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Daisy The Great x illuminati hotties – “Time Machine 2”

October 13, 2023

A collaboration between Daisy the Great and illuminati hotties, “Time Machine 2” is the latest track off of DtG’s EP Tough Kid. A sequel of sorts to their 2022 song “Time Machine,” Daisy the great had this to say: “Time Machine 2 is the evil twin sequel to our song Time Machine from our 2022 record ‘All You Need Is Time’. We’ve always had a dream to make a grittier, faster version of the song, so when we got the opportunity to collaborate with indie punk legend Sarah Tudzin of illuminati hotties, we knew it would be the perfect moment to realize that vision.” Comparing the two songs was fun, as I feel like doing an “evil twin sequel” can oftentimes feel like you’re just recycling old ideas without moving forward musically. “Time Machine 2” avoids these pratfalls and hits the mark on being a fresh re-imagining of the original (also good)[...]

llawgne – “Crysanthemum Rock”

October 13, 2023

“Chrysanthemum Rock” is the newest track from Swedish artist Mathias Engwall, better know by his stage name llawgne (pronounced love-gney, also Mathias’ last name reversed). We’ve covered him previously over here on the BLOG, and haven’t changed our minds in the ensuing three years. llawgne’s style is best enjoyed with a good set of headphones – all music, but particularly shoegazier tracks like this all but call for it. The swimmy guitar (with some backbone of jangle and wail) brings to mind Slowdive, Joy Division, and My Bloody Valentine – complete with a rhythmic chant-like vocal style that urges you to, quite literally, stop and smell the roses – er, crysanthemums. Described as a “… powerful celebration of personal decline and lowered ambition as a recipe for success” you’ll find yourself drawn into Engwall’s (self-produced) effort here and is a great jumping off point for his other tracks. Be sure[...]

Kandle – “Live A Lie”

October 13, 2023

Released October 12, “Live a Lie” is the newest single from Canadian singer and songwriter Kandle. The song comes in anticipation of her newest album due out in 2024; she brings haunting vocals with sweeping guitars and buzzy synths backing her up. You feel immediately drawn in as her voice swirls around your ears and gives a Radiohead or Smashing Pumpkins vibe with the amount of swirling sound drawn out of a relatively simple arrangement. Her lyrical composition also reminds me a bit of a more focused Björk; the chanting and the ways she uses her voice more like an instrument are quite remarkable. It’s easy to see the attraction as Kandle has collaborated musical goliaths such as Jack White and fellow Canadian Sam Roberts (a personal favorite of mine). It’s melancholy (Mellon Collie?) for sure, but “Live a Lie” is absolutely gripping and totally worth the listen. You can[...]

King Nun – “OCD”

October 13, 2023

King Nun, a five piece out of London, brings us a fresh slice with “OCD” off of their new album LAMB released a couple weeks ago through Marshall Records. Influenced by grunge darlings Sonic Youth and Pixies, I’m immediately drawn to the downbeat and discordant sounds from the bass and guitar in the gratuitous (but not overwrought) intro. Tackling a subject that’s near and dear to me, front man Theo had this to say on the track: “I think there was a good two years where I had an incredible bout of health anxiety that at every turn nearly put a stop to my life…I was really struggling with everything you could imagine and the simplest thing became massive and complicated.” You can feel the struggle and angst all throughout and it reminded of a darker take of “The Bitch of Living” from the Spring Awakening Musical Soundtrack (I know, weird deep cut but[...]

General Crush – “King Of The Road”

October 12, 2023

“King of the Road” is the newest single from Boston artist Ray Ward, better known by his stage name of General Crush (honestly, great name and kind of angry I didn’t think of it first). He brings a lot to the table, with this little number being a very fun pop-forward road trip sounding track. He switches up a bit between tracks and keeps his sound fresh and shifting, but really gave me a similar feel to some of Mt. Joy or Sufjan Stevens’ more upbeat songs, and even a little bit of that Neil Young swagger from the days of yore (ask your parents). With lots of light guitar and some horns and piano thrown in for good measure, you’ll find yourself bopping along to the beat within the first 30 seconds. This is definitely going on my on my leaf peeping list for the fall and if you[...]

Tired Cossack – “Tin”

October 12, 2023

While the Cossacks (as per Wikipedia from Turkic kazak, “adventurer” or “free man”) of old may have been known for their horsemanship and fierce independence, Tired Cossack, is a solo act based out of good ole Winnipeg, Canada. He brings us a cut off his newest album I Know, I Guess., “Tin,” and it’s a solid 3:30 of rhythmic post-punk with Cure/The Fall-esque vibes. It’s somehow so wonderfully noisy yet refined just before the point of excess to keep the song moving – not bogging down at any point. Call it good mixing, but as a famous sound guy once said (probably), “you can’t polish a turd.” This one is indeed a diamond. Is he tired? Maybe, I don’t know the guy. If his music is any indication of his well-being I think there’s a lot to listen to here and I hope he’s okay and keeps rocking out between naps.[...]

DINNERSWORTH – “Kill Me”

October 8, 2023

DINNERSWORTH, the project of Blake from Minneapolis, Minnesota recently released his EP Kill Me (October 1) and the lead track “Kill Me” is the newest single. Taking some nods from indie and pop greats such as Blink-182 and Taking Back Sunday, he flushes out his voice with great power chords and a non-stop explosion of three piece sound. Not merely a rehash of old ideas but a fresh look at what makes pop punk pop punk, “Kill Me” is a much needed update with a lot of smooth producing and a pleasant homebrew feel (he proudly works on his songs in his basement). DINNERSWORTH primarily exists on Spotify and Instagram so we’re not able to embed for you this time – but be sure to give “Kill Me” a listen over on Spotify and be sure to check out the rest of the EP if you enjoy what you hear.

Jupiter Flynn – “Monsters and Men”

October 6, 2023

Berlin-based artist Jupiter Flynn brings us her newest single “Monsters and Men,” and it’s quite the banger. The narrative of the track is a reflection of women the world over – the very real and present fear of men in all walks of life (from relationships to walking alone at night). With an impressive accompaniment of guitar and piano, her voice manages to shine through whilst simultaneously carrying the appropriate amount of foreboding for the subject material; “I’m not scared of the dark/I’m scared of monsters and men.” Fans of Mitski, Olivia Rodrigo, or Girl in Red would find a lot to enjoy here. Not merely a grouping of female artists, but the fabric and feel of their songs shares a lot of common ground. You can hear, quite frankly, that Jupiter has been through some shit and she’s here to share her experiences in her wonderfully dark yet hopeful[...]

Michael Simon Armstrong – “Semantics”

October 4, 2023

Not too much was given to us about Los Angles based artist Michael Simon Armstrong, but based on a couple listens of his latest track “Semantics,” he’s obviously quite talented and worthy of a listen. The title track of his September EP, it’s filled with HUGE sounds on par with artists like indie darlings Slow Pulp, Sufjan Stevens or boygenius. With strong guitar licks and Armstrong’s forlorn yet steadfast vocals, it eventually gives way to strings and an impressive horn accompaniment. With a strong following of 23k and decent plays since the September 27 release, MSA is absolutely an artist you should check out if you haven’t already. I hate to say “punching above his weight,” but having never heard of him until now and being a bit overwhelmed with the sound (in a good way!) I feel as though this is accurate. Check out “Semantics” and the rest of[...]

French Cassettes – “Medium Horny”

October 4, 2023

“Medium Horny” is the newest single from Bay Area quartet French Cassettes; it’s quite the banger. With a only a couple singles since 2020’s LP Rolodex, this is a fine return to form for FC with a full gamut of wistful lyrics and (as I like to call it) “focused yet lazy guitar licks.” Evoking bands like Hot Hot Heat at their more cerebral or perhaps Vampire Weekend, FC lures you in with dulcet tones and bedroom talk – “I’m more than lazy but less than exciting but medium horny.” Speaking to their influences for the track, front man Lorenzo Scott Huerta had this to say: “The first verse is Johnny Marr, middle section is Jeff Lynne and Bill Evans, the outro is Elliott Smith. I’ve never heard a full Evans song in my life… I don’t think, but I’ve heard he does ‘chord solos’ and I loved that idea[...]

James Wyatt Crosby – “Ashamed”

October 4, 2023

Toronto based musician James Wyatt Crosby sings about how shame should all feel the same in his new single, “Ashamed.” Released as a single at the end of September, it’s a fine guitar-forward track focusing on the vocals. With the unfortunate times we live in, shame and regret are rather in vogue. Crosby takes these fun feelings and crafts emotional yet hopeful call to action – are you passive in a relationship or have you done something unseemly and hurt someone you love? As JWC remarks on the song: “I guess you could say it’s a song about laziness and inaction…you can be ashamed about practically anything!” The vocals seem to be JWC as far as I can tell, but also sounds like an “Alvin and the Chipmunks” effect with the speed-up/slow down of his voice as compared to his other tracks (or it’s someone else entirely; either way the[...]

Kai Undrell – “Can It Get Any Better…?”

September 30, 2023

England based musician (and filmmaker, evidently) Kai Undrell of Sheffield dropped his lead single “Can It Get Any Better…?” September 22 in anticipation of his debut EP Full Fat Fear due out October 13. Citing influences from Arcade Fire and Scissor Sisters, “Any Better…?” sounds like what would happen if Elton John started making music in the early aughts but was a bit more reserved. This is definitely a piano forward song with some tight bass licks in the background with Undrell showcasing his delightful vocals (seriously, that man has some PIPES). It’s honestly quite refreshing to hear a piano/synth piano clone starring as the main instrument (with a beat to boot) in contemporary music. While I’m not sure if the question the song poses is ever answered (or if it’s even supposed to be), Kai Undrell absolutely is worth a listen and someone to look out for. Be sure to check[...]

Fur Trade – “Monaco”

September 30, 2023

A surprising and altogether exciting track, “Monaco” is a blast from a past for some readers around my age. Fur Trade is a project of Hot Hot Heat front man Steve Bays and Parker Bossley of Gay Nineties and formerly of Hot Hot Heat. “Monaco” is their newest single off of their recently released album Dark Celebration (September 22) and it’s an absolute banger. This is their first major album release together since 2013’s Don’t Get Heavy,  and, fittingly, there’s a (possible) self dig in the lyrics: “It’s 10 o’clock and writer’s block is thriving, driving me to drink…” The intro is mostly the aforementioned vocals and some smooooth bass that eventually brings in neurotic blasts of synth and super tight drums, evolving into a full blown ruckus that reminds me of somewhere between vintage HHH meshed with a disco electronica feel. Be sure to check out “Monaco” over on Spotify[...]

The Seshen – “Waiting For Dawn”

September 30, 2023

Bay Area based six piece The Seshen bring us their newest single, “Waiting For Dawn,” an absolutely scrumptious amalgamation of sounds impeccably crafted and mixed together. Singer Lalin St. Juste is on an altogether different level than most vocalists as she weaves her incredible voice throughout the track, guiding us and pulling us like a siren’s call. The song itself is a deep dive into the feelings after a significant life transition, partially born from the divorce between St. Juste and fellow bandmember Aki Ehara. Fans of Grimes if she kept her electronica sensibilities and joined an indie band would find a lot to enjoy here but that’s just the tip of the iceberg and doesn’t quite do The Seshen justice. Be sure to give “Waiting For Dawn” a listen over on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. If you you’re feeling the vibe, be sure to check out their album Nowhere[...]

Dawn Park – “New Material”

September 30, 2023

NYC based duo Dawn Park bring us their latest single “New Material,” the most recent follow up to their June EP Petulma. We originally covered a single from that very same EP here and had good things to say about them then, and that hasn’t changed in the ensuing months. Improving on their previous release with deeper experimentation with mixing and some additional complexity, “New Material” was written about: “…the feeling that we need to make some sort of dramatic, drastic change to fix whatever is going on in our lives.” I particularly enjoyed the fuzzy bass tone throughout the track, it’s difficult to describe but it just scratches an itch that’s probably related to hertz (or maybe some undiscovered childhood trauma). A lot of bands can get it wrong or overdo it; definitely not the case here. Be sure to give “New Material” a listen on Spotify, as well as[...]