Heartbreaking Bravery

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May 11, 2017

Crushing – Crushing (EP Review)

During the back half of last week, a small collection of great full streams surfaced from artists like Wooden Wand, Max Gowan, Us Weekly, Piss Test, Gnarwhal, Hour of the Time Majesty Twelve, and HOTKID. While all of those were compelling listens that deserve no shortage of time or attention, it was Crushing‘s self-titled EP that made an impression deep enough to secure this post’s featured slot.

The songs that teased Crushing may have piqued some interest but now that the EP’s finally arrived in full, it’s fair to say that it wildly exceeded expectations. From the onset of EP opener “Oi Jealousy”, the band delivers with a combined level of confidence, conviction, and articulation that’s hard for most seasoned bands to possess. Each one of these basement pop tracks is razor-sharp, utilizing the genre’s history to its advantage. Whether it’s the incorporation of both dream-pop and powerpop aesthetics on “Sleeping Bag” to the bedroom pop trappings on “Telling Lies” to the more straightforward punk styling of “Oi Jealousy” and “Emery Board”, the band runs the gamut of what’s come to shape basement pop.

Everything works, no matter how many angles the band pulls from or at, managing to congeal those influences into a coherent whole that’s significantly more powerful than its individual parts. By the time it’s all over and the smoke’s cleared, it’s hard not to want to go straight back to the beginning and put a match up to the powder keg for one more explosion. One of 2017’s most unexpected surprises, Crushing is an incredible work from a band that’s carved out a strong identity. Both the band and their self-titled effort should stand as examples of 2017’s finest.

Listen to Crushing below and pick it up here.

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May 11, 2017

Lydia Loveless – Desire (Stream)

Before last week drew to a close, its final days offered up a large handful of excellent tracks from the likes of Oxbow, Superorganism, Girl Ray, Catch Prichard, Elder, Thunder Dreamer, Knox Fortune, The New Rebecca, Sleep Party People, Joey Agresta, Husky, OHME, Ultraviolence, and Kelly McFarling. Thankfully, that run of days also had something else up its sleeve: Lydia Loveless‘ “Desire”, a powerful entry into the acclaimed songwriter’s discography that was paired with a surprisingly gripping take on Justin Bieber’s “Sorry”.

Several years have passed since Lydia Loveless’ emergence and, time and time again, the songwriter’s proven to be one of today’s most formidable talents. Each of Loveless’ past handful of releases have been met with a heavy amount of anticipation and the songwriter’s still finding ways to surprise. Case in point: Desire b/w Sorry. While the gripping Justin Bieber cover constituting the B-side has been rightfully receiving a lot of press, “Desire” has been — somewhat unfairly — overshadowed, which is a shame because it ranks as one of the finest entries into Loveless’ increasingly impressive discography.

“Desire” is a swirling mix of aggression, melancholy, Southern rock, Americana, country, and punk-tinged rock n’ roll. In short, it’s one of Loveless’ most definitive songs. Shot through with the songwriter’s unmistakable voice, world-weary wit, and fierce power, it’s a five and a half minute reminder of Loveless’ seemingly innumerable strengths. Each decision, from ornate guitar figures to vocal sustain to the characteristically gritty instrumental tones, all serve a higher purpose rendering “Desire” an exhaustively complete work. “Sorry” may be the icing on the cake but “Desire” more than earns its place as the main attraction.

Listen to “Desire” below and download Desire b/w Sorry here.

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May 11, 2017

The Last Dinosaur – Atoms (Music Video)

Last week’s front-half came loaded with solid material and the back stretch proved to be just as strong, if not stronger. Outstanding songs from High Sunn, Jason Loewentstein, Milk, Sharkmuffin, Romantic States, Midday Swim, Walrus, Chris Bathgate, Abram Shook, Sebastian Blanck, Hikes, Daudi Matsiko, Wavves, Tim Woulfe, and Mount Song all made their way to the surface and each one brought something exhilarating to the table. Today’s feature falls to a separate format, shifting the focus back towards music videos: The Last Dinosaur’s atmospheric “Atoms”.

Occasionally, a video will surface from an act that’s not known and wind up having the power to freeze blood. It’s not something that happens often but it’s something that happened with The Last Dinosaur’s muted, elegiac clip for “Atoms”. Comprised of a seamless compilation of other people’s discarded Super 8 footage, the clip takes a deeply personal angle as the song, a hushed meditation on mortality and other limitations, underscores each frame with devastating clarity. Ambient, folksy, and more than a little haunting, it’s an unforgettable clip from an artist proving to be fully capable of taking the next big step. Watch it before it fades away.

Watch “Atoms” below and download it here.

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May 11, 2017

Cloud Nothings – Enter Entirely (Music Video)

The last half of last week turned up a handful of great music videos from the likes of Japanese Breakfast, Starcrawler, Adult Mom, gobbinjr, Black Lips, Boogarins, Honus Honus, Gillian Welch, Tiny Eyes, Pallas, Walter Martin, Littler, and Sprinters. As always, there was a range of innovation present in those clips and each of them is well worth watching. Another chance to take a look back at one of 2017’s best records so far — Cloud Nothings‘ Life Without Sound — proved too tempting and the featured slot fell to the long-time site favorites.

Following the release of 2011’s Attack on Memory, Cloud Nothings have released a small handful of critically-acclaimed, widely-adored records that kept them on the road and continuously pushed the band to evolve. Life Without Sound, their most recent effort, found them bridging the band’s history for their most definitive release to date. One of the several highlights on that record came in the form of “Enter Entirely”, which has just been a deep-saturation, nostalgia-drenched visual presentation. Simple, effective, intuitive, and surprisingly absorbing, it’s just another indication that the band’s going to continue making the exact right moves as they careen forward through what looks to be an impressive — even important — career.

Watch “Enter Entirely” below and pick up Life Without Sound here.

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May 2, 2017

Hoop – To Know Your Tone (Stream)

As another day recedes in the rear view mirror, it’s time to take stock of the goods it provided. There were excellent tracks from The Drums, B Boys, Gold Class, Us and Us Only, Loco Ono, Turtlenecked, Institute, and an unreleased demo from Ultimate Painting. Music videos were well represented by strong pieces that sprung from the likes of The Geraldine Fibbers, The Coathangers, Nick Hakim, Tiny Hazard, HOTT MT, and Daniel Martin Moore. Bringing everything to a nice close were full streams from The Wisconaut, Emperor X, and Sophie Sputnik.

While all of those, as always, are more than worth the time anyone’s willing to invest, today’s featured slot goes to Hoop’s arresting “To Know Your Tone”, from their forthcoming Super Genuine, which features a vocal assist from solo artist Allyson Foster. In a brief explanation of the inspiration for the song’s narrative, lyricist Caitlin Roberts offered the following: “To Know Your Tone” is about the power of asking for support and receiving support, and what it’s like to listen deeply to someone you don’t know very well but empathize with strongly. It’s about allowing tears to fall on the desert of isolation. 

A perfect summation of the humanism that’s always been at the core of Hoop’s music, the explanation goes a long way in explaining the overarching message of “To Know Your Tone” but what really elevates the song is the composition. Muted, hushed, nervous, and aggressive, “To Know Your Tone” benefits from an incredibly dark tone, providing both a contrast and a context to the song’s empathetic narrative. Allyson Foster delivers the vocal with a committed certainty, consumed by the song’s inherent power.

Appropriately, Foster stepped in to sing the song when Roberts lost her voice, underscoring the message of “To Know Your Tone” to an eerie perfection. Hoop — not to be confused with Hoops — and Foster work in tandem perfectly, complementing each other’s sensibilities with ease. The end result of their collaborative effort is both a tribute and testament to the very power of collaboration and the beauty present in asking for and receiving help. A gripping meditation on therapeutic connections, “To Know Your Tone” is also one of the year’s most quietly affecting tracks.

Listen to “Know Your Tone” below and pre-order Super Genuine from the band here.

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May 1, 2017

Steady Lean – Bandages + Some Better Somethin’ (Stream)


Photograph by John Michael Ferrer

Today was a great day for new releases, ushering in compelling songs from Bloody Your Hands, The I.L.Y’s, Land of Talk, Peeling, R.G. Lowe, and Twinsmith. There were also strong efforts to be found in the music video department, courtesy of artists like Beach Fossils, Heavy Heart, and The Charlatans. Rounding everything out were outstanding full streams from the likes of Buildings, Harmony Woods, Trophy Dad, The Broken Hearts, and Walter Martin. Most of those releases got a very strong push from at least one well-known outlet, while the excellent new online single from Joe Gutierrez’s solo project turned full band Steady Lean flew under the radar.

Over the past few years, Steady Lean’s sound’s been carefully cultivated and refined, morphing from simplistic bedroom folk trappings to a sound resembling some of the forward-thinking punk-tinged Americana artists like Fraser A. Gorman and Kevin Morby.  Bandages b/w Some Better Somethin’ keeps that trend very much alive, showcasing Steady Lean at their most raucous. “Bandages” serves as both a solid introduction for the pair of tracks and as an introduction-at-large for those unfamiliar with Steady Lean. An agreeably gritty, energetic number “Bandages” showcases Gutierrez’s growth as a songwriter.

Humorous stabs of tongue-in-cheek couplets are mixed with salient insight and a rambling narrative with ease, bringing to mind a coterie of songwriters who are frequently considered as all-time greats. “Some Better Somethin'” picks up where “Bandages” left off, again allowing Gutierrez to interject both a sense of world-weariness and urgency into the proceedings. It’s a solid pairing, each track complementing each other in minuscule ways and forming a greater whole. By far the project’s most exciting release to date, Bandages b/w Some Better Somethin‘ is bound to leave listeners eager to discover what might be laying just around the corner.

Listen to Bandages b/w  Some Better Somethin’ below and pick it up from the band here.

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May 1, 2017

Grim Streaker – Guts (Music Video)

A lot of great bands released fascinating new videos last week, including New Swears, Sufjan Stevens/Bryce Dessner/Nico Muhly/James McAlister, Thelma, Rostam, Peaness, and Hater. Grim Streaker was another one of those acts, providing their standout “Guts” — which this site pegged as one of early 2017’s finest songs — with an appropriately ferocious music video. Stephen Venezia’s direction provides “Guts” with all of the relentless immediacy and punishing nature it deserves, wisely centering the clip on the band performing. Shot in black-and-white widescreen (with white borders), it’s visual aesthetic is incredibly appealing and the band prove to be magnetic subjects. For all of its feral tendencies, “Guts” also winds up being oddly empowering, transforming it into a bone-rattling call to take direct action to pursue the things worth pursuing. Watch the video to get galvanized and let the song ring out as that journey’s soundtrack.

Watch “Guts” below and pick it up from the band here.

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May 1, 2017

Siobhan Wilson – Whatever Helps (Music Video)

Last week Amber Arcades, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Offlaga Disco Pax, Teen Daze, and Kaleidoscopic Horse all released great music videos. Emergent artist Siobhan Wilson also managed to turn in an arresting clip for the equally arresting “Whatever Helps”. Directed by Alistair Ogilvy and comprised of low-grade film footage that switches between a yellow-soaked hue and stark black-and-white, “Whatever Helps” is given an unnerving face that accentuates the song’s intrinsic uncertainty.

Incredibly dark in tone but deeply empathetic in delivery, “Whatever Helps” firmly establishes itself as one of 2017’s most gripping tracks and the video only heightens that arresting nature; it’s impossible to look away from something so unapologetic in its intimacy. Bruised and disconcertingly knowing, it sets a memorable tone for Wilson’s forthcoming There Are No Saints. If the rest of the material on the record lives up to “Whatever Helps”, it’ll be one of the year’s most unlikely — and most welcome — standouts .

Watch “Whatever Helps” below and pre-order There Are No Saints from Songs, by Toad here.

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May 1, 2017

Algiers – The Underside of the Power (Music Video)

A week ago Fresh Snow, Wilding, The Great Albatross, YUNG, Heaven, CHIMNEY, and Happyness all released compelling music vidoes. Algiers was another one of those acts, returning with the characteristically powerful “The Underside of Power”, drawing once again from an acute understanding of history on both a micro and macro scale and incorporating that knowledge into something as aggressively resilient as it is familiarly sorrowful.

It’s the type of narrative and vision that Henry Busby and Marcus Tortorici bring to vivid life in the direction for the video for “The Underside of the Power”, aided by the intuitive lensing of Anthony Carella. Incorporating public domain footage of the Civil Rights Movement lends the video an air of immediacy, pushing the intensity levels to dangerous levels. Intensity has always been a key component of Algiers’ calling card and “The Underside of Power” doesn’t disappoint, significantly heightening the anticipation for Algiers’ forthcoming record of the same name.

Watch “The Underside of the Power” below and pre-order the record from Matador here.

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May 1, 2017

Heather Woods Broderick – Home Winds (Music Video)

Last week, there were great videos to emerge from some reliably excellent camps, like those of Ty Segall, Grandaddy, Sam Craighead, Damn Jackals, Forest Swords, Jacky Boy, and Molly Nilsson. Another artist to offer up a new clip was Heather Woods Broderick, whose knack for the format hasn’t gone unnoticed. Broderick’s latest, a clip presented as a tie-in to the fascinating Home Winds project, boasts gorgeous cinematography and direction from Jeffrey Rowles. A characteristically majestic song from Broderick plays over the nature-heavy footage, giving “Home Winds” an appropriate sense of sweeping grandeur. Quiet, meditative, and gentle, it’s hard to shake but even harder to want to shake at all, leaving “Home Winds” as another in a string of Broderick’s unassuming triumphs.

Watch “Home Winds” below and order a copy of Home Winds here.

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