Week in Pop
Brooklyn by San Diego’s The Tablets returned with their new single “Not a Sign” b/w “Tyranny Glitches” available now from Mon Amie Records and we present the new sounds from the duo of Liz Godoy & Brenden Beu. The a-side is full of all the electric energy that tackles signs of providence through a host of dreamy & stormy sound signals. The Tablets continue to expand their already enlightened sounds that stretch forth toward even greater illuminations.
We also give you The Tablets’ b-side “Tyranny Glitches” that zooms in on the errors in the ways of corrupt authoritarian powers. The stripped down minimalism of the track presents Liz & Brenden taking a restrained approach that points toward exciting new developments to follow from the duo to arrive in the not-so-distant future.
Introducing a listen to Make Me Yours, the first EP leading up to Kim Free’s forthcoming album Slips courtesy of the imprint LA’s Fine. The title track illustrates an intimate & sensual style of expression, as “Maui” dreams of island life outward in the allure of the Pacific, while “River Park” carries onward the choral style of Kim Free that adorns emotive & earnest expressions with strings & more baroque components that contribute to her ethereal style.
London keeps the hit parade rolling with the recent introduction of transplant Rudie Edwards who presents her single “Lover Like You” with the energetic, dance-inspiring video for “Lover Like You”. Edwards takes the most electrified aspects of electronic rhythm & blues and morphs them to new kinetic frequencies of futurism. In Rudie’s own words:
The mission is to wake people up…I want to make some bloody noise that doesn’t sound like all of the other bloody noise out there.
Absorb the sounds & visions featured on the video for “Adoration Song” by Six Organs of Admittance from Elisa Ambrogio (of Magik Markers) featured off the new Drag City album Burning The Threshold. 600A is currently touring now through April 15, bringing the gospel of spirit & mind liberating sounds & sentiments to their surrounding worlds.
Jamie Isaac is currently in the beginning of his stateside tour and gifted us a remix/redux of his single “Beauty” feat. Sporting Life & Allan Kingdom off his release Couch Baby. The original gets taken off the shelf and gets some added atmospheres and synth bars that compliment the head levitating brew that SL & Allan contribute.
Currently touring with Visible Cloaks and having recently scored the soundtrack to the short film Perennial Shadows from Tommy Malekoff featuring narration from Project Pat; Motion Graphics dropped the CULTURESPORT video for “SoftBank Arcade (SwiftCode Version)” [courtesy of Domino Recording Co.] that offers up lush home visuals to compliment the mood elevating audio that is about to turn your world transcendental. “SoftBank Arcade” takes you to that interior fun-house of tranquility, that room of the mind & flat where all is calm & pressure becomes as heavy as a feather.
Touring March 9-24 with select Death Cab For Cutie dates; Pure Bathing Culture signals the forthcoming road trip with a rendition of Elton John’s “Sacrifice” that is interjected with new dreamy arrangements & Sarah Versprille’s world quaking delivery. Elton’s 80s original becomes all blended up in a dreamy stew of straight-up pure sensation that resonates & resonates & resonates…
Liverpool’s The Vryll Society showcased their super slick cool chops with “Sacred Flight” that soars into all sorts of hedonistic pop zones. The group lives up to the hype with a heck of a whole lotta attitude & all the weirdness to keep you entertained throughout.
Mt. Doubt shed a little bit of nowhere feelings with the single “Tourists” featured off their split 7″with Foreignfox courtesy of Scottish Fiction Records. The six strong Edinburgh band basks in the sentiments of being a strange person in a strange land in a song that wanders about in foreign ancient museums & pantheons of the ancient formidable & influential elders.
Taken off his forthcoming debut EP The Archer (via Silver Scream Records), wind down with the sweet acoustic strumming sound of Adam Melchor and the single “Brook Revisited”. Radio pop hooks & progression chart the course as the rising artist possesses an interesting magnetism that exists somewhere between the vocal delivery & the guitar strings.
Roland Tings took us for a trip through his own magical garden on the single “Garden Piano” that features future-synth-sensations that shine off of Each Moment a Diamond available March 10 from Cascine. The club mood conversation expounds into deeper depths & unfathomable dimensions that see the artist taking the groove to the levels of progressive, epic house-esque stratospheres of synchronicity. Catch Roland touring with Clark & Com Truise May 1 through June 10.
Diet Cig dropped their single “Barf Day” featured off their forthcoming debut album Swear I’m Good At This available April 7 from Frenchkiss. The Father/Daughter alum continue to entrance & enchant with the most punchy & economic arrangements of infectious pop. Birthday excesses & other such dreams abound on DC’s new brilliant anthem for all of us wishing for a holiday from our own mundane line of routines.
Liverpool’s Hers provide a taste of their fascinating-free-wheeling weirdness with “Speed Racer”, found off their upcoming album Songs of Hers available May 12. Touring Europe with Wild Nothings & making a SxSW stop; “Speed Racer” is a zany home brew that illustrates Barrow Stephen Fitzpatrick & Audun Laading entertaining every lo-fi technique to give the track that sepia toned glow.
HMLTD presented the visuals for their single “To The Door” from Jenkin van Zyl and production from Rodaidh McDonald that offers up a cinematic shoot-out that morphs into a variety of forms. Scene & set changes move with the music as the glam pop theater of the absurd is performed before your ears & eyes.
CO/NTRY dropped the single “Cash Out” featured from the forthcoming album Cell Phone 1 available April 14 from Fantome Records. Newfoundland by Montreal’s Beaver Sheppard & David Whitten contribute to the post-punk leaning sections of the musical conversation with icy vocals & synths that you can dance the night away to.
Stacey sent us her single “First Move” featured off her upcoming second EP that has been in the words for nearly three years now. The track softly buzzes & bubbles with the most endearing of intentions that resound out of love-at-first-site fantasies that feels like something out of a romantic movie that feels almost too visceral for the falseness of folks in real, cold life.
Manchester’s Dantevilles thrilled with the sweet chills of “Graffiti” that spray paints some passion & excitement upon your ears & overall general sensibilities. “Graffiti” is the feeling of going out and about on a discrete evening and tagging anything & everything in sight.
Take in the Cedric Dubourg video FKJ made with for “Skyline” that offers up chill & smooth sentiments for enjoying today’s twilights. Find this off French Kiwi Juice available March 3 from Believe Recordings/Roche Musique.
Those looking for something glamorous to kick off the weekend right would be delighted by the bright fizzy & flighty pop of IZII’s “Birds” ft. Powder Room. All the turned-up pop elements come out to play in one big array of dazzling, digitally unbound bliss.
Dylan Willoughby’s Lost in Stars readies a self-titled album for release March 31 & delivered the star-crossed cover of Bauhaus’s “All We Ever Wanted Was Everything” ft. Kid Moxie. New twists on new wave classics bring new contributions of creative dissonance that sounds like it would be a part of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” universe.
Behold Omega Vague’s cosmic floating lyrical video for “Afraid” that balls up all fears & anxiety triggers & sends it into the reaches of deep spaces. Taken off the album Aversion/Reversion available April 14; OV embraces electronic elements as their musical craft to create sounds that sound space-bound & boldly prepared to go where noo-ne has before.
Chronicling journeys over the past six years that were all recorded directly into his iPhone; Vinnie Ferra strums a listen to his covers EP titled Sweet and Sour. From “Hang Me” through “Going Home”—Ferra presents a barage of feelings that resound in an acoustic & minimally touched splendor that feels raw & real & incredibly familiar.
Houston groups Lost Element & Versecity combined powers to create Polaroid Summer who share their Serban Ghenea mix of “The Giant”. The single works in maximal pop tones that provide big bright things to come from this collaborative group.
Brecken Jones & Garret Williams are Strange Familia who dropped their new single “Ms. Badblood” that brings a lot of big bad electric riffs & icy beats to make each bad time, an even better time.
Off of Mount Song’s May 7 slated self-titled album, check out the song “Halo” that tackles concepts of grace lost, redemption sought & the transcendence found.
LA’s Shallows brought on the super SoCal stylees with their single “Matter” that is perfect for that late, late, ride home. The duo busts out all the buzzy & romantic punches that make a hook with every strike, beat & digitally enabled note.
Mags Duval takes you out on a night on the town with “Stay Lonely” that operates on the “if I can’t have you no one else can have you” frame of mind with motions that strike deep with the icy finish of lyrics like; “I love you too much to be your friend.”
London’s Minke caught ears this week with the single “Gold Angel” that brought down some true celestial ore of genuine expressionist pop for lover’s & nonbelievers everywhere. Featuring production from Rory Andrew and co-penned by The Kooks’ own Paul Garred; Minke contributes her own hooks & electric riffs that offers up just a shining examples of further things to follow.
Take in the Raul Gonzo video for “With Or Without Me” the ultra-saccharine radio-on-steroids single from Tay Jardine’s new outfit, SAINTE. Featuring glamorous styling from Alysha Marcantonio & hair courtesy of Kayla Loren; Jardine’s punchy super-pop is met with throwback mid-60s heroic visuals.
Clutchy Hopkins & Fat Albert Einstein just dropped their collaboration high desert low tide through Aural Tradition & we present the Gustavo Amaral ideo for “Juju Beans”. The result is a psychedelic trip through vintage & alternate dimensions of weird that will strike your fancy as their sound sends psychic shivers down your spine.
Take a ride with The Wild Now with the cosmic tide riding video from Jordan Haro for “Run for Your Life” that features the track’s fluidity through well-matched visuals. The fight or flight sentiment is turned into something of a surreal dream jumping visual procession where you are moved from one strange scene to the next.
Close Talker dropped the glitzy & glamorous track “Okay Hollywood” off the forthcoming album Lens available April 21 from Nevado Music that pulls out all the stops. The track brings about all the big-time feels that will make you feel like you are witnessing an arena confessional event.
Strange Hellos presented us with a viewing of their Jon Hartvedt & Pål Rønnevik video for “Monumental” that offers up a view & listen to the things that mean the most in the world. The Norway group that is comprised of members from local acts like Aurora, The Megaphonic Thrift & Casiokids make a sentimental sort of pop where passions of hardcore physical sport & of the kindred needs of the heart are conjoined in a congress of epic moments between blood sports & the more delicate arts.
Jake McMullen dropped the neon-hued sensations of “Falling” from the forthcoming Giving Up EP available April 21. McMullen finds the most evocative sorts of synth-setups that makes for a sound that echoes & resonates long after the song has come to a close (not to mention the truckloads of limitless intensity & emotion that Jake brings to the equation as well).
Brazil by Bergen artist Lucas de Almeida is Living who shared a listen to the just released single “Glory” from Brilliance that lives up to its title by shining forth a glorious aura of morning breaking beams of sun. This is the song that all vision-questers must play at the end of a night’s adventure right as the new day reveals itself.
From their album later this year, Future Thieves brought us a big bouquet of alt-rock radio pop with “Sucker”. The song has all the riffs & rips to keep you entertained while awaiting further words of the upcoming album.
