Heartbreaking Bravery

@heartbreaking_bravery | heartbreakingbraveryllc@gmail.com | @hbreakbravery

Tag: EP stream

July 18, 2016

don’t – forget it (EP Review)

dont

July’s continued to bring out quality full streams in full force and the last few days of this week were no exception, bringing about worthy titles from Pre Nup, Yeesh, and The Saxophones as well as a Disposable America mixtape that’s directing all of the proceeds it earns towards the Pulse Tragedy Community Fund. As always, all of those titles should be more fully explored than time here allows and stand as highly recommended listens. Joining them in that regard is this post’s intended feature, the outstanding debut release from don’t, the cheekily-titled forget it.

Both the pop-punk and bedroom pop genres have been at their absolute best when they’ve proven to be subversive, opting out of merely imitating their expected beats. forget it succeeds in bridging the two genres by virtue of that type of subversion and becomes an unlikely standout in the process. In four short tracks, don’t offer up a variety of familiar points and then sets about demolishing their construction.

Whether it’s the synth that erupts at the chorus of “ambiguous” that transports the song into unexpected territory after a standard pop-punk build or the intense, sharp left forget it takes for its closing ballad, “your head”, that unexpectedly turns over the vocal lead and dramatically altars the momentum of the EP before exploding into a sort of euphoria, the band refuses to cater to an easy or predictable route.

Throughout it all, forget it remains deeply compelling not only by the virtue of its choices but in large part to the purity of the music it offers. Nearly every track’s narrative is populated and defined by some type of longing and elevated by its instrumental explorations. There’s not a moment on forget it that feels anything less than overwhelmingly honest and it draws a considerable amount of power from its sincerity.

In approximately 11 minutes, don’t  go from being an unknown entity to one of 2016’s most exciting — and most promising — new acts. Don’t be surprised to see a quick succession of converts fiercely latching onto the band following this release or to hear their name come up in conversation a lot more readily. With a start this promising, it’s very easy to have a tremendous amount of hope for the future of music. Before that point hits, we should just be grateful to have been gifted such an incredible soundtrack for the ride.

Listen to forget it below and pick it up here.

1 Comment
June 17, 2016

Emily Yacina – A Curse (Music Video)

emily yacina

As the work week approaches its end, new material finds its way out into the world. This Thursday boasted intriguing new songs from Lina Tullgren, Peter Broderick, TERRY, Reality Something, No Joy, and Alexandra Savior. Moonface and Siinai, Private Victories, Grubby Little Hands, and The Blind Pets all released compelling new music videos. Full streams posted an impressive cast of entries as well, including new records from Soccer Mommy, Mikey Erg, Great Barriers, VHS, and The Dove and the Wolf. While, as ever, all of those are worthy of multiple revisits, it was a music video that slipped through the cracks earlier this week that ultimately wound up with this post’s feature spot.

Emily Yacina has built a career out of reveling in a comforting softness, conjuring up tantalizing beds of sound and enveloping the listener with the blankets. There’s an inherent warmth in her work that becomes effortlessly inviting while simultaneously creating a pull that stems from a deceptive emotional intricacy. The Sophie Savides-directed video for “A Curse” — which is gorgeously lensed by Kelly Jeffrey — capitalizes on all of those elements with an enticing precision.

Opening on a shot of a forlorn Yacina in a bathtub set against a clinically white backdrop, the camera draws closer, slowly pulling us into her world. Two vases of flowers adorn that backdrop, offering signs of life that soon blossom as the perspective switches to Yacina’s POV which reveals that she’s submerged in a milk-like liquid that single flowers populate. Another perspective shift and the flowers are suddenly everywhere, as a wellspring of noises calmly enter into the track.

Yacina captivates throughout, delivering a startlingly poignant performance that speaks to her abilities as both a composer and a performer. As the clip progresses, the sincerity in Yacina’s songwriting grows clearer as she bravely conveys every emotion that carries “A Curse” with a poise that seems effortless. Eventually, the camera pulls back out in a cyclical reveal that underscores the pained loneliness that informs the narrative of “A Curse” in a moment of reserved devastation.

Overall, “A Curse” is a deeply felt, elegant entry into Emily Yacina’s already impressive body of work. Open, honest, and incisive, it’s perfectly demonstrative of what can be achieved with an idea, a strong team, and a wealth of conviction. In that sense alone, it’s inspiring. What makes it worthwhile extends beyond its underpinnings to its execution. “A Curse” is exceptional at every turn and winds up being a definitive portrait of a formidable artist. After a dip into “A Curse”, it’s proving to be nearly impossible to work up the resolve to leave.

Watch “A Curse” below and pick up Soft Stuff here.

Leave a comment
June 9, 2016

Future Biff – I Crashed Your Car (EP Review)

Geronimo!

Hellrazor, Phooey! (a.k.a. ФУИ), Mumblr, Yung, Leapling, Wavepool, Spit-Take, Amy Klein, Wilt, Modern Rituals, In School, Pkew Pkew Pkew, Morgan Elizabeth Heringer, Vogue Dots, Liquids, Wild at Heart, Summer Peaks, Hand Grenade Job, Young Moon, Oneirogen, Cucumbers, Trinkit, and  the second Dumpster Tapes Monster compilation comprised one of the most impressive multi-day hauls of full streams that’s happened in quite some time. However good all of those titles were, none of them could have prepared many for the sudden emergence of Future Biff, a new Chicago act that features all of Geronimo! (pictured above) along with Meat Wave‘s Ryan Wizniak.

Nearly all of Future Biff contributed to the 2015 edition of A Year’s Worth of Memories, a fact that has literally no bearing on the assessment of their unexpected, extraordinary I Crashed Your Car EP. The band’s fronted by Geronimo! keys man Ben Grigg, whose also been putting out incredibly compelling solo work as benjamin783 and who handles bass duties as well as vocals for this release, which immediately ensures that Future Biff won’t be a retread of the band that left a crater-sized hole in this site’s heart after hanging up their cables last year.

Opening with the rousing “Built To Last”, Future Biff teases that they’ll be a much different kind of beast than Geronimo!, providing emphasis on both a strong melodic sensibility, grounded basement pop compositions, and swirling, feedback-laden chaos. Only “Redline”, I Crashed Your Car‘s jittery final track, passes the two and a half minute mark, allowing the EP to be a blazing force of pure destruction. All five of the songs seem surprisingly purposeful, undoubtedly aided by the benefit of having a joint drumming attack anchored by two of the finest percussionists on the circuit.

Even with all of the singular talent involved in Future Biff, the project feels like it belongs to Grigg, whose long had a penchant for writing sharply intuitive, scrappy punk-tinged basement pop. It’s a trait that shines through I Crashed Your Car with an emphatic abundance. Fiery, propulsive, and unavoidable, Grigg steers the band through the carnage of one of 2016’s finest EP’s with a demented smile. Give in or get out of the way.

Listen to I Crashed Your Car below and pick it up from the band here.

1 Comment
May 20, 2016

Hollowtapes – Tall (EP Premiere)

hollowtapes

Back in April, “Broken Car Radio” managed to raise a lot of eyebrows after its Stereogum premiere. The song was an enigmatic wonder, from an act that seemed poised for a breakthrough. After digging through the works of Francis Shannon, the person masterminding the Hollowtapes project, the reasons for that poise began to fall into place. Shannon’s been steadily improving as an artist for several years now, jumping from one project to the other with an impressive amount of grace and a very clear, ascending trajectory. “Broken Car Radio” was the culmination of Shannon’s work and has become — and will likely remain — Hollowtapes’ most formidable small-scale calling card.

The Tall EP, the release that houses the miraculous “Broken Car Radio”, is now just around the corner. In addition to that song’s awe-inspiring scope and masterful blend of bedroom pop, shoegaze, basement pop, and traces of noise. It’s in the latter element that Hollowtapes finds its most defining characteristic; many of these songs are built with beautiful, almost pastoral foundations but it isn’t until they’ve become warped by intentional damage that they start feeling singular. It’s a trait that Tall wields like a weapon, battering the purity that lies at the root of each of these four  songs until they sound comfortably lived-in and surprisingly warm.

“Strange City” finds that damage accelerating its scintillating guitar sections, which see the song transforming into a fire-breathing, riff-heavy monster while the ensuing song, the release’s easygoing title track, finds the damage embedded into its very heart, materializing in both the song’s compelling world-weary lyricism and its slow-building instrumentals. All of the release up to that point is so overwhelmingly inviting that by the time Tall‘s climactic, towering closer kicks up, the running time of the EP hasn’t been felt and there’s a very strong desire for more; everything is so expertly nuanced, produced, and paced that just four tracks winds up coming across as a tease, albeit a spectacular one.

It’s in the final track that Tall finds its most definitive notes and a decisive final note, allowing the EP to stand firmly as a complete entity. Everything falls into place so neatly in “Nerve” that its tempting to say Shannon has perfected the Hollowtapes formula. From the astonishing dynamic range to the song’s palpable sense of gritty, personal determination, it’s a work that instantaneously creates an indelible impression. Just as importantly, “Nerve” allows Tall to complete its very serious bid at being an unlikely classic, ending an awe-inspiring run of material that shouldn’t be ignored.

Bruised, gorgeous, and relentlessly its own, Tall is the kind of release that deserves a spot in any serious music collector’s library. With the EP, Shannon establishes the Hollowtapes project as a serious force and takes a swing at the fences. Fortunately for all of us, Tall connects emphatically and arcs high enough that one wonders if it’ll ever come back down. It’s an exhilarating new era for one of today’s most intriguing emergent acts, make an effort to keep up and the rewards promise to be breathtaking.

Listen to Tall below and pre-order the EP here.

1 Comment
May 16, 2016

Charly Bliss – Ruby (Music Video, Live Video)

Charly Bliss LIV

For well over a year now, this site has been anxiously anticipating — and meticulously tracking — the release of Charly Bliss‘ debut full-length. Easily one of the most heavily featured bands of these pages, the quartet’s finally offered up the first glimpse at what will be a viable Album of the Year contender. Before diving too much further into that piece of pop confection, though, it’s worth noting that for one of the first times all year, Heartbreaking Bravery is back on pace with the breaking release cycle.

To that end, these posts will resume including the most notable releases in individual streams, full streams, and music videos. Today saw the release of great new songs from Toys That Kill, The Velveteins, Sudakistan, Andy C. Jenkins, and Sonny & The Sunsets, while Blessed, Thin Lips, and Angel Du$t unveiled their respective records. Capping things off were a trio of music videos from ultraviolence, Turnover, and, of course, Charly Bliss.

Ever since the release of the band’s exhilarating Soft Serve EP — a very real early contender for EP of the Decade — the band’s been on the cusp of greatness. The band’s full-length debut, whenever it finds release, will go a long way in re-affirming the band’s undeniable talent to those already in the know or convince a whole new host of converts that they’re one of the most exciting bands on the planet. “Ruby”, one of many breathless runs through hard-charging, cleanly-produced basement pop, has now emerged as the record’s lead-off single.

In every instance I’ve been fortunate enough to catch the band running through the song, guitarist/vocalist Eva Hendricks has introduced the song with an almost-giddy “this song’s about my therapist!” Hendricks’ forthright honesty imbues “Ruby”, and the bulk of the band’s work, with a palpable sense of both wonderment and charm. Part of what makes Charly Bliss’ music so intriguing is that any projected innocence is routinely cut through with something much darker, a trait that the Andrew Costa-directed clip underscores beautifully by bringing out the song’s most jolting line (“passed out on the subway with blood in my hair”) and then in the video’s nightmarish finale.

“Ruby” is far from being defined by gloom, most of the clip’s an open-hearted ode to public access television (specifically siting the 1984 Ralph “Whistler” Giese clip from Kelly & Company in the music video’s premiere piece for The AV Club). Every member of the band turns in endearing performances as the clip rapidly scans through a series of entertaining cliches. The editing work throughout is strong, hitting its best moment with a perfectly-timed kick from bassist Dan Shafer, and “Ruby” never devolves into chaos or loses its identity despite the overwhelming amount of material brought into focus.

All in all, “Ruby” creates a solid hook for the band’s upcoming release while effortlessly tapping into the band’s oddball identity. Their humor’s tinged with the slightest hint of pathos, grounded in an unflinching reality that the band’s more acutely aware of then they sometimes let on. It’s an invigorating preview of what could eventually come to be regarded as a genre classic, landing a breathtaking series of grace notes that announce the band is more than ready to officially arrive.

Watch “Ruby” below and keep an eye on this site for an inevitable slew of updates on the band’s forthcoming full-length debut throughout the year. Beneath the official clip, watch a video of the band performing the song last year as part of Father/Daughter’s Northside showcase.

–

5 Comments
May 14, 2016

Faye – Faye (EP Review)

faye

Over the past few days, the site’s main focus has been getting back up to speed on the year’s most current releases. To that end, this post (and each of the four posts that will shortly follow) will include a quartet of notable releases from the past few days. This time around, those releases are full streams that came from the following artists: Bird of Youth, Braids, Mutual Benefit, and a split EP with two great sides from Naps and Yikes. It’s Faye, once again, who claim the featured spot.

The trio’s gearing up to release their debut EP and their early offerings have already managed to make a very serious mark. Faye‘s closing two tracks, “Chow Chow” and “Ancient Bones” have already been praised on this site. Those two tracks constitute an extraordinary finale that set very high expectations for the rest of the EP. Fortunately, the opening trio of tracks lives up to the exceptional promise that “Chow Chow” and “Ancient Bones” all but flaunted.

“Yellow Canary” kick things off with a spiky, hook-laden mid-tempo run through some grunge-leaning post-punk. “Teacups” and “Vowels” follow suit, with each establishing their own set of very distinct characteristics. For as specific as Faye’s tastes run, it would’ve been easy for the band to fall into the trap of repetition. Instead, each track on Faye registers as a standout by virtue of being so clearly defined in their separation. It’s a remarkably nuanced and startlingly mature piece of work from a young band. Expect very big things for their future (and play Faye as loud as possible).

Listen to Faye below and pre-order the tape from Tiny Engines here.

2 Comments
May 13, 2016

Plush – Please (EP Review)

plush

Editor’s Note: There’s been a month-long gap in coverage, thanks to near-incessant travel and other extenuating circumstances. The following run of posts that contain this note will be posts that should have appeared sometime within the past several weeks. Use these posts as an opportunity to catch up to the present release cycle or to simply discover some new music. Either way, enjoy.

Not a long of bands have captured my attention this year as quickly as Plush. “Sheer Power” landed them in this site’s’ 50 Best Songs of 2016’s First Quarter list. Every piece of additional material that’s come out of the band’s camp since the release of that song has proven to be irrepressibly winsome. The quartet takes cues from the best of shoegaze, basement pop, surf, noise, post-punk, and dream-pop to conjure up music that has an inherently majestic sweep.

Each of the five songs that comprise Please, the band’s latest EP, are tinged with some of the characterizing qualities of epics, from the seemingly limitless scope to the penchant to sound as if their music is hopelessly reaching skyward, grasping at impossible boundaries. All five coalesce into a release that occasionally resembles a spiritual journey more than a traditional music release. By the time “Sheer Power”, the EP’s penultimate track, hits its apex, the band’s nearing the transcendent.

“Fixes” provides the EP’s smokey epilogue and ultimately cements its standing as one of 2016’s most extraordinary releases (so far), to the point where predicting Please will surface again in the year-end mentions doesn’t even feel like that bold of a prediction. Please is exceptional in just about every measurable sense and the band executes it flawlessly. Here’s hoping it gets the kind of glowing reception it deserves.   

Listen to Please below and pick up the tape from Father/Daughter here.

1 Comment
May 13, 2016

Lady Bones – Terse (EP Review)

Lady Bones II

Editor’s Note: There’s been a month-long gap in coverage, thanks to near-incessant travel and other extenuating circumstances. The following run of posts that contain this note will be posts that should have appeared sometime within the past several weeks. Use these posts as an opportunity to catch up to the present release cycle or to simply discover some new music. Either way, enjoy.

A lot of words have been printed on this site that focus on Lady Bones and a large reason for that attention can be attributed to the band’s continuing improvement. Even from the onset, the band was releasing music that stood out (and it stood out for all the right reasons). Throughout the past few years, they’ve grown more assured in their own identity and have sharpened their dynamics considerably.

By committing more fiercely to their menacing aggression and penchant for discordant noise while retaining their more melodic sensibilities, they’ve carved out a space for themselves in a scene that’s overflowing with tremendous acts (a handful of which share many of the trio’s tastes in composition and approach). Terse, Lady Bones’ latest EP, is their strongest effort by a noticeable margin.

The EP’s opening two tracks, “Weight” and “Ice Cream“, have already been granted write-ups on this site and set a very high bar for the EP’s ensuing trio of tracks. “Horror”, “Age”, and “Don’t Call Me Sassy” all live up to that formidable challenge. A few of them even manage to surprise with a few of their choices with “Horror”, especially, demonstrating the band’s growth as a unit. By the time the frenetic attack of “Don’t Call Me Sassy” fades into the ether, Terse stands confidently as not just one of the band’s proudest moments but as one of the most formidable releases of the first half of 2016.    

Listen to Terse below and pick the cassette up from Midnight Werewolf here.

1 Comment
May 13, 2016

Dogheart – Real Mood (EP Review)

dogheart

Editor’s Note: There’s been a month-long gap in coverage, thanks to near-incessant travel and other extenuating circumstances. The following run of posts that contain this note will be posts that should have appeared sometime within the past several weeks. Use these posts as an opportunity to catch up to the present release cycle or to simply discover some new music. Either way, enjoy.

Now a handful of releases into their career, Dogheart continue to steadily improve and Real Mood is the current culmination of that improvement. Restrained basement pop that packs a serious amount of punch exists squarely in this site’s pleasure center and Dogheart have been releasing gems for that particular niche genre for the past three years. While a lot of those recordings have been impressive, the band’s staked out a strong footing for Real Mood that feels just a little bit stronger.

Everything Dog Heart tries out over the course of these six tracks works, usually they’re subtle flourishes that wind up unifying Real Mood. The EP also works, and was clearly conceived, as a whole. While individual songs could be stripped out for mixtapes and retain their power, packaged together they each become more powerful. What’s most surprising about the EP is how understated and grounded its songs wind up being, adding a layer of intrigue that readily invites returns.

Real Mood is a strong collection of songs that stealthily gain impact, creating the kind of pull that’s hard to ignore. It’s an impressive feat and it transforms Real Mood from what could have easily been a relatively minor release into something that registers as important. Don’t miss out on the party.

Listen to Real Mood below and pick it up from the band here.

1 Comment
May 13, 2016

Major Leagues – Dream States (EP Review)

major leagues

Editor’s Note: There’s been a month-long gap in coverage, thanks to near-incessant travel and other extenuating circumstances. The following run of posts that contain this note will be posts that should have appeared sometime within the past several weeks. Use these posts as an opportunity to catch up to the present release cycle or to simply discover some new music. Either way, enjoy.

Major Leagues have been quietly perfecting their own distinct take on jangly basement pop for a few years now and Dream States stands as their most definitive statement to date. After a certain amount of time playing together, great bands begin to develop the kind of chemistry that sets them apart from both their peers and the bands who have only just begun emerging. Dream States sees that chemistry in full bloom as one near-perfect song gives way to another, leaving behind a realistic possibility that Dream States may come to be regarded as a minor classic.

Every individual piece that’s on display throughout the EP’s all-too-brief run registers as a standout, teasing potential flawlessness until the very last seconds (and then leaving you wondering if that it was something the band actually achieved). Each of the six songs that comprise Dream States are intelligently composed, dynamic, accessible, and immediate. None of them fall apart when placed under heavy scrutiny and they each make enough impact to leave a lasting impression and linger long after they’ve ended.

Dream States is an astonishing release that should go a long ways in ensuring Major Leagues experience a (well-deserved) growth in terms of name recognition. It’s a listen that’s unlikely to grow stale anytime soon and one that all but guarantees return trips. The EP rewards investment but doesn’t necessitate it, which will likely leave the entire affair as a remarkably agreeable release among a very large section of people. Bright, charming, and brilliant, Dream States is the kind of release that should still be receiving praise well into the next few years.   

Listen to Dream States below and pick it up from the band here.

1 Comment