We think and day is a good day for some up tempo guitar pop. Today's first dose is the sparkling "Share The Right Line" by New York quartet Van Chamberlain. Tasty hooks, yearning vocals and a welcome summery sheen make this a highlight track. And we also were thrilled to learn that the band is planning a September release of their second album, As Far As The Eye Can See.
On of the simple delights of life that helps make our day is getting new music from a band previously unknown to us. One recent such occurrence was an email with a link to The Tiny Wave, a four-track EP from Brooklyn, New York band Ceylon Sailor. What king of music? Well, it is guitar pop. But it also is indie rock. And some quite definitely (we think) is what some call yacht rock (for the record, we like yachts, especially if G&Ts are being served). What's more -- there are horns! And to our ears, it all mixes together is an upbeat, even euphoric wall of sound that is going to carry us through this weekend. It is just what we needed, because with the price of gas we certainly aren't driving anywhere this weekend. Sail on, Ceylon Sailor!
The sailors in this crew are KM Sigel, Kieran Kelly, Andrew Wood, Dave Long, Paul Brodhead, and Seth Ondracek.
What musical obsessions have occupied us the last few days, you (should) ask? Thanks for asking. The answer is frequent replans of Don't Swim Too Close by Great Lakes. Featuring songwriter Ben Crum's weathered vocals and introspective lyrics, the album's 12 tracks are an indie rock, Americana, alt folk tapestry that has become one of our favorite albums of the year, so far. The arrangements are richly constructed with piano and guitars shining brightly and evince muscle and bruised beauty..
Crum's Great Lakes has been going for nearly three decades -- from Athens to Brooklyn to upstate New York. But it still sounds vital and inspiring. If you don't get this album you are missing an important piece of 2025's musical tapestry.
Don't Swim Too Close is out now via Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records.
With sharp songwriting and a sound that combines the familiar guitar pop with echoes of Sarah Records and folk rock, Jeanines are a band we treasure. And their recently released How Long Can It Last finds them at a new high. The vignettes are compact but colorful, told with an adult perspective but a youthful vigor. Always tuneful, with pleasing harmonies and thoughtful lyrics, this album pleases the ears at the first listen, and then draws the listener back for repeated encores.
Jeanines were formed by songwriters/musicians Alicia Jeanine and Jed Smith. The album also features contributions from Maggie Gaster, who plays bass for the band's live shows.
How Long Can It Last is out now via Slumberland Records and, in the UK, Skep Wax Records.
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"Any Other World" is a tune that grabs your brain, shakes it, massages it, and leaves you feeling more alive and energetic. That it also has an accessible social message is just icing on the musical cake. It is no surprise that such a stunning single is the work of New York synth pop artist Deradoorian, also of Decisive Pink and , formerly, Dirty Projectors.
If you, like us, like what Angel Deradoorian is creating, note that her new album Ready for Heaven will be released May 9 via Fire Records.
Bandcamp for album (US -HHBTM)
Bandcamp for album (My Favorite Bandcamp)
wiaiwya Bandcamp for UK orders
Jangle Jargon is out now via Bedroom Suck. Bedroom Suck is a Brisbane label, but US fans can purchase vinyl at the Polyvinyl Shop link below.
In addition to Dion Nania, the players on the album are Jonah Maurer, Mike Mimoun, Martin Frawley and Amy Franz. Jangle Jargon out September 30 via Bedroom Suck Records in Australia and New Zealand and Polyvinyl/Dispatch Dept. in the United States and Canada.
The spirit of C86 is strong with New York City's Jeanines. They do no-frills guitar pop that focuses the listener's attention where it should be focused: The harmonies and hooks riding the jangling guitar and rubbery bass lines. Their new album is the crisp and charming Don't Wait For A Sign. Many of the LP's songs seem to shoulder into the space between crash pop, twee and jangle pop, the first of which, to our ears, gives the material a sense of immediacy and punch. There also are elements of '60s folk rock that amplify the charm factor. Concision is the order of the day, as none of the 13 songs breaks the two-minute mark. But we think it is a confident and adept choice to end a song where the song should be ended rather than to hit some artificial length related to radio play that isn't in the cards anyway. Our user's guide to this album is: Spring is here and these songs will add plenty of sunshine and energy to bridge you to the summer; repeat as needed.
Jeanines are Alicia Jeanine (vocals/guitar) and Jed Smith (bass/drums). Don't Wait For A Sign is out now via Slumberland Records.
Lightning Bug is Audrey Kang, Kevin Copeland, Logan Miley, Dane Hagen, and Vincent Puleo. A Color of the Sky is out now via Fat Possum Records.
Ten Songs of Worship and Praise for Our Tumultuous Times is out now via Don Giovanni Records.
Dope Sagittarius is a group led by Harlem musician Luqman Brown, playing an exhilarating blend of funk, rock and jazz, in a style that is pretty much unrestrained and without borders as to “genre”. The record was to be released in 2016, but due to Brown having a stroke and a lengthy recovery, and of course, 2020, the record encountered delays and obstacles, but is finally ready to see the light. And you are going to want to check it out, because you need this unrestrained, upbeat record in your life.
It’s a riot of sounds: layered synthesizers, drumbeats and vocal choruses behind Brown’s singing and the occasional rap break or guitar solo (somebody has been listening to their Eddie Hazel). It is mostly uptempo, with the funk and rock elements driving at a fast pace, until it slows down a bit for a ballad like “LaRonda” (but even that contains danceable elements). Check out the galloping tempo on lead song, “Alive”:
I take sort of a double meaning on this song - he states that it's about doing what you can against bullying, but hearing him sing "I'm living for today / watch the first step I take", given what he's gone through in the last several years, is to encounter a very high level of joy. Did I say that he's a hell of a singer? Well, he is.
The song "Black Empress" is faster, with staccato drum machine beats driving the tempo and a frenetic violin solo that moves up and back in the mix, with an extended rap about halfway through that delivers this couplet: "and damn if the karma didn’t boomerang / And you wish you had treated them better then you had" - the song is a warning, and the Empress an instrument of vengeance. As Brown says: "When I wrote this song, back in 2016, it was because I was fed up with the killing of unarmed Black people by police that year and throughout American history. Sadly, not much has changed since then. This is my way of saying that, if we can't stop this senseless killing, the world will end in chaos and violence”:
My favorite track is "Sacred Place", mainly because I think it's got his best singing. But the extended dancehall rap does add a bit of variety:
This is a great record, fairly bursting with ideas, eclectic musical approaches and, again, some great soul vocals from Brown. The music is available online, and the vinyl is out this week. Highly recommended.
Brooklyn band Fixtures embraces a wide variety of influences, all of them worthy of consideration. Then they turn the crank on their very own music machine and churn out a hook-filled, noisy version of indie pop/rock. And for extra flavor they now have added a saxophone. The result -- as evidenced by their new EP Weak Automatic -- is joyful, positive and thrilling. For our ears the songs are a satisfying combination of pop music craftsmanship and jam band. What better (legal) way to get energy for that mid-week slump?
Fixtures are Kris Liakos (vocals/guitar), Jah McGuire (bass), Alain Paradis (guitar/vocals/keys), Robin Fowler (drums/percussion), and Jules Block (sax). Weak Automatic EP is out now in digital and cassette formats via Bobo Integral Records.
If anyone is paying attention, we are focusing on singles this week. Today's offering is by Brooklyn, New York's Fixtures. The song is "The Great Tequila Flood Of 2000-2018". I know the wise guys in the crowd are saying "oh yeah, I remember that. It was awesome". Don't believe them! Anyone who says the recall and extended tequila flood is a poser who wasn't engaged in any meaningful way.
But, um, back to the music. Fixtures create the kind of raw pop that worms its way into your brain. And we don't mind because it is good stuff. "The Great Tequila Flood Of 2000-2018" is the second single from their upcoming album Weak Automatic, which will be released December 4 via Bobo Integral Records.
