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Shout Out Louds

Shout Out Louds, shouldn’t need an introduction. This 5-piece band out of Sweden has been releasing solid music since 2003. We reviewed them back in ‘07, and I am happy to update this site with their fourth full length album Optica, which was released a few days ago on Merge Records.

The driving bass line and distorted guitar, on the upbeat opening track, “Sugar” (below), combined with Adam Olenius’ voice sounds quite a bit like The Cure, which is definitely not a bad thing, and makes the track one of the standouts on the album. “Blue Ice” (also below), another excellent track from Optica, switches things up a bit, into a more melancholy feel as Olenius sings, “It hurts when I breathe, it hurts when I speak, you want everything I own, everything you wanted.” Optica is a must buy and will end up on lots of year end lists. Enjoy.

Shout Out Louds – Sugar from Optica (2013)

Shout Out Louds – Blue Ice from Optica (2013)

Shout Out Louds

Merge

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Maston

Maston (Frank Maston) is a California-based multi-instrumentalist. He recently released his first proper album, Shadows on Trouble In Mind. Maston played all instruments on the album (except for the harp, played by Ana Caravelle).
I have been listening to, and enjoying this album for several weeks now, but have been struggling to find the right words to describe it. The best I can come up with this, a psychedelic, surf, pop rock album that sounds like it could have been recorded in the 60’s. Check out “Young Hearts” below, It’s damn good, and a great example of the entire album.

Maston – Young Hearts from Shadows (2013)

Maston

Trouble In Mind

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Cocktails

I think it’s pretty obvious from a lot of my posts, that I have a fondness for anything punk rock. Cocktails are no exception. This San Francisco quartet’s just released, self-titled EP with Father Daughter Records, pulls at all my strings, with it’s power-pop, hook-filled, super catchy 4 songs in 11 minutes formula. Check out the hooky, suger-sweet melodies on opening track, “No Blondes (In California)” (below) to see what I mean. It’s sure to get you out of your seat. You might even find yourself shaking things you didn’t know you could shake, at least that’s what I’ve been doing while listening to it. Head over to Father/Daughter’s site and snag you a copy of the EP before they are gone.

Cocktails – No Blondes (In California) from S/T EP (2013)

Cocktails

Father/Daughter

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Georgiana Starlington

It all started with a tweet from @HoZacRecords, “Debut LP from Georgiana Starlington out soon (mbrs of K-Holes/Black Lips) “like Johnny & June Carter Cash covering the Velvet Underground”. The description of their sound alone was enough to peak my interest, but seeing that the band consisted of Jack and Julie from K-Holes and Black Lips, I had to hear the album.

Their debut LP, Paper Moon, will be released by HoZac, the release date is still to be determined, tentatively in early March. The album sounds just as described above, “…Johnny and June Carter Cash covering the Velvet Underground”. “Hard Grave” and “Louise Louise” (below), give you a good taste of the psychedelic, country goodness contained in this album. The slide guitar, driving bass, barely played drums, along with the twangy vocals of both Jack and Julie make this one of the coolest album’s I’ve heard in a long time. I highly recommend it. Keep your eyes on HoZac’s site for release information, you do not want to miss this release.

Georgiana Starlington – Hard Grave from Paper Moon (2013)

Georgiana Starlington – Louise Louise from Paper Moon (2013)

Georgiana Starlington

HoZac Records

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Jacco Gardner

Jacco Gardner is a multi-instrumentalist and producer extraordinaire from Hoorn, Netherlands. His incredible debut LP, with Trouble In Mind, Cabinet of Curiosities, hit record stores today. Jacco’s talents shine on this record as he plays all the instruments on the album (including organs, mellotron, flutes, and harpsichords), except the drums, which were handled by Jos van Tol.

Clearly influenced by late 60’s psychedelic bands like The Zombies and The Left Banke, Gardner’s music is a magical ride back in time. Check out the sugar-sweet, harpsichord driven track “The Ballad of Little Jane” below. It’s Beatle-esque melodies and vocal delivery is so addicting, you’ll repeat the song at least 3 times. Also below, is a video of Gardner performing “The Ballad of Little Jane” live. Enjoy.

Jacco Gardner – The Ballad of Little Jane from Cabinet of Curiosities (2013)

Jacco Gardner

Trouble In Mind

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Widowspeak

Widowspeak is a two-piece band comprised of Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas. They recently released their second full length album Almanac, on Captured Tracks earlier this year. Musically they have been compared to Fleetwood Mac, but Molly Hamilton’s haunting vocals make it easy to draw a comparison to Mazzy Star. On “Ballad of the Golden Hour” (below), Hamilton’s inner Sandoval shines alongside the layers of slide and acoustic guitars to make it one of the standout tracks on the album. Enjoy.

Widowspeak – Ballad of the Golden Hour from Almanac (2013)

Stream the entire album

Widowspeak

Captured Tracks

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Foxygen

Foxygen is a breath of fresh nostalgic air. Sounding like they stepped out of a time machine sent to the future from the 60’s, Foxygen shows us 20 and 30-somethings what we missed by being born in the 70’s and 80’s. Jagjaguwar describes Foxgen as “…the raw, de-Wes Andersonization of The Rolling Stones, Kinks, Velvets, Bowie, etc. that a whole mess of young people desperately need.” You can’t listen to “San Francisco” and “Make It Known” (below), and not agree with that description.

Just like Sean’s obsession with Veronica Falls, I am equally obsessed with Foxygen. I can’t, no, I won’t stop listening to their new album We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic, which just released on Jagjaguwar. You need Foxygen in your life. Download the songs below. Go out and buy their records. Be sure to catch them on tour, which starts up in a couple of days.

Foxygen – San Francisco from We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic (2013)

Foxygen – Make It Known from Take The Kids Off Broadway (2012)

Jagjaguwar

Foxygen

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Five Favorites: Possum Dixon

Possum Dixon is one of the most underrated bands of the 90’s. They were masters of their craft, which was playing infectious 2-4 minute power-pop songs that hooked you from the opening chords. Their first two albums, Possum Dixon and Star Maps, are just as relevant today as they were when the band was still together. Possum Dixon’s existence as a band spanned 10 years, from 1989 to 1999. In that span they released 3 LPs and a few EPs. They had there day in the sun back in ’93 when their single “Watch That Girl Destroy Me”, received a steady flow of airplay on radio and on MTV, the song charted as high as No. 9 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in the U.S..

I have taken on the task of choosing my five favorite songs from their catalogue. This was not an easy task, as there are a lot more than five great songs from this band. To those who are not familiar with Possum Dixon, there is never a better time than now to get started. Enjoy.

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Amor de Dias

Amor de Días was formed by Alasdair MacLean of The Clientele and Lupe Núñez-Fernández of Pipas back in 2009. They released their debut album with Merge in 2011. Their new album, The House At Sea will be released on January 29th, also with Merge. Their sound is super chill, utilizing mostly two Spanish guitars and their voices, with an occasional rhythm section consisting of former members of The Clientele. Check out below “Voice in the Rose”, one of their more laid back songs with Spanish guitars as the focal point, and “Jean’s Waving”, one of the more peppy songs on the album. Both songs are fantastic, and represent the album well. Enjoy the songs, get out and buy this album, you will not be disappointed.

Amor de Días – Voice in the Rose – from The House At Sea (2013)

Amor de Días – Jean’s Waving – from The House At Sea (2013)

Merge Records

Amor de Días – Jean’s Waving from Merge Records on Vimeo.