Feral Ohms

Like a full frontal audio assault to the head, Oakland band Feral Ohms bring all the noise, all the mayhem, and all the rock n' roll to level every city and state before them.  An absolutely blistering and frenetic take on garage and punk rock, the band's self-titled album slaps you upside the head and spits in your eye in the same moment.  These guys have definitely moved onto my must-see-live list.  Listen to album opener "Love Damage" below and get the record from Silver Current.

Eola

I've been digging on the new record from Tonstartssbandht the last couple of weeks, having been a fan of their 2011 release "Now I am Become."  When digging into the band's back catalog, i had no idea they that they had so many releases (7 alone in between the 2 albums i have).  I also came across the side project of Edwin Mathis White called Eola, a kind of gospel-infused a capella record that sounds like a cult of Appalachian folk singers found a hidden trove of samplers and tape loops.  Listen to "How Far am I From Canaan?" below and get a copy of last year's "Dang" LP from Leaving Records.

Kendrick Lamar - Humble.

Kendrick Lamar seems to be a on somewhat of a warpath right now.  I like it.  Last night he dropped new jam "Humble." with an accompanying video.  He's not messing around.  Watch it below.

The Blackcoat's Daughter

I have not seen Oz Perkins' "The Blackcoat's Daughter" yet, though i understand it's a creepy and dread-fueled little slow burn of a horror movie, so maybe i can remedy that this weekend (VOD!). But i have sampled the soundtrack from the film, composed by the filmmaker's brother Elvis Perkins, and it's a haunting mix of spooky Americana, folk, jazz, and ominous drone.  And you can get it today from Mondo in an edition of 666 copies.  Listen to "In the Garden" below.

IT

Please, please, please let this be good.

Monster Movie

I suppose feeling reinvigorated by playing live and recording new material again, Slowdive's Christian Savill's other project, Monster Movie, have a new record out now on Graveface, their first in 7 years.  Listen to the fuzz and shoegaze of "Shouldn't Stray from the Shadows" below and snag the "Keep the Voices Distant" LP here.

Xander Harris

Here's some new, mind-altering, synthy techno from Xander Harris.  "Jaws of Saturn" opens upcoming album "Termination Dust," due at the end of April from the excellent Data Airlines, and sounds something akin to getting lost inside the Aurora Borealis.  Listen below.

Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me

How are you feeling today?  Good?  Good.  Wanna listen to something great that's going to absolutely crush your heart and soul?  The latest from Phil Elverum as Mount Eerie, the devastating "A Crow Looked at Me," examines the artist's life and heartbreak in the months following his wife's early death from cancer, leaving him a single father.  Here's a summation of the project in the artist's own words:

WRITTEN AND RECORDED August 31st to Dec. 6th, 2016 in the same room where Geneviève died, using mostly her instruments, her guitar, her bass, her pick, her amp, her old family accordion, writing the words on her paper, looking out the same window.

Why share this much? Why open up like this? Why tell you, stranger, about these personal moments, the devastation and the hanging love? Our little family bubble was so sacred for so long. We carefully held it behind a curtain of privacy when we’d go out and do our art and music selves, too special to share, especially in our hyper-shared imbalanced times. Then we had a baby and this barrier felt even more important. (I still don’t want to tell you our daughter’s name.) Then in May 2015 they told us Geneviève had a surprise bad cancer, advanced pancreatic, and the ground opened up. What matters now? we thought. Then on July 9th 2016 she died at home and I belonged to nobody anymore. My internal moments felt like public property. The idea that I could have a self or personal preferences or songs eroded down into an absurd old idea leftover from a more self-indulgent time before I was a hospital-driver, a caregiver, a child-raiser, a griever.

I am open now, and these songs poured out quickly in the fall, watching the days grey over and watching the neighbors across the alley tear down and rebuild their house. I make these songs and put them out into the world just to multiply my voice saying that I love her. I want it known. "Death Is Real" could be the name of this album. These cold mechanics of sickness and loss are real and inescapable, and can bring an alienating, detached sharpness. But it is not the thing I want to remember. A crow did look at me. There is an echo of Geneviève that still rings, a reminder of the love and infinity beneath all of this obliteration. That’s why.

- Phil Elverum Dec. 11th, 2016 Anacortes

This is a difficult record to listen to, but it's a real and stark examination of grief, and it deserves your utmost attention.  Listen to album opener "Real Death" below, and buy the record from P.W. Elverum & Sun.

Slowdive - Sugar for the Pill

Today brings welcome and excellent news, as reunited shoegaze wunderkinds Slowdive will be releasing their new, self-titled record on May 5th via Dead Oceans.  Hooray!  In the meantime, watch the video for the album's second single, "Sugar for the Pill" below.

Whitney cover Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton is a national treasure, and i will fight to the death anybody who would imply otherwise. That being said, why aren't there more bands out there covering her songs?  Jazz, folk, and classic rock dabbling band Whitney have apparently heard the call, having just released a new 12" single featuring a cover of Lion's "You've Got A Woman" on the A-side and Dolly's "Gonna Hurry (As Slow as I Can)"on the B.  Listen to it below.  It's a wonderful take on the song, sounding like Whitney, but still serving as a loving tribute to the original.  Get it from Secretly Canadian.

Taiwan Housing Project

Like someone took a bunch of old new wave songs, re-recorded them with a group of no wave noise artists, and then put the finished project in a blender, the music of Taiwan Housing Project sounds like a wonderful and reckless deconstruction of pop.  Featuring former members of Little Claw and Harry Pussy, the band seems to want to please and punish your ear holes at the same time.  I'm all for it.  Listen to "Authentic Alien Perfume" below and pre-order the "Veblen Death Mask" LP from Kill Rock Stars.

Mountain Man - Love Hurts

I swear, i stop paying attention to the daily music releases from Our First 100 Days, and then there's so much excellent stuff to sort through.  A couple of days ago, we got a wonderful folky rendition of the classic rock staple "Love Hurts" from Mountain Man, which you should definitely listen to below.  When all is said and done, this project is going to finish off with an amazing collection of music.  You can still buy it here.

Future Islands - Ran

Next week brings us a new release from Future Islands.  "The Far Field" finds the band traversing their particular brand of synth pop to their usual dreamy and emotional heights.  Watch the video for "Ran" below and get the record from 4AD.

Ron Gallo

A noisy mix of blues and garage rock, Nashville's Ron Gallo crafts music that feels like it's been pulled from time, gotten the shit shaken out of it, and then immediately broadcasted to the world.  Listen to "Why Do You Have Kids?" below and get the "Heavy Meta" LP from New West Records.

Trementina

Hailing from Chile, shoegazey pop three-piece Trementina make beautiful music that sounds like dreamy odes to neverending skies and the greater cosmos.  Listen to the delightful "Please, Let's Go Away" below and get the band's latest opus, "810," from Burger Records.

Pink Mexico

Still cycling through music from band's i wish i'd had a chance to check out during SXSW.  The latest is Brooklyn garage/punk rock band Pink Mexico.  Raucous, buzzy, fuzzy, surf-psych for the masses.  Listen to "Forgetting Everything" below and grab last year's "Fool" LP here in various formats via Burger Records and Big Tomato Records.

The Black Angels - Currency

Austin psych rock outfit The Black Angels are back at it in April with their new album of blasting drums and guitar freak-outs.  "Death Song" comes out officially on Record Store Day, but you can pre-order it here.  In the meanwhile, listen to "Currency" below with some disorienting, accompanying visuals.

Milk Music

Why didn't anyone tell me there was new music from Olympia, Washington band Milk Music out in the ether?  New record "Mystic 100's" is out now via Dom America, and it's full of hooky and contemplative guitar jams that fly a little more off the rails than previous efforts from the group.  I wouldn't say the band are entering experimental territory or anything like that, but it seems that they're maybe broadening their influences and input some.  I'm all for it.  Listen to "Twists & Turns & Headtrips" below.

Jawbones

Fuzzed out and spacey psych rock jams out of Berlin, i am all for the new LP, "High and Low and Low and High," from Jawbones, released via Brian Jonestown Massacre mastermind Anton Newcombe's A Recordings.  Watch the video for "Rain" below and snag the record here.

Gorillaz

We knew a new record was soon to be upon us from Gorillaz, and now we have a title, an album cover, tracklist, collaborator list, and some new songs and videos.  Anyway, "Humanz" is due on April 28th (pre-order here) and will feature folks like Danny Brown, De La Soul, and Carly Simon of all people.  Watch the Jamie Hewlett directed video for "Saturnz Barz" featuring Popcaan below.

Dead Leaf Echo

Brooklyn shoegazers Dead Leaf Echo are one of those bands i stumbled upon randomly last week while peeking my head into different shows at SXSW.  The band make reverb drenched pop music that feels as indebted to The Velvet Underground as it does My Bloody Valentine.  Listen to new single "Strawberry Skin" below and pre-order the 7" from Moon Sounds Records.

The Lemon Twigs

Every year after SXSW, i tend to take a few days to lament all the many awesome things that i missed out on, despite seeing so much.  A lot of times, some of those artists i missed, i didn't even realize i wanted to see until after the fact.  And so we have Long Island's The Lemon Twigs, and their infectious take on psych-tinged British Invasion pop rock.  To be honest, i saw the duo's name all over the place during SXSW but just kind of ignored it.  That was probably the wrong choice.  Anyway, the band's debut "Do Hollywood" is out now on 4AD.  Listen to the wonderful "As Long as We're Together" below.

The Bad Signs

Nashville band The Bad Signs are set to release their debut EP, "Black Magic Moments," next month on Record Store Day via Number Nine Creative Cult.  The trio craft a mysterious yet familiar brand of Gothic-tinged Americana, using elements of old school country music, dark folk, psychedelia, and good old fashioned rock n' roll.  Hypnotic, dusty, and just a tad ominous, it's like something from Lynchian sketch that never quite made it to screen.  Watch the video for "Blue Love" below.

Deerhoof - Criminals of the Dream

Okay, so Deerhoof's "The Magic" actually came out way back during summer of last year, but i have had the long running art rock band's "Criminals of the Dream" stuck in my head for the last couple of weeks.  A wonderful combination of lo-fi new age synths, driving guitar riffs, and the band's signature off-kilter, singsong vocals, the track seems like a perfect way to usher in the spring.  Listen to the track below and get the record from Polyvinyl.

Fucked Up - Year of the Snake

Alright!  It's time again for another one of Canadian hardcore punk stalwarts Fucked Up's Chinese zodiac jams.  "Year of the Snake" continues the band's trend of pairing their crushing punk with more experimental epic and wandering sagas with the series.  I adore them.  Listen below and snag the record from Tankcrimes.

Ex-Girlfriends

I saw a bunch of wonderful music last week, and the prevailing theme of many of the parties and shows i went to was totally feminist...and that's awesome.  Women fronted or assisted bands predominantly made up the whole of what i saw, and they were all fantastic.  New York's Ex-Girlfriends was one such band, a raucous and sneering garage rock act that slayed it for Panache Booking.  Listen to "Why Aren't You Stalking Me Anymore?" below and get the "You're Next" EP from Little Dickman Records.

HAERTS - Your Love

I doubt that dreamy synth pop band will ever reach the heights they did with their first single "Wings" years ago, a song that still makes me all aflutter, but it's nice that they're still giving it a shot.  The band, now a duo, have a new track, "Your Love," and a new record in the works.  Watch the video below...but maybe not at work...as there are boobs and stuff in it.

Cherry Glazerr

One of the bands that i caught last week that i did not expect to enjoy near as much as i did was the LA band of energetic misfits Cherry Glazerr.  They absolutely killed their performance at the Levitation party, and word on the street is they did the same everywhere else they played.  Anyway, the band put out their most recent album "Apocalipstick" back in January on Secretly Canadian.  You should check it out, but also listen to "Nurse Ratched" below.

Pye Corner Audio - The Spiral

Irritated that you missed out on that last Pye Corner Audio 7"?  Me too.  But don't worry about it too terribly much as the artist has another 7" record, "The Spiral," out this week on Mondo/Death Waltz.  Stream the whole thing below, snag the record later this week, or just download it here.

Pye Corner Audio - The Darkest Wave

Here's a new release from Pye Corner Audio via Polytechnic Youth.  "The Darkest Wave" 7" unfortunately sold out the day it was released, but you can still snag it digitally here.  Stream both tracks below, the title track featuring Faten Kanaan.

RIP Bernie Wrightson

RIP Bernie Wrightson, one of my all time favorite comic artists.  His work redefined illustrated horror.

RIP Chuck Berry

A half day late on this, but RIP to one of the originators.  RIP Chuck Berry.

Closeness

So, so many bands i would have liked to have seen this last week, but there's just no way to cram it all in and then get back home in time to read your kids a bedtime story, so you miss what you have to.  One of the artists i missed this week is the new darkwave synth project from Azure Ray's Orenda Fink and her husband Todd Fink of the band The Faint.  Listen to "End of the Maze" below and grab the duo's "Personality Therapy" EP from Graveface.

SXSW 2017 Day 6 Pics

Kind of an uneventful day to close things out, strolling around South Congress with my wife, my sons, and my in-laws, drinking a beer and catching a couple of artists at SX San Jose, and then ending things not with a bang, but with a whimper.  The boys both crashed, passed out in the car for the drive home, and now i'm here in the living room, drinking more beer and watching some March Madness.  Would i like to go back out tonight?  Of course i would.  Thou and Pig Destroyer are playing over on 3rd St.  About a thousand garage rock bands are playing Hotel Vegas.  There are still dozens of free parties all around town.  Hell, i could go back to SX San Jose to catch PWR BTTM and Cherry Glazerr again.  Or i could sneak into Auditorium Shores and watch Garth Brooks if i so desired.  The fact is, there's still tons of stuff going on all over this wonderful, aggravating city, but the demands of parenthood are more than likely going to keep me home tonight, miles away from all the action.

I guess i'm okay with that.  My kids are pretty cool.

Check out all 2 pics from today below.

Peterson Brothers Band

Ron Gallo

SXSW 2017 Day 5 Pics

Today was a little different than the rest of the week has been, my wife getting to come out for the day, and the two of us wandering east Austin from party to party with no real idea of where we were going to end up or who we were going to see.  Usually i have some artists in mind i want to check out, but today was all stuff i had never heard of from the garage rock of Ex-Girlfriends to the dancey, poppy, body-positive hip-hop of Lizzo.  We even ended up at some party in the parking lot of an Austin hostel drinking screwdrivers from styrofoam cups.  Check some pics below.  Tomorrow we take the kids!

Smile

Semihelix

Ex-Girlfriends

Anna Meredith

Lizzo

Party Static

Dead Leaf Echo

Priests

I don't know why i've slept on these guys for so long, but after catching a live set from DC post(ish) punk band Priests, i'm all in now.  New album "Nothing Feels Natural" is out now on Sister Polygon Records, but in the meantime, listen to the title track below.

SXSW 2017 Day 4 Pics

A long and full day today.  One of my kiddos is still sick at home, but he spent the day with his grandparents and was a happy little guy when i got home, so no worries on that front.  For my fourth day of music and such, i started at the Pitchfork party at the French Legation Museum in east Austin.  It's an awesome space for events, large green grassy areas and some old historic buildings with a ton of trees and shade.  Despite some technical issues to start, i caught some great sets, the highlight of which was a raucous turn from punk band Priests.  From there i hit up a party at the Historic Scoot Inn to see Wand perform, and then i was off to Hotel Vegas for the Levitation party, hoping it would soothe some old wounds after last year's Levitation Festival was cancelled last minute due to bad weather.  It did not disappoint.  Great sets from everyone, including Tim Darcy, Wand (again), Cherry Glazerr, Merchandise, and Royal Trux.  And when it was all over, i packed myself like a sardine into a train and headed home.  Tomorrow the wife gets to tag along.  Hooray!  Check some pics below.

Downtown Boys

Julie Byrne

Priests

Wand

The Paperhead

La Cerca

Aldous Harding

Cosmonauts

Tim Darcy

No Joy

Wand (again)

Merchandise

Cherry Glazerr

Royal Trux