Heartbreaking Bravery

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Tag: classic

May 15, 2014

The Rich Hands – Teenager (Stream)

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It’s been far too long since a Burger band’s been covered on here in something other than a Watch This feature, which is a damn shame because they’re still the flagship label for scrappy DIY basement pop bands and cassette culture. Luckily, The Rich Hands are here to right this wrong. Their sophomore effort is entitled Out of My Head and it’s full of gnarled pop jams. Burger’s gone ahead and shared one of the best from this release, “Teenager”, on their soundcloud. It’s an all-out blitz of a tune that comes inflected with OG punk undertones, from the snotty, simplistic melody straight through to the tuff guy exteriors, it’s a well-informed earworm that closes itself out with a perfectly placed half-time transition. Be prepared to hum this one to no one in particular for the next few days.

Listen to “Teenager” below and get to the nearest party as soon as possible.

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April 18, 2014

Reigning Sound – Falling Rain (Stream)

Over the span of their existence and an extraordinary discography, Reigning Sound have carved out a place in the contemporary musical landscape that seems fated to wind up as One of America’s Great Forgotten Rock Bands only to be rediscovered years down the road by crate-diggers who will have no idea what they’re in for. Of course, the band does have a strong foothold in certain circles and anyone that owns even one of their records (Time Bomb High School and Home for Orphans are both outright classics) knows that they’re a genuinely great band. Those fortunate enough to find themselves involved in those circles will undoubtedly do their best to pass down this music to the next generation. However, there are times when being overlooked for so long can be tiresome or grate the wrong way in the grand scheme of things, especially from a label standpoint, so a round of applause to Merge for putting their faith in this band and signing them ahead of the July 15 release of Shattered.

Both the band and the label have offered up the first taste of Shattered with “Falling Rain”, a song that exists squarely in the band’s sweet spot. There’s a sense of familiarity, a warm analog crackle, and Greg Cartwright’s masterful songwriting and inviting persona driving “Falling Rain”. It’s another entry in the band’s catalog that feels like it could have been a lost hit from virtually anywhere in the span of the last 40 years or so. That particular brand of timelessness is always an impressive thing to be able to boast and it’s where Reigning Sound have made their home over the course of their career. Cartwright’s already proven himself to be one of this generation’s best songwriters and “Falling Rain” is only further proof of his enviable command over both composition and personality. Hopefully Merge’s support carries this band from a best-kept secret to a household name. There are few bands that deserve that transition as much as Reigning Sound does.

Listen to “Falling Rain” below and discover (or rediscover) one of America’s best bands.

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