Western Scene wastes no time getting things going on their self-produced new track “Strange but True.” It’s a hit right on the mark from this Los Angeles-based quintet, a true gem packed with immediacy and power. This exertion of energy is contained well enough during the verses and then bursts out like a rush of water cascading from a failed dam. Check it out below:
Emerging from Athens, Greece, rock band Afformance cook up a tune for the ages with “Perspectivism,” an instrumental put out this past fall in accordance with the release of their record Pop Nihilism. “Perspectivism” is a display of sensational rhythm and chemistry among gifted performers. The beginning of the track possesses all the suspense of a Hitchcock film, as it sets in slowly but surely with the guidance of pounding drums and an atmospheric backdrop. Around a minute into the track, a lively melody encased in beautiful tones picks up. The music video below emphasizes how layered and coordinated the track is. The band separately unveiled the album Music For Imaginary Film #1 at the same time as Pop Nihilism.
Montreal-based alternative rock group The Moonlight Club have presented quite the treat with their new single “Are You Up?” The track conjoins folk undertones with the marvels of new wave and pop. This engagement of sounds has all the hallmarks of certain top-shelf acts of decades past, like The Go-Betweens or Echo & The Bunnymen. Listen to “Are You Up?” below.
The latest offering from Car Seat Headrest’s reputable catalog is more pop-oriented than most anything Will Toledo and the band have put out in past years. Whereas a good amount of their surrounding output has a foundational punk edge or overarching touch of influence from whimsical indie rock precursors like The Kinks, “Nervous Young Inhumans” has a dancefloor-ready sheen. Nonetheless, the essence of Car Seat Headrest–the thought-provoking lyrics, the energy–is still perfectly intact. The song will appear on the group’s upcoming album Twin Fantasy (Face to Face), a re-recording of their similarly titled 2011 album. The record is the follow-up to Car Seat Headrest’s critically acclaimed 2016 release Teens of Denial.
Massachusetts-centered indie post-hardcore trio Idle Pilot present musical expression in full force on their new tune “So-So Sam,” released through Head vs. Heart Records. The band expertly mixes elements of Built to Spill’s melodic propensity with Slint’s calculated abrasiveness labeled a part of their pioneering “math rock” style. Idle Pilot delivers this engrossing sound in economical form, this new single lasting just over two minutes, which seems to fly by even faster, surely a result of the fun listening to it provides. The band’s impending album Animals & People, on which “So-So Sam” will appear, is due out on Jan. 26.
San Diego’s Ditches provides a deep-rooted and brooding track to muddle through the long winter nights with. “Fear Shifter” takes shape by way of gently listless vocals, dynamic guitar lines, and steadfast drum work to hammer home an emotional complexity that spans the gamut. The brainchild of seasoned musician Tim Donnelly, Ditches takes on a complex perspective that’s both omnipresent and deeply individual all at once, hinting towards a storied career of honing the songwriting craft. From his angst-ridden punk beginnings to now, Donnelly has settled somewhere in the indie rock spectrum, capturing a softness that’s as esoteric as it is enveloping. Delve in to “Fear Shifter” below, and stick around for Ditches’ upcoming EP Not Your Mirror, out February 1st.
UK trio Patawawa craft synth-driven disco to melt even the coldest heart with their single “Patagonia.” This track is all groove, all the time, featuring strident synths, bumping beats, and guitar lines to write home about. 2017 proved to be a big year for the band, earning nods from notable press, brands, and BBC Radio 6, while racking up millions of plays on spotify with their collaboration with French producer Tez Cadey. This year is already off to an exciting start, with the promise of even more vibey tunes off Patawawa’s upcoming EP Bedroom, an ode to the place where their musical cultivation is based. This is pure, unadulterated, DIY disco at its finest. New and improved, and just about as feel-good as they come. Stay tuned for the EP coming soon.
“Little Lost,” a new track from indie-electronic trio Gold Koa, sounds like an excursion without reservations.The core group consists of Cammy Enaharo providing heartfelt vocals, Oh Manitou member Kamara Robideau laying down sensuous bass and workhorse Matt Battle as drummer, engineer, producer and credited songwriter. Chris Potter and Andrew Links join in on guitar and keyboards, respectively. The song partially resembles the late ’80s Edie Brickell 7 New Bohemians tune “What I Am” in regards to its vocal stylings and steadied, bass-driven melody. Check out Gold Koa’s first single below.
Sundownchasing (aka Batavian singer/songwriter Anthony Del Plato) announced late last year that he would be “shaking off the rust” by releasing one song per month for the entirety of 2018. His first offering, Another Shade of Blue,” is trademark Anthony Del Plato, evoking the frigid January weather via his eerily pristine musicianship. He pairs icy guitar tones with vaguely winter-esque lyrics about the Niagara River, frozen to look like a lion’s mane. Fans of The Appleseed Cast, Bon Iver, or Minus the Bear will love this song – be sure to check it out using the widget below. “Another Shade of Blue” is the first of many Sundownchasing songs to be released this year – they will all be available through Bandcamp. Another Shade of Blue by Sundownchasing
“PAINT,” a new track from STUDENT 1 & PSYMUN, is topsy-turvy in the best way possible. Its beat switches between moments of minimalism and sections of overwhelming, rattled intensity. STUDENT 1 comes off as confident and cold-blooded on the basis of this offering’s lyrics. His unique delivery strings his words together in a thoroughly lively way. Even the music video, which can be seen below, is vibrant and entertaining.
Catnip Cloud’s “Places” is a mind-altering diorama of layered sound trickery, not to mention the gentle, touching and slightly permuted vocals provided by Tiril Hognestad. The unpredictable direction of the beat served up by Norwegian producer Kiartan Thirkildsen (otherwise known as Catnip Cloud) will surely and tightly clutch the attention of any listener fond of electronic music, especially such a stirring exemplification of the genre. Check it out below:
Spacey rock trio Peace on Earth head up their debut album release with their sweepingly atmospheric single “Where We Are.” Set in a subtle lo-fi haze, the track combines fuzzily sustained guitar, driving drum tracks, and gently impassioned vocals to make up their layered conglomerate of sound. There’s a dreamy, intangible quality to the track, making it easy enough to get lost in yet still seemingly just beyond reach. Like staring up into the sky at night, there’s something about the seemingly endless distance that makes you squint a little harder, trying to dive deeper with each skim through the cosmos. “Where We Are” captures that feeling, providing both challenge and discovery with each listen. Check out the track below, and keep an eye out for Peace on Earth’s new album, out January 17th via Gothenburg’s own Peephole Records.
As HAIM is to sisterly American pop-rock, Stonefield is to Australian prog-rock. The band of four sisters make up an unstoppable aural force in their latest track, “Delusion.” Leaving behind their former psych-pop ways in favor of a heavier rock-meets-metal sound, Stonefield prove they can shred with the best of them and take no flak. Securely nestled into a minor tonal setting, “Delusion” plays around with degrees of distortion, vocal/guitar mirroring, and atmospheric synth lines. Featuring more of a free-flowing song structure, the band says the track is based on the “overwhelming feeling of knowing you are a speck in the universe, getting lost in your own mind.” If a moody musical escape is what you’re after, the Findlay sisters can certainly provide it. With their recent signing to Flightless Records, it will be interesting to see what’s next in store for Stonefield. Here’s hoping their newfound edge is here to[...]
The new Bedside. track, rightfully titled “potential,” indeed shows prospects for this band of five indie rock specialists. The song is assembled around a swift rhythm and a limpid guitar line. The spurring vocals here dance perfectly with the instrumental backing, and within the song’s chorus, their delivery at times can be stinging with emotion, which certainly works to the effectiveness of the track as a whole. Be sure to check out the song below:
Arkansas band Brother Moses concoct the ultimate coping mechanism for a broken heart via an alcohol-fueled evening of knocking pins in their single, “Bowling.” This track’s charm lies in its bubbly syncopation, melding playful guitar interjections with condensed crooning, and building in both complexity and fervency. The band keeps things exciting with changes in tempo and style, contrasting upbeat guitar pop with moody indie rock. As their first release of the 2018, it’s seems safe to say we can expect big things from Brother Moses this year. Until then, let the good times roll and jam to “Bowling” below.