak continues with their latest effort: a rapidly-paced clip for Bellows‘ outstanding “Thick Skin”. One of the many highlights that comprise the Oliver Kalb-led project’s most recent release, Fist & Palm, “Thick Skin” gains even more strenght in its incredible visual presentation.

Combining time lapses, archival footage of nature, nods to the French New Age movement, live captures, and some ridiculously impressive Edgar Wright-esque hyper-editing, the Rob Kolodny-directed clip underscores the swirling, colorful aspects that define Fist & Palm, Bellows’ most exceptional work to date. It’s been a monumental year for the project, which saw their visibility steadily increasing (and included a very gracious contribution to the A Step Forward compilation that marked this site’s 1000th post) and the project’s sound growing increasingly more refined.

“Thick Skin” capitalizes on that chaos with an extremely acute accuracy while still managing to ground the proceedings enough to keep the clip strangely relatable. “Thick Skin” is a constantly shifting whirlwind that never loses a sense of overwhelming poetry, even as it continuously expands outward. Maintaining a remarkably consistent tonality through something that relies that heavy on extremely varied imagery is no easy feat but Kolodny continues to make it seem effortless, coaxing an impressive amount of magic out of an enchanting tapestry.

Watch “Thick Skin” below and pick up a copy of Fist & Palm from Double Double Whammy here.

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October 29, 2016

Minor Victories – Cogs (Orchestral Version) (Music Video)

minor victories

No band this year has managed to string together a run of music videos more astonishing than Minor Victories. “Cogs” and “Folk Arp” both earned featured slots on this site while “Scattered Ashes (Song for Richard)” and “A Hundred Ropes” both appeared in collective round-ups that covered two specific stretches of time. All four of those clips came laced with an electrifying intensity that the band presented in different ways.

“Cogs”, arguably, was the most effective in establishing that intensity, tracking a man fleeing a hooded figure wielding a rifle in a patch of woods. Tension-fueled and riveting beyond measure, the prospect of a follow-up act would’ve been daunting in the hands of less capable filmmakers. In “Cogs (Orchestral Version)”, the concept present in “Cogs” is flipped on its head, as the narrative focal point becomes a murderer coming to grips with his actions.

“Cogs (Orchestral Version)” is part of an upcoming record entitled Orchestral Variations that presents orchestral interpretations of the songs on the band’s impressive self-titled debut. The conceit that lays the foundation for the record taps into an emotive core that winds up emboldening the visuals of “Cogs (Orchestral Version)”, which is the most expansive of the band’s videos to date.

There’s a bleak, daunting story that’s painted in several exquisitely lensed black-and-white frames, capitalizing on the band’s penchant for vivid imagery and meticulous detail. Virtually every shot in “Cogs (Orchestral Version)” is gorgeous and the pain present in the central character becomes increasingly unbearable as the clip asks us to examine, scrutinize, and even empathize with a monster. It’s absorbing, disturbing, and shockingly effective. It’s also one of the best music videos of the year.

Watch “Cogs (Orchestral Version)” below and keep an eye on this site for more information regarding Orchestral Variations.

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