"The Autumn Leaves on 14th Street" by Knight's Ferry

 

"The Autumn Leaves on 14th Street" is a stirring gem of urgently-pace guitar pop, and also is one of the best opening tunes we have heard in some time. It is the creation of Knight's Ferry. While the band was unknown to us, member Mike Ramos is no stranger to these pages. As the leader of Tony Jay and member of Flowertown, Cindy and other musical ventures, he never fails to satisfy our musical appetites. This song is the lead track from the band's House Demos EP, which will be released in digital and cassette formats on February 6.

In addition to Mike (guitar/bass/vocals), Knight's Ferry are Clay Hunt (guitar/bass/vocals) and Richard Alex Olsen (drums).

Bandcamp for House Demos

"You Belong With Us" by Sad Eyed Beatniks

 

With "You Belong With Us" we welcome you to the world of Sad Eyed Beatniks. We think this song is jangling lo-fi excellence from the heart of the Bay Area's lo-fi jangle pop scene; it is a warm hug of acceptance while your tears still run down your face. What else would one expect from Kevin Linn, who runs Paisley Shirt Records when not being the sad eyed beatnik? And especially when he is assisted by Cindy/Flowertown mates Karina Gill and Mike Ramos (you see all three in the homemade video below). The song is the first single from  the upcoming Ten Brocades LP, due July 12 in digital and vinyl formats via Meritorio Records.

We don't like to over-promise, so we'll just close by saying that this album will be superb. 

 

Sad Eyed Beatniks · You Belong With Us

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Bandcamp for Ten Brocades

Meritorio page for Ten Brocades

"Coping"/"Paris" by Layman

 

Are you in the mood for some garage rock? Oh good, because so are we. Some friends in Australia sent us this delightful two-track single "Coping"/"Paris" by Sydney trio Layman. Consisting of three former members of the band BLAND, the band is Cambell Smith (guitar/vocals), Samuel John McEwen (bass/vocals) and Brock Perry (drums). There is nothing complicated here, and there is no need for complication. This is just the sort of music that draw many of is to the indie sphere. And if you have the inclination to look beyond the groove, we think the songwriting is quite good, and "Paris" is very amusing.

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Red Pants - Not Quite There Yet

 

There were some good albums dropping this week, and we will get to as many as we are able in the next few days. Our first pick is the thrilling Not Quite There Yet by Madison, Wisconsin band Red Pants. A duo consisting of Jason Lambeth and Elsa Nekola, the project has had a busy half decade together with two previous full length albums and a few shorter releases. Elsa provides the drums and some vocals; Jason does most of the rest. They make cute videos, sometimes with Jason's daughter in an acting role.

As revealed on Not Quite There Yet, Red Pants has a style but aren't locked into a narrow genre. Their songs are characterized by chugging or droning guitars with a sturdy rhythm high in the mix and some deft hooks. But from that foundation they deliver diverse tunes that can variously call to mind The Bats, Velvet Underground, Sebadoh, Yo La Tengo or Blonde Redhead. Yeah, it is indie rock, but it is good indie rock -- well written, sincerely performed and, moreover, it is intelligent and still sounds fresh. We like this one a lot (but we still probably won't wear red pants).

Not Quite There Yet is out now in digital and vinyl formats via Meritorio Records.

Jason's Twitter

Jason's Website

Elsa's Website

Bandcamp for Not Quite There Yet

Blue Ocean - Fertile State

 

What's your personal poison? Noise pop? Shoegaze? Jangle? Post punk? One or more of the foregoing? May we humbly suggest that you can get all of that, as well as memorable melodies and a full load of energy on Fertile State, the debut album from Oakland, California's Blue Ocean. The tracks are distinctly drawn but sufficiently varied that the band is hard to pigeonhole. For our tastes the more aggressive shoegaze/noise pop tracks have the greatest initial appeal. But some of the others, such as "Take A Care", suggest that the band may thrill us mining other musical veins in future releases.

Fertile State is out now in vinyl, CD and digital formats via Slumberland Records.

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Bandcamp for Fertile State

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Small Intestines - Hide In Time

 

Small Intestines are Tristan Peach (Peach Time), Matt Liveriadis (Chook Race) and Rob Remedios (Chook Race) from Melbourne, and they churn out some of the most addictive jangling guitar pop in recent memory. But they also display a broader palette encompassing a folky vein and a bittersweet approach we associate with fellow Aussies Lower Plenty and Dick Diver. The results are presented on Hide In Time, 12 songs that make a strong case for one of the year's top ten albums for us. Pleasing melodies and jangling guitar abound, and there is just the right amount of rough edges in the production. But most impressively is that the songs reflect top quality songwriting and sincere storytelling. These are songs you should want.

Hide In Time will be released September 29 via Meritorio Records in Europe and the United States and by Lost and Lonesome Records in Australia and the rest of the solar system.

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"Perfect Worlds" by Tony Jay

We like the lo-fi musical confections of Mike Ramos however they come. More recently, they have been in collaboration with Karina Gill (of Cindy, of which Ramos is a member) as Flowertown. However, we are thrilled when Ramos has pulled on the mantle of Tony Jay for a new set of music. That new set is Perfect Worlds, which will be released on September 15 via Slumberland. Will it be good? Yes it will. And the evidence for you ears is the gauzy perfection of the title track, presented below to start your week the right way.

In addition to Tony Jay, Flowertown, and Cindy, Ramos is involved with Sad Eyed Beatniks and Al Harper. He previously was a member of April Magazine. For this recording Tony Jay is Ramos, Kelsey Faber, Alexis Harper, and Cameron Baker, with guest vocalist Karina Gill.

Bandcamp for pre-order of Perfect Worlds

Slumberland Records page for album

Fort Not - Depressed For Success

 

Last month we predicted that Depressed For Success by Sweden's Fort Not would be one of the albums of the summer. We now have had several days and we not only stand by our previous statement, but we will upgrade it to one of our favorite albums of the year so far. The 13 tracks display the band's love of indie in multiple styles, performed with verve and nuance and revealing a remarkable ability to craft delectable earworms. The listener is treated to stories of love, sex and other topics via British Invasion, bedroom pop, power pop and twee. And the listener likely will love all of them.

This much quality did present a challenge for us to choose representative tracks -- how can one set aside a rousing, fuzzy powerpop anthem for an affecting, jangling bedroom pop ballad? Well, we did the best we could. The reader should be aware that the time spent going to the Bandcamp link and streaming the entire album (presumably while effecting a purchase) would be time very well spent.

Fort Not is Fredrik Soderstrom and Robert Carlsson. Depressed For Success is out now in vinyl and digital formats via Meritorio Recods.

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Meritorio Records page for album

"Lost Dog" by Cindy

 

Mark my words, one of the top albums of Autumn will be 1:2 by San Francisco dream pop band Cindy. A masterclass of .... well, I really should wait until the album is closer to release to swoon publicly. However, we all can experience a portion of its charms via "Lost Dog". An unassuming but truly delightful pop tune, it is artfully pared down to its hushed, melodic essence and then decorated with the finest instrumental ornaments. Feast your ears.

Cindy are Karina Gill (guitar/vocals), Aaron Diko (keys), Jesse Jackson (bass), and Simon Phillips (drums). Depending on your location and desired format, 1:2 will be available via Mt.St.Mtn., Tough Love Records, and Paisley Shirt Records. The date for digital release in October 1, and the date for the vinyl release is November 1.

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Various links for album

"No Change" by Skydeck

 

Skydeck is an Australian duo who craft lo-fi post punk with a focus on social commentary. Their new album is titled Coupon and will be released August 27. Album track "Dogshot" was the first single to be aired (our feature here), and we now have "No Change". Featuring deadpan talk-sing vocals and a dominating bassline, the band's usual lo-fi approach is deepened by the recording process: Over the telephone between Australia and Mexico. Snippets of some of the phone conversations have been added as well.

The theme is stated to be vacillation between the outrage at doing nothing about the poor state of the world and indifference when confronted with the futility of individual actions such as writing a song about it. I think the boys captured it well.

Skydeck is Dominic Kearton (Pregnancy/Dom Roff) and Mitchum Clemens (Ciggie Witch/Shark Alarm). Their 2019 debut album Eureka Moment was nominated for the Australian Music Prize. The album will be available in digital and vinyl versions via Dinosaur City Records, Osborne Again, and Kingfisher Bluez (North America).

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Bandcamp for "No Change"

Bandcamp for album pre-orders

Flowertown - Flowertown

 

Can an album birthed from a backstage collaboration of two songwriters from different bands whose shows were cancelled result in a masterpiece debut? The answer is 'yes', and the evidence is the self-titled album by San Francisco's Flowertown. The duo is comprised of Karina Gill of Cindy (our recent feature here) and Michael Ramos of Tony Jay (our recent feature here). The songs on Flowertown were originally released on two cassette EPs by the excellent San Francisco label Paisley Shirt Records. The tracks have been remastered and produced on vinyl by Mt.St.Mtn. The album also is available in digital format (see the Bandcamp link below).

The twelve tracks on the album range from hushed, dreamy, slow tempo songs with sparse instrumentation to indie rock flashes of light driven by electric guitar, reflecting in each case the more dreamy work of Cindy and the noisier compositions of Tony Jay. And unsurprisingly, many are between those ends of the spectrum. But throughout Gill and Ramos evince a seemingly effortless vocal partnership, trading lines and fleshing out each other's songs. To my ears, among the distinct delights of Flowertown is the variation in atmosphere, from the hiss and static evocative of San Francisco fog to the shimmer and jangle of Galaxie 500 to the semi-drone of Velvet Underground (which always brings to mind the cadence of walking the streets of New York City). 

I haven't owned this album long, but it is among my most treasured albums of the year, with four  of the songs counted among the best songs I've heard in 2021. I highly recommend it to all.

Bandcamp for Album

Label page for album

“Time Walk” and “Ambulance” by Bnny

Photo credit: Alexa Viscius

Bnny is a Chicago guitar rock band playing a lo-fi, reverb-heavy style with the breathy vocals of leader and vocalist Jess Viscius, a staccato rhythm section and some excellent guitar sounds. First song is "Time Walk", and it gets a lot done in 1:33. There are alternating guitar figures throughout the song, including a short but killer bent-strings solo right at the end. Check it out, and stay tuned for more; there's enough variety in just these two songs to pique the interest of any indie rock fan. Here is "Time Walk":

 

 And here is the second song released in advance, the super slowed-down "Ambulance":

   

 

 In addition to Jess Viscius, the band includes her twin sister Alexa Viscius, plus friends Tim Makowski, Matt Pelkey, and Adam Schubert. The album is due out in August - you can stream both of those songs now, and pre-order the album in a boatload of formats via Bnny's website or Bandcamp. Bnny Band website Everything by Bnny at Bandcamp

Orange Paw - Orange Paw

Mara Williams of Melbourne bands The Pink Tiles and Pleather Purrs certainly has utilized her pandemic downtime more productively than many, commencing a solo project called Orange Paw and writing songs. The fruits of her efforts are nine charming lo-fi nuggets packaged into a self-titled debut album. And what a set of songs! You can hear the garage pop undercurrents of her other bands, but the additional elements make the tunes special. There is a '60s guitar pop vibe owing to the innocent and sincere vocals and the sound of the guitars. And while Mara's vocals are impressive on the uptempo tracks and sweet lullabies, one of our favorite songs us the romping retro instrumental "Runaway".

Orange Paw is an excellent debut album. In fact, it is an excellent album under any circumstances. And we hope that even when her other bands are recording and playing gigs, Mara keeps writing for her own project. If she does, we will be there to listen.

The album is out now digitally, and will be available in cassette format next month via Psychic Hysteria.

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Bandcamp for album

“Bad Week” by Babehoven

Babehoven is a collaborative project of Maya Bon and Ryan Albert, who are based in Arlington, VT. Bon is originally from California but of Croatian descent, and claims that a lot of the inspiration for this project comes from having reunited with her father in Croatia and learning more about that culture. Regardless of the origin, this is distinctive music - sad and beautiful - and I look forward to hearing more from them. This single is out now, you can download or stream it, and the album is due out July 9. Babehoven website Bandcamp

Tony Jay - Hey There Flower

 

I'm not going to pretend that I have long followed Tony Jay. In fact, I first heard of the artist this year when I read that Mike Ramos, whose alter ego is Tony Jay, and Karina Gill of Cindy were releasing an album together under the name Flowertown. Well, we covered the Cindy album (link) and Flowertown isn't ready yet, so I took the opportunity to dip my toe into the musical world of Tony Jay.

The album is titled Hey There Flower, after one of its songs. But in my mind the album is 'The Wonderful Musical Sketch Book of Tony Jay' (yeah, I know, I am never going to make it in advertising). What Tony sketches are concise commentaries on love, loneliness and a few things in between. His mode of expression is sparse, intense, and captivating. The arrangements are invariably lo-fi and slow tempo, blanketed with a fuzzy hiss. And it only took one listen to decide that it is a very special album. It has a '60s feel, albeit washed in an eerie slowcore machine. An ace example is "September Skies", which could be the 1965 'last dance' at the prom for the introverted students. I just love that song.

But then, I love a most of the songs. The vocals are hushed, matching the arrangements. And while it is low-fi, the recording evinces a confidence and sense of purpose, and hell with the people that don't get it. It is as if Azure Ray was playing Television Personalities. Ramos recorded them solo during the pandemic, but called on a lot of friends to add featured and backing vocals. Backing and featured vocals were provided by Karina Gill (Cindy), Griffin Jones (Galore), Kati Mashikian (Mister Baby), Alexis Harper (Al Harper)k & Hannah Lew (Cold Beat). While all of the guest vocalist clearly 'got' what Ramos was doing and amplified the songs, it also is clear that Ramos and Gill bring out top performances in each other. So watch for the upcoming Flowertown release.

Hey There Flower is out now via San Francisco's Paisley Shirt Records.

"Melted Car" (feat. Karina Gill)

"Hey There Flower"

"Ode to Little Bird" (feat. Alexis Harper)

"September Skies" (feat. Karina Gill)

Bandcamp for Hey There Flower

Guided by Voices - two new tracks from upcoming Earth Man Blues

I'm back, and so are they! Guided by Voices is in a groove, on to its first full-length release of 2021 (after 3 in 2020) and 33rd overall, Earth Man Blues. Described by the band as "a magical cinematic rock album, full of dramatic and surreal twists and turns. Lyrics and liner notes trace the growth of young Harold Admore Harold through a coming of age and a reckoning with darkness. Vivid scenes appear: snapshots of youth, fantastical nightmares, unknown worlds." So, Tommy meets Harold Pig, perhaps? Well, it already has two short, sweet and crackling tracks to recommend it. Here's "Trust Them Now", 2:20 of racing, chiming guitars and vocal melodies:

 

Here is "Free Agents", featuring the couplet "Life is like a slot machine / All goes up and down as in a dream" - which pretty well summarizes the experience of being a fan of GbV, except it is mostly up:

 

When somebody is this good at something, you don’t want them to stop, or even slow down. And they’re not, thankfully.

Out April 30 on Rockathon Records.

GbV at Rockathon Records

Guided by Voices website

Mike Gale- Sunshine for the Mountain God

Songwriter and performer Mike Gale has stepped up to help in the time of COVID-19. His dual contribution is ten concise lo-fi gems for your ears, and a redirect of all of your 'name your price' payments to The Trussell Trust food bank. So there you are, a chance to do some good for others while doing some good for yourselves. Get busy!




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Bandcamp for Sunshine for the Mountain God

"Over You" by Francois

It is a good feeling when we find the perfect music to end the weekend, and we did it today.  Here is "Over You", by Liverpool's Francois.  A song about setting yourself free from what is holding you back, holding you down, or trapping your spirit.  The young man's message is vital, and his song is terrific.

"Over You" is out now via Silent Kid Records.




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Soundcloud for "Over You"
Spotify link for "Over You"

Jackson Politick - Psycho​-​mania b​/​w Well​-​adjusted Australians

Since this was a November 2018 vinyl release with a digital download included, and was limited to 300 copies, you may be too late to own your own copy of "Psycho-Mania"/"Well-Adjusted Australians".  But you sure as hell can listen to it as long as Bandcamp allows.  Jackson Politick is Andy Human (And Jordan) of Andy Human and the Reptoids.  The first song is a synth punk delight.  The second song,  "Well-Adjusted Australians" could be Guided by Voices or Television Personalities.




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The Cool Greenhouse - Crap Cardboard Pet

When home on a Saturday night we tend to look for less conventional music.  And tonight our internet journey has led us to London project The Cool Greenhouse.  Their self-described sweet spot is "lo-fi, repetitive post-punk with a social conscience", which seems to succinctly describe exactly what we are hearing (as well as saving us some editorial brain damage).  Telling you what to expect would spoil the surprise, so just play the three songs and enjoy the surprisingly addictive strangeness.




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Bandcamp for Crap Cardboard Crap