Week in Pop
Introducing Seattle’s Moon Human, comprised of Carter Prince, Jon Dugger & Grant McGilberry who are readying their forthcoming debut album Flavorfully Blue for release June 9 from Den Tapes. The band taps into a synchronized jam where the entire group feeds off one another in a sound that exemplifies the infinite powers of ESP among the tightest of artists.
Crumb announced their upcoming Locket EP available June 23 that follows on the heels of last year’s beloved self-titled EP debut. The Brooklyn x Boston quartet of friends makes music that operates in understated forms of arrangements & awakenings. Like the sound of sleeping-in & waking up a little later than usual, Lila Ramani conducts the production of a real-time daydream with the mesmerizing & euphoric single “Plants” that presents some of the most ambitious sounds from the group that exchanges their previous mathematical approaches for more complex & sonic patterns. Catch Crumb on tour now with Lance Bangs spanning through June 12 (dates here).
Au.Ra brought about their own dissonant aura with the new jam “Nowhere” that sashays with a kind of desolate whoa is me type of balladry. Found off the new album Cultivations available June 30 from felte, Tim Jenkins & Tom Crandles takes you on a trip to a cryptic & clandestine UK/Australia dance-party for only the most discerning of tastes.
Nashville by NYC artist Sophie Allison makes music as Soccer Mommy, sharing the single “Out Worn” off the upcoming album Collection available August 4 from Fat Possum. Allison’s hopeful hand-made pop might encourage you to pick up a guitar, call your mom, call an old friend, or just enjoy time by yourself & have a good cry.
East New York’s Jimi Tents followed up 2015’s 5 O’Clock Shadow with the second album I Can’t Go Home that sports production from TheVamp, Rico Beats, Crystal Caines, Calez featuring cameo spots, verses & bars courtesy of Saba, Ro James & saidbysed. Pushing us out of our local comfort zones, Tents takes us from coast to coast with styles & sensibilities with the instant hit of “NY vs. LA” that pushes into the existential with the cause & effect vibes of “Domino Effect”, the focused “No Lookin’ Back (Glance)”, to the confessional reflections of “Should’ve Called Pt. 2” ft. saidbysed. The mood picks up rapidly on the kinetic spit & speed of “Right Now (I Wanna Interlude)”, dropping some shine with the woke “The Shining”, dropping a testament of adoration & appreciation for the production wizard “Rick Rubin”, to the heat magnet momentum of “2 Shots” ft. Ro James. War modes roll on “Watcha Gon Do”, delivering views to the unknown undergrounds alongside Saba with “Below the Surface”, seeking the peace of “Closure”, the uplifting prayer of liberation on “Set Me Free”, right before offering up a sultry jazzy “Outro” to match that “Ny vs. LA” clever intro.
Take in the vintage boxing visuals from Gabriel DeLoach for Arbouretum’s “Fall from an Eyrie” off the Song of the Rose from Thrill Jockey. The raw & heart-wrought emotion of the song further illustrates the title bouts, punches & spills that are taken in the bloodsports & competitive conflicts that life throws at us in blows.
Young Pioneers present their just released album High Again that was produced by the venerable Calvin Johnson at Dub Narcotic Studio in Olympia and available via K Records (naturally). The band brings their a-game with plenty of tunes to shake a leg to like the opener “Twin Ice Caves”, the sing-along thrills of “Never Saw Me”, the ballad of inner illnesses & the like of “Sick Inside”, to the extended arm invitation of “Take My Hand” that basks in a beautiful DIY sort of romanticism. Local scenes & lore are paid tribute on the mighty “Puget Street” that takes you to Bellingham, Washington as “Rip Wad” rips some timeless cool chords, to the decadent & hedonistic title track, carrying the torch & paying it forward on “New Scene”, the genuine diamond glow of “Little Gem”, questioning intentions in earnest on “What’s in a Heart”, the immediacy of “Right Now” right before leaving you with one more anarchic anthem to annoy your roommates & neighbors.
Dev Dapree delivers the HeIsPea Productions video for a freestyle thrown over an Outkast cut. Dapree rolls off the brain & illustrates her own unique & personal commitments to the craft & relentless devotion to the game.
Amy Spencer from Junk Son, Bicep with Avi Barath of Athlete Whippet, Bunki are Leiik of whom have dropped an advance listen to the super expansive audio cathedrals of “Window” available June 9 from squareglass. Amy & Avi paint geodesic rainbows of super expressive atmospheric effects & serene vocals that follows up their self-titled EP debut that embarks upon expression that border on the lines of the ineffable.
Early Riser’s dropped the energetic & awesome “Find Me For the Waltz” from the upcoming album Currents available June 16 from A-F Records / Anchorless Records. The Brooklyn duo counters the crappiness of the current state of the world with real genuine songs that breaks the barriers of bleakness in a celebration of the brightness & beauty that can be found (if you know where to look for it). Catch them on the following Brooklyn dates June 9 at Muchmore’s for the Northside Festival at Anchorless Records and For It! Records showcase & June 30 at Suburbia.
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Norway rockers Sløtface offers an esthetic lesson & more in the Lasse Lokøy & Haley Shea video for “Magazine” from the debut album Try Not To Freak Out available September 15 via Propeller Recordings. The conventions & limitations of mascara-mania are expanded as the notions of beauty are challenged to the refrain of “Patti Smith would never put up with this shit.”
The Districts brought the awakening of their new single “If Before I Wake” featured off the upcoming album Popular Manipulations available August 11 from the keen taste-keepers over there at Fat Possum. The track belts out big anthemic chords that completely cater to the largest avenues & venues that brings about one big, bold & intense ballad that you can pump a fist in time to the band’s narcissistic candy-chords.
London’s Caswell offered up some familial feelings on the new sibling single “Brother” that walks through a variety of thoughts & environmental spaces & chambers of an elaborate song suite. Hovering beneath the four minute mark, Caswell casts a ballad about the ties that both bind & break that works in a variety of intricate & elaborate ways.
Alanna Gurr & The Greatest State offered up a listen to the rustic desires of earthly elements with “Fire & Bones” from the upcoming Stand Still EP available June 16 from Missed Connection Records. From Dylan-esque organ work to holistic arrangements; Alanna introduced the single with the following insights:
This is a song about having a crush. A sweet love song walking on the deciding line of whether to be true to your heart or not.
Harlequiin present their Rory Simmons produced “Melt in Olive” that features vintage animated visuals of creatures & host of floral elements. Harlequiin bask in the creative compendium of components both tangible & digital together in a volatile brew of pure fascination.
MORTEN brought the big lit-electro pop of “Keep Me From You” ft. ODA that offers up some ice cold glacier cubes to chill down your spring/summer heat with some of those ever-electric wintry & snazzy synths.
Well you gotta love a group that boasts themselves as being “LA’s new arena rock”; we introduce you to The Planters and their big blaring single “There’s No Time” that reminds us what the oughts were all about & what they mean today. Sounding like your New York by London provocateurs from the 2001-2009 era, The Planters try out the everything & the kitchen sink method that allows them to cram together as many big instrumental elements to offer up the most massive might of sound possible.
Finnish band Kynnet are made up of members from Teksti-TV 666 and have signed to Norway’s own jansen plateproduksjon imprint Black Pop Records. Sharing a listen to the pepped up & pumped up “Alaovi”; experience all the excitement & peppy energy surrounding this band. The vision of Teemu Tanner, the artist introduced the single with the following words:
I had some spare time being unemployed during one summer and I had an 8-track. We spent that summer at my then-girlfriend’s parents’ place, hiding away from an awful pipe repair at our own home. We eventually broke up during that summer and it kinda gave me the direction for all this that I do under the name of Kynnet. Being honest and spontaneous.
Holy Boy, oka Norway by way of LA artist Helene Alexandra Jaeger delivered the single “Lay Your Hands” that brings some of the lit up electro floral pop featured off the new EP available June 9 from Native Habitat. Alexandra brings big post-industrial rhythm & soaring synths to compliment her vocals that soar above like eagles & doves flying wing-to-wing.
Scotland’s Pinact dropped the poppy & punky-ish single “Seams” off the upcoming album The Part That No One Knows available August 25 from Kanine Records that rocks with a lot of energetic & righteous rhythm guitar to rage all day & night.
NYC artist Megan Talay, or just Talay if you please, dropped the ballad & plight of the dutiful percussionist on the ultra-addictive pop number “Drummer of the Band” featured off her upcoming self-titled EP on June 2. This is a song for anyone who has ever fallen in love with the beat-keeper of any group that is expressed with an unrestrained type of exhiliration.
NRVS LVRS delivered a look at the David Dutton video for “I Am Almost Perfectly Awake” that provides a dazzling & artistic view of enlightened consciousness featured off the album Electric Dread available June 30. Andrew Gomez & Bevin Fernandez couple their buzzing electric audio arts with equally stunning optics with set pieces designed by Ben Morgenstern.
