by: Martim Galvão
Part Time - PDA – (Mexican Summer)
I know it's only the beginning of July, but I think I may have found the soundtrack to summer 2013 - say hello to Part Time's sophomore LP PDA. Listening to it is akin to basking in a familiar lo-fi haze, complete with keytar, drum machine, and reverb-laden vocals - and I mean that in best way possible. This is one of those albums you can leave in your DeLorean all summer without getting tired.
Bad Cop - Light On EP - (Jeffery Drag)
The indie rock trio from Nashville, TN delivers guitar riffing earworms alongside hard rocking interludes in their first release sicne 2010. Here we find a nice homebrewed sound with just enough production quality to give it that KROQ potential. I wouldn't be surprised to hear big things from them in the not too distant future.
Salvia Plath - The Bardo Story - (Weird World Recording Co. )
Baltimore-based musician Michael Collins (formerly known as Run DMT) picks up a new moniker and continues on his journey through psych-dom with The Bardo Story. Complete with vintage organ, the album glides through spaghetti western references and hum-strum sing-alongs in a journey to the center of neo-psychedelia.
Ashrae Fax - Static Crash! - (Mexican Summer)
Reverb makes everything better, right? Give it some of that goth/ethereal pop vibe, sprinkle it with a dash of noise, layer on those vocals and what do you get? In this case it's the reissued cult classic from Ashrae Fax - originally released by the band in 2003 on spray-painted CD-Rs. Ashrae Fax dropped off the face of the earth for a while but thankfully have announced their reunion and subsequent show schedule in the NC area. Welcome back.
The Dough Rollers - "Little Lily" b/w "The Sailing Song" - (Third Man Records)
It looks like the south may rise again thanks to the help of this New York-based quartet. "Little Lily" offers a throwback to the age of hard-riffing blues rock, complete with power chords and "whiskey-soaked vocals". If you have a muscle car, this is the tune for you. It also comes as no surprise that this release was put out by Jack White's Nashville-based Third Man Records. Rock on, y'all. (Available in the KUCI library as both a CD and a 7")
Robert Pollard - Honey Locust Honky Tonk - (Guided By Voices, Inc. )
The Guided by Voices frontman is doing what he does best, releasing a TON of music. With over 1,600 songs to his name, Pollard is easily one of the most prolific artists of his generation. His latest effort, Honey Locust Honky Tonk, calls on the spirit of Western music to deliver 34 minutes of indie rock the way only he can.
Pluto Jonze - s/t - (Inertia Music)
Relatively unknown in the US, Pluto Jonze is an Australian indie/synthpop artist whose blend of electronics, indie-spec vocals and instrumentals, and top-quality production is worth noting. Enjoy it this EP and look out for Jonze's debut LP "Eject" on July 12th.
Ebony Bones - Behold, A Pale Horse - (1984 Recordings)
Ebony Bones' gigantic hair must serve as some kind of musical antenna, picking up tribal beats, symphonic strings, grinding electric guitars, and everything else that got stuffed into this two-part LP. Combine that with the theatricality that only a former Shakesperean actress can bring to the table and you have something very interesting.
Therese Aune - Billowing Shadows, Flickering Light - (Red Eye Transit Records)
Therese Aune's ethereal pop combines dreamy orchestration with masterfully layered ambient and instrumental sounds to create what sounds like an illumniated glacier of music. Use of unconventional instruments such as the harmonium, lap harp, metallophone, and saw among others only adds further interest to what is a very carefully crafted album.
Gauntlet Hair - Stills - (Dead Oceans)
Echoing 80s industrial and minimal-wave, this Chicago duo has channeled their teenage selves to put together an album full of fuzz, synth, and reverb. Combine that with a production aesthetic somewhere between Marylin Monroe and Joy Division, add a strong backbeat, et voila!
Iska Dhaaf - s/t - (Brick Lane Records)
Iska Dhaaf is a Seattle-based indie rock duo consisting of Benjamin Verdoes (Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band) and Nathan Quiroga (a.k.a. Buffalo Madonna of Mad Rad). While this demo CD only has two songs I think it's safe to expect good things from the men behind this blend of indie rock/pop/post-punk.
Missing Monuments - s/t - (Dirt Map Records)
Louisiana garage punk legend King Louie Bankston and his latest project band, Missing Monuments, have finally released their full-length LP. The 11 powerfully poppy tracks signal a move toward a more aggresive sound following the departure of bassist Bennette Bartly in 2011.
Share
|
|
