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December 23, 2015

Two Inch Astronaut – Good Behavior (Stream)

Two Inch Astronaut I

[EDITOR’S NOTE: With the site now entering emergency year-end catch-up mode thanks to the cruel, mocking nature of time, tonight’s trio of posts will simply be short reviews of the song(s) in the headline(s) and an accompanying list of tracks that deserve to be heard.]

Two Inch Astronaut have been squarely in this site’s crosshairs since 2014’s inspired Foulbrood, which wound up ranking as one of that year’s finest albums. In February, the band will be following that up with Personal Life, a record that the band’s been road-testing to impressive amounts of applause over the past few months. Apart from the live preview, the band’s now graciously offering up the record’s barbed lead-off single “Good Behavior” as a tantalizing preview of what they’ve got up their sleeve. Once again, there’s a formidable marriage of post-punk, basement pop, and outside hardcore influences to create something that, incredibly, is as accessible as it is complex. Leftield chord voicings collide with an impassioned vocal performance to demonstrate that this band’s only getting better as they go. Hairpin turns, heady arrangements, and a new studio member (Grass Is Green‘s Andy Chervenak) establish this song (and likely this record) as a legitimate behemoth.

Listen to “Good Behavior” below and pre-order Personal Life here. Underneath the embed, explore a list of great songs to have appeared over the course of the last several months.

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ARIGATO MASSAÏ (ft. Fannie Linneros) – We Love
Quilt – Eliot St.
Flowers – Ego Loss
Bandit – Flake
MONEY – I’ll be the Night
Pusha T (ft. The-Dream) – M.F.T.R.
Holy Esque – Silences
PWRHAUS – How I Feel About You
Timber Bones – Travelling Song
Sonya Kitchell – Mexico
Running – Reclaimed Would
Public Memory – Lunar
Eddi Front – Goldie
Atlantic Thrills – Vices
Prawn – Seas
Spring King – Who Are You
TV Baby – Half A Chance
Cassie Ramone – Run Run Rudolph
Eleanor Friedberger – He Didn’t Mention His Mother
Cymbals Eat Guitars – Aerobed
Mammatus – Ornia

1 Comment

December 23, 2015

Casket Girls – Deep Time (Stream)

stardeath

Stardeath and White Dwarfs have gained a lot of notoriety thanks to both their association with The Flaming Lips and a strong discography of their own. Hopefully, some of that recognition ties over to another band they’ve paired up with: Casket Girls. The acts recently teamed up for a limited-run split that’s highlighted by Casket Girls’ arresting “Deep Time”, a haunting meditation on mortality and what makes us human. A swirling layer of feedback, organ, battered guitars, and drones drive the instrumental as a ghostly vocal figure delivering a series of probing questions provide the song’s emotional wallop with a considerable emphasis. Easy to digest and difficult to shake, “Deep Time” taps into something transcendental, providing Casket Girls with an unlikely new career best. Don’t allow this one to pass by unnoticed.

Listen to “Deep Time” below and pick up What Keeps You Up At Nght here. Underneath the embed, explore a list of great songs to have appeared over the course of the last several months.

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The Goon Sax – Boyfriend
Luke Rathborne – Losing It
Moss Lime – Comfy Cotton Shoes
Cold Sweats – Hater Failure
Emma Louise – Undeflow
Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s – Francine
Kiran Leonard – Pink Fruit
The Goldhearts – Here’s the Thing
WALL – Fit the Part
Rare Monk – California
The Brainstems – Simple Joys
Liskka – Keep Me Awake
The Cave Singers – Christmas Night
Pete Astor – My Right Hand
The Shivas – Gun In My Pocket (Revisited)
Prickle – Tell Me Why
Saintseneca – New Coats
Ed Tullett – Ply
Pet Sun – Dark Planet

2 Comments

December 23, 2015

Birth (Defects) – Ascetic (Stream)

One of the people that I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know since starting up this site has been Sean Gray, who- in addition to running Accidental Guest Recordings- has been an invaluable voice in contemporary criticism (especially as a leading figure in the accessibility movement). Easily one of the most knowledgeable figures in post-punk and hardcore, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that his own project, Birth (Defects), absolutely rip. “Ascetic”, the band’s first official single, is a punishing piece of music that has no interest in frills and lands its succession of blows with terrifying precision. Dark, violent, and teetering on the verge of chaos, it’s a captivating first look at a project that already feels as important as it does necessary. High velocity translates to maximum impact and no one’s spared an onslaught that leaves the kind of mark that deserves to be cherished.

Listen to “Ascetic” below and pick up “Ascetic b/w Forged” here. Underneath the embed, explore a list of great songs to have appeared over the course of the last several months.

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Kevin Devine – No One Says You Have To
Our Girl – Sleeper
Sarah Neufeld – The Ridge
Wonky Tonk – Denmark
WALL – Cuban Cigars
Meercaz and The Visions – Kate… Actually
Past Life – Sever Your Love
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Clean Slate
Berwanger – Demonios
The Gonzo Show – Roxy’s Rage
Beverly – Crooked Cop
Heron Oblivion – Oriar
Joseph Sant – Nor’easter
CTM – Escorted/The Road
The Gromble – Real Sympathy
Eugene Quell – London Pollen
Le Rug – 1779
The Post – Easy Way Out
Eight Bells – Hating
The She’s – Cherry Red
The Brainstems – Red Line

1 Comment

December 23, 2015

Mothers – Too Small For Eyes (Stream)

Back in October, Mothers delivered a memorable CMJ set as part of BrooklynVegan’s Baby’s All Right showcase. As promising as the songs contained in that showcase were, nothing hinted at the band being capable of a song like the breathtaking “Too Small For Eyes”, which stands out as one of the most painfully gorgeous numbers of 2015. Aided by a remorseful piano figure and a lilting string section, Kristine Leschper’s aching vocals take on an impressive amount of life. Over the course of its nearly six-minute runtime there are no false moves, just a sustained series of grace notes that push the song towards sublimity. Masterful in both arrangement and execution, “Too Small For Eyes” astonishes as irrefutable evidence of the depth of Mothers’ potential. Elegant and genuinely extraordinary, this is a watershed moment for a band that’s more than ready to be thrust into the spotlight.

Listen to “Too Small For Eyes” below and keep an eye on Grand Jury Music, who will be running the pre-orders for When You Walk A Long Distance, You Are Tired in early 2016. Underneath the embed, explore a list of great songs to have appeared over the course of the last several months.

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Kississippi – Greyhound
Low Cut High Tops – Good Day
Youth Lagoon – I’ve Seen
Takénobu – Curtain Call
Casanovas In Heat – Jaded
Stove – Lowt-Ide Fins
The Both – You’re A Gift
Burnt Palms – Fold
Lil BUB – New Gravity
SWMRS – Figuring It Out
Baroness – Shock Me
Franesca – Sanity
Parlor Walls – Birthday
The Body – Shelter Is Illusory
The Echo Field – Is He Gone
Garrett Klahn – Are We Alright?
Frameworks – Time Spent
Hinds – San Diego
Death Index – Dream Machine

2 Comments

December 23, 2015

Lucy Dacus – I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore (Stream)

lucy dacus

Sometimes a song comes along from an artist you’ve never heard of and lays you flat. “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” was one of those songs for me, a determined exploration of identity from Lucy Dacus that’s laced with a self-flagellating venom. Even in the midst of its own internal cruelty, though, its aspirations are commendable and showcase a startling drive. Singular, memorable, and incredibly endearing, “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” was one of the brightest musical moments of the past several months. If it’s any indication of what Dacus has in store, the songwriter may just emerge with one of 2016’s most celebrated collections.

Listen to “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” below and keep an eye on this site for more from Dacus in the future. Underneath the embed, explore a list of great songs to have appeared over the course of the last several months.

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The Weasel, Marten Fisher – Talkin’ Like You (Two Tall Mountains)
Thee Oh Sees – Fortress
Big Putts – Prism
Copperfox – War Horse
Slow Culture – Hoax
Ulrika Spacek – She’s A Cult
Sudakistan – You And Your Way
Washer – Figure Me Out
Littler – Not My Market
Stardeath and the White Dwarfs – What Keeps You Up At Night
Bryce Dessner – Imagining Buffalo
Mass Gothic – Nice Night
Sioux Falls – Soaked In Sleep
Johnny Gallagher – Two Fists Full
The Besnard Lakes – The Plain Moon
Florist – The Birds Outside Sang
The Starting Line – Anyways
Public Access TV – Here Come The Bells
Pinemen – That Certain Flavour

3 Comments

December 23, 2015

Bruising – Honey (Stream)

One of the finest emerging bands of 2015 has been Bruising, an act whose origins can be traced back to a Perfect Pussy shirt. While they’re steadily building momentum to what promises to be one of the more anticipated debut full-length efforts in recent memory, the slow stream of songs they’ve been releasing have merited a great deal of excitement on their own. Earlier this year, the act unveiled “Emo Friends” the A-side of their latest single, which saw them refining the things that helped them stand out. In the time elapsed since this site last covered single streams, the band released the b-side to that single, the propulsive “Honey”.

Built around incendiary guitar work and another compelling vocal performance from Naomi Baguley, the song exemplifies the band’s impossibly charming aesthetic. There’s some menace buried in a shoegaze-informed basement pop track that feels improbably light. Nearly paradoxically, there’s also some real weight to be found in “Honey”, thanks to the scathing lyrical kiss-offs and the hard-charging instrumental section. In all, it’s another triumphant effort from a band that’s already established themselves as a site favorite only a few songs into their career.

Listen to “Honey” below and pick up “Emo Friends b/w Honey” here. Underneath the embed, explore a list of great songs to have appeared over the course of the last several months.

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Luxury Gbg – Strand
Bilge Rat – Jon Puked Last Night
Halfsour – Porch Sittin
Little Star – For Goth Easter
Living Hour – Seagull
Washer – Pet Rock vs. Healing Crystal
Soft Fangs – The Air
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – Nobody Dies
La Sera – High Notes
The Dirty Nil – Zombie Eyed
Telepathic – Suit to Fit
Kal Marks – Dorothy
Pinkshinyultrablast – The Cherry Pit
Half Japanese – Hold On
The Foetals – The World Isn’t That Big
Way Out – Arrival
Acid Fast – Just Grin
Thom Fekete – Treason
The Castillians – Piggy in the Middle
Casket Girls – Western World
Massenger – Cristal Animal

1 Comment

December 23, 2015

Bad Wig – Bad Wig (EP Review, Stream, Live Video)

[EDITOR’S NOTE: With the site now entering emergency year-end catch-up mode thanks to the cruel, mocking nature of time, tonight’s trio of posts will simply be short reviews of the album(s) in the headline(s) and an accompanying list of records that deserve to be heard.]

Earlier this year Bad Wig were still flying underneath the banner of The Midwestern Charm. Just after signing to Texas Is Funny, member departures and an accompanying shift in style facilitated a name change and the band’s not showing any desire to look back. All of that tumultuous internal terrain’s somehow translated into propulsive momentum and Bad Wig‘s the proof. “Stargazer“, a song that predated the name change and merely existed as a demo for The Midwestern Charm’s principal songwriter, Connor La Mue.

Despite being unattached to any project at the time, “Stargazer” earned a mountain of praise from this site while foreshadowing what was to come. The band’s now a trio and La Mue and fellow Midwestern Charm member Ryan McCrary now share vocal duties, each bringing a fiercely engaging approach that suggests they’ve been spending a lot of time picking up cues from the neighbors in Midnight Reruns and (especially) Tenement. Lo-fi, battered, and gritty as hell, this demo EP- released as a limited-run cassette- is one of 2015’s finest releases.

Listen to Bad Wig below and pick it up here. Below the embed, explore some live videos of the band performing songs from the EP and a collection of some of the best full streams to surface over the past several months.

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Pouty – Take Me To Honey Island
Vicky Speedboat – Two Years No Basement
☺- Boosegumps
Kississippi – We Have No Future, We’re All Doomed
Pool Holograph – Mortals
See Through Dresses – End of Days
Daddy Issues – Fuck Marry Kill
Adir L.C. – Oceanside Cities
Nigel Hall – Ladies & Gentleman…
Soldiers of Fortune – Early Risers
Crusher – Demo
Intertwine – Goraikoo
chipmunkson16speed – Sludgefest
dæphne – Full Circle
Daniel Menche & Mammifer – Crater
Penny Lame – Penny Lame
Busdriver – Thumbs
Go Deep – Influence
S.M. Wolf – Neon Debris
Keita Juma – Nights In Space A Short Film
KwolleM – Mellow
High Bloom – Haloed
Granny – Egg

3 Comments

December 23, 2015

Milk Crimes – Milk Crimes (EP Review, Stream)

[EDITOR’S NOTE: With the site now entering emergency year-end catch-up mode thanks to the cruel, mocking nature of time, tonight’s trio of posts will simply be short reviews of the album(s) in the headline(s) and an accompanying list of records that deserve to be heard.]

Every so often, a band explodes onto my radar by virtue of a simple email message and thoroughly captures my attention. Milk Crimes are one of these bands and their explosive self-titled EP, which recalls a number of acts from the impeccable Reeks of Effort roster at their most manic (while still clinging to the frantic pop sensibility that serves as one of their more defining elements).

Milk Crimes is comprised of five vicious punk-tinged basement pop numbers, each one barreling headfirst towards some unplanned destination. The trio trades vocals at will and are unified in their determinedly scrappy approach as individual musicians, conjuring up something that feels exhilarating because of the constant looming threat that it’ll all fall apart at any minute (yet never does). Wildly energetic and abrasively confrontational, it’s one of 2015’s finest hidden gems and deserves a lot more discussion than it’s getting. Get on board.

Listen to Milk Crimes below and pick it up here. Below the embed, explore a collection of some of the best full streams to surface over the past several months.

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Sevdaliza – Children of Silk
Rubber Bang Gun – Making A Fool of Myself
Fórn + Yautja – Split 7″
Nervous Trend – Shattered
Val Hollie – Val Hollie
Total Abuse – Excluded
Ashland – Ashland
Bethlehem Steel – Docking
Lysol – Demo
Correatown – Embrace the Fuzzy Unknown
Jacobus – Jacobus
Goldmund – Sometimes
100% – Incantation
The Empty Gestures – Total Collapse
Z Tapes’ Christmas Benefit Compilation
Emily Yacina – Soft Stuff
The Just Luckies – Same Kids, Same Things
PC Worship – Basement Hysteria
Petal – Raspberry Cough
Skaters – Advent Calendar
Marvelous Mark – Crushin’

2 Comments

December 23, 2015

PURPLE 7 – Garden Eyes (Album Review, Stream)

purple 7

[EDITOR’S NOTE: With the site now entering emergency year-end catch-up mode thanks to the cruel, mocking nature of time, tonight’s trio of posts will simply be short reviews of the album(s) in the headline(s) and an accompanying list of records that deserve to be heard.]

Not too long ago, PURPLE 7’s extraordinary full-length debut was discussed in of one of these pieces thanks to album standout “Wise Up“. Shortly after that piece ran, the whole record wound up ranking highly in this site’s year-end list. The band’s already followed up that scintillating effort with another full-length that scales back some of the frenetic energy but ups the impact value.

From “Company” on, Garden Eyes throws a bevvy of punches, landing blows with rapid succession. Most songs on the record hover around the two minute mark and the trio makes the most of their already-established basement pop dynamics. There’s a new bent to the proceedings that feels more rooted in classic rock n’ roll records than the band’s preceding material but it suits them well. Every song hits its mark and ensures PURPLE 7’s position as one the more beloved acts on the DIY punk circuit. Garden Eyes is just another generous gift.

Listen to Garden Eyes below and pick it up here. Beneath the embed, explore a list of some of the best full streams to have appeared over the past several months.

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Good Night Gold Dust – Good Night Gold Dust
Ernie – Dog Park
Sunn O))) – Kannon
Baby Bry Bry – The Way Things Was
Polyon – Blue
Stainless Steele – Escapism
Snuff Refux – Besides You
The Rashita Joneses – Bang Bang! Lasagna
The Brainstems – No Place Else
No Rudio / No Noise (Compilation)
The Spook School – Try To Be Hopeful
The Foxymorons – Fake Yoga
Churchyard – Churchyard
Isabel Rex – American Colloquialisms/Two Hexes
Arizona Landmine – When Will I Ever Learn
Pinemen – Pleasant Pain
WASHA – The Bright Part II
Junk Boys – Junk Boys
Living Decent – Do What Makes You Brave
Gobichild – Never Stops
Nice Hooves – The Gall

1 Comment

December 21, 2015

Patio – Patio Songs (Demo Review, Stream, Live Video)

As 2015’s progressed, a handful of people I’ve been fortunate enough to know have come out swinging with intriguing musical projects. Two projects that immediately jump to mind are the no-holds-barred Kodakrome and the seductively noir-ish Patio. I was fortunate enough to host some of Loren DiBlasi’s writing in the first A Year’s Worth of Memories and have been consistently struck by the prevalent thoughtfulness of her many other pieces at places like Impose and MTVNews.

A similar thoughtfulness courses through Patio’s music, which finally found an official release via a two-song demo that was released at the end of October, right around the time this site’s regular coverage went on an extended hiatus. There’s a very palpable sense of history on display in both “luxury” and “air j” which echo shades of everything from post-punk pioneers like The Gun Club and The Birthday Party to contemporaries like Big Ups.

Lindsey-Paige McCloy takes on the bulk of the band’s vocal duties, effortlessly conjuring up an air of subtle mystique while the band’s rhythm section (made up of DiBlasi on bass and Alice Suh on drums, both of whom also tackle an occasional vocal part) keep everything grounded. Everything’s played for maximum effect and is exceedingly impressive in terms of atmosphere, thanks in large part to the band’s understanding that post-punk generally functions best when it scales itself back.

Part of the success of the band’s minimalist approach lies in their gift with understatement; when McCloy and DiBlasi trade vocal leads on “luxury”, it never feels anything less than casually supportive (the polar opposite of the traded vocals dynamic on The Libertines). After Patio Songs immediately announces its voice in the shrugging, half-detached, tragicomical “luxury”, Patio flashes some formidable pop sensibility in “air j”, which evokes the very best of ’90s alternative radio and caps a very worthy introduction to one of 2015’s most promising new acts. Don’t be surprised if they wind up making the slacker punk soundtrack of next summer.

Listen to Patio Songs below, watch a pair of videos of the band playing their first show, and pick the demo up here. Underneath the embeds, explore a list of other great full streams to have appeared in the past few months.

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Le Rug – Game Over
Goth Babe – Fuzz Ghost
Dick Stusso – Nashville Dreams/Sings the Blues
Globelamp – The Orange Glow
Palm – Trading Basics
Sheer – Uneasy
Soggy Creep – Drag the Well
Noun – Throw Your Body On The Gears And Stop The Machine With Your Blood
The Dictaphone – Hazmat
Three Man Cannon – Will I Know You Then
Zanders – Buried Men
Swings – Sugarwater
Big Hush – Who’s Smoking Your Spirit?
Slight – Hate the Summer
Eugene Quell – I Will Work The Land
Marriage + Cancer – Killjoy b/w Nothing’s Wrong When Nothing’s Real
Addie Pray – Screentime
Failed Mutation – See You Tomorrow
Kindling – Galaxies
Wrekmeister Harmonies – Night of Your Ascension
Miya Folick – Strange Darling

4 Comments

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