Heartbreaking Bravery

stevenmps2@gmail.com | @steven_mps | @hbreakbravery
April 12, 2017

Pinegrove – Size of the Moon (Music Video)

There were a small handful of great releases to make their way out into the world over the past 24 hours, including great new tracks from Ratboys, Cool American, Harmony Woods, Land of Talk, Bod, YAWN, Jimi Charles Moody, music videos by the likes of Kevin Morby, Hovvdy, Kamasi Washington, Hellrazor, Mt. Wolf, Bill Baird, Laser Background, and a pair of records from Oiseaux-Tempête and Entrail. Still, as good as all those titles were, it’s impossible to compete with the emotional heft generated by documenting a real-life affliction, especially when that documentation’s got the benefit of being set to one of last year’s finest songs: Pinegrove‘s “Size of the Moon”.

While this is, officially, an unofficial video, its also an unforgettable one. Chronicling the fight against Advanced Chronic Lyme’s Disease Monica Arbery — a sister of one of Pinegrove guitarist/vocalist Evan Stephen’s Hall’s friends — is currently waging, the video (directed by Arbery’s brother, Will) is a deeply human look at what it’s like to face down a debilitating disease.

In all of the laughter, all of the tears, all of the dancing, all of the resilience, and all of the strength present throughout “Size of the Moon”, the empathy driving this clip becomes readily apparent and, in turn, makes it an even more powerful document. Remarkable, compelling, and near impossible to shake, “Size of the Moon” gets at the heart of familial love in the face of struggle and makes its case with an abundance of conviction and feeling. Click play and then click over to the medical fund linked below to do something that will yield immediate productive good.

Watch “Size of the Moon” below, pick up Cardinal here, and donate to Monica Arbery’s medical fund here.

Leave a comment
April 12, 2017

Hazel English – Fix (Music Video)

2016 was a very good year for Hazel English, who produced several of the year’s best music videos as well as one of its best EPs. “Fix”, the latest clip from the project, may just be its best yet. Whereas previous videos offered up what were essentially contained (and beautifully shot) travelogues, “Fix” takes a step further with its narrative and instead of isolating the artist, allows for a character study of a relationship.

It’s never exactly clear which stage of the relationship is being documented — most signs point to early — but it’s evident that it’s a healthy, thriving one. Too frequently, especially lately, have videos opted to take an overly-serious route when it comes to these types of studies but director Austin M. Kearns wisely side-steps that temptation to enhance the gentle beauty inherent in Hazel English’s best work, allowing both song and video to enhance each other’s impact in the process.

Ava Shorr’s cinematography also lends an elegant feel to the proceedings, switching between magic hour lyricism and a mid-day vibrancy that renders “Fix” the most colorful — and most impressive — of Hazel English’s increasingly gorgeous music video output. Derek Perlman gives a fine, committed performance as the male lead and Hazel Enligh remains the winsome center. The whole thing comes across as a breath of fresh air and the photography direction stands as some of 2017’s most beautiful in any format. Put simply: “Fix” is worth celebrating as much as its worth watching. Dive in, get lost, fall in love, and curl up in its effortless warmth.

Listen to “Fix” below and pre-order Just Give In/Never Going Home from Polyvinyl here.

3 Comments
April 12, 2017

Diet Cig – Maid of the Mist (Music Video)

To say that the past few weeks have been tumultuous for Diet Cig would be a massive understatement. From an NPR First Listen premiere for their debut album to a conversation-starting Pitchfork review that offered up some scathing criticisms, the duo has seen stratospheric highs and harrowing lows in very quick succession. True to their nature, they haven’t seemed too affected by any of the chaos swirling around their characteristically carefree epicenter.

Even with all of that happening, the duo managed a small but significant triumph in the animated clip for Swear I’m Good At This highlight “Maid of the Mist”. A lot of Diet Cig’s appeal comes down to guitarist/vocalist Alex Luciano’s defiantly optimistic worldview and unfettered sincerity (especially in a time when both of those things are topics of derision for one too many people), a trait that Mazzy Bell wisely plays up in this clip, which also doubles as a lyric video.

From the simplistic animations to the vibrant colors, Bell complements Diet Cig’s aesthetic with ease, rendering “Maid of the Mist” one of Diet Cig’s most representative — if not the most representative outright — offerings to date. It’s a quietly sublime work that coaxes maximum impact out of Diet Cig’s latest career highlight, enhancing its numerous strengths by mining the basics. Playful, effective, and surprisingly striking, it’s a perfectly-timed reminder of why so many people already know this band’s name. If they keep approaching their craft with this much thought, a whole new slew of converts will be waiting just around the corner.

Watch “Maid of the Mist” below and pick up Swear I’m Good At This from Father/Daughter (in conjunction with Frenchkiss) here.

Leave a comment
April 12, 2017

Fazerdaze – Take It Slow (Music Video)

Flying Nun has become an iconic label over the decades thanks largely in part to their commitment to excellence. They’ve shaped the landscape of indie pop through an internationally-felt influence and they continue to unearth and promote spellbinding artists at a seemingly impossible rate. One of the latest of those unlikely success stories belongs to Fazerdaze, a project that’s offering up an introduction-at-large with the retro-minded haze of the clip for “Take It Slow”. Essentially a home movie fused with footage of the band gently pushing their way through the song, it’s an effectively winsome look at an artist that’s clearly worth knowing. Take the plunge and get familiar.

Watch “Take It Slow” below and pick up Morningside from Flying Nun here.

Leave a comment
April 12, 2017

Pale Kids – Holy Mess (EP Review)

Classic rock n’ roll, basement pop, ’90s slacker punk, and bedroom pop are all genres that turn up frequently in this site’s featured selections, so it’d make sense for a record that seamlessly combines all of them into a cohesive whole would wind up being featured too. Enter: Pale Kids’ Holy Mess. A four track EP — the band’s third release since March 2016 — that doesn’t pull any punches and goes straight for the jugular with each swing.

Only one of these songs, “Prayer List”, exceeds two minutes in length. Even then, the song only exceeds the two-minute mark by five seconds. Not everyone needs a lot of time to make their point and Pale Kids make the most of the time they give themselves. All four of these songs land with maximum impact, making their velocity felt and their presence known each time any of them are cued up.

All of the songs deal, in one way or another, with personal failings, turning inward to examine microcosms of the darker things that are commonly felt but rarely publicly acknowledged. It’s in that examination that the band finds catharsis, opting to turn those thoughts into a defiant party and opening the doors to anyone that might be interested. By the time “St. James”, Holy Mess‘ final track and highlight (which offers up the faintest echoes of Jay Reatard‘s later work), winds to a close, it’s best to just give into the temptation of starting it over again from the top, before frantically telling a friend to get on board with their new favorite band.

Listen to Holy Mess below and pick it up here.

Leave a comment
April 12, 2017

Charly Bliss – Black Hole (Stream, Live Video)

Over the past few years, Charly Bliss has been featured on this site with alarming regularity. Of course, no one’s doing a punchy basement pop/bubblegum punk hybrid at anywhere close to their level. And they keep improving. So, if anything, it’s a little shocking they aren’t featured in these confines even more frequently. Their debut full-length, Guppy, is only a week away from release and it marks a moment that’s been more than two years in the making.

Guppy‘s gone through a lot of changes over that time, from track switches to production alterations, and one of the most notable changes occurred with the addition of “Black Hole” (formerly entitled “Bad Box”), a song that started off as a vocal warm-up that featured slightly dirtier lyrics (the opening line remained a constant through all of its mutations). Everything that’s transformed this band into one of the best acts on the market is brought to the forefront in “Black Hole”, from the black comedy of the lyrics to the scintillating guitar work (and razor-sharp composition) and seemingly infinite amount of energy.

“Black Hole”, like every Charly Bliss song, is an immensely thoughtful, characteristically clever beast of a song, ably showcasing each band member’s formidable talents. On top of all of that, though, it’s also endlessly replayable, holding up and revealing new depths several dozens of listens past the initial brush, rendering it the umpteenth song this band’s unloaded that’s both immediately satisfying and carries enough power to sustain a near-shocking longevity. With all of that in mind, it’ll be a genuine shock if Guppy doesn’t wind up delivering on its early promise as a legitimate Album of the Year candidate. Until it’s arrival, though, it’s enough just to keep “Black Hole” on repeat.

Listen to “Black Hole” (and watch the band performing the song live in Minneapolis last year) below and pre-order Guppy from Barsuk here.

1 Comment
April 12, 2017

Blessed – Headache (Stream)

There has been no shortage of scrappy, wiry post-punk in the opening quarter of 2017 but few have been as scrappy, as wiry, or as vicious as Blessed’s “Headache”, a track that brings to mind both forebears like Les Savy Fav and contemporaries like Ought. There’s an unbelievable amount of tension and nervous energy running through the five minutes of “Headache”, which keeps the track compelling, energetic, and surprisingly thoughtful. It’s an intense, insistent song that easily ranks as the band’s finest work. Hit play and hold on tight, “Headache” is a fearsome ride.

Listen to “Headache” below and pre-order the 12″ from Cointoss here.

Leave a comment
April 12, 2017

PWR BTTM – LOL (Stream)

Over the years, PWR BTTM have earned themselves a novella’s worth of praise from this site. Throughout that time, like every great band tends to, they’ve grown considerably better and have managed to fearlessly push themselves in new, unexpected directions. Pageant, by all accounts, is the band’s boldest statement yet and it’s anchored by songs like “LOL”, which may just be their career highlight. While all of PWR BTTM’s songs have a considerable amount of merit, it’s when they’re at their most vulnerable and frail that the impact deepens.

As great and as necessary as their triumphant songs are, the wounded honesty in songs like “LOL” have the kind of vitality that can legitimately save lives. Judging from a handful of stories, reactions, and confessions that the band’s music has prompted from their listeners, that sentiment’s not as hyperbolic as one might think. In this particular case, Ben Hopkins turns the knife inward and offers up an exacting, incisive take on their own identity and the self-discovery that defined that path.

The composition itself ranks among the most audacious of the band’s career, making room for everything from a tasteful horn chart to operatic backing vocals, while Hopkins delivers a deeply felt vocal. “LOL” culminates in a cathartic final sequence that may be the heaviest thing the band’s ever recorded, lending an already-powerful moment even more weight. “LOL” proves the band’s ready and willing to keep moving forward and at the end of the day, there’s not a lot that’s more important than the kind of commitment that requires. It’s difficult to imagine that there won’t be a devoted army of people offering encouragement at every step, with band and audience locked into a cycle of the kind of compassion, empathy, and understanding that the world desperately needs.

Listen to “LOL” below and pre-orded Pageant from Polyvinyl here.

Leave a comment
April 12, 2017

Cende – Bed (Stream, Live Video)

Back when Cende was just starting out, I was fortunate enough to hear some of the early mixes of what would become the band’s first EP, an astonishing work that still only hinted at the depths of the band’s talents. Comprised of members of Porches, LVL UP, Normal Person, and a whole host of others, the quartet’s built up a staggering pedigree over the years. Now, over three years into starting the project, the band’s finally gearing up for the release of their forthcoming full-length, #1 Hit Song, and have selected “Bed” to lead the charge.

A staple of their live set for several years, “Bed” is a startlingly sharp, concise basement pop triumph. Over several conversations with the various band members, Radioactiviy always came up as a big influence and a similar sense of urgency runs through “Bed”, even while it boasts a surprisingly clean aesthetic (both in terms of instrumentation and production). In terms of lyrics, narratives don’t get much more unapologetic in their self-deprecation than the alternating resolutions of the verses, “You’ll be better off when I’m not around” and “You’ll be better off when I’m all alone,” respectively. It’s a deeply human sentiment that grounds the affair and reveals a few bruises in the process. All in all, “Bed” is a powerful opening salvo for what should prove to be one of the year’s best records.

Listen to “Bed” below (and watch the band performing it in the venue where they started) and pre-order #1 Hit Song from Double Double Whammy here.

4 Comments