Heartbreaking Bravery

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Tag: stream

May 12, 2017

Lost Balloons – Numb (Stream)

Over the first four days of this week Grim Streaker, american poetry club, Hazel English, Ben Kastner, Wyatt Blair, Chastity Belt, See Through Dresses, Leather Girls, Big Thief, Clairo, The Baby Shakes, Terror Watts, and unhappybirthday have all unleashed outstanding songs. They weren’t the only ones, either. Lost Balloons joined in on the fun with the typically excellent “Numb”.

A project comprised of The Marked Men/Radioactivity‘s Jeff Burke and Blotto/Suspicious Beasts‘ Yusuke Okada, Lost Balloons excels in acoustic-driven basement pop, retaining all of the urgency, bite, and melodic sensibilities of the duo’s earlier projects and shaping into something less overtly aggressive. “Numb” is a perfect example of this formula, its energy seeping through the softer trappings and proving to be as infectious as anything in either songwriter’s discography. Hook after hook proves to be sharp and as soon as its over, there’s already an immediate instinct to go back to the beginning. Trust that instinct, hit repeat, and let the cycle wear itself out years down the line.

Listen to “Numb” below and pre-order Hey Summer here.

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May 11, 2017

Bent Denim – Diamond Jubilee (EP Premiere)

Very few music videos that have appeared as features on this site have resonated like Bent Denim’s “Good Night’s Sleep“, which remains a deeply affecting viewing experience. That song was a very strong highlight of Romances You, a record great enough to leave those of us that heard it eagerly awaiting a follow-up. Today, the band delivers on the promise of that record in kind by way of their new EP, Diamond Jubilee.

A name taken from a roadside casino the band spotted during a detour they took while traveling to attempt to sneak into Fort Maccomb (best known for its appearance at the end of True Detective’s first season), Diamond Jubilee ignores easy flash in favor of something far more substantial. As early premieres from Stereogum and GoldFlakePaint seemed to indicate, Diamond Jubilee continues the band’s penchant for rich narratives and melancholic atmospherics.

Both “All My Friends Are Dead” and “Miss You, Kid” were both fairly well-covered at the time of their release and it’s easy to see why. Each of the EP’s opening two tracks conjures up something warm and familiar, carrying a tinge of wistful nostalgia while both emphasizing and accentuating a much deeper emotional pull. Lo-fi elements converge with much bigger ideas and coast along a middle ground that brings out the best of each side. Tender melodies wash over the listener and then disappear into the sand, leaving a faint imprint that carries the promise of a welcome return.

As strong as both “All My Friends Are Dead” and “Miss You, Kid” are, the back stretch of Diamond Jubilee is what transforms the EP into one of the year’s best. From the opening piano figure of “False Leads to Dead Ends” to the gentle cadence of “Daisy” to the title track’s hazy epilogue, Bent Denim continues the most sublime stretch of their catalog to date. Those final three songs lead into each other seamlessly, strengthening the transcendental effect Bent Denim’s capable of producing when they’re at their best and, make no mistake, Diamond Jubilee is the most remarkable work of their career.

Heartrending and heartbreaking in equal measure, Diamond Jubilee finds Bent Denim hitting their stride. In collaborating with Young & Sick‘s Nick van Hofwegen, who contributes backing vocals across the record, the band also opens up their sound ever so slightly, taking it to breathtaking heights. Largely a sobering meditation on everything from conflicting ideologies to facing down mortality, Diamond Jubilee winds up being inexplicably moving. Unassuming and unforgettable, Diamond Jubilee is an EP worth holding onto long after its final notes ring out.

Listen to Diamond Jubilee below and keep an eye out for its official release tomorrow.

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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 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

Great Grandpa – Teen Challenge (Stream)

Last week there were great new songs from Wren, The High Curbs, Pat Keen, Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs, Interlaken, Cool Ghouls, See Through Dresses, Suntrodden, Dave Catching, Eerie Gaits, and KU that made their public debut. Great Grandpa also resurfaced with the incredibly impressive “Teen Challenge”, ensuring that a whole lot more people would be learning their name. In 2015, the band made some waves with the excellent “Mostly Here” but have been fairly quiet since that point. “Teen Challenge” ends that silence in spectacular fashion.

Coming in advance of their forthcoming Plastic Cough, the band’s forthcoming debut full-length, “Teen Challenge” is a pitch-perfect window into the band’s particularly enticing grunge-pop aesthetic. Muddied tones, sunny melodies, a wildly erratic bridge, and a breathtaking grasp of dynamics elevates “Teen Challenge” from simply being another piece of gloriously ragged ’90s revivalism into something that borders on a transcendental catharsis. One of the year’s more explosive songs, “Teen Challenge” is the perfect setup for what looks to be an astonishing record. It’s an insistent storm of feeling that resonates long after its played itself out.

Listen to “Teen Challenge” below and pre-order Plastic Cough from Double Double Whammy here.

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May 1, 2017

Palm – Walkie Talkie (Stream, Live Video)

Over the course of the past week The Moonlight Love, The Shivas, Four Star Riot, Holy Oak, The Nickajack Men, NØMADS, Baby Guru, BNQT, Juiceboxxx, Rosie Carney, and Adopted Highways all unveiled strong new tracks. Palm also surfaced with the standout “Walkie Talkie”, which has been a staple of the band’s live show for years and still stands as their career highlight. Frantic, complex, invigorating, and inventive, “Walkie Talkie” is Palm firing on all cylinders with no hesitation and no remorse.

Oscillating between various riffs and figures — both vocal and instrumental — at a furious pace, “Walkie Talkie” takes aim and hits its mark, repeatedly, bludgeoning it into oblivion. It’s an incendiary piece of work from one of the most obscenely talented emergent bands and it’s the type of track that needs to be heard to be believed. Palm’s set to make a whole new slew of converts in the wake of “Walkie Talkie” and it’s hard to imagine they’ll be content with stopping; “Walkie Talkie” is a warning shot and it goes a long way in underscoring the notion that Palm seems destined for deadliness.

Listen to “Walkie Talkie” (and watch the band tear through the song at DBTS in 2015) below and pre-order Shadow Expert from Carpark here.

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May 1, 2017

Two Inch Astronaut – Play To No One (Stream)

A week ago The Mountain Goats, Marcus Norberg and the Dissapointments, Single Mothers, ShitKid, Mountain Movers, Chemtrails, Matthew Sweet, Mankind, Nathan Oliver, The Golden Dregs, and Celebration all offered up fascinating new tracks. Two Inch Astronaut joined their ranks with the explosive “Play To No One”, one of the best individual efforts of what’s becoming an extremely formidable discography. Skewing closer to powerpop than virtually anything the band’s released so far, “Play To No One” reveals just how deep Two Inch Astronaut’s pop sensibilities run and provide a fascinating context for their older material.

All of the elements of post-punk, post-hardcore, and all of their other niche facets are still present but instead of being the focus they’ve been relegated to supporting roles, transforming “Play To No One” into something verging on cathartic. It’s both a release and a bold new direction from a restless act that’s not afraid of subverting expectations. One of their most unlikely, triumphant, and meticulously crafted songs, “Play To No One” winds up among the most impressive works of 2017’s first half. Let it play and hit repeat.

Listen to “Play To No One” below and pre-order Can You Please Not Help from Exploding In Sound here.

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May 1, 2017

Daddy Issues – Locked Out (Stream)

Last week Palehound, Jason Isbell, Quin Galavis, Bent Denim, Wilder Maker, Jeff Rosenstock, Debbie Downer, Agent blå, Kane Strang, The No Ones, and Sløtface all unveiled great new tracks. Another great song came from Daddy Issues, who continue to get better with every step. “Locked Out”, the band’s latest, is a new career highlight for the trio and offers up a whole lot of reasons to get very excited about the band’s future.

A mid-tempo number that gains impact as it goes, “Locked Out” is a restrained work from a band that’s frequently their best when they’re at their most frantic. Instead of going to that well, they find a whole new depth of impact by relying on brute strength. Conjuring up a formidable amount of power with both the song’s composition and the self-aware narrative, “Locked Out” finds Daddy Issues hitting the exact right notes. Putting “Locked Out” over the top is the adventurous solo section, which proves the band’s willing to take the type of risks that could transform them into a much more recognized name. If Daddy Issues continue to make these types of decisions, it’ll be hard to argue against them being a legitimately great band.

Listen to “Locked Out” below and pre-order Deep Dream from Infinity Cat here.

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April 27, 2017

Cende – What I Want (Stream, Live Video)

A week or two ago, a handful of great songs found their way out into the world. These included tracks from Terror Watts, Benjamin Booker, Soul Low, Jodi, Baby!, Crushing, Art School Jocks, Buildings, Spencer Radcliffe & Everyone Else, Lusid, and Lauren Ruth Ward. One of the tracks to make a significant impact came in the form of Cende‘s “What I Want”, which follows the gorgeous “Bed” as the release of the band’s forthcoming #1 Hit Song inches closer.

Masterfully composed and precisely executed, “What I Want” loses none of its drive but gains a tender sheen thanks to the backing vocals from Frankie Cosmos‘ Greta Kline. Cameron Wisch, Cende’s bandleader and principle songwriter, conjures up an airy atmospheric that Kline fills to perfection. When Kline’s vocals kick in for the first time, it’s a genuinely breathtaking moment, buoyed by a string arrangement that straddles the divide between sweet and melancholic beautifully, perfectly accentuating Kline’s contribution.

Following Kline’s verse is a bridge that demonstrate the band’s sheer talent, veering between power and innovation with ease. Staccato blasts are met with orchestral dissonance and the song transforms from a modest run into a seething behemoth before falling away to silence. It’s final segment, a volume swell that brings “What I Want” roaring back to life for a brief moment, is the final stroke of genius in what firmly stands as one of 2017’s most captivating releases, reaffirming that every second of “What I Want” is worth exploring.

Listen to “What I Want” (and watch the band run through the song at CMJ 2015) below and pre-order #1 Hit Song from Double Double Whammy here.

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