UK band Swansong was formed in 2015, and have already released two albums and an EP. This month sees the release of their third full-length Happy To Be Here, a sharp album that punches hard and never drops the ball over the course of ten tracks.
Based out of Cornwall, the band is made up partly of current and former members of F. Emasculata and Rash Decision. The four-piece—Nat Gyll-Murray on vocals and guitar, Si Walker on guitar (who also does The Seabin Podcast), Dan Kitts on bass, and Jimmers Thomas on drums—are obviously inspired by classic alt and grunge rock of the 90s and bring their own hard-edged twist on these sounds, a mix fans of bands like the Pixies and the Distillers will enjoy. The band also cites the Cure as an influence, and while their own music is definitely harder, there is a darker edge to many songs, so I can see it.
The record takes off right out of the gate with lead track “Monster,” pummeling the ears with L7-worthy buzz guitars, solid basslines, and Gyll-Murray’s full-throated vocals. It’s a great choice to kick off the record. Highlights also include “Bitter,” “Frida,” and “Lump.” The album is mostly loud, although there are quieter moments within, while the band’s softer side is highlighted on the acoustic-tinged “Let Me Go.”
Happy To Be Here back cover (art by Nat Gyll-Murray)
Song topics range the gamut from unrequited love to anger to hanging in there through tough times and emotions (“You know I’ve been bitter / I left my smile at home / But I’m getting stronger / I don’t know how this will go / But I’ve got to let it go / Cause tomorrow I will have another go”). And lest you forget the band is from the UK, the last track “Barefoot Outside The Palace” relates a tale of being drunk and boisterous outside Buckingham, which is honestly hilarious and a great way to close the record.
The band doesn’t have any US dates planned, although UK readers can keep an eye on their Facebook for any upcoming shows. (F. Emasculata, Nat Gyll-Murray’s other band—which I am happy to tell you is X-Files themed—will be here in the States for some West Coast dates in March.)
Pretty Boring is at times pretty, but never boring. T.S. Tadin’s latest record is a collection of smart and subtle indie pop, with laconic, dry vocals that evoke the everyday-life musings of Jonathan Richman or Courtney Barnett. Tadin does it all on Pretty Boring, adding just the right amount of fuzz, guitar flourishes, and keyboard touches to the otherwise uncluttered song arrangements. He makes all the right aesthetic choices over and within the hazy production and lazing vocals.
The Richman influence is apparent straight off in the first song “Clown From a Dystopian Town.” It’s a countrified groover, showcasing Tadin’s tasty guitar skills and evocative lyrics describing life in a downtrodden town.
The title track is Barnett-esque in its delivery and lyrics, filled with delightful turns of phrase that detail the ennui associated with our otherwise chaotic modern lives: “Try hard to live in the moment/but sometimes it gets pretty boring”; “My calendar’s filled with disappointment/each day is a dentist appointment.”
“Like a Flower” jars us out of our relaxed state with an arpeggiated piano introduction. No choruses here; a subtle shift in rhythm helps deliver Tadin’s thesis on falling in love:
Cuts through concrete like a flower. Cracking pavement to devour this desire for self destruction, is only vanity in vain.
A nice bit of fuzz guitar to starts off lead single “It’s a Drag.” It soon transitions into a bouncy Beatle rhythm mixed with just a little James Gang snarl. Here, Tadin’s piano playing is more of an insistent pounding, adding infectious heft to the solid groove he’s laying down on drums and bass.
“Better Cry Yourself to Sleep” takes a bit of a turn in a new direction. Tadin emerges from his chilled-out state to reach higher vocally and produce maybe the strongest melodies on the record. It’s an excursion into dreampop, but without the genre’s hallmarks of heavily reverbed vocals and overdriven guitars. “You can count on me/to take things too far,” Tadin begins the first verse, before rising to a worldless chorus that floats into the clouds. The simple strumming of acoustic and electric guitars, an ascending bassline, and washy cymbal crashes create an airy backdrop. Tadin sings a new verse from these heights before landing back on solid ground, returning to the initial verse. A gem of a tune.
There are more engaging moments on Pretty Boring. Tadin once again invokes the old Modern Lover, Jonathan Richman, on “I’ll Be Your Umbrella,” with the choice line, “It’s OK, I’ll be your umbrella, baby/I’ll keep you dry—that’s a lie.” On “Killin’ Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Tadin earnestly sings “Disinfect my soul/killin’ rock ‘n’ roll” over possibly the most rock ‘n’ roll beat of all time, the Bo Diddley Beat. (Think “I Want Candy.”)
Pretty Boring is charming, engaging, and cohesive, and showcases Tadin’s sharp songwriting talent, imaginative lyrics, and artful musical choices. He wears his influences on his sleeve, but is able to create his own inventive pop style. You’ll hear him lazily singing in your head long after the record is over.
Pretty Boring was self released and is available on all major streamers.
As a musician, subtlety is not one of my strong-suits. But for Taylor Marie, aka sock jock, there’s power in the quiet places. anothernovember is a one-woman EP (Totally Real Records) that “tells the story of sock jock’s love and loss in the last year,” and commands delicacy in its construction; its heart-strings are fully dipped into the vast chasm of emotion. Aptly titled, this record is your morning coffee on a cold November.
Occasionally almost Jenny Lewis in feel, tracks like “haunting” and “saint” transport me back to many bundled up lonely walks along the frozen edges of Lake Michigan during my youth in Chicago, to the point where I can almost see my breath between my tears. And in the places where it nudges intensity a bit on “sober” (and my favorite) “rejectmebaby,” there’s something about how the vocal melody lays into the guitar lines that make me feel like I’m standing in the back of The Fireside Bowl in 1997 dreaming of The Lonesome Crowded West.
anothernovember is out now via Totally Real Records and available on all major streaming platforms.
The latest self-titled release from the Brooklyn band is chock full of grindy-windy guitar licks, soaring party choruses and rock n’roll screams. At its core it’s a solid mid-tempo attack with a Tom Petty groove.
Opening track “Shadow and Shade” quickly drives and sets the pace from jump. But it’s in the slower jams like “Heave Ho” and “My Regeneration” where you catch hints of later-day Buckcherry, Stone Temple Pilots, and Louis XIV. Just a touch of hard rock guitar sleaze and scratchy glam howl to double down the anthemic hooks that sound like they belong on the big stage and out on the road with bands like Chicago’s North by North.
Snoopy and The Who?! is available now via Bandcamp and all major streamers.
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 was a little on the lighter side but still some sweet new tunes to check out, Chantal and Kate have the scoop on those below.
And though we can’t possibly cover all the music that is released each week (we wish!), we do get to as many songs as we can. As always, if you’re in a band or from a label, don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know about you! If we dig ya, you’ll get a nod in the column. Read on to find out what we dug the last week or so and check back every Friday for more:
Gibbons– Fuck Around And Find Out. Brand new music from the best pop punk duo you’ve probably never heard of (but really should have on your radar). It’s their first new music since their 2019 self titled debut EP, and it’s a zippy burst of saccharin angst with singer/guitarist Rachel Alicea laying her feelings of trying—and the warning to give her space to do so—out on the line. Her plaintive voice is the quintessential sound of the genre and pairs perfectly with her goddamn catchy as hell guitar work, the breakdown at the end of the song will make you bang your head and feel hope in the angst all at the same time.
Backed by her longtime partner in crime, drummer Wes Ruiz, who provides punchy, energetic drums, the pair are locked in and the sound is full. Sure it’s still DIY at its heart, but a big step up production wise from their previous work thanks in part to up and coming engineer/producer, Eamon McMullen, who has been making a name, and his mark, in the local Brooklyn scene. This is a one off single for now, but here’s hoping we hear more from this dynamic pop punk duo in the very near future. [KH]
High Waisted– Tan Lines. The self described “shit talking surf pop” band has a brand new groovy bossa nova to keep you warm and dreaming of summer right as the freeze of winter is starting to tighten its icy grip on us. The surfy guitar licks and sax mixed with the lush and dreamy vocals will keep you company during the cold season and have you more than ready to pour fruity oceanside cocktails at Rockaway Beach by time the city has thawed out. [KH]
Joe Rainey– once the reaper/d.m.ii. The Ojibwe Pow Wow artist has released a captivating new double single as part of the Psychic Hotline Singles Series. These new songs build off of the work of his beautiful debut album released earlier this year, Niineta. Like the album, the song blends traditional Pow Wow singing with electronic music and percussion along with samples and field recordings for a layered and emotional journey that will stop you in your tracks.
Via Bandcamp he shares that the new music is “Entering new sonic territory,” and “unleashes a vocal barrage over storming percussion, spectral vocal samples and unrelenting kick drum patterns provided by producer Andrew Broder. ‘once the reaper’ is a song of defiance, about confronting grief head-on, about fiercely guarding the memory of relatives taken too soon.” Rainey elaborated further via a press release saying “‘once the reaper’ means when the reaper comes for me, who knows if I’ll have a chance to punch him for the people he took too soon.”
“Joe is kicking down the doors, closed for too long to Native artists in America and demanding new space be made for Pow Wow singing- in the same conversation as any other modern music. He insists that his culture not be thoughtlessly shoved in the ‘World Music’ bin, not be relegated to the past, to be admired behind glass or in halls of academia-but blaring out of car windows, in the earbuds of a kid on the basketball court, and in dimly lit concert venues, rattling the subs.
Joe is not telling ancient stories – he is telling modern stories that often go unheard. It’s impossible not to hear this.”
Miriam Clancy–Head Like A Hole. This slice of indie rock has an eye turned toward the dichotomy of “our codependency with the internet:” all the knowledge of the word is at our fingertips, but is information overload killing us? I’m a big fan of all the gorgeous guitar tones on this one. Her full length Black Heart is out on January 20th; catch her in Brooklyn 12/29 at Pete’s Candy Store. [CW]
Quasi– Doomscrollers. The long running Portland duo are set to release their first album in nearly ten years, Breaking the Balls of History, and for the second single have released their sardonic take on the one thing everyone (justifiably) loves to hate (yet still does, myself included), doomscrolling. Mid tempo drums and ominous organ perfectly fit the mood of the song, with a chorus that everyone will relate to “Everybody baking bread, doomscrolling going out of their head.” The song is paired with a music video directed by B.A. Miale and features the band being driven around the various chaos of “the timeline” in a pickup truck (complete with “keep on trucking” plates) by a grim reaper like character. Breaking the Balls of History will release in full on 2/10/23 via SubPop. The duo play NYC at TV Eye on 3/16/23.
Skinny Pelembe– Like A Heart Won’t Beat. The dynamic, genre defying artist has just signed to Partisan Records and released his first single for the label (a new album is due next year). It blends gauzy soul and fuzzy rock for a song that will immediately having you hitting repeat as soon as it finishes, an intriguing peak into what is to come with the new record. [KH]
triton– orchids. The third single from the upcoming Geoff Rickly produced album, Sundown in Oaktown, features contributions from members of Thursday and MCR who leave their mark on the song which is a chill indie vibe with a nice laid back emo undercurrent. Songwriter Scott Murphy shares “This song started out as a kinda delicate acoustic song with just a little kiss of synth,” says Murphy. “Geoff (Rickly) had suggested making it a high-point of the record, the apex of a build of energy. We talked about making it big, and sounding more blown-out. With that in mind, I sent it off to Tim (Payne)and Jarrod (Alexander) to do their things on it.” Sundown in Oaktown will release in full on 1/27/23 and is available for pre-order now [KH]
If you’re looking for a chance to giggle while dancing barefoot on the beach in your mind, the NYC-based loungecore duo Pleasure Island is for you! And what is this loungecore you might ask? A blend of bossa nova, disco, and pop with very funny lyrics by singer/guitarist Dave Hadden (aka “Uncle Dave”) who croons in a smooth schmoozy baritone while Scott Chasse holds down the grooves on bass. Together (with a rotating cast of other musicians) they will take you on the Piña Colada party that is Pleasure Island.
Their newest EP, Faux Porteño, moves the fun to Buenos Aires, Argentina; a “Porteño” is slang for a person from Buenos Aires. “Uncle Dave” spent last winter in the Argentinian capital city and used the local environs there as a muse. In the duo’s own words: “the result is a blend of genres, languages, and collaborations with local musicians, continuing Pleasure Island’s trademark ‘surf-deprecating loungecore.’”
The opening track, “Imagination,” features Buenos Aires bandoneonist, Santi Villar. (If you’re not in the know, a bandoneon is an accordion used in Argentinian tango music.) Hadden’s lyrics speak in the voice of a man who is “in love again, at least in (his) imagination.” As Uncle Dave takes us on romantic flights of fancy, Villar’s improvised bandoneon lines flutter around the sung melody, just as flirtatious as these dreams of a perfect love. Unfortunately, nothing is that perfect. At the song’s end, Hadden asks, “is that the sound of birds around us or the ring of my alarm,” and then the beautiful dream is over.
But no, wait, the romance continues at the ultimate beach shindig in the second track, “Kokomo 2.” The song opens with a “Rio”-esque (think Duran Duran) lady laugh over glittering synths as the dance beats kick in. Chasse’s exceedingly groove-a-licious bass line here will immediately get you shaking your thing at this Kokomo party, “getting a cutie in your hands.” Hadden, of course, never takes the seduction too seriously with chuckle-worthy lyrics like “I hate chores, so I got a divorce. I wanted more than Zsa Zsa Gabor. My future’s waiting for me at the shore.” The song also has a technicolor psychedelic video that captures all that Kokomo magic with Uncle Dave floating around with his guitar or swimming through color waves of bright orange flowers.
The self-deprecation in the “surf-deprecation” comes through most strongly in the EP’s third song, “Muscles & Money.” This is when that Kokomo party goes wrong and none of those cuties will get in Uncle Dave’s hands. The bossa nova grooves are enticing everyone to dance, but Hadden is experiencing a social face plant: “I’m standing at this party and no one’s talking to me,” he sings, “I need more muscles and money / nobody cares that you’re funny / how ‘bout a face with a little more symmetry?” The lyrics here are again hilarious, but also a pretty damn real take on how the beach party scene can get superficial mighty quick.
Faux Porteño’s fourth and final track, “Intentaré,” is Pleasure Island’s first song with lyrics in Spanish. Hadden took on the challenge of writing lyrics in Spanish for the first time with his expected jocular moxie: “A new language offers a chance to rhyme new ideas. For instance, in Spanish, I can now rhyme ‘big mouth’ with ‘no wedding.’ ‘Integrate mejorar’ translates to ‘I will try to improve.’” This last song shimmies away with a lovely lilting guitar line, and will leave you wanting to listen to Faux Porteño again and again, rocking that coconut rum vibe and laughing at how silly we all are.
Faux Porteño was self released and is available now via all major streamers.
