Best Bets are Olly Crawford Ellis, James Harding, Matt Phimmavanh, and Joe Sampson. James and Olly are members of Transistors and Joe has been in Salad Boys, T54 and other projects (including the label Melted Ice Cream). The Hollow Husk of Feeling is out now via Meritorio Records and Melted Ice Cream.
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"For Me" is the final single from the upcoming Ray and Lorraine's by Australia's fine Pop Filter. Dominated by synths and a dubby rhythm, it is an enchanting two minutes. Quite unlike past tracks by Pop Filter, it suggests that the gang are continuing to push their boundaries.
Ray and Lorraine's will be out October 4 via Osborne Again (Aus/NZ) and Bobo Integral (rest of the cosmos).
Bandcamp for Ray and Lorraine's
We previously have shared a couple of singles from the upcoming Lawrence of Suburbia by Glasgow jangle pop master Laz McCluskey, AKA Bubblegum Lemonade. We now have a double treat: (1) Third single "Love's Young Nightmare", and (2) An EP with that album track packaged with two non-album tracks "Sad Comedian" and "America Calling". The lead track is an upbeat jangle anthem. For the second Laz slows the pace for a lovely, thoughtful tune. The third amps up the pace again and adds the vocals from Sandra, Laz's mate from the Strawberry Whiplash project. Bubblegum Lemonade has always displayed a deft knack for melody and is locked into what made '80-'90s guitar pop special The three-song EP is titled Love's Young Nightmare and is available digitally via Matinee Recordings.
We recalled Los Angeles' Dummy as a punky noise pop band of considerable skill and great appeal, at least to our ears. But their change of direction on new album Free Energy has us amazed and excited. The pop bent isn't gone, but it has been chopped, diced and spliced with plenty of new directions and experimental avenues. The result can vary among shoegaze, dreampop, trip hop (but with big drums) and noise pop. Of course that means that each succeeding track may sound different than its predecessor, but the surprise (and invariable delight) is part of the charm. Listening to Free Energy we felt like we were on a journey with the band traipsing through the rooms of a curious mansion. We can quite honestly write that there is not a single song on this album that we skip. Moreover, our favorite songs also seem to shift on repeated plays. We hope this album gets the wide listening it deserves.
The members of this Los Angeles band are Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O'Dell and Joe Trainor. Free Energy is out now via Trouble In Mind Records.
We are listening to Nothing, and it sounds great! No, we haven't given up music, we are just enthralled with "Wildflowers" by Auckland, New Zealand's Jim Nothing. The guitar fuzz in our ears and the thumping in our chest is an ace reminder of why we love guitar pop. The song is the fifth single from the 13-track Grey Eyes, Grey Lynn which is due October 18 via Meritorio Records (most of the world) and Melted Ice Cream (New Zealand). Jim Nothing is James Sullivan and some talented friends.
Emma Russack is a gifted songwriter and performer. But in our opinion what puts her above many of her contemporaries is her ability to evince curiosity and vitality in her music. And these qualities are at the forefront of her new album About The Girl, whether voicing a slow tempo vamp like "I Know You Feel It Too" or an up tempo pop should-be-a-hit like "About The Girl" and "Everything Is Big". Sophisticated yet accessible -- perhaps this is what it is like if the girl next door becomes a top flight musician but still chats over the back fence and hands you a beer on a hot summer day. She tells you about her day, and then tells you about her year. The words are direct and honest, but with perspective and humor.
We're are sure we'd stay for a second year and another round of stories if invited to do so.
About The Girl is out now via Dinosaur City Records.
We have long been fans of The New Tigers, and more recently we have lamented their absence from the recording studio. But the Finnish fuzz guitar band are back, and have followed the sage advice that if you are going to resurface after an extended hiatus, it is best done in a way that assures attention (somewhat like this blog beginning to post again after a week off). Their new single "Säbä" echoes the familiar TNT with a spot-perfect guitar arrangement. But in an startling move, the vocals feature no members of the band, but rather the voice of Jani Nyberg (Finnish ice hockey player, we believe) speaking in Finnish. We admit that we don't speak the language, but the overall effect is very pleasing to us. It is somewhat similar to Public Service Broadcasting, a UK band of which we are fond.
The single is out now via Helsinki's Soliti Music, and consists of two tracks: "Säbä" with the vocals and an instrumental-only version. Give it a try and broaden your musical experience.
If you like things that are sweet, crunchy and bold tasting, we suggest that you new musical soundtrack should include Mingling With The Thorns by Vancouver, BC's WUT. The sound may remind you of the Shop Assistants, Flatmates or other C86 bands. But the lyrics are this trios own, addictive brand of humor mixed with sharp commentary. It is a breezy, euphoric listen packed with elements we search for in new music. It is the sort of album that you can play over and over without any complaints from others in the household/office, and if you don't believe it, try it yourself.
WUT is Tracey Vath (bass/vocals/guitar), Kaity McWhinney (guitar/vocals), and Lauren Smith (drums/vocals). Mingling With The Thorns is out now in digital and vinyl formats via HHBTM Records.
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Ray and Lorraine's will be out October 4 via Osborne Again (Aus/NZ) and Bobo Integral (rest of the cosmos).
Of the upcoming albums on our schedule one of the best bets to makes us smile and earn repeated replays is The Hollow Husk of Feeling by, coincidentally, Best Bets. It will be the New Zealand band's second album and is due on September 27 via Meritorio Records (Eur/USA/Can) and Melted Ice Cream (NZ/rest of the universe). The second single is the amusingly sinister "Spooky Signals, featuring a festival of wiry and jangling guitars and some abuse of beer cans. Our only criticism is that it appears much beer was spilled in the filming.
Best Bets are Olly Crawford Ellis, James Harding, Matt Phimmavanh, and Joe Sampson. James and Olly are members of Transistors and Joe has been in Salad Boys, T54 and other projects (including the label Melted Ice Cream).
Fall is coming and San Francisco's Chime School is back in session for its new course offering The Boy Who Ran the Paisley Hotel. The materials feature an eleven song syllabus at a very appealing tuition rate. The work of jangle and chime melody master Andy Pastalaniec, the songs are not just top quality indie pop, although they most certainly are top quality indie pop. They also reflect the last several decades of paisley flecked UK guitar pop. The obsessive fan may even experience Deja Vu as memories of Smiths, Teenage Fan Club, La's, or Oasis run through the brain pan. But rest assured, these songs are no covers but rather distinct gems constructed by a man that knows exactly what makes this music rock our world.
We have it on good authority that Andy won't be giving any tests to those who sign up, so grab the album without any worries. The Boy Who Ran the Paisley Hotel is out now in digital, vinyl and CD formats via Slumberland Records.
One habit that our fellow indie pop obsessives sometimes fall into is the belief that their new-found and completely wonderful indie pop band should never change, but rather should continue to record similar songs for the duration. And why not? We love those songs and we want to hear more of them -- that's why we are indie pop obsessives. Right? And each of these fans can probably justify their beliefs by citing bands that disappointed them by changing and became worse. But we are here to sing another tune (metaphorically speaking, we don't sing well, we write).
So, friends, today's story is about a band that blows the narrow belief discussed above off the stage. When we first met Melbourne's Quivers they were one of those precious jangle and chime bands that we keep close to our hearts and collect. And in addition to the jangle and chime, their songwriting had a depth and humanity that put them a cut above 99 percent of bands (citation omitted) and they are sincerely good people. If you are an indie pop fan, you should have a copy of their debut Golden Doubt. We still play it regularly three years later. But now comes their second album, Oyster Cuts, and we are confronted with a changed Quivers. Oh, there still is plenty of jangle and chime. But there is plenty of rocking guitar riffs, more shared vocals and a very appealing penchant for enthusiastic all-hands-on-deck choruses. Somewhat improbably, the songwriting is even sharper, fearless and open-hearted than the debut, with a wider range and more nuance to match the increasingly detailed musicianship and production. They can make you laugh and dance, they can bring tears (try the lovely "Grief Has Feathers"), and they can make you laugh through your tears. Oyster Cuts is an album with heart, guts, brains and soul, and you deserve it.
We congratulated the front man Sam Nicholson when we learned that Quivers signed to Merge Records. Now that we have heard Oyster Cuts, we would like to congratulate Merge Records for being able to sign Quivers.
The band is Bella Quinlan (vocal/bass), Sam Nicholson (vocals/guitars/keys/songwriting), Michael Panton (vocals/guitar/tape loops), and Holly Thomas (vocals/drums/percussion). The album is out now in digital, vinyl and CD formats.
Taking an aural trip through Knife Is But A Dream is like one of those pleasant afternoon naps where you shift between semi-awake daydreams, actual dream-filled sleep, and that fuzzy, gauzy space in between -- pleasing and rewarding, but ephemeral and just beyond your grasp. And interspersed with those moments are hushed lullabies, all brought to you by San Francisco musician Tony Jay. Mixing his gorgeous guitar tones and intimate vocals with ambient soundscapes, he delivers 15 tracks of inner space brilliance, simultaneously warm and mysterious. It must be said that he can't take all the credit, as his cat is said to have provided some guitar muting, keyboard playing and background vocalizations (we will have our paralegal check to see if "Penny" is credited on the copyright paperwork).
Tony Jay is Michael Ramos, who also participates in other Bay Area projects, including Cindy and Flowertown. Knife Is But A Dream is out now via Paisley Shirt Records, Slumberland Records, and in Japan by Galaxy Train.
Depending on the living arrangements you have had throughout your adult life, the notion of a naked roommate might be thrilling or frightening. But today we bring you an exciting (and completely non-threatening) Naked Roommate. The occasion is "Bus", the first single from the upcoming LP Pass the Loofah. And while non-threatening, it strikes our ears as sexy as hell and our feet can't stop moving. We cued it up first thing this morning and all our morning activities have been completed in record time. We may use the race shoes for the morning run! Freewheeling and beat heavy, like Lizzy Mercier Descloux merged with Australia's No Zu.
The Oakland outfit's new album is due October 25 via Trouble In Mind Records.
"Guts, Brains" makes us about as happy as we can be on a Tuesday. Beat Happening meets riot girls meets softies meets Shop Assistants in an effervescent gem. The message of the song is listen and learn, don't just trust your guts and brains. The impact is pure musical pleasure. The proud parents are Vancouver trio Wut, consisting of Tracey Vath, Kaity McWhinney, and Lauren Smith (who variously also ply their trade in Knife Pleats, Love Cuts, Tough Age and Jock Tears).
The song is taken from the upcoming LP Mingling With The Thorns, which will drop in a couple of weeks via HHBTM Records.
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The always terrific collective Pop Filter has cooked up another album titled Ray and Lorraine's. We featured the first single "Life Downstream" a few weeks ago, and now can share lead track "Fragile". The song commands attention with a weighty beat, accented by bass, synths and vocals. It is a bit of a change up from the former members of Ocean Party and other venerable acts, but it is energetic and intriguing. We are excited to learn what other treats will be revealed when the album drops.
Ray and Lorraine's will be out October 4 via Osborne Again (Aus/NZ) and Bobo Integral (rest of the cosmos).
Bandcamp for Ray and Lorraine's
What do we know about the UK duo The Gabys? Well, most of what we know is in the preceding sentence. The rest of what we know you can discern for yourself by listening to "Colour Me Out". But to justify our existence, you will hear sweetly voice but almost weary-sounding vocals peeking above a gentle folk-pop arrangement. We find it quite captivating and we are eager to hear more. The song is taken from their upcoming self-titled four-track EP which will be out August 23 via Fruits & Flowers.
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Yes, it is summer and we expect that many readers my still be suffering from the psychological trauma of being forced to take summer school at some point in their youth. We do not underestimate the unpleasantness of sharpening math skills that are flabby because you were too busy flirting with the cute new kid during the academic year, but we don't think that you should continue to carry a grudge. Especially when the summer offerings from San Francisco's Chime School are so warm, comfortable and jangly. The latest offering is "The End", which is the final single (and, curiously, the lead track) from their upcoming The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel, which will be out August 23 via Slumberland.
Given its location, it is understandable that Seattle is a seafood town. But Monday, July 29 is special because those of us old enough to be out and play in the dark get an early round of Oyster Cuts. Yes, indeed! Even though the new album from Melboure's Quivers won't be released until August 9, the band is playing in Seattle Monday night and you can be sure to get an advance listen to the new tunes. We featured two of them previously, but the rocking third single "Pink Smoke" is out and you can stream it below.
The show is at Substation, 645 NW 45th Street, from 7-11pm (link for tickets). The opening band is local representative Who Is She? (links for Who Is She?) comprised of members of Chastity Belt, Tacocat, and Lisa Prank.
For those of you who don't live in the gentle shadow of WYMA World Headquarters, the remainder of Quivers' scheduled shows for 2024 are at the bottom of this post.
Remaining Tour Dates
July 29 Seattle, WA - Substation
Jul 31 Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool
Aug 01 Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool
Aug 02 Washington, DC – Comet Ping Pong
Aug 03 Philadelphia, PA – TBA
Aug 04 Richmond, VA – Get Tight Lounge
Oct 14 Columbus, OH – Skully’s Music Diner*
Oct 15 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall*
Oct 16 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue*
Oct 17 Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room*
Oct 18 Sioux Falls, SD – Icon Lounge*
Oct 19 Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater*
Oct 21 Austin, TX – Radio / East*
Oct 22 Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall*
Oct 23 New Orleans, LA – Toulouse Theatre*
* w/ Superchunk
Europe / U.K. Tour: (More TBA soon):
Dec 03 Dresden, DE – Ostpol
Dec 05 Hamburg, DE – Hebebühne
Dec 06 Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
Dec 10 Paris, FR – Supersonic
Dec 11 London, UK – The Lexington
Dec 12 Manchester, UK – Castle Hotel
Nightshift are Eothen Stern, Chris White, Rob Alexander and Andrew Doig. Ray Aggs contributes violin on "Phone" and "Sure Look". Homosapien is out now via Trouble In Mind Records.
Talented and adventuresome, Dummy is a band that truly deserves your ears. If you missed their debut album Mandatory Enjoyment, that's OK because number 2 Free Energy will be out September 6 via Trouble In Mind Records. Check out the single "Nine Clean Nails" in which the band lays down a commanding groove before adding vocal and then blowing out the windows with the guitars. Rhythmic, taut and poppy, it is a certain winner.
The members of this Los Angeles band are Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O'Dell and Joe Trainor.
Our first Monday morning listen was the thrilling "Forgive and Forget", a shoegazy post punk tune by Stroud, UK's Wings of Desire. The song is taken from their three-track EP Shut Up And Listen. The EP will be out August 30 in digital and cassette formats.
The proceeds from the sale of the EP will support The Long Table, a community service organization in Stroud.
It isn't our fault, but Dumbo Gets Mad. We have not way of knowing what mayhem a mad Dumbo will create, but his new psychedelic pop/soft rock tune "The Depths Of An Answer" suggests that the results actually may be quite pleasing. However, we nevertheless would recommend that you not turn your back on on mad Dumbo.
Dumbo Gets Mad is the project of Luca Bergomi.
We live by few rules at WYMA, but one rule is never ignore the weird. So today we feature and EP that was released in late June titled History of Weird by Australian band Halfheads. Punchy, urgent and a bit chaotic in places, it also displays a good sense of melody. The band pulls back a bit for the touching third track but ramps up for the closer "Max Ray", which probably is a co-favorite of ours on this EP.
You can find History of Weird at the Bandcamp link below as a digital download.
Some of our most rewarding listening in the past five years or so has originated in the San Francisco Bay Area's lo-fi/DIY scene. The participants are talented, adventuresome, supportive of each other, and prolific. Among our favorites is Mike Ramos, whose projects include Tony Jay and Flowertown (he also contributed to Sad Eyed Beatnik's Ten Brocades LP that we featured a couple of days ago). Last week Tony Jay announced an new album title Knife Is But A Dream. which will be released in advance of Mike's upcoming Japan tour. Two of the album tracks, "Ancient Slice" and "The Darkest Corner" can be streamed now. The former is a noisy, ambient one-and-a-half minute transmission from inner space. The latter is a lovely slice of dream pop more closely related to Mike's recent work.
Knife Is But A Dream will be released by Paisley Shirt Records, Slumberland Records, and in Japan by Galaxy Train.
Portland, Oregon's Tears Run Rings are not especially prolific, but good things can take time. Besides, they have other things to do such as founding and running the excellent label Shelflife Records. Our ears are happy, however, because they have found time to record their fourth album Everything In The End. The just released first single -- "Lost Touch" -- demonstrates that the band's mastery of euphoric, layered and dreamy shoegaze remains intact. We think it is a perfect way to elevate your evening mood. Your family will thank you.
Tears Run Rings are Matthew Bice (vocals/guitar), Laura Watling (vocals/bass), Ed Mazzucco (guitar), and Dwayne Palasek (drums). Everything In The End will be released September 6 via Shelflife Records.
Songwriter, vocalist and playing most of the instruments is the sad eyed beatnik himself, Kevin Linn. In addition to his day job and making music, he also runs the tasteful indie label Paisley Shirt Records. For this album Kevin secured the assistance of Karina Gill (Cindy/Flowertown) and Mike Ramos (Tony Jay/Flowertown). Ten Brocades is out now in digital and vinyl formats via Meritorio Records
