Uncategorized | Heartbreaking Bravery

October 14, 2016

Hazel English – Control (Music Video)

hazel english

Following up the incredibly impressive lyric clip for “I’m Fine” and the incredibly tasteful studio clip for “It’s Not Real“, Hazel English continues an extraordinary run of videos with the gorgeous, Kate Cox-directed clip for “Control”. One of many highlights from the Never Going Home EP, the clip manages to balance retro and modern influences to sublime effect. Softly tinted and saturated, “Control” mostly just follows Hazel English’s central character through a routine day, punctuating moments of carefree joy with glimpses at a well-earned weariness.

By the end of the clip, “It’s Not Real” has managed to construct a world that seems lived-in and just out of reach, playing both to the wistful understatement that frequently defines the project’s songs and Hazel English’s own quiet assurance. It’s a small, miraculous clip dotted with some unforgettable imagery and continues to demonstrate Hazel English’s impressively tight grasp on the visual side of what’s proving to be an incredibly artistic endeavor. By the time the clip winds to a close, it’s nearly impossible to want to do anything other than direct it back to the start and let its spell deepen.

Watch “Control” below and order Never Going Home here.

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October 14, 2016

À La Mode – Total Doom (Music Video)

a la mode

Just a short while ago, À La Mode made one hell of an introduction-at-large with the inspired “Total Doom“, a song that resonated so much it quickly made its way onto this site’s A Step Forward compilation. Now, that song’s received a visual accompaniment. Directed by Steph Kolbuck, the clip finds power in simplicity. Nothing more than a series of artfully-constructed close-ups (with a few two-shots thrown in for good measure) against a rotating cycle of pastel backdrops, the video manages to be a perfect complement to the song.

There’s a sense of damaged romanticism and existential dread running through “Total Doom”, as it brings a mannequin in as the romantic lead. It’s a strong statement and it fits À La Mode’s own quiet sense of strength to an absolute tee. Nearly every frame of “Total Doom” serves as some kind of mirror to the band’s identity, allowing them to clearly establish themselves at the start of what could be a very promising run. If they keep this pace up, by the time they cross the finish, just about everyone will be celebrating.

Watch “Total Doom” below and order Perfection Salad here.

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October 14, 2016

Potty Mouth – Smash Hit (Music Video)

potty mouth

Now that the songs portion of the hiatus has been covered, it’s time to move onto the next of the three major formats: music videos. This post will be the first of five dedicated features to a small handful of the best clips to be released in that specific time frame. First up: site favorite Potty Mouth and their galvanizing “Smash Hit”.

In the Jake Stark-directed clip, the trio makes their way through one of their most humongous songs to date, mugging for the camera and playing in a white room, braving excessive winds and playing through the song with a characteristic amount of conviction. There are some gorgeous shots of the band lounging that are interspersed through “Smash Hit”, which plays up the band’s inherent magnetism to an arresting degree. All three members look like they’re having the time of their life as the clip progresses, rendering it a surprisingly feel-good moment for a band that deserves as many of those as they can wrangle.

By being incredibly stylish without sacrificing an ounce of substance, “Smash Hit” also winds up staking a claim as the definitive portrait of the band, making it a quietly transcendental music video. The joy is infectious and the song’s got enough residual power to linger in listener’s memories long after it winds to its triumphant close. Potty Mouth have weathered a lot over a sterling career and it’s only made them stronger and helped them find their own definition. “Smash Hit” is the current culmination of that journey and a reason to look forward to whatever the band’s got in store for the future.

Watch “Smash Hit” below and download it here.

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October 14, 2016

Cleo Tucker – Call It Tie (Stream)

Girlpool‘s a name that’s been printed on this site with alarming frequency and now the duo’s been actively pursuing solo routes in addition to maintaining the vehicle that brought them national attention. As great as all of the material that Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker have released, both together and on their own, Tucker’s latest, “Call It Tie”, feels genuinely different. A standalone single quietly uploaded to Tucker’s personal bandcamp, the song abandons the minimalist constraints that both Tucker and Tividad have made trademark approaches in favor of a sound that skews closer to Guided By Voices at their most charmingly lo-fi.

There’s an earthly magnetism that propels the surprisingly gnarled “Call It Tie” forward, creating an effect that’s as fascinating as it is breathtaking. It’s an important evolution for one of today’s finest songwriters, demonstrating an aspect of Tucker that was only occasionally allowed to peek through Girlpool’s best work. Dark, eerie, and incredibly downtrodden, “Call It Tie” is a direct pathway to a compellingly fractured psyche, a common trait among great artists. There’s not a moment here, from the hushed vocal delivery to the haunted extended outro, that doesn’t coax out maximum impact. It’s a startling work and proves Tucker’s an artist worth following to the end.

Listen to “Call It Tie” below and download it here.

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October 14, 2016

Kynnet – Tikusta Asiaa (Stream)

kynnet

There’s been debate over whether or not some music can be described as universal. The act of making music is beyond that question, whether the scales skew to the conventions of the West or not, there’s a shared creativity in the act of making music. It’s in that spirit that regularly-held boundaries can be demolished in the pursuit of listening to that music, like language. For example: a lot of Americans won’t understand a word of Kynnet‘s explosive “Tikusta Asiaa” but it still packs enough power to whip a large group of people into a frenzy. Music’s made up of myriad multi-faceted components, which is why it’s not necessary to understand all of them to experience an emotional reaction.

The 95-second “Tikusta Asiaa” boasts a lot of familiar musical hallmarks and draws an astonishing amount of power from those dynamics, throwing a series of punches before suddenly disappearing in a wall of smoke. Kynnet’s been excelling in that type of pop-informed basement and has formed an incredible discography in an impressively short amount of time. “Tikusta Asiaa” is the project’s current crown jewel but at the rate its been going (2016 has seen the release of a 7″ and an EP) it likely won’t be long before it’s overrun by another run of deliriously adrenalized micro-punk. Until then, “Tikusta Asiaa” should be celebrated and played the world over.

Listen to “Tikusta Asiaa” below and keep an eye on this site for more updates on the band.

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October 14, 2016

Affordable Hybrid – Bat (Stream)

affordable-hybrid

As invigorating as it can be to hear a band playing with the idea of genre boundaries, there can be a thrill to be found in perfecting a tried-and-true approach. Affordable Bat take the latter route with “Bat”, an exhilarating, hard-hitting burst of psych-punk. Recalling the work of Thee Oh Sees, the band finds a different, higher gear in the song’s ferocious chorus section. Quick riffs, tempos, and decision-making provide “Bat” with a confrontational identity and the band never loses sight of their convictions while those elements congeal.

Deeply felt and no-holds-barred, “Bat” is exactly the type of song to make people sit up and take notice. In a little over two minutes, Affordable Hybrid make a formidable mark. “Bat” is a song worth owning and Affordable Hybrid’s a name worth learning. Get on board or get run into the ground.

Listen to “Bat” below and pre-order Bat / Roky from Flannel Gurl here.

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October 14, 2016

Monomyth – Puppet Creek (Stream)

monomyth

Every so often a band comes along and quietly subverts genre tropes and winds up producing something that’s both comforting in its familiarity and tantalizing in its difference. Enter: Monomyth. The band’s landed on a formula that siphons out the very best of indie pop, chillwave, and slacker punk and churns it into a cohesive whole. Their latest single, “Puppet Creek”, is a perfect example of this approach. Light in tone and substantial in content, “Puppet Creek” is a work that sounds as grounded as any veteran band while being suffused with a wide-eyed sensibility of a band that’s only just found its place.

It’s an inspired — and oddly inspiring — listen that sets the bar extraordinarily high for the band’s forthcoming Happy Pop Family, which should have the type of wide-ranging appeal to secure the band critical and commercial success. Until we find out sure, it’s best just to leave “Puppet Creek” on repeat.

Listen to “Puppet Creek” below and pre-order Happy Pop Family here.

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October 14, 2016

Casper Skulls – Errands (Stream)

casper-skulls

Over this site’s run, Buzz Records has earned innumerable mentions and very quickly established itself as a site favorite. The label’s showing no signs of slowing down and are continuing to get stronger. The latest proof of this strength is the recent release of Casper Skulls’ excellent “Errands”. A seamless blend of post-punk, shoegaze, and vintage ’90s slacker punk, “Errands” wears its varied influences proudly on sleeve, recalling acts like Pavement and My Bloody Valentine while still managing to carve out an identity of its own.

For as much as “Errands” references — and is indebted to — the past, there’s something quintessentially modern about the ways its balanced. Boasting both a detached cool and a buried, but still-evident drive, the song becomes quietly exhilarating. It’s a deeply intriguing example of how music can gradually, subtly evolve over time and it paints Casper Skulls as a band worth a close watch. As unassuming as “Errands” seems at first glance, the structure, dynamics, and choices the band makes throughout the four-plus minute runtime reveal they’re keenly aware of their craft. It’s a trait that’ll serve them well going forward and could heavily benefit their forthcoming Lips & Skulls, which has a shot at securing the band a whole new row of converts. With as good as “Errands” is, why wait to join their ranks?

Listen to “Errands” below and pre-order Lips & Skulls here.

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October 14, 2016

Forth Wanderers – Know Better (Stream)

forth wanderers

Continuing on with the barrage of posts that feature the best songs from the past two weeks, Forth Wanderers once again return to the spotlight. After delivering one of the years best songs in “Slop“, the title track from their forthcoming EP, the band returns with the equally impressive “Know Better”. A frenetic blast of tempered basement pop, “Know Better” is a song that rewards investment and has the hooks to ensure there won’t be a shortage of return visits.

Every move the band’s been making lately has demonstrated the emerging outfit’s artistic growth and “Know Better” is no exception, highlighting just about everything that’s made them such a celebrated name in very select circles. Expect those circles to get wider over time. Slop is one of the year’s best EP’s and “Know Better” is a small part of what makes it tick while being indicative of the creative space the band’s currently occupying. Don’t miss out on one of 2016’s most welcome surprises.

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

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October 13, 2016

Cloud Nothings – Modern Act (Stream)

cloud-nothings

Two weeks may not seem like that long of a stretch but considering the rate new material surfaces, it can be a challenge to keep up to speed. As the previous posts have indicated, there was a lot of material to cover and not all of it can be granted the attention that its due. A large portion of songs, full streams, and music videos have already been posted but this post marks the beginning of a small onslaught of single-item features. Kicking things off: site favorites Cloud Nothings’ just-released triumph, “Modern Act”.

Once again operating as a quartet, Cloud Nothings seem to have rekindled a very specific spark that’s been dormant since Turning On. In the time that’s elapsed since that point, the band’s been responsible for some of the current decade’s finest records but all of them were gnarled, weary beasts, where “Modern Act” comes across as cautiously optimistic. There’s a lightness to the songwriting that all but evaporated as Cloud Nothings transitioned from a solo project to a full band endeavor.

Even ignoring the distortion and fuzz that so heavily informed Attack On Memory and especially Here And Nowhere Else, which is barely present in “Modern Act”, the songwriting structure seems to have rekindled some more playful sensibilities. Guitarist/vocalist Dylan Baldi remains one of the more engaging narrators currently playing out, anchoring “Modern Act” with the relatable, peculiarly grounded sentiments that have consistently provided the band with a point of appeal.

Drummer Jayson Gerycz remains one of the best things to happen to recent music and propels “Modern Act” with a characteristic amount of intuition, verve, and raw feeling. It provides a perfect counterbalance to Baldi mining the project’s earlier signposts and becomes the perfect catalyst for what could prove to be a career-defining stylistic marriage. Everything the band tries out here works to surprising degrees and “Modern Act” winds up as an unassuming career highlight as a result. If the rest of the band’s forthcoming Life Without Sound winds up being anywhere near this impressive, 2017 will be off to an incredible start.

Listen to “Modern Act” below and pre-order Life Without Sound here.

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