Opposite Sex

Here's some weird and noisy, raucous post punk from New Zealand trio Opposite Sex.  Check out the ass-kicking "Combine Harvester" below and get the "High Drama" LP here.

Alan Vega

With the aid of longtime collaborator Liz Lamere, the good folks at Sacred Bones are opening up the "Vega Vault" to unearth rare and unheard music from the late, great Alan Vega.  This should prove to be a fascinating endeavor as evidenced by our first taste, the electronic art punk of "Nike Soldier" from the upcoming "Mutator" LP recorded back in the mid-'90s.  Check the track out below and pre-order the record here.

Lava La Rue

It's the time of year when i'd normally be putting together a list of artists to hunt down and check out during SXSW, but alas.  It's for the best.  Hopefully we'll be in a position to do this again in 2022.  Anyway, i'm still clicking on all manner of pop artist i've never heard of with new material in the ether, and a lot of the time, you can kind of just tell who would have been here to perform.  That's the vibe i'm getting from UK artist Lava La Rue and her mix of quirky pop, R&B, and hip-hop.  Check out "Magpie," the opening track from the new "BUTTER-FLY" EP below and order the record here from Marathon Artists.

Chromatics - Shadow (Maceo Plex Remix)

Head on over here to Italians Do It Better, and for a dollar, you can download an EP of "Shadow" remixes from Chromatics, easily one of my favorite songs, if not just from the band than from the last decade in general.  Check out the club ready remix from Maceo Plex below.

Daily Jam - Fitta Happier

I will never not be amazed at how awesome it sounds to have artists rapping over a beat and sample of the University of Arizona marching band performing a Radiohead song.  Just a pure chef's kiss moment going on right here.  Listen to Quakers' "Fitta Happier" below, our Daily Jam.

THROTH

I posted about Bristol's grungey, doomy shoegaze act back in January for their "Every Liar Knows He'll Die Alone" EP, and the band is back with another wall of noise on the full-length "Each in Our Own Way We Suffer."  Check out the down sludge of "We Suffer" below and download the album here.

Daily Jam - Dance of Maria

He's 5 now, but it always amused me a few years ago when my youngest was 2 and liked the trippy, middle eastern vibes of Elias Rahbani's "Dance of Maria."  He would hum along to it.  Check it out below, our Daily Jam.

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

Yesterday Nick Cave and Warren Ellis surprise released a new album called "Carnage."  Like the bulk of Cave's work of late, it's really dense and heavy (thematically), and after sitting with it a little while yesterday, also astoundingly good.  Check out the opening track "Hand of God" below be on the lookout for the vinyl release in May.

Friday Horror Trailer - The Queen of Black Magic

Daily Jam - Star Eyes (I Can't Catch It)

There was a moment in time when i was damn near obsessed with Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse's Dark Night of the Soul project with David Lynch.  A lot of great music with a lot of great guests (Frank Black, Iggy Pop, Jason Lytle, Vic Chesnutt, and so on), but the two tracks with Lynch on vocals were always my favorites.  Check out "Star Eyes (I Can't Catch It)" below, our Daily Jam.

Collapse

Those old shoegaze sounds will just never stop making me happy.  And Japanese band Collapse seem more than happy to oblige.  Check out their latest single "Vertigo," featuring Ishikawa of My Dead Girlfriend and download it here.

Satomimagae

Here's some oozing and mysterious music out of Japan's acid folk scene from Satomimagae.  "Numa" floats and moves in slow motion, bits of acoustic guitar caressing electronic tones and soft, ghostly vocals.  Check it out below and pre-order the upcoming "Hanazono" LP here via Guruguru Brain.

Daily Jam - Wot's...Uh The Deal

Like a lot of my fellow 40-something dudes out there, i had a little bit of a Pink Floyd phase in my late teen years.  It's just one of those things, but it certainly yielded some music i still listen to.  Here's maybe a little bit of lesser known jam by the band, "Wot's...Uh The Deal," our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - Crystal Lake

Got a half hour to listen to a Klaus Schulze piece of music today?  Of course you do.  Here's "Crystal Lake," our sprawling and epic Daily Jam.

Mirage

Occasionally i will come across some music that just straight up melts my brain, and such is the case with the "Telepathic Radio Tape" from California artist Mirage, the side project of Banshee member Joe Freedman.  The album was recorded in 2020 at home after a near death experience in the Grand Canyon and sounds like a bunch of clerics and mystics loaded up on hallucinogens, boarded a rocket ship to travel to the nether regions of the universe, recorded all of the interstellar sounds they could find, and then put it all together on a mixtape for you.  Far out stuff.  Check out "The Mating Dance of the Purple Locust Storm" below and get the cassette here from Terrorist Rock Corporation.

Steady Sun

New York psych pop band Steady Sun just released a new 7" via Daptone imprint Wick Records, and it's a doozy.  They've got elements of everything from Syd Barrett to Apples in Stereo bouncing around in their sound, waves and colors for days.  Check out B-side "To Lash Around" below and get the "Truth Is A Needle" 7" here.

Gerycz/Powers/Rolin

From Columbus, Ohio, the experimental trio of Gerycz/Powers/Rolin use hushed instrumentation to craft a kind of ambient, Americana drone.  The sound is akin to staring into the woods or the mountains or the night, trying to focus on something just out of visual distance.  Check out "Velvet" below featuring Dylan Baldi on saxophone and order the "Beacon" LP here from Centripetal Force.

Whitney K.

Canadian singer/songwriter Whitney K. makes folk-tinged music that feels totally indebted to the sounds of the '70s.  You can hear elements of John Cale, Lou Reed, Harry Nilsson, and more.  It's wonderful.  Grab his new "Two Years" LP here from Maple Death Records and listen to the album closing "Maryland" below.

Daily Jam - Gave Up

Boy was i into Nine Inch Nails when i was a teenager.  Here's "Gave Up," our Daily Jam.

Daft Punk Split Up

Last week was something different here in Texas, and it's going to make my work week something different now.  Busy, busy, busy.  Anyway, i had to go down to the office today, and upon my return i find out that Daft Punk are splitting up.  I didn't want to hear that today.  Anyway, i've been a fan since first hearing "Da Funk" back in high school, so i'm going to miss these French robots.  To play them out, here's "Touch" featuring the legendary Paul Williams.

Daily Jam - Cats Van Bags

These are the kinds of vibes i'm starting my week off to.  I don't know where they'll take me.  Here's "Cats Van Bags" from Atmosphere, our Daily Jam.

Nun Gun

I posted about the cool project Nun Gun featuring members of post punk band Algiers a couple of weeks back (here), and now it looks like the release is getting companion LP with "Stealth Maxi (Dub Companion)."  New collaborations and reworkings abound.  Check out the Mark Stewart assisted "Stealth Empire" below and get the record here.

Daily Jam - The Tenant

So, the folks over at Facebook have locked me out of my Heaven Is An Incubator page and also are preventing me from posting links to the blog on my own personal page claiming the posts go against their standards and calling them spam.  And it all started with boobs.  Anyway, if you're only following along with us over there, you're missing out on things like "The Tenant" from '80s gothy deathrock band Play Dead.  Check it out below, our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - Mercy

When Slowdive broke up in the early/mid '90s, a few of the members soon resurfaced as Mojave 3, shedding most of the shoegaze aesthetic for something more folk-engaged.  While the project never quite grabbed me the way Slowdive did, they were still great.  Here's their first single, "Mercy," our Daily Jam.

Feeling Figures

I'm feeling the old school '90s alt-rock vibes this morning, especially with the debut release from Montreal duo Feeling Figures.  Check out "Person of Tomorrow" below.  It rules.  Then grab the band's self-titled 7" here from Celluloid Lunch Records.

Caution

Here's some catchy alt-rock from Baltimore duo Caution that pulls from shoegaze, grunge, indie pop, and more.  Check out "Buy My Life" below and snag the self-title EP cassette here from Born Yesterday Records.

Friday Horror Trailer - Visiting Hours

Daily Jam - Gentleman Who Fell

She's had a long career in film and modeling now, but back in the '90s when i first heard Milla Jovovich's "Gentleman Who Fell," i just new her as that one girl from "Dazed and Confused."  Check it out below, our Daily Jam.

Arab Strap

Scottish duo Arab Strap are back next month with their first album in over 15 years and they are as brooding, dark, and sexual as they ever were.  Check out the video for new single "Here Comes Comus!" below and order the new "As Days Get Dark" album here on Rock Action.

Iceage - Vendetta

Over the last decade, Danish punk band Iceage have cemented themselves as one of the artists that i'll pretty much buy anything from songs unheard.  They just keep knocking it out of the park with each subsequent release while constantly expanding their sound.  And this May's upcoming "Seek Shelter" LP seems to be no different.  Check out the video for the scorching "Vendetta" below and pre-order the new album here from Mexican Summer.

Daily Jam - Joanna

Here's some rare, private press psych folk from Once called "Joanna" for our Daily Jam.

Andrew WK

We're big fans of Andrew WK around these parts, the enigmatic man's mix of partying, positivity, and heavy metal being good for the soul.  And he just dropped a new single, the prog-tinged, operatic "Babalon."  It's ridiculous and it rules.  Watch the video below and go here to grab one of the last autographed copies of the 7" on Napalm Records.

The Pink Noise

Feeling like i just synched in on a winner here with Montreal new wave/post-punk outfit The Pink Noise.  There's a kind of detached, irreverent vibe going on on "Out of Step," with an accompanying video that's straight out of some old cable access as performed by your high school math teacher.  I want to dance in jerky motions.  Check it out below and pre-order the "Economy of Love" LP here from Celluloid Lunch Records.

36 & Awakened Souls

The fellow-minded artists of 36 and Awakened Souls have teamed together to collaborate on and album of ambience, drone, experimental electronics, and flashes of so much more on "The Other Side of Darkness."  They then each reinterpreted the material to basically create three different versions of the album and they're all beauties.  I'm particular into the floaty and ethereal "Guide Me Home (Awakened Souls - Shoegaze Version)."  Check it out below and get the record here from Past Inside the Present.

Daily Jam - According to Plan

This state is still frozen and powerless.  And all the stories i'm hearing from friends and family across Texas are just compounding...loss of electricity, loss of heat, loss of gas, loss of water.  The fact that a state known for its energy production can completely collapse and fail on every level during a climate related crisis should be sounding alarms across the country and the world.  The future is only going to bring worse.  If you're reading and listening, please stay safe and keep as warm as possible.  Here's "According to Plan" by I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, our Daily Jam.

Anika Pyle

Singer/songwriter and poet Anika Pyle just released an astounding and almost overwhelming album about grief, inspired by the sudden death of her father in 2019.  Utilizing elements of folk music, bedroom pop, spoken word, and lo-fi tape hiss, the Philadelphia artist has created something very special, and i cannot recommend it enough.  Listen to the synthy "Emerald City" below and order the "Wild River" LP here that comes along with a book of art and poetry.

Sarah Neufeld

Violinist and composer Sarah Neufeld, who you probably know from her work with Arcade Fire, is all set to release a new album of minimalist, neo-classical compositions in May on the great Paper Bag Records.  Check out the haunting and beautiful opening track "Stories" below and pre-order the "Detritus" LP here.

Mogwai with Colin Stetson

Pairing the long running Scottish post rock group Mogwai with saxophonist extraordinaire Colin Stetson feels like such an obvious no-brainer that i'm amazed it's only just now happening on this week's "As the Love Continues" LP.  Listen to the sweeping and majestic "Pat Stains" below and order the record here via Temporary Residence.

Lost Girls

Lost Girls is the collaborative duo of writer, musician, and artist Jenny Hval and multi-instrumentalist Håvard Volden.  The two have been making music together for the better part of a decade, and next month will see the arrival of their debut LP "Menneskekollektivet."  Check out the title track below, a sprawling and icy mix of synths and beats that begins as spoken word piece layed over an ambient soundscape that then morphs into something more hypnotic and dancey.  Cool, cool stuff.  Listen and pre-order the record here from Smalltown Supersound.

Daily Jam - It Has Not Taken Long

I consider myself very fortunate to still have power after these last two days in Texas.  I have friends and family all over the state who are not so fortunate.  And the unpreparedness of our local and state governments as well as the callousness of people on the outside looking in and pointing will never cease to both amaze and depress me.  So in keeping with the amazing and the depressing, here's some Nico for your Tuesday.  Listen to "It Has Not Taken Long" below, our Daily Jam.

Male Tears

California duo Male Tears just released a self-titled album yesterday full of '80s aping synth pop.  Probably just gonna dance to this until my power goes out.  Check out "Future X" below and grab the cassette here from Pacific Plaza Records.

Daily Jam - Negasonic Teenage Warhead

The Austin area, and most of Texas for that matter, has been sitting at below freezing temperatures since Thursday, and last night we got about 6-8 inches of snow on top of that.  And wind chills are subzero.  We're not used to this kind of stuff here, nor is our infrastructure.  If you're anywhere in this once in a generation polar event, stay safe.  Here's some Monster Magnet to get your heads straight.  Listen to "Negasonic Teenage Warhead" below, our Daily Jam.

Youth Code and King Yosef

Youth Code and King Yosef have teamed for a new album of industrial techno and hardcore punk rock on the upcoming "A Skeleton Key in the Doors of Depression."  There's an Atari teenage riot going on around these parts.  Check out "Looking Down" below and pre-order the record here.

Daily Jam - Mathilde

Happy Valentine's Day everybody.  Here's some Scott Walker.  Listen to "Mathilde" below, our Daily Jam.

Nana Yamato

Tokyo artist Nana Yamato makes a cool and catchy kind of pop pulling from post punk, new wave, folk and more.  There's almost a Nico vibe in some of the stuff she's doing, though that's not quite right.  Check out the delirious "Under the Cherry Moon" below and snag the "Before Sunrise" LP here.

Daily Jam - Dreams Never End

The ice isn't going anywhere.  Tree branches are breaking and falling all over the neighborhood from the weight of it all.  It's only going to get colder.  And now there's snow in the forecast.  We're not used to this here in Central Texas.  Better listen to New Order i guess.  Here's "Dreams Never End," our Daily Jam.

Friday Horror Trailer - Funeral Home

 

Daily Jam - None Shall Pass

Ice storm 2021.  We're stuck at home...which is really no change from the last 11 months.  Hmm.  Anyway, here's "None Shall Pass" from Aesop Rock, our Daily Jam.

Fucked Up - Year of the Horse

Canadian hardcore punk stalwarts Fucked Up have always pushed and stretched their sound out into interesting places, a tendency that has always made them one of my favorites and that is never more pronounced than on their continuing series of Chinese Zodiac inspired singles.  The latest is the absolutely epic "Year of the Horse."  Elements of old metal, emo, punk, psych, and folk abound.  Check out the 19-minute first act below and download it all here.  And be on the lookout for a physical release sometime later this year.

Winter

Last year, LA artist Winter released a lovely album of shoegaze-tinged dreampop with here "Endless Space (Between You and I)" LP, and now she's back with a new single "Violet Blue."  This time around she's teamed up with the enigmatic Jorge Elbrecht behind the boards.  Check the tune out below and get it here via Bar/None Records.