Cincinnati trio Artificial Go are back with 10 new tracks of razor-sharp, jangly post-punk with their latest and greatest LP, Musical Chairs.
Musical Chairs’ songs are masterfully written and arranged, with Angie Willcut’s—mostly—deadpan vocal delivery tying it all together. Check out “Circles,” “Red Convertible,” and the incredible—mostly instrumental—”Sky Burial” (below) for a taste
Musical Chairs is out today via Feel It Records; I highly recommend it. I highly, highly recommend it for fans of bands like Suburban Lawns, Lithics, ESG, and the like. Enjoy.
Let me get a couple biases out of the way real quick.
1. Emo is one of the dumbest/laziest subgenres of them all. Every damn band in existence could be classified as emo, including “cry in your beer” country garbage.
2. Rex (guitarist extraordinaire) is a friend of mine, so I will not say anything nice about his amazing technique nor point you to the intro of “shoot” (below) for a taste of his brilliance.
Melancholy Club is a four-piece band out of Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah. They surprise-released their latest album, thank god for you, the other night, hoping to get as many ears as possible on it before their set at SLC’s indie-rock-palooza known as Kilby Block Party. Their set is Friday at 11:45am on the Desert Stage, by the way. Don’t miss them!
As I listened to the album on my way home from work, it brought back memories of my first exposure to Cursive and my discovery of Jade Tree Records in the late 90s. The noodley, two-hand tapping guitar work; jazzy drumming; and vocalist Tanner’s falsetto building into ferocious screams—thank god for you—would fit nicely in the Jade Tree lineup of yesteryear, next to bands like Challenger, Cap’n Jazz, The Promise Ring, and onelinedrawing to name a few. Check out the killer drum intro with the sneaky double-kick on “galaxy” and the burner “my own problem” below for a taste.
thank god for you is out now and available on their Bandcamp page. I highly recommend it. Enjoy.
Dikon’s Fighting Words was passed to me by my good friend Jason, whose first language is music and his second language is being an ass. Let’s not get into Jason and my complicated friendship; let’s get into Dikon and their fabulous EP/mini-LP Fighting Words.
Their Bandcamp bio reads, “Dikon is Bangkok’s premier jazz and funk collective, producing concept albums about the Thai transit system. cartel bosses, and an homage to the high priest himself – Monk.”
Fighting Words is a concept album based around the Chris Rock v. Will Smith incident. It’s a jazz-heavy funk and soul album driven by an amazing rhythm section. Check out the end of “Fuck Around and Find Out” (below) for a taste.
To quote Jason, “Come for the incredible cover art and stick around for the very good music.”
Fighting Words is out now and available on their Bandcamp page. Enjoy.
Hailing from bands like Smokers, Nuisance, The Peechees, The Pattern, Papercuts, and Jim Yoshii Pile Up, Bay Area band Grey Causeway are a supergroup of sorts or at least super experienced at their craft. The new single, “I-580,” is a jangly, post-punk number that begs to be played on repeat. You can check it out below.
They are releasing their debut self-titled LP at the end of May via Dandy Boy Records.
The latest single from Los Angeles band GMO, “Double Headed Gemini,” is a dingy, electro-pop gem that is sure to delight any fans of Broadcast. Hopefully there will be more from these guys, including a full-length LP, which would be rad! Check it out below.
Constant Follower is the recording moniker of Stephen McAll (and a revolving group of friends) from Glasgow, Scotland.
McCall barely survived a violent attack in his late teens and struggled with addiction in his path to recovery. His melancholic, understated ambient folk has mirrored this journey, as his body and mind relearned to play guitar and observe the small, intimate details of life.
His third album, The Smile You Send Out Returns To You, delivers more of the same, only now he is a father, partner, and further along in his recovery. You can hear hope and optimism amidst the minor keys – and it’s an utterly gorgeous and cathartic listen.
Cincinnati bruisers Motorbike are back with their sophomore LP, Kick It Over. We’re pleased as punch to premiere the second single from this ferocious garage punk album, “Afraid of Guns.”
At just two minutes, “Afraid of Guns” is a pummeling of razor-sharp guitar, machine-gun snare, driving bass, and snarling vocals. Check it out below and prepare to be blown away.
Kick It Over drops on March 21 via Feel It Records. You can get it from us too. Either way, you should get it. Enjoy.
GAYTHEIST, the renowned Portland-based trio, has made a powerful comeback with their latest album, The Mustache Stays. This marks their first release since 2020’s How Long Have I Been On Fire? and features 10 new hard-hitting tracks, plus an insane cover that packs an equally forceful punch.
From the opening track “Shelved” to the closing “Brave The Swarm,” the trio delivers 32 minutes of relentless, heavy post-hardcore, mingled with some sludge and stoner punk. This album demands to be played on repeat and I highly, highly recommend it.
We’re excited to bring you an exclusive opportunity to listen to the entire album before its official release on Friday, February 21st. Check it out below.
Upcoming GAYTHEIST dates of importance: Feb. 28th– record release show- High Water Mark- Portland, OR March 1st– record release show- Southgate Skatebar- Seattle, WA March 8th– FREE in-store performance at Ronald Records, Vancouver, WA March 9th– FREE in-store performance at Music Millennium, Portland, OR March 22nd– Airport Tavern, Tacoma, WA w/ High On Fire May 8th– Revolution Hall, Portland, OR w/ The Jesus Lizard
Alex MacKay, the bassist for Nation of Language, has released a new album under his solo project, Cutouts. The album, titled Snakeskin, is a captivating blend of shimmering synths and vocals layered over pulsating beats and bass lines. It defies easy categorization, occupying a space between synth-pop and darkwave with its unique fusion of dark and heavy elements. From the opening track “Narc” with its growling bass and driving beat, Snakeskin immediately commands attention and refuses to let go. I highly recommend it.
Check out “Narc” and “Paw of the Monkey” below for a taste.
Snakeskin is self-released and out now. It’s available digitally via Cutouts’ Bandcamp and on vinyl from Cutouts’ website. Alex only pressed 500 so don’t sleep! Enjoy.
These are certainly challenging times, and it’s easy to get caught up in the negativity that surrounds us. I’ve been struggling with this myself, constantly dwelling on everything from political turmoil to personal uncertainties.
However, I had a surprisingly uplifting experience this morning. While driving to work, I listened to the new album, How Lucky To Be Somebody, by Portland, Maine’s little oso, and it was truly transformative. For 36 glorious minutes, the jangly guitars, dreamy vocals, and driving rhythm section swept away all my anxieties. Thank goodness for music!
little oso’s How Lucky To Be Somebody is out now via Repeating Cloud. It’s a charming* record that reminds me of bands like Camera Obscura and The Umbrellas, to name a couple. Check out one of their standout tracks, “Other People’s Lives” (below), and get your hands on this record. Enjoy.
