Hi! Hello! Here we are with some bite sized goodies and a taste of a some new things that we dug that came out in the last week (ish), quick fire responses to some great new music we think you should check out. This week a whole bunch of the crew—Chantal, Kate, Megan, Mike and Ray— weighed in on some killer songs— give ’em a listen!

Acid King– Mind’s Eye. Seven minutes of slow burn acidic doom from the San Francisco crew, this is the latest from their upcoming album, Beyond Vision, due out on 3/24. Packed with gigantic riffs and hard hitting drums, this one makes me sad I have a crew cut because this is a hair in your eyes, vibing the fuck out stoner rock gem. [KH]

Angel Olsen– Nothing’s Free. Forever Means, the follow up EP to Angel Olsen’s fantastic 2022 album, Big Time, is on the way and the lead single “Nothing’s Free” was released this week. A subtle and soulful piano driven contemplation, complete with lush sax accents, the song sees Olsen exploring her identity and laying it all out for the first time. The songs on the EP were recorded during the Big Time sessions but not included on that record. They are collected here with a common theme of there being “no finish line.”

Olsen shares in a statement:

“Forever is to remain curious, never letting yourself think you’re finished learning or exploring, while trying also to be kind and honest.” She further elaborated about this song specifically, saying it’s “about that point when self-denial breaks, and you notice how long you’ve been restraining who you are. It felt really difficult to exclude it from Big Time,” she admits, “but it felt more soulful than the direction of that record, it was coming from a different place. For me, when I wrote it, I was coming to terms with my identity and sexuality. I was opening up in a new way.”

Forever Means will be release on 4/14 via Jagjaguwar. Check out our recent coverage of her show at Bearsville Theater. [KH]

Beach Fossils– Don’t Fade Away. The long running indie bedroom pop quartet have just announced their first album in six years, Bunny, and released the first single “Don’t Fade Away.” This song finds them in the rich dream pop territory that they are so deft at with band leader Dustin Payseur sharing that the song “is about missing old friends, being on tour, self-medicating, longing, anxiety, love, being an idiot, having fun, embracing your mistakes and keeping your spark.” Bunny will be released on 6/2. [KH]

Bodywash– No Repair. The second single from Montreal post punk duo’s forthcoming second album. It’s an airy and lush song with Rosie Long Decter on lead vocals this time who shares:

“In my early 20s I found myself in a disastrous love triangle. It was a mess of bad decisions and repressed queer longing and those things you chase because you hope they will prove you are real. I found myself writing repetitively about light and air and the absence of tactility. ‘No Repair’ came from the decision to let all that go; to try to lose the shape of it. I started writing it in 2019 and finished it in 2021, letting it simmer over two years of lockdown and sitting with myself. It feels strange and sweet to be releasing it at a time when I have a new sense of ground underneath me and someone to share that feeling with.”

I Held the Shape While I Could due out 4/14 via Light Organ. [KH]

CHARMAINIA– To Us. A delicate song set to a sort of spooky video set in a cave (look, all caves are spooky). Singer Charmaine (who also helms the drums for snarky Brooklyn punk bands Nevva and The Cult of Chunk) uses lyrical repetition to build the mood, twining through and around the echoing synths beneath, until the listener is fully immersed. It’s a big departure from her work in her other projects and I’m excited to hear more. [CW]

Death Goals– P.A.N.S.Y. The London based mathy, screamo noise punk queercore two piece is releasing their second album in May, A Garden Of Dead Flowers, via Prosthetic and just dropped the next single “P.A.N.S.Y.” They share on their Instagram “This is a song about queer love and all the trappings that come with it,” and the song is massive, particularly the breakdown which hits like a ton of bricks after a brief subtle guitar interlude, the simultaneous feelings of queer love and rage intertwined to hit right in the heart. This is one of my most anticipated releases of the first half of 2023 and I can’t wait to hear what else they have in store. We recently featured them on our favorite 2 Piece band list, check that out here. [KH]

Elisapie– Uummati Attanarsimat (Heart of Glass cover). The Inuk artist, Elisapie, has taken Blondie’s 1979 era defining disco hit and transformed the upbeat, danceable arrangement into a gentle and subdued acoustic folk song. Additionally, she has translated the lyrics and sings them entirely in the Indigenous language, Inuktitut. A great cover song makes the original the newer artists’ own creation in a way, paying loving tribute, but putting a piece of themselves into it too. Elisapie has more than done that here, taking the groove heavy party anthem to an emotional and warm place centered around cherished childhood memories. Via a statement she shared:

“My adoptive mother was from the small village of Ivujivik. It was a 30 minute plane ride from my village. We would often go there to visit her family. Once we arrived in Ivujivik, my parents would go gambling at some random cousin’s house. I would later have mixed feelings towards their gambling addiction. But not back then.

 

Back then, it meant the children were free to do whatever they pleased. The older kids were the ones who ran the show and they knew how to throw a party. When I was around 5 or 6 years old, I remember one particular night when they put “Heart of Glass” on. They all started dancing like crazy. I watched their joy with such admiration. I couldn’t believe I got to stay up so late. I felt so loved by my maniacal babysitters. They laughed at me and swung me around. They treated me like the most beautiful doll. When this song comes on, I am back in that wonderful small dance hall of sorts with my big cousins.

 

And even though it was a tiny venue, in a tiny village, isolated from the rest of the world, in my mind, it still was the wildest crowded dance floor, in the coolest, most dynamic discotheque in the world.”

The results of Elisapie’s reimagining are nothing short of stunning, her voice lovely and soothing as she croons the familiar melody. I had goosebumps listening to this interpretation of a song I thought I knew so well already—a gorgeous rendition revealing vast new depths to a time honored classic. [KH]

FACS– Slogan. The Chicago art rock outfit have released the second single from their upcoming new album, Still Life In Decay (4/7 Trouble In Mind), and once again is driven by a heavy hypnotic bassline, disjointed and big, powerful drums, coupled with a sparse and repetitive guitar line that coalesce into a song that pairs perfectly with the first single, “When You Say.” Check out our recent coverage of their show at Union Pool. [KH]

Florence and the Machine– Just A Girl (No Doubt cover). The Yellowjackets season 2 trailer dropped this week and along with it, Florence Welch and company has lent their signature touch to the 1995 No Doubt classic, making a “deeply unsettling” version in the process which fits perfectly with the vibe of the show.

Welch shares:

“I’m such a huge fan of ‘Yellowjackets’ and this era of music, and this song especially had a huge impact on me growing up, so I was thrilled to be asked to interpret it in a ‘deeply unsettling’ way for the show. We tried to really add some horror elements to this iconic song to fit the tone of the show. And as someone whose first musical love was pop-punk and Gwen Stefani, it was a dream job.”

Mark Bowen of IDLES also produced the track. The show hits streaming on Showtime on 3/24 and I for one am very ready to dig into all of the action and drama! [KH]

Housewife– Fuck Around Phase. I just caught this hazy indie pop group when they opened for Paolo Nutini at Brooklyn Steel and was very into what I heard. (I opened the email with this press release while sitting in the office backstage in fact. Is that what they call meta or something?) Led by singer Brighid Fry, this song is as fuzzy as it is sweet and explores the follies of youth, ah those wonderful careful “fuck around phase” days! This appears to be a stand alone single for now and follows up the 2022 EP You’ll Be Forgiven, but I’m certainly ready to hear more. [KH]

I Am the Avalanche– Honey Bee. Brooklyn’s very own I Am the Avalanche released powerhouse punk rock track “Honey Bee” this week. Typical to their usual sound, this song comes in swinging with heavy riffs, and build ups that change direction throughout the entire two minutes and fifteen seconds.  The climax of “Honey Bee” features a nice little breakdown and some raw intense vocal work from singer Vinnie Caruana. Ending off in a half-shout of “Honey Bee!” we get a strong close to match the slow, enduring intro. If you’re looking for something that will have you in a light headbang and an adrenaline rush, this is your track! [MD]

Indigo De Souza– Smog. The second single from the upcoming album, All of This Will End, is a fuzzy and infectious pop nugget.

Via a press release De Souza shares:

“I remember writing this song during the peak of the pandemic, I was living alone on a dead-end street surrounded by neighbors who were seemingly always mowing their lawns. I remember having a lot of anxiety during the day, navigating the newly awkward and uncertain experience of doing anything mid world freak-out. I was in an emotional state that felt like a cross between delirious joy and a real tired hopelessness. Everything felt unknown and distant. ‘Smog’ is mostly about that strange time and how it felt in my house, alone. When the neighborhood was asleep, and all the lawn mowers stopped, I felt free to make anything and sing anything I wanted. It was my first time ever living alone. It brought me a lot closer to myself.”

All of This Will End is out 4/28 via Saddle Creek. De Souza will be performing at SXSW and will hit NYC with a show at Webster Hall on 5/24. [KH]

Jane Lai– Not All, But A lot. A brand new single from the Brooklyn based bedroom pop artist, this one is downtempo exploration with piano and strings alongside the usual guitars, bass and drums for a sweet and lush slice of indie. Check out our recent coverage of her opening set for Kississippi at Baby’s All Right. [KH]

Living Things– Beauty & Her Beat. There’s been a whole new crop of bands recently that we’ve seen popping up and permeating the NYC music scene since the return to live music following “the dark times.” One such band is Living Things who just released their debut single today.

The quartet features West Coast transplant Vivien Hale Morosoff (guitar, vocals), identical twins Liam (guitar) and Cameron Wright (bass), and Harrison Dolan (drums) and brings some fresh feel-good energy to what is often an angsty and brooding Big Apple rock scene. There’s a genuine sweetness in Morosoff’s voice, and a style that brushes up against country and bluegrass, but ultimately remains indie-pop rock at its core. This songs feels like a warm Georgia evening catching june-bugs at the local molasses n’ pie festival and grass between your toes. It’s like dipping your feet in the pond and holding hands under a big sky where you can actually see all the stars. 

But make no bones about it, despite this honeyed tone, the song itself serves to denounce all the fairytale princess tropes that society typically force feeds to little girls. It’s a song about female empowerment and carving your own path. It’s a love song that asserts it’s ok to fall head over heels without losing yourself in the process. [MB]

Mediocre– Pop Song Baby. This song was described in its press release as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and you know, I really have to agree with that. It is a catchy banger, make no doubt about that, and it’ll have you jumping up and down with grungy 90s nostalgic abandon. It hits you with a saccharine edge particularly with the sweet vocals, but that belies the deep feeling of rage running beneath the surface of the song which addresses what it feels to be labeled “the woman” or the “angry girl band” as a musician (or otherwise) and having that be all anyone ever associates you with forevermore. (Been there, felt that, so this song really resonated with me on a deep level!)

Those feelings make themselves known in the snarky lyrics and the band shares “We wanted to write a song that our teenage selves would blast in our bedrooms. As femme musicians growing up in a predominantly male music scene, we pulled from our frustrations of being underestimated and pigeon-holed into certain archetypes. This song and video explores those pressures.” This is the second single from the upcoming EP To Know You’re Screwed due out 4/7 via Dangerbird. [KH]

Protomartyr– Make Way. With creeping verses and stun-gun choruses, “Make Way” plays with the quiet-loud dynamic in a particularly deft way before settling somewhere in the middle. Director Trevor Naud sees the accompanying music video as a followup to 2020’s “Worm In Heaven.” Protomartyr’s new album Formal Growth In The Desert, which singer Joe Casey calls “a 12-song testament to “getting on with life,” even when it feels impossibly hard” will be out June 2nd on Domino. [CW]

Ratboys– Black Earth, WI. Chicago DIY indie punk outfit Ratboys released their first bit of new music in quite some time this week with the eight minute and change guitar driven opus “Black Earth, WI.” Opening up with a noir-like country rhythm, the first thing that came to mind when hearing this was Thunderclap Newman’s 1969 hit “Something’s In The Air.” Of course any similarities between the two songs were soon dispelled as soon as Julia Steiner’s lead vocals kick in with her high pitched crooning torching the ambiance of the tune with the words “Lighting a match // Just to freak you out // Then on the other side // I saw fifty yellow lines // Pushing up against the window // And with One almighty lightning strike // The Great Lake rose up behind // Said, ‘Baby, you best turn around.’” 

Steiner’s vocal presentation, despite being somewhat unique by today’s standards, reminds me a lot of mid 90’s alt-country singer/songwriter Victoria Williams. But on this one, she doesn’t get to shine for very long, as this is more of a jam than a song to be sung. That being said, Steiner certainly gets the most out of the limited words in this song. As the old saying goes, “sometimes less is more” and that is the case with the vocals on this one. What really shines however is the playing on this one. Recorded live in only two takes at Seattle’s Hall of Justice recording studio, the guitar interplay between Steiner, guitarist Dave Sagan and bassist Sean Neumann (who also fills in on some guitar on this) swells into a growing tide of fretboard distortion ala Neil Young and Crazy Horse as the jam comes to a climax.  All in all, while exuding a definitive nostalgic feel (even more so when watching the old VHS footage in the song’s video), this one also comes across as fresh and vibrant. I sure hope there’s a full LP in the offing.  

In the meantime for anyone making their way down to SXSW, Ratboys will be there playing a host of showcases, so please do check them out. Take a look at our coverage of their set in London opening for Julien Baker in May 2022. [RR]

Silver Moth– The Eternal. This slowly building post-rock tune is just what you would expect from a band featuring members of Mogwai, Abrasive Trees, and Burning House, as ethereal vocals soar over delicate and driving guitars (the cleaner guitar leads are a particular highlight for me). Elisabeth Elektra notes the track is a tribute to a friend of her and bandmate Stuart Braithwaite’s who passed away. Their new album, Black Bay, will be out via Bella Union on April 21st. [CW]

Snapped Ankles– Planet You. I will never not love how fucking weird this band is. They are back with another cover of follow UK no wave weirdos, Blurt, which follows the previous cover “The Fish Needs A Bike” they released last fall (read my thoughts). These covers will be part of Blurtations, a limited edition release for Record Store Day and the band shares on their Instagram “We pulled the songs of legendary dadaist punks Blurt into our forest and sent them back out on a fresh record for you: the six track EP is out exclusively for Record Store Day, limited to 1200 aesthetically pleasing yellow records.”

I’m looking forward to hearing the entire collection though I’ll more than likely be left to hear it on streamers as, truth be told, I’m impatient and don’t tend to love waiting in RSD lines. And this way, I can add it to my UK arrival tradition, which includes listening to Snapped Ankles as I wait to have my passport checked then heading to get my first prawn mayo sandwich, picking up my bags, and jumping on mass transit to head to Wales. Check out my 2022 coverage of their NYC debut. [KH]

Strange Ranger– Rain So Hard. This lonely, wistful track speaks of loss (“like a dropped call / don’t you know it’s gone for you / like a missed name / don’t you know it’s lost for you”) while remaining beautiful. Singer Isaac Eiger and Fiona Woodman’s vocals layer softly into the music and each other, creating a soft, airy tune whose synthy shoegaze sound is a new direction for the band. They’ll be at Pageant in Brooklyn on March 11th. [CW]

ther– impossible things. The new single from this Philly band mixes deceptively simple music with poetic lyrics and an absolutely gorgeous pedal steel guitar lead. Singer Heather Jones’ words touch on mortality (“there are impossible things that you’ll never notice… except for the one of which you are certain that ends with a dance with the dead”) but also of love (“you have a beauty that passes right through me and bounces around in my chest / it’s a great thing of wonder that I’ve been crushed under”). Their album “a horrid whisper echoes in a palace of endless joy” will be out April 14th. [CW]

White Hills– Eye To Eye. The fuzzy stoner psych duo are back with a brand new single that rips and rages until it doesn’t, dropping to a mellow psychedelic breakdown around the three and a half minute mark. The song stays in this groove, while building up a bit again, for the next (almost) four minutes, for some stonerrrrr AF acid fuckin rock vibes. In a perfect pairing, they will open for Pigs x 7 at their Saint Vitus show on 3/11. [KH]