"Vacation" by Say Sue Me

 

Busan, South Korea's Say Sue Me has featured here a number of times in the past, but it has been a long while. Happily, they are back with the rifftastic "Vacation". It is the first song released from their upcoming Time Is Not Yours EP, which will be out April 30 via Damnably. April/May tour dates for Australia and the UK are listed at the end of this post.

Say Sue Me are Choi Sumi (vocals/guitar), Kim Buyngkyu (lead guitar), Kim Jaeyoung (bass), and Lim Sungwan (drums). Kim Hanjoo  of Korean band Silica Gel features as a guest vocalist on "Vacation".

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On tour

14 April - Sydney, AU - Oxford Art Factory

16 April - Melbourne, AU - 170 Russell

06 May - Bristol, UK - Strange Brew

07 May - Manchester, UK - Academy 3

08 May - Hebden Bridge, UK - Trades Club

09 May - Glasgow, UK - CCA

14-17 May - Brighton, UK - The Great Escape Festival

19 May - London, UK - 100 Club
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"Around You" by Say Sue Me

 

Say Sue Me is a talented four piece from Busan, South Korea that we have been following since 2018. The band demonstrates formidable chops playing fuzzy pop and indie rock, and adds a surfy vibe. While Say Sue Me's sound reflects the exuberance of youth, the themes turn a bit darker and more reflective for their new album, the forthcoming The Last Thing Left. However, the  upbeat sound remains, as featured in the lead single, "Around You".

Byungkyu Kim (lead guitar), Sumi Choi (vocals/rhythm guitar) Jaeyoung Kim (bass) and Sungwan Lim (Drums). The Last Thing Left, due May 13 via Damnably Records and Beach Town Music.

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"Bottom Feeders" by Tim Cohen

About two months ago we featured "Rave On" by Time Cohen of The Fresh and Onlys and Magic Trick. Although release date still is five weeks away, we have a new single entitled "Bottom Feeders". A thrilling slice of surfy noise pop, it fuels our Saturday night.

You Are Still Here is Tim Cohen's sixth solo album, and will be released in vinyl and digital formats on March 26 via Bobo Integral.

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Tennis Club - Pink

Monday mornings can be a bit delicate around WYMA headquarters. so the choice of the office soundtrack typically involves convoluted negotiations (bribery is not unknown).  However, today we quickly settles on Pink.  Of course, pink is a color, but we are referring to an nine-song gem by Joplin, Missouri trio Tennis Club.  This is fresh-faced, straight ahead garage rock with a substantial vein of surf rock.  A totally great listen that demands repeats, we encourage you to give it a chance.  If it was a stray dog and it followed you home, you would ask your parents to let you keep it.  But you are an adult with money -- you don't need to ask anyone, and it is only five dollars.

Tennis Club are Wilson Hernandez (guitar), Sean O'Dell (drums), and Tehya Deardorff (bass).  Pink is out now via Elefant Records'







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"Outdoors" by Surf Friends

Brad Coley and Peter Westmoreland are surfing friends.  More precisely they are Surf Friends, an New Zealand duo that updates the California surf sound with some sampling and programming to go along with the guitar.  They are helping us welcome summer with their new single "Outdoors".  And this is a good time to tell you that the single is taken from their upcoming album, Doing Your Thing, which will be released via Flying Nun Records.  Enjoy the video for "Outdoors" below.





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Beach Skulls - Las Dunas

Beach Skulls dish up a tasty musical stew on debut album Las Dunas.  The featured ingredients are psychedelia, garage pop and surf.  And the result is sunny and a bit spicy, with plenty of variety.  Consider it an album with a sense of adventure, which make it the perfect soundtrack for what you should be planning for the summer (note that we wrote "what you should be planning", now what you couch surfers actually will accomplish).  Listen to "That's Not Me" below, and you might be tempted to think that this trio is from California, rather than the UK midlands.  We take our beach music wherever we can find it (which over the years has included Scotland, Finland, Japan, and Indonesia).  This year, it is Liverpool and Manchester with Beach Skulls.

The band are Ry Vieira, Jordan Finney, and Dan West, and they reside (variously, we assume, in Manchester and Liverpool).  And for those keeping score, this is another week with a winning release from PNK SLM Recordings.






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Punk Slime Recordings

"That's Not Me" and "Love and Sex" by Beach Skulls

Pay attention here, because you are about to learn something ...

OK, that may be an example of over-promising.  But there is something we wanted to point out, and that thing is that a certain Stockholm record label is putting out great stuff.  The name of the label is Punk Slime Recordings, but is often referred to (even by the label), as PNKSLM.  We have featured their music from time to time over the past few years, but probably will be bringing you three albums from the label in the next five weeks.  That is a sign of their quality, because we wouldn't even give that kind of coverage to our mothers, if our mothers released music, and it is almost Mother's Day.

However, today isn't an album feature, but a hint of an album feature to come.  The band is Beach Skulls, and they reside in Manchester and Liverpool in the UK.  The name suggests head-banging, loud riffs, and dreary topics.  In fact, Beach Skulls is a guitar pop band with surf and jangle tendencies.  Of course, this means we love them.  Two tracks from Las Dunas, their upcoming album via PNKSLM are below.

Beach Skulls are Ry Vieira, Jordan Finney, and Dan West.  Las Dunas is out June 1.




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Pinky Pinky - Pinky Pinky EP

What are teenagers these days up to?  Well, if we focus on Isabelle Fields, Eva Chambers, and Anastasia Sanchez, they are up to some very good things.  These LA teenagers form the band Pinky Pinky, and they are one of the most refreshing new acts I've heard this year.  You can be forgiven not having heard of them before, because their self-titled EP, which is out today via Innovative Leisure, is their first record, and they've never toured because two of the members are still in high school.  But with the release of Pinky Pinky and the upcoming graduations, you can hope that will change.

Opening song "Ram Jam" takes '60s retro and surf pop, washes it in dark tones, and then tosses it in your face with attitude.  Perhaps none of those elements are new, but the combination and execution here deserve accolades.  Next up is "Hot Under The Habit", a surging post punk tune with a dominant bass line.  "Spiders" has a bit of a middle eastern surf vibe reminiscent of regional guitar hero Dick Dale.  The EP closes with my second favorite song on the EP, the California-country shaded "Nest" (a cover of an old song written by Darby Slick).  This EP is a tasty treat indeed -- it sounds great and promises great stuff in the future from this trio.  Enjoy a couple of tracks below, and hit the Bandcamp link for a full stream and ordering information.





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Emotional - The Band

Brian Wakefield is Emotional.  Not that he is weepy or has anger management issues.  He just is, well, Emotional.  I think that when Brian originally became Emotional, the project was just Brian and a crowded bedroom as a side project to Melted Toys and his other side projects.  But over time the project seems to have become his main focus.  And that causes happiness here at WYMA, because Brian's brand on psychedelic garage pop is a particular favorite.  For his new album, his second full-length, he seems to have gathered a band.  So, of course, the album is named The Band.  After all, you have to take care of the people who take care of you.

It is rare to hear an album that suggests influences as varied as Syd Barrett, Big Star, Gram Parsons.  And even rarer, I suspect, would be an album that shares that influences by nevertheless presents a coherent style.  But The Band is such an album, presenting nine varied songs of smeared psychedelic pop that delights from open to close.  We've provided a few tracks below, but we urge you to hit the Bandcamp link and listen to the entire album.

The Band is released on Brian's own Long Live Death Records, and Emotional are in the midst of a US tour.  We've provided dates and venues below (although we personally believe that if you don't come to Seattle, you aren't trying very hard).  In creating the album, Wakefield received contributions from Alex Brettin, Danny James, Sarah Bethe Nelson, Simi Sohota, Emmet Moskowitz, Geoff Morris, Ole Haarstad and Joel Robinow.







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EMOTIONAL on TOUR
Mar. 21 — Nashville, TN @ Blackbird Tattoo*$
Mar. 22 — Lexington, KY @ Best Friend Bar *
Mar. 23 — Washington, DC @ Smash! Records *
Mar. 24 — Boston, MA @ Middle East Upstairs *$
Mar. 25 — New York, NY @ Baby’s All Right *$
Mar. 26 — Burlington, VT @ TBD *
Mar. 27 — New York, NY @ Berlin ^#
Mar. 28 — Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Upstairs ^
Mar. 29 — Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog *
Mar. 30 — Indianapolis, IN @ SST *
Mar. 31 — Milwaukee, WI @ Company Brewing *
Apr. 1 — Chicago, IL @ Cole’s Bar *
Apr. 2 — Minneapolis, MN @ TBD *
Apr. 3 — Kansas City, MO @ Blind Tiger *
Apr. 4 — Denver, CO @ Hi Dive*
Apr. 5 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
Apr. 6 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Griffin *
Apr. 7 — Joshua Tree

* = w/ The Memories
% = w/ Death Valley Girls, Death Hymn No. 9
$ = w/ Colleen Green
# = w/ Cosmonauts

Light Fantastic - Out of View

The sunshine is breaking out through the clouds outside our window at WYMA World Headquarters, so it is time for Out Of View, by Light Fantastic.  This is an album that sparkles like the sun reflecting off the waves of the ocean, and soothes like a summer ocean breeze.  There are well-laid layers of psychedelia, jangle pop and surf, and a light touch of shoegaze.  This is music that exists to bring a smile to your face, and that's exactly what it does.  And it should help you remember summer at least until the first snowfall.

Light Fantastic is based in San Francisco, and consists of Terry Sowers, Jeremy Bringetto, Terry Sowers, Rex Shelverton, Rachel Hoiem, and Charlie Knote.







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"Tallows" and "Mexico" by Sun Sap

In the mood for chill summer tunes with a good groove?  Of course you are.  So here are "Tallows" and "Mexico" by Sydney's Sun Sap.  Sun kissed, psychedelic garage pop for your pleasure at a 'name your price' via the band's Bandcamp page.  Their debut album will be released later this year.





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Acapulco Lips - Acapulco Lips

Are the lips that are kissing your ears lately Acapulco Lips?  If not, you are experiencing an excitement deficit in your personal life, so let us help you.  Acapulco Lips is a Seattle garage rock trio that thrills you with surfy rock, twangy girl-group retro, gritty garage and similar manner of retro wonderfulness.  Yeah, that's a wide scope, but this is a young outfit seeing what works.  And the good news is that it all works quite well.  Their nine-song self-titled debut album is out now via Killroom Records in CD and vinyl formats.  The songs are fast paced, full of hooks and enthusiasm and with an emphasis on maintaining the fun, even when life is kicking you.  You deserve Acapulco Lips for your summer soundtrack.








And here is a link for a free download of album track "Awkward Waltz".

Acapulco Lips is Maria-Elena Juarez (bass/vocals), Christopher Garland (guitar/vocals) and Davy Berruyer (drums), hailing from Austin, Texas, Seattle, Washington, and Grenoble, France, respectively.

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Holy Wave - Freaks of Nature

Austin, Texas' Holy Wave work in sonic, shoegazy textures and dusty, surfy, west coast psychedelia with a few nods to the British Invasion.  And when they are on their game, they deliver a reverb-drenched space jam that will tickle your retro aural receptors and make you want to sit in the beach chair watching the setting sun with Freaks of Nature on full blast.

For me, the top songs are "Western Playland", which teases us with pleasant memories of Allah-Las, the Teenage Fanclub-esque "Air Wolf", the Zombies-like "Minstrel's Gallop", and the luscious dream pop of "California Took My Bobby Away".  However, it is a consistent album overall, and if Zombies meets Allah-Las meets Black Angels is an interesting musical stew, we can enthusiastically recommend this one.








Freaks of Nature is Holy Wave's third album.  It is out on March 11 via The Reverberation Appreciation Society.  Holy Wave is Kyle Hager, Dustin Zozaya, Julian Ruiz, Joey Cook, Ryan Fuson.

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Redspencer - Redspencer EP

At the risk of being overly bossy, I think that everyone needs a bit of Redspencer in their lives.  I think that David, Aiden and Andre would agree, but they have a clear bias as they are the members of the band.  The trio resides in Melbourne, and plays melodic guitar pop that to my ears is perfect for the transition from summer to fall.  The recently released a four-song EP via home town label Deaf Ambitions, and I give it my firm endorsement.  From the shimmering opener "Everyday" to the garage pop of "Happy Slow Riverbends" to the dreamy showcase tune "Ride It Out" to the county-inflected closer "Someday's Gone", there isn't a bad note in the set.  The only complaint I could muster is that there weren't enough of them.  But because I'm a self-help kind of guy, I found an older track that is available to download and linked in below.  But don't let that stop you from getting this EP.  You'll have it on repeat.






And here is a video for Respencer's song "Tell", which can be downloaded for free here.



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La Luz - Weirdo Shrine

Students of cinema may remember that one of the defining moments of Dorothy's time in Oz was when her wayward pup prompted her to look behind the curtain and discover the truth about the Wizard.  The lesson, which is repeated throughout the movie, is that things aren't always what they seem.  Listeners to Weirdo Shrine, the new album from La Luz, should similarly look below the surface.  The pretty harmonies and incredible surf guitar are easy to take at face value.  But the rewards are richer if you also dive below the surface.  And there is a lot below the surface of Weirdo Shrine.  Swim past the backbone organ riffs and a dynamite, if sadly unsung, rhythm section (seriously, Li Pino's drumming gets better with each outing), and bathe in the deliciously dark waters.  Thematically indebted to a graphic novel titled Black Hole and shaded by the band's own narrow escape from death in a highway accident a couple of years ago, the songs offer a plenitude of dark corners to explore.  But just when all the weighty themes threaten to hold you down like a surfer caught under a crashing wave, you ride to the crest again on the buoyant rhythms and transcendent guitar.  And that makes sense to me.  This is a band that has grown musically, matured after experiencing touring and near death, and most likely grown together personally.  So now they are at a point when they can tackle themes in a manner that celebrates and fully appreciates being alive.  The album is called Weirdo Shrine, but with reference to the title of their debut - It's Alive - perhaps it should have been subtitled We're Alive Too).

Oh, and if you don't give a damn about themes and such, this is a cracking good surf rock band.

The album was produced by lo-fi garage rock wizard Ty Segall, with plenty of fuzz and a live to tape feel.







La Luz is Shana Cleveland (guitar), Marian Li Pino (drums), Alice Sandahl (keyboard), and Lena Simon (bass).  Weirdo Shrine is out not via Hardly Art.

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Murder Shoes - Murder Shoes EP

Friday, May 1, welcomes the release of the self-titled EP from Minneapolis five-piece Murder Shoes.  Key elements are female vocals and a blend of post punk and surf noir.  Reverb and echo on top of a pulsating rhythm section provide a thick, atmospheric stew.  The two tracks below provide representative sample of the songs, with "Charlotte Manning" emphasizing the surfy licks and "Maybe You Can" showcasing the band's harder rocking side.  The following "Under the Sea" is more relaxed, and is my current favorite on the EP.  "Sea A Little Louder" is a rhythmic post punk track built on ominous instrumental lines.  "In Your Bed Or On A Train" closes the EP with a galloping rhythm, surfy guitar and soaring vocals. Throughout the proceedings, vocalist Tess Weinberg's voice swoops, pleads, snarls and seduces in a commanding and versatile fashion.  I want to hear a lot more from these guys.

Murder Shoes is Tess Weinberg (vocals/keys), Derek Van Gieson (guitar), Chris White (guitar/vocals), Elliot Manthey (drums), and Tim Heinlein (bass).





Murder Shoes EP is a digital and CD release via Land Ski Records.

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Roaming Herds of Buffalo - Apocalypse Beach

Increasingly there is discussion about how to return the U. S. of A. to its past glory.  And from time to time there is focus on iconic symbols that may have lost their special place in the hearts of its citizens -- symbols such as the bald eagle, the Washington Monument, and the stars and stripes.  The executive committee of the editorial board of WYMA strives to help, so we have considered what other symbols should to be returned to the consciousness of the Nation.  After careful consideration and a couple of cases of the finest domestic fortified wine, we have decided that we need to bring back roaming herds of buffalo.  In the 19th century they were a sign of the America's bounty, her brawny, outdoorsy lifestyle with the freedom to roam without boundaries.  In devising this recommendation we had to ignore several realities, such as the fact that our lifestyles are much less outdoorsy, that herds of large wild animals aren't compatible with urban life, and that it is our own damn fault that we don't have herds of buffalo because we shot them.  But dreamers don't let things like that stop them, and we are dreamy.  So we found a solution.

Yes, we bring to you Seattle's Roaming Herds of Buffalo.  Playing crunchy indie rock, with a few country and surf accents, the band was formed in 2011.  Their third LP, Apocalypse Beach, was self-released last month, and offers ten tracks mostly recorded in a single take to capture the feel of a live show.  This is an album that quite simply makes you feel good -- like you would feel if you just saw a herd of buffalo run alongside your air conditioned gas-guzzling pick up as you sped down the highway to get to the mall.  The musicianship and vocals are excellent, the performances sincere and the songs varied, from the crunchy "Antelope" to the surfy "Summer" to the acoustic-turns-frenetic beach jam of the title track (Beach Boys on drugs alert!) to the dusty California country rock of the showcase track "Cereal Prize".  Check out some songs below and stream the entire album at the Bandcamp link.  "Rewind" begins with the line 'I want beer', and became an instant favorite around here.  The digital album is only $7.  I will also note that the great album are is the work of Darin Shuler.

Make this country strong again, support the return of the buffalo, get Apocalypse Beach.









The members of Roaming Herds of Buffalo are Scott Roots, Neal Flaherty, Jared Fiechtner, and William Cremin.

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"Sun Is Out" from Kill Surrrf

Kill Surrrf began as a bedroom recording project for Johnny Lynn (vocals/guitar), but has expanded to a live band including Thomas Dornan (guitar), Ciaran Gilbert (bass/keys), and Matthew Turner (drums).  We featured the band about a year ago, and there are no recent releases.  However, they posted this demo today and its spring-like feel and '60s vocals are too good not to share.



And "Girrrl" was posted recently as well, so you might as well enjoy it to start your week --

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Lures - Lures

What a coincidence! The Lures are from Seattle, and I live in the Seattle area.  Moreover, they hail from the neighborhood known as Ballard, and I was in Ballard Saturday night.  So me and Lures are like old friends, right?  Well, not quite.  I learned of the band via a tip from the fine lads in Zebra Hunt, whose superb new album we reviewed last week (link).  The link was to the band's live performance of "Vacant" at Jupiter Studios.  "Vacant" is a fine bit of surf/indie rock, and I instantly concluded that the video should be shared on the blog.  I also discovered (all by myself -- just try to find a WYMA intern on a weekend, or a weekday for that matter) that the song is on their self-titled album that was released last October.  So, Dillon M., Spencer M., and Sam P., show your thanks to the Zebra Hunt mob for the tip (I believe a beer is legal tender in Ballard, and I'm a lawyer so that probably is correct).

What Lures offers you is well-crafted post punk with surf accents and brooding baritone vocals.  The performances are highly professional but the arrangements are loose, allowing for bits of space to accent the music.  And "Walking the Cow" is just balls out fun.

If I understand correctly, Lures were on of the bands on Tacoma, Washington's Fin label.  Unfortunately, the label crashed last year, leaving the band to self-release their debut album.


Lures - "Vacant" (Live At Jupiter Studios) from Fin Records on Vimeo.







Lures is available as a digital download or on vinyl.  Source at the Bandcamp link.

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The Good Morrows - The Good Morrows

Melbourne's The Good Morrows know what they do well, and this self-titled LP gives you ten of the thick, gritty garage-psychedelic nuggets that remind you why rock and roll makes your life better.  The influences fall heavily in the '60s with bands such as 13th Floor Elevators, The Yardbirds and The Kinks, but touch on more recent purveyors of this great sound like The Black Lips.  And despite the clear psychedelic bent, these tunes are fully radio-friendly.  You can try out all the tunes at the Bandcamp link, and download it there as well.  If you spend any time in a car, this album could become the soundtrack for your driving adventures for a very long time.






The Good Morrows are Jarred Scopel, Andrew Plisi, Liam Skoblar, Sam Dolling, and Tim Bass.

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