Week in Pop
Chicago’s own Secret Science presented the Jake Karlson & Seamus Hehir video for “Dissonant Love” found off their self-titled debut that entertains the laws of attraction & dissonance. The peppy & caffeinated rhythm to chord arrangement is provided with costumed visuals which will entertain all with ears & eyes to enjoy the oddness that is about to unfold before you.
NYC’s The Ruby Shots brought us a song with some “Feeling” that operates on a jangling & hopeful axis about the needs for pertinent communication between two potential parties of possible interest. The anxious & excited sentiments here brewed together in collection of chords & rhythms that dance all around Mia’s honest & open hearted delivery. The Ruby Shots exhibit their own jubilant brand of sound that illustrates the need & importance of understanding the state of connections between two people. Keep an ear out for more from this fun group on the rise.
Eyedress, oka Idris Vicuña based out of Manila, Philippines announced the illustrious album Manila Ice available May 12 from Lex Records. The lo-fi fanaticism that has gripped the entire world echoes across to our friends along the Pacific where some of the most luxurious & deluxe sounds are extolled in the most sophisticated—yet low budget style. Keep a close ear on this one.
From Halifax, we give you the video for “Regular Face” from Jeff Miller shot/directed in Halifax, NS, Canada that features Walrus presenting “The Joy of Painting with Walrus” where they embrace their inner Bob Ross featured off their debut album Family Hangover available June 9 from Dan Mangan’s own imprint Madic Records. The dudes showcase their primitive visual art school skills to some crunchy riffs and licks that then turns into the band paying tribute to their favorite WWE heroes amid their blend of epic stoned-psych sermons of song & vintage visual testimonials of analog era enthusiasm.
We present the fourth single from The News with “Young” that is full of all the freshest & most exuberant sentiments you can handle. Digitally enhanced & entranced with an array of synths & vocal adornments; The News enchants by offering up some of the sweetest, smoothest & most chill news you might hear all day.
Charlotte, NC’s Junior Astronomers emerged on the scene with their single “That’s Why” that offers up some insightful expository & explanatory power skronk from their upcoming Body Language album from Refresh Records. The astronomically minded ensemble focuses on creating some infectious chords that virtually have lives of their own.
NØMADS presented us with the single “Acrophobia” from the forthcoming phobia-obsessed project PHØBIAC that grumble & gurgles with a whole lotta anxious & amped up energy. The scuzz hisses & the well guided distortion keeps everything rumbling & shaking like a dive bar of delightful destruction.
Seasaw presented a look & listen at the visuals for their Weezer cover of “Say It Ain’t So” featured off their recent Too Much Of A Good Thing. The slacker pop classic is transformed into a more holistic & subtely electro-fied number that shines a light on the rich harmonies provided by the Madison duo.
Fazerdaze officially got the Impose spring party started with the timeless video for “Lucky Girl” that exhibits ADHD edited illustrations of absolute on demand visceral excitement. New Zealander artist Amelia Murray is seen in a field of wild flowers, rolling dice, crushing cakes, chopping peppers, striking time-bending poses & upholding a standard of DIY pop that feels limitless & eternally fresh. Murray’s debut Fazerdaze album Morningside will be available May 5 from Flying Nun.
Featured off of Vanbot’s album Siberia available April 7, we bring you the cut “Close Enough (Ulan Bator)” that offers up a twinkling listen of northern light-lit electro-kissed melodies. The Swedish artist exhibits the motions & desires of proximity where the waves of electric-synth sequences spill out & spell out a sublime connection.
Lady Parts Justice League gets all Schoolhouse Rock (featuring animation by Hermit Sherpa, Dan Aherns & Kat Burdick) with the single “I’m Just a Pill”, starring Lea DeLaria (oka Big Boo on OITNB) featuring lyrics penned by Holly Miranda. A friendly & conscious reminder to small-minded schmucks like Neil Gorsuch with some solid facts about the misunderstood Plan B pill.
Lucy Mason shared an a cappella rendering of “Feels Like Midnight” captured on film by Arrigo Reuss & filmed in Berlin, Germany that provides a stark & sparse intimacy. Featured off Mason’s Going Home Broke available March 31; the sentiments of late night are seen here delivered in a bright lit room during the light of day.
Behold the wild Yuki Kikuchi & Fletcher Shears video for “Clay” courtesy of Epitaph loves The Garden, off their EP U Want The Scoop?. The band runs the gamut from lo-fi freak pop to scuzzy & static-y surrealness that is sure to bring a crooked smile to your face.
Wolf Eyes’ Undertow will be available March 24 through Lower Floor Music & we have the subterranean sound spheres of “II (from Right In Front Of You)” that is the soundtrack of exploring an abandoned factory late at night alone & against your better judgement.
Ringing in the rites of spring, Sóley closes out the winter malaise with the video for “Grow” video from Samantha Shay taken off the new album Endless Summer available May 5 from Morr Music. The Icelandic artist along with her creative partner & longtime companion Albert Finnbogason shine a light through the towering clouds to indicate the feelings that surround the shifts of seasons shared & experienced. Let the winter wandering visuals, captivating vocals, & mind awakening arrangements carry you out to an escapist area or era that you desire to dwell in.
LA’s Buttertones delivered the bull-fighting bravado of “Matador” from their forthcoming album Gravedigging available March 31 from Innovative Leisure. The quintet caters to that vintage variety of showy rock & roll that keeps it mean, weird, wild & full of piss & plenty of vinegar.
Djustin delivered the lyric video for the club-floor masher “Dancing”, found off the forthcoming album Voyagers available May 5 from Labrador Records. This is the track to keep that DIY rager raging deep into the early, star twinkling of the early morning hours.
The Phantoms brought some fun fist pumping attitude with a listen to their upcoming single “Shadows” available April 21. The arrangement has that guitar & vocals swimming through a wind-tunnel sort of sound that sends all particles of turbine powered breezes outward through the channels of the tubes & out the exhaust pipes of the PA boxes.
Clutchy Hopkins & Fat Albert Einstein presented the smooth strolling Devin Horch & Sonia Hernandez video for “Pre-Vintage” found off their recent album high desert low tide that offers up some LA views for some atmospheric tunes. This is music for long, slow & gruelling strolls through all corners of east & west LA.
From his recent Captain California album, champ emcee MURS gets all “The Dating Game” styled in the visual for “Lemon Juice” featuring old friend Curtiss King exchanging back & forth snaps & self-assured toasts. The two exchange barbs with a whole lotta jovial slams & plenty of snark to go around.
Featured off of the album Roadhouse 01; Allan Rayman presents his vintage video visuals for “Verona’s Obsession (Vol. 01)” that offers up obssessive & infatuated items of the analog & alluring, yet elusive, variety.
Oliver Tank dropped the electro-emotive atmospheres of “Charlene” featured off OT available April 21, where the Jono Steer co-produced cut works in super sophisticated & cryptic manners that will groove & moove in elusive ways.
Tei Shi dropped “Justify” that entertains with a cluster of synth percussive elements that will bring some shine to your rainy afternoon. Find this and more on TS’s upcoming album Crawl Space available March 31 from Arts & Crafts/Downtown/Interscope Records. Valerie Teicher, oka Tei Shi, introduced the single with the following insights:
“Justify is a kind of protest song against the way in which we are categorized or judged by others based off of very superficial or one dimensional standards. It came from a place of rebellion against the insecurities and pressures that come into play when you put yourself in a position to be defined by another. For me the song is a challenge against that musically and emotionally.
Having just played the BBC 6 Music Fest in Glasgow at the legendary King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Scotland’s own Baby Strange debut the over-active imagination of the peppy single “Motormind” found off their upcoming six track EP titled Extended Play. Living for the weekend antics of surviving the week to week is expressed in the most brash, loud & verbose stage trashing traditions.
Bask in the sad & reflective tones found on Odina’s “Why’d You Make Me Cry” that inquires about all the actions of others that we rarely to never understand and cannot control.
Seeing Hands grabbed our attention with their gorgeous & gaze-y number “Love You Still” that pens a love note through the means of the most ethereal advances of amorous expression. The guitars and vocals swim like some one-off early 90s single where the feeling of abandon in the name of feeling and expression is the order of the hour.
Low Roar, oka the project of Ryan Karazija presents the patience & pertinent expressions of purpose and the time that is counted with “Waiting (10 Years)”. Taken off the album Once In A Long, Long While… available April 14 from Nevado Music; Ryan casts meditative arrangements that keeps all strings & horns levitating in a state of blissful tranquility.
