The previous two posts have fixated on some of the great material from streams and music videos. All that’s left to cover is the full streams of EPs, splits, comps, and full-length efforts that have emerged in the three weeks or so that Heartbreaking Bravery has been on hiatus. Bookmark this page, rifle through the titles on display, and walk away with a handful of outstanding new music. Enjoy.
Just a short while ago, a handful of pieces ran on Heartbreaking Bravery recapping some of the year’s finest first quarter releases. In the time it took to assemble those lists, a fresh slate of songs, music videos, records, and live videos emerged. Tonight’s posts will be dedicated to highlighting the most noteworthy releases of that selection. Starting off with the individual songs category, which was characteristically rich in terms of output over the course of the past two weeks. To that end, here are some of the finest titles to have surfaced in that time. Click around, there’s a little something for everyone. Enjoy.
While all of those deserve all of the listens they’ll inevitably receive (and likely many more), this post’s featured spot falls to one of last year’s most intriguing breakout acts: Dirty Dishes. The project of Jenny Tuite, Dirty Dishes garnered a sizable amount of acclaim for the astonishing Guilty, a brooding record full of sharp-edged post-punk. More than a full year after its release, Guilty‘s retained a significant amount of bite, which winds up lending to the vitality of the recently released clip for “Lackluster”, one of the record’s many highlights.
“Lackluster” coaxes maximum impact out of a minimal setup. The majority of the video consists of psychedelic projection overlays that are intercut with footage of Tuite performing the song in front of that backdrop. In conjuring up an effectively eerie atmosphere — one that’s furthered by the decision to transition between straight-ahead shots and spliced-in close-up footage of the backdrop and what appear to be some outside sources — the clip manages to elevate the song (and vice versa).
Everything here, all of the subtle effects and edits, the song, the pacing, the dynamic approach of the structure itself, work in tandem to create something unforgettable and wholly hypnotic. It’s a masterclass in DIY artistry and a gripping reminder of Guilty‘s staggering power. Jump into the waters and get lost to the waves.
Now that both the songs and the full streams have received the massive overhaul treatment in an effort to get this site caught up to the current releases, it’s time to turn to music videos. A few key videos will be featured over the next few days but that shouldn’t take away from the merits of the clips listed below, which number near 200. Whether it was an outstanding song, concept, or visual presentation, something made the below videos stand out from the endless array of clips that I saw since the turn of the year. Like the previous two posts, there’s absolutely no way that these can be consumed in one sitting. The best course of action would be to simply bookmark this page and explore it at random. Go cra
Now that the 2015 edition of A Year’s Worth of Memories has officially wrapped, it’s time to dive headfirst into 2016. There’s been a long delay in posting due to all of the recurring series and, simply, covering the volume of what’s been released in January, February, and the first few days of March. It’s precisely because of the jaw-dropping amount of material that the next few posts on this site will merely be a collection of links. Since it’d be humanly impossible to get through even a large chunk of this in one setting, it may be best to just bookmark this page and peruse the below list at your own leisure. After all of the single stream, full stream, and music video links lists are up, the focus will shift to a handful of standout releases. Once that’s all been said and done, Heartbreaking Bravery will resume operations as normal.
Explore some of 2015’s excellent early offerings below.
[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.]
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.