by: Paul McEldowney
Pumice - Puny – (Soft Abuse)
New Zealand's own Pumice has new album of disjointed unpredictable muggy monolithic unmixed de-tempod untuned half pop hits. It's deeply and subtly cutting, while not being at all contrived. It almost approaches zones that Jandek's career has made room for. As with his prior releases, Pumice's new album reads like a journal--it's personal, processually thought out, and structurally shifting and inconsistent in a natural and engaging way.
Xiu Xiu - Always – (Polyvinyl)
There is something about Xiu Xiu that never leaves you as many of their fans know. It's hard to say if there any casual fans of Xiu Xiu. It's either aggressively die hard or the opposite. They are and were a band that can't help but encourage a devoted fan base who have shown dedication and solidarity through countless tattoos, scars, polaroid projects, and message boards. As a Xiu Xiu 4 lifer in my awkward high school years (which have not ended entirely or maybe at all), I can't help but listen to this new record and listen to it as though it were a reminder of a past relationship. I imagine a lot of long-term Xiu Xiu fans will feel the same way. While I won't comment on how the record sounds in an explicit way, long time listeners will be reminded of what was so special in the first place, and first time patient and self-rewarding listeners will make it past 'I Luv Abortion' to the last song, which features the lines 'your brother was the first boy inside of you.'
AU - Both Lights – (Home Tapes)
Golden afterlife ritualistic, inspirational and sentimental maximalist melodic immense endless and indistinguishable layers of vocal harmonies, orchestral tones, and synthesizer freak outs.
Moonface With Siinai - Heartbreaking Bravery – (Jagjaguwar)
Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, etc. has a new album that showcases his Bruce Springsteen-ian passions for transcendence, someday becoming the face of the stars with admirable determination through great adversity. As such, the only thing keeping him from the limits of the universe is his self.
La Sera - Sees The Light – (Hardly Art)
Do do do do do filled Spring break burned-out forever-recovering hopeful and love-lorn crushed-by-crush folk pop from member of Vivian Girls. Simply a record of classic and indentifiable hook after hook.
Lower Dens - Brains/Propogation – (Ribbon)
New three song EP by Jana Hunter-led psychedelic mumble folk band Lower Dens. Play this before someone steals it from the station because it is so great.
Emily Wells - Mama – (Partisan)
Minimal sample-based sassy R&B-tinged vibrato pop with dreams of making a platinum hip hop record to counter Drake and Lil Wayne's new cryptic freak folk band bunny life soon to be on tour with Bill Callahan.
Feedtime - The Aberrant Years – (Sub Pop)
Gurthy, gutteral, and kinda gross sludgy pub rock from seminal punk band Feed Time, who are seeing an entire discographical reissue from Sub Pop.
Tu Fawning - A Monument – (City Slang)
All that glitters soulful stomp-heavy out-on-the-country no-holds-bar indie rock.
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