Sharing the sharing.
Philadelphia trio Purling Hiss’ new album Weirdon is 11 tracks of fuzz drenched, poppy goodness. Check out toe tapper “Learning Slowly” (below) for a taste of the goodness.
Weirdon is available now from Drag City. You should buy it.
Purling Hiss – Learning Slowly from Weirdon (2014)
Canada’s Alvvays (pronounced “Always”) bring a fuzzy, sugar-coated brand of indie pop that is almost impossible to stop consuming.
My favorite track from their self-titled debut (and one of my favorite tracks of the year) “Archie, Marry Me” (below) is a perfect example of their sweetness. I obsess over this song almost as much as Sean obsesses over Veronica Falls.
Alvvays self-titled LP is available now from Polyvinyl. I highly recommend it.
Alvvays – Archie, Marry Me from S/T (2014)
What better way is there to follow the face melting goodness of Wand than the dreamy electro-beats from Slow Magic?
There is not much out there about Slow Magic. What I can tell you is this masked man’s music is some super chilled-out, head-bobbing, beat-driven, seat-dance inducing electronica. Check out “Girls” below for a taste. Slow Magic’s sophomore release (and first with Downtown Records) How To Run Away, is available now through his Bandcamp page.
Slow Magic – Girls from How To Run Away (2014)
The newest release from New York’s Tyburn Saints, With The Night In Our Eyes, is a solid six songs of dark, haunting, post-rock meets electro-pop music that oozes the 1980’s. Check out the dark yet shimmery “A Way With Her” below. It’s my favorite track from the album. With The Night In Our Eyes is available to purchase from Tyburn Saints’ Bandcamp page. Enjoy.
Tyburn Saints – A Way With Her from With The Night In Our Eyes (2014)
Bishop Allen really shouldn’t need an introduction on this site. In fact, they have been mentioned a few times in previous posts. Needless to say, we are big fans of Bishop Allen’s infectious brand of pop music.
Five years removed from their killer release, Grrr…, Bishop Allen are set to unleash their fouth LP, Lights Out, to the masses on Tuesday (August 19). Lights Out picks up right were Grrr… left off, delivering 12 more solid pieces of indie-pop ear candy. Check out tracks “Start Again” and “Why I Had To Go” from Lights Out below, then get yourself over to Dead Oceans site and snag yourself a copy. Enjoy.
Bishop Allen – Start Again from Lights Out (2014)
Bishop Allen – Why I Had To Go from Lights Out (2014)
After a 30 day “one beat from both of us everyday” challenge Seattle’s Paces Lift and St. Louis’ Ben Bounce created the framework for their new collaboration LP, Quick Trigger. Two years of mixing and fine tuning, their masterpiece Quick Trigger was ready for consumption. The result is fourteen lo-fi, psychedelic, beat driven tracks sprinkled with bits of spaghetti western and old vinyl crackle. It’s a solid release which has quickly risen to the top of my albums of the year list.
Quick Trigger is available now on killer looking “ox blood” vinyl with cover art done by none other than Ted Feighan (aka Monster Rally) from Wax Thématique. It’s also streaming and downloadable from Paces Lift’s Bandcamp page. Feast your ears on some of Quick Trigger‘s goodness below. Enjoy!
Paces Lift & Ben Bounce – Clot (Beerline) from Quick Trigger (2014)
Paces Lift & Ben Bounce – Delusions of Farley Granger from Quick Trigger (2014)
Ex-Pet is the solo project of New Yorker Greg Nissan. Greg’s music is a catchy brand of power-pop with sweetly harmonized male/female vocals and just the right amount of trumpet sprinkled in here and there. Check out the perfect-for-summer, sugar-coated, pop gem “Can of Worms” below- it’s sure to rot at least three of your teeth. Put this bad boy on repeat and get your groove on. Ex-Pet’s debut album Green Accent is available now on Bandcamp. Enjoy!
Ex-Pet – Can of Worms from Green Accent (2014)
In trying to keep the summer theme going, here is Denver’s Fingers of The Sun. This 6-piece psych pop band led by Suzi Allegra and Nathan Brasil just put out their newest EP simply titled 3 EP, featuring 5 songs of paisley-psych-garage-pop-rock goodness that is sure to brighten anyone’s day. 3 EP is available digitally from Fingers of The Sun’s Bandcamp page and on cassette from Burger records.
Check out super-sunny opener “Tambourines & Toasters” below. It reminds me of the Cowsills’ “The Rain, The Park and Other Things” even though it sounds nothing like it, it must be the vibe. Trust me, you are going to dig it.
Fingers of The Sun – Tambourines & Toasters from 3 EP (2014)
I love this time of year. My kids are out of school, starting tomorrow. We’ve been enjoying our son’s baseball games, chilling out on the porch until dark, a little yard work and some serious (not really that serious) street carving sessions on our skateboards lately. The soundtrack to these recent good times has been the electro-pop beats of Identical Homes’ new LP, A. Hydrophelia.
Identical Homes is the new-ish project of ex Rum Diary member, Daniel McKenzie. He crafts a catchy, chilled-out, yet warm brand of electro-pop that is sure to cause involuntary head bobbing. Check out “Formula” (below) from the B-side, it’s one of my favorite tracks from the album. A. Hydrophelia is out now and is available to buy/stream, digitally, from Identical Homes’ Bandcamp page. It’s also available on a really cool looking 12″ picture disc LP through the same Bandcamp page. This is a great summer time album, that belongs in your collection.
Thanks to Daniel for sending this my way through the inbox, along with a picture of his cat, Barracuda, and generously sending me one of the sweet picture discs.
Identical Homes – Formula from A. Hydrophelia (2014)
My first introduction to Curtis Harding’s soul stylings was his cover of the Velvet Underground’s “Here She Comes Now”, from Burger Records’ tribute cassette to White Light/White Heat. His take on the VU classic left me wanting for more. That want is over as Harding just released his debut LP, Soul Power, with Burger Records. It’s 12 songs of funk-soul-garage-pop goodness will keep you spinning the album over and over again.
Check out the funk-fueled, toe-tapper “Keep On Shining” (below) his first single from the LP. Soul Power is out now, and available on vinyl (highly recommended) and cassette from Burger Records.
Curtis Harding – Keep On Shining from Soul Power (2014)