Sharing the sharing.
Arizona’s The Noble Krell play an addicting brand of 60’s era, jangly, psychedelic pop that demands being played on repeat. Their new single Never Ever is out now from Hidden Volume Records and available to stream below via their Bandcamp page. Enjoy!
I’ve been really enjoying Sarah Bethe Nelson’s debut album, Fast-Moving Clouds, quite a bit lately. Her smooth, breathy vocals and witty song writing skills gel together nicely to form one of the better indie pop albums of the year. Check out the dreamy break up song, “Paying”, below for a taste.
Fast-Moving Clouds is available now from Burger Records.
Sarah Bethe Nelson – Paying from Fast-Moving Clouds (2015)
LABRYYYNTH is a new project from members of Dr. Dog and Golden Boots. Their self-titled debut LP is 10 tracks of stripped down, sci-fi themed, head nodding 70’s era pop rock. Check out the Moog driven toe-tapper “Traveling Strange” below. LABRYYYNTH’s album is available in all formats from PIAPTK. It’s also available on cassette from Burger and vinyl from Bleeding Gold. I highly recommend it.
LABRYYYNTH – Traveling Strange from S/T (2014)
I apologize for my month long hiatus as I dealt with sickness and busyness. As an attempt to make up for the lack of posts I offer you a two-for-one from my friends at Funny / Not Funny Records. They just released a split cassette from two really cool bands, Borrowed Beams of Light and New Boss, and I have two tracks below for your listening downloading pleasure.
“Long-Necked Wife” from Borrowed Beams of Light is super chill and pretty damn groovy, while “Last Try” from New Boss is more upbeat and poppy. The two tracks contrast each other well and are great examples of what you can expect throughout the entire release. The split cassette is available now from Funny / Not Funny. I highly recommend it.
Borrowed Beams of Light – Long-Necked Wife from split cassette (2015)
New Boss – Last Try from split cassette (2015)
New Boss FB
Sonny and the Sunsets’ newest release Talent Night at the Ashram is equal parts chill, groove and pop mixed together to create 10 songs of toe tapping, head bobbing goodness. Talent Night at the Ashram is available now from Polyvinyl Records. You should buy it.
Sonny and the Sunsets – Cheap Extensions from Talent Night at the Ashram (2015)
Massachusetts’ 4-piece The Prefab Messiahs began their short-lived time together as a band in 1981. By 1983 they had disbanded with only one cassette release, Flex Your Mind, under their belt.
Fast forward 32 years, an anthology release with Burger Records and some reunion shows, the Prefab Messiahs are back with their spacey-garage-rock-psych-pop sound in full effect on their new maxi-EP, Keep Your Stupid Dreams Alive. You can get a taste of their goodness below with the garage rock punch to the gut of “Weirdoz Everywhere”.
Keep Your Stupid Dreams Alive comes out on March 10 on cassette from Burger Records, vinyl from KLYAM Records and will also be available digitally from the Prefab’s Bandcamp page. I highly recommend it.
The Prefab Messiahs – Weirdoz Everywhere from Keep Your Stupid Dreams Alive (2015)
Taking the best parts from the 70’s era arena rock, glam and funk, and combing it into some kind of garage-pop-electro-space-funk hodgepodge, Danny James has created one of the most sonically pleasing albums that I have heard in quite some time.
I’m not exactly sure when Pear was officially released. Danny James’ Bandcamp page shows 2012, but I know that Burger Records just released this on vinyl, cassette and CD last week. Regardless it’s a solid album, and by far one of the best releases of 2015 or 2012.
Give opening track “Tight Lipped” (below) a spin, then get yourself over to Burger and snag a copy before they are all gone.
Danny James Etc. – Tight Lipped from Pear (2015)
There is so much music out there it’s impossible (obviously) to hear it all, and it’s really easy to miss out on a gem. One of those gems I missed on last year is The Paperheads excellent album Africa Avenue. It’s killer blend of spacey synths, pounding drums and jangly/crunching guitars sound like they came straight out of the 60’s.
You can sample their psych-pop goodness on lead track “Africa” below. Africa Avenue is available to buy now from Trouble In Mind and I highly recommend that you do.
The Paperhead – Africa from Africa Avenue (2014)
Let’s keep this pop theme going…
Twerps formed in Melbourne back in 2008. In their 7+ years as a band they have released one full length and several EPs of shimmery, sickly sweet pop music – including last years Underlay, their debut EP with Merge Records. Tomorrow (Jan 27) they will drop their newest long player, Range Anxiety, again with Merge.
Range Anxiety is indie pop gold with it’s glimmering guitars and killer vocal harmonies. Get a taste of their sweetness below with downloads of “I Don’t Mind” and “Shoulders” as well as the video for “Back To You”. Enjoy.
Twerps – I Don’t Mind from Range Anxiety (2015)
Twerps – Shoulders from Range Anxiety (2015)
Twerps – Back to You (Official Music Video) from Merge Records on Vimeo.
In sticking with the power pop theme, here is New York duo Diet Cig. Their sugary brand of pop punk is quite tasty and is sure to rot your ears. Check out “Scene Sick” below for a sample.
Diet Cig’s debut EP, Over Easy, will be available digitally and on cassette February 24 through Father/Daughter Records. You can (and you should) preorder it now.
Diet Cig – Scene Sick from Over Easy (2015)