Like shoegaze slowed down to half-speed, “There’s a Girl in the Corner” by Scot rockers The Twilight Sad layers and layers chiming guitars and synths to extremely satisfying results. Toss in a well-placed kick-snare combo and lead singer James Graham’s resonant – and delightfully Scottish-sounding – vocals and you’ve got a recipe for semi-depressing success. […]
Kyle Connolly is 23, from Toronto, and very talented. He wrote a bunch of songs, recruited a band to play them and called it WISH. The self-titled debut record is out on August 26 and it’s full of fuzzy psychedelia. I especially like the track below called “Retro Grade”.
In line with Blue’s post below, there seems to be a new wave resurgence going on right now and it doesn’t sadden me one bit. Merchandise are a young band from Tampa, Florida, but you’d believe me if I told you they came out of the UK and released their first record in 1989. I […]
This may be only one man’s opinion, but you can never be too heavily influenced by The Smiths. More, I say! More jangling guitars, more bouncing basslines and more maudlin lyrics, preferably referring to graves! That’s why the new Johnny Aries track, ” The Grave Is My Bed Tonight” is so appealing. Go ahead, try […]
You’d be forgiven for thinking you stumbled into the heady days of the ‘Aughts after hearing the new track from Bishop Allen, “Start Again.” The keyboard drone, the tight snare, the Fountains of Wayne-esque bounce – hell, even the old guys (who look suspiciously like the dot-com founders they are) singing and playing might tempt […]
Moonface is Spencer Krug and sometimes some other people, but mostly it’s Spencer. He’s been in a lot of bands, many of which are still around, including (but not limited to) Frog Eyes, Sunset Rubdown, Swan Lake, Fifths of Seven and Wolf Parade. This new song is spare and sad and eerie. Mr. Krug was […]
“Let You In,” the latest offering from LA/SF fuzzsters Terry Malts, is arguably the most rollicking two minutes you’ll experience this summer that doesn’t require a partner. A little Smoking Popes, a lot of Ramones and all snarl-smiling power-pop goodness, “Let You In” is the first track from the outfit’s new “Insides” EP, which drops […]
Bands rarely sound how you imagine them to based solely on their name, yet Horse Thief is one of those elusive onomatopoeiac groups. I’d expect them to be a country-influenced jangly rock band from Oklahoma (via Denton, TX) and indeed they are! Here’s “Little Dust”, a song I’m liking a lot from their debut album […]
What a gorgeous, haunting song from She Keeps Bees. “Is What It Is” is one of two songs from their new album Eight Houses that features fellow Brooklynite Sharon Van Etten on background vocals. To be honest, I like this song better without the video. My advice: start the video and switch to another window […]
Naomi Punk make angular and exhausting music that emphasizes spartan, assaultive drumming, mysterious chords, and half-buried, yowling/crooning vocals. Their music is unsexy. It does not swing. It’s also completely compelling. Naomi Punk’s songs feel like fever dreams from the mind of an autistic schizophrenic (please note: I am NOT a mental health professional!) trying to […]