Week in Pop
Available November 5 from Little L Records, we give you the following listen to Dublin’s The Snaake who follow up last year’s Go Bricker EP with the gritty power-pop fest of Blinded By The Smell. The Irish group makes what is what they refer to as their homage to England’s jazzy lads; the three track wonder kicks off with the snotty “New Stigmata” that sorts out the stigmas from the superstition on the tough enough thrash & bop of “Scofflaw // Sisyphus”, right before your entire mind is blown on “Sabrina The Teenage Snitch” that will leave you smiling & inspired by these lovable Dublin derelicts.
Behold the Marsha Balaeva & Ivan Makarov video for Wolf People’s “Night Witch” taken off their upcoming November 11 album Ruins. The evening allure of the occult combined by a variety of gorgeous natural locales makes for a moving experience into the cryptic covens that are seen like spans of breathaking landscape coupled with epic shred sessions.
Sløtface delivered good on all the angst-y record store clerk pop & circumstance heard on their new single “Empire Records” that imagines the fictitious shop an entire 90s film was built around. Available now from Propeller Recordings, Sløtface brings about all the hopes & wishes in a power pop ballad that features some of the most incredible riffs & chords you might hear all month.
Salt Cathedral prepare to drop their debut album later in 2017 but we bring you their single “Unraveling” ft. Matisyahu where the group provides futuristic style pop visions of great things to come. Matisyahu brings about facets of the Lurianic traditions combined with the woozy electro-organic dance style of Salt Cathedral to make for something of a synagogue of sound that points toward all the mitzvahs that are yet to descend from the celestial heights of the unknown.
Arrows Of Love brought us the bestial scuzz & rhythmic beat of “Beast” before it drops December 9 through Tape Records. Nima embodies an aesthetic & attitude that is both disaffected while entertaining a savage storm of sound that is unrelenting, unrepentant & uncompromising.
JoLivi presents a listen to the super-shiny pop treat of her White Sea (Morgan Kibby, formerly of M83) collaboration with the “Chains” (White Sea Remix) that provides a little something to get your weekend totally catapulted. Kibby twists & tricks out JoLivi’s voice into a hyper-sequence of rhythms that respond to lights, textures & a whole host of other sensations to set your dance party on fire.
For those who have yet to experience it for yourselves; we give you the following head-lifting listen to Anthony Valadez’s new album Fade Away available now from Plug Research.
English by Australia’s Hero Fisher presented the strobe-lit flashing, ornate evening imagery from Gabrielle Lavoir for her single “Bird of Prey” available now on a limited 7″ pressing. A variety of memories & feelings of vulnerability are channeled into a new found bravery where a twist in the song’s resolve makes for an ethereal escape away from the opposing hunters.
Pavo Pavo brought us the shiny sparkle of haunting & beguiling harmonies heard on “Ruby” (Let’s Buy The Bike) fresh from a Rough Trade NYC performance. Featured off their upcoming album Young Narrator In The Breakers available November 11 from Bella Union, Pavo Pavo make a collective sound that haunts with fascination & endless intrigue that makes the Brooklyn group a forever favorite.
Kevin Morby dropped the nu-Americana single “Beautiful Strangers” b/w a cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “No Place To Fall”. Morby’s “Strangers” moves in a minimalistic fashion in a sequence of rogue’s tales taken straight from the dusty road.
Morby introduced the single & cover with the following words:
This release is dedicated to and written for all the people I have never met but have only read about. The innocent people who were out living their lives and one day, without warning, had them taken away from them. People who liked to laugh, dance, and love in the way that we all do, but cant anymore. All those names and faces, all those beautiful strangers…
So here are two songs, “Beautiful Strangers” as well as my cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “No Place To Fall” that I have been closing my live show with over the past year. Any purchase of these two songs will go to support the work of Everytown For Gun Safety – an organization I have followed for quite some time. I believe in and support them in their efforts to make the world a safer place. So if you wish – you can donate as little or large as you’d like and I do hope you enjoy the songs. Do it for the kids.
Love and peace,
Kevin Morby
NYC’s Active Bird Community dropped the new infectioius single about embracing being a noob with plenty of rhythm skronk & style on “Newbie”. From the production & engineering assist by Christopher Daly via Salvation Recording Co. in New Paltz, NY to mastering from Jamal Ruhe at West West Side Music in Newburgh, NY; ABC is one of the most exciting things in the world that we have to look forward to this winter with their upcoming album Stick Around available later in January.
Solilians present us with a vintage sci-fi view from Gabriel Walsh for the visualization of “Hatikva: The Next Generation”. Featured off their album Shin available November 18 where their droning sound provides collections of found sounds and chants that move toward new conciousnesses & worlds.
Jim Peterik, known for his work in Survivor as the guy who wrote “Eye of the Tiger” and other hits for folks like .38 Special & Sammy Hagar in the 80s, presented us with the lyric video for his epic anthem of equality that encourages the world to embrace each other’s differences (as much as the similarities) in the classic rock style ballad, “We All Bleed Red”. It’s a hyper dose of PMA with an old school pub rock flair that offers up plenty of epic air guitar moments and raised fist pumps for peace.
NYC’s Hideout (featuring Cults band member Gabe Rodriguez) shared the medic requesting jangle jam “Doctor” featured off the new album So Many Hoops/So Little Time available February 3 from Small Plates Records. Rodriguez & company tap into that classic rock-pop tradition of penning a ballad about the importance & need for a good physician that continues the ever searching audio lust for the perfect prescription.
Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Kestrels gifted us with the Rob Feulner & Mitchell Stafiej video for “Descent of Their Last End” off the Sonic Unyon Records self-titled album where the audience feels as if they are brought into the audio & video frame. The thundering tower of convection spin cycle of guitars are complimented with various arty displays of scanline-static & various footage of the groups seen through television tube sets in various locations.
In case you missed it on the social channels, check out Georgie from the UK’s video for “Company of Thieves” brings about some big attitudes to chase away the ratchet robbers of the night with some serious swagger & big vocal delivery.
With the announcement of their tenth album; Landing brought us to the most zoned-out & droned-out places of being.
Touring this fall with Mystery Jets, introduce yourself to the new big pop rock sensation Warbly Jets that bring on the warm jets with their own super snotty & self-absorbed style. Dealing in a tight buzzy rock & roll artifice with a catchy delivery at all angles; Warbly Jets embody the pizzazz of all bands who have had Jet in their moniker before them with a swagger that keeps the tradition strutting & strolling.
Dragonette cranked up all the ultra-pop with their imperial big-banger “Darth Vader” featured off of Royal Blues available November 11.
Hippo Campus gave us a seat at an epic table in the youthful exuberance & energetic video for “Boyish” off the upcoming album landmark available February 24 from Grand Jury Music. The group’s massive festival size sound is treated to a diner session just as epic.
Watch the Rob Wadleigh & Skyler Greene video for Pierce Fulton’s “Borrowed Lives” ft. NVDES that tackles the concepts of things that extend beyond borrowed time as Fulton goes the distance to live the life of dreams (with a bunch of Mr. Coffee-carafe random absurdity mixed in to compliment the bubbly sound).
Great Good Fine Ok provided us with some big-time maximalism with their super electrified single “Get Away” featured off their upcoming III. Escapist values are put on full display where the search for higher & more comfortable ground is expressed in full audio marquee lights.
Toronto’s Aleesia presented the @emmaaverage video for “Dum” that provides some big time ultra-posh/ultra-bright pop complete with steel drum accompaniment to the big production celebration of hedonism.
Check out the single “Be Mine” from Bat and Ball available November 11 where romantic insinuations & intentions are sung out with a passion met by an elaborate pop production.
Those looking for some comfort in the confusion of these times might find a bit of care & solace on Pony Hunt’s album Heart Creak available now from Hearth Music. The Oakland by New Orleans artist crafts songs that are ripped from inspired experiences & the melodic expressions of how lasting impressions left by loved ones & former loved ones feel.
Get yourself taken to the cathedral church of The Dig’s video for “Simple Love” featured off their Roll Call Records debut album Bloodshot Tokyo available February 3. Childhood chums Emile Mosseri, David Baldwin, Erick Eiser & Mark Demiglio take their undeniable chemistry to the chapels of sound where they bare their heart & soul to great effect.
Tasseomancy provided us with the electro-ear-opening chamber pop of “29 Palms” featured off their upcoming album Do Easy available November 18 from Bella Union where the duo trades psalms for newer testimonials & dialogues.
Toronto’s Selfoss released the pretty pop of their Time and Time Again EP that provides winter feels to dream on while the snowflakes fall & dreams of spring & summer play about in both head & heart. Sentimentality spills out on “The Same” where the weights of ennui are measured from moment to moment with “Waste of Time”, the sleepy basking of “Afterglow” to the closing “Sniper” that shoots darts of warm thoughts (via reflective synths) like cupid arrows. The trio of Lilian Gessner, Rodi Dhjaku & Reuven Grajner expressed to us how they started preparing for Time and Time Again during the early months of 2016:
Initially, we had planned to record almost a full length album, but we decided to focus on quality rather than quantity. The tunes that made the cut are a collection of songs that have gone through major changes from the moment they were first played by the band. Each song is carefully crafted while paying extra attention to the lyrics and their connection to the sound.
In the end, Time And Time Again almost feels like a record that is telling a modern day tale of boredom and loneliness which slowly is transformed into a strong will to live and eternal happiness.
In celebration of Day Wave’s signing to Harvest Records, we give you the single “Wasting Time” that tackles the notion of time that is less than well-spent with a glorious array of heavenly deliveries to enlighten your weekend.
Get to know Indonesian pop group Stars and Rabbit that provides some new strummed textures of energy & emotion with the single “Man Upon the Hill” that provides a very unique arrangement that is sure to grab the attention of your ear & mind as a must for your weekend playlists.
Those looking for a total ADHD audio make-over may look no further than the following deep-end springboard dive into Conformist’s Lifestyle Bible available now via Consumer Consumer Records.
Julia Jacklin presents the Nick McKinlay & Ro Miles video for her title track “Don’t Let The Kids Win” off her debut album available now from Polyvinyl. Jacklin’s strummed narratives deal with the hindrances to happiness & encounters of adversity that arrives with the passage of time into the ambiguities & progressions brought about by the new feelings & responsibilities that adult hood brings.
Porcelain Raft sent word of the forthcoming third album Microclimate available February 3 from his imprint Volcanic Field & gifted us further with the beautiful track “Distant Shore” that provides inspired vocals encased in gorgeous synth crystals of winter.
