Lucy Gooch

UK artist Lucy Gooch recently released an expanded edition of her 2020 "Rushing" EP.  The album is a still and mellow mix of ambient tones, barely-there electronics, British folk, hushed, melancholy vocals, and neo-classical structures.  It's a beautiful piece of work.  Check out the album closing "Orthione" below, get the album here from Fire Records, and look for the artist around Austin in a couple of weeks.

Daily Jam - Black Like Me

Sometimes i'll go back and listen to an album that i haven't thought about in a while and just be floored by how good it is.  Spoon's 2007 album "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" is one of those.  Here's the album closing "Black Like Me," our Daily Jam.

Calibro 35

You ever come across one of those bands that's been around for awhile and whose sound fits perfectly into your wheelhouse, but for some reason or another you never heard of until just now?  That's me this fine Sunday morning listening to the cinematic psych and funk of Italy's Calibro 35 and their 2013 LP "Traditori Di Tutti."  The whole thing plays like a soundtrack to some '60s/'70s Italian crime film, each track the perfect accompaniment to bank heists, shootouts, and car chases through the streets of Rome.  Anyway, it's all up in my head space right now, and it just got reissued by Record Kicks.  Check out "One Hundred Guests" below and order the record here.

Daily Jam - I'm So Green

It's Can time!  Let's get weird.  Here's "I'm So Green," our Daily Jam.

King Dude

The indomitable King Dude is back with the first part of a new project he's working on, "Songs of the 1940's."  On the album, the artist applies his usual stylings of Americana, folk, and murder ballads to a handful of 80-year old songs.  Check out "Riders in the Sky (Cowboy Legend)," which i've always known as "Ghostriders in the Sky" below, and download the rest of the tracks here.

Daily Jam - In the First Place

Here's an excellent song from Quasi to help guide us through our Saturday.  Listen to "In the First Place" below, our Daily Jam.

Grace Cummings

Grace Cummings hails from Melbourne, Australia and makes cool folk music for the masses.  She's scheduled to perform for said masses during SXSW this year, and maybe i'll get a chance to check her out.  In the meanwhile, listen to the excellent "Heaven" below and grab new album "Storm Queen" here from ATO.

Sprints

Dublin is representing at SXSW this year.  Post punk band Sprints are another i'll try to check out if i'm able to hit an outdoor party somewhere.  Check out "Modern Job" below and get the band's new "A Modern Job" EP here from Nice Swan Records.

MELTS

So it's looking like SXSW is kinda sorta coming back this year after last year's virtual festival, and the cancellation from the year prior.  I don't think i'm feeling brave enough to do it yet.  In general, i'd come away from each festival with some kind of cold or flu, the result of Austin becoming one giant petri dish of 1000's of folks from all over the world.  So, i'll be working.  But maybe...just maybe...i'll venture out to an outdoor party or venue and catch some music.  If that happens, i imagine i'll check out Dublin's MELTS and their particular brand of motorik, krautrock-tinged, psychedelic space rock.  New album "Maelstrom" drops in May.  Pre-order it here and listen to the title track below.

Selene

Seattle electronic artist Selene just released new EP "The Secret Garden Is in Your Mind," a 4-song collection of minimal techno beats and electronic ambience.  There's a foggy kind of one-with-nature vibe going on, like wandering through the woods right before dawn.  Check out the woozy "Selene's Secret Garden" below and download the EP here from Secondnature.

Joyful Joyful

I really probably should be doing some work right now, but instead i'm fishing around the web for new music, and currently finding myself somewhat hypnotized by the stylings of Toronto duo Joyful Joyful.  The band makes experimental music with flashes of ambience and electronic, but on new track "Marrow," strip almost everything away, creating a mesmerizing mix of acapella, field recordings, and occasional hums of synth.  Check it out below and pre-order the upcoming self-titled album here from Idee Fixe.

Friday Horror Trailer - Tales from the Hood

Daily Jam - The Buddha Nature

How about some weird art rock from the late '90s with world music flavor in the mix from Athens, Georgia band Macha for our Friday?  Yeah?  Here's "The Buddha Nature," our Daily Jam.

Rubber Oh

And now for some cool, psych-tinged alt-rock from UK outfit Rubber Oh.  The band is the new project of Sam Grant of Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, and finds the artist pulling from post-punk, psychedelia, krautrock, and all kinds of other fun stuff.  Listen to "Nothing" below and pre-order the upcoming "Strange Craft" LP here from Rocket Recordings.

Plague Pits

Swiss cold wave synth pop band Plague Pits are back with their second release of the year with new EP "The Numinous."  Feel the icy and minimal synths in your veins.  Check out the title track below and grab the cassingle here.

Just Mustard

Ireland's Just Mustard are readying their upcoming "Heart Under" LP for release in May full of post-punk and '90s alt-rock tinged bangers to act a mess to.  New single "Still" feels anxious and paranoid, eyes on you in a smoky room, echoes and foreboding sounds.  Check it out below and pre-order the album here from Partisan Records.

Daily Jam - Yeti

So we have the governor of Texas (among other people) attacking trans kids, bombs falling in Ukraine possibly ushering in a third world war, and the continuing slide into outright fascism happening unabated right in front of our eyes.  And all of this is compounded by a continuing pandemic, now entering its third year, climate change run amok, and probably a million other horrible things i can't think of this very second.  The whole world is coming unglued.  I think i'm on the verge of a panic attack.  We all are.  I don't know what to do.  So here's some Italo-disco about Bigfoot.  Listen to "Yeti" by Radiorama below, our Daily Jam.

Sistra

Here's some weird and hard to categorize music from Sistra, the music project of Canadian visual artist and designer Jamie Lawson.  The songs and sounds on "The Watcher" are kind of psych pop, kind of shoegaze, kind of dreampop, kind of drone, kind of all sorts of other things, an experimental tapestry of pop sounds creating something warbly and otherworldly.  Cool stuff.  Check out "The Strawberry Kids" below and get the cassette here.

Daily Jam - Atomic

I used to contribute to an online magazine called Joup, most notable i guess with a column called "Endless Loop" in which i wrote an essay about a song i love every week.  The Daily Jam is kind of a briefer more frequent version of it.  Anyway, i noticed that the website is no longer up which is a bummer.  Heretofore, i haven't repeated any of the Endless Loops on the Daily Jam, but changing that today with my favorite Blondie song.  So here's "Atomic," our Daily Jam.

RIP Mark Lanegan

I just received a text from my brother with the awful news that Mark Lanegan has died a the age of 57.  As part of the original Seattle grunge scene, Lanegan's music has been in my life for over 30 years now.  And it's been amazing music too, whether with Screaming Trees or the Mark Lanegan Band or Queens of the Stone Age, or any of the slew of collaborative projects he worked on as well (his duet albums with Isobel Campbell come to mind).  Looks like i know what i'm listening to for the rest of the day, starting with 2004's "When Your Number Isn't Up" below.  RIP Mark Lanegan.

Plankton Wat

It looks like it's about time to expand our minds again.  Dewey Mahood's Plankton Wat project has a new album of cosmic weirdness and head trips coming our way in May.  Pre-order the "Hidden Path" LP here from Thrill Jockey and listen to the title track below.

Daily Jam - New York

Here's a goofy song i've always liked.  Listen to "New York" by Prozzak below, our Daily Jam.

Déhà & Marla Van Horn

Here's a pretty stunning mix of neo-classical and metal from Belgium artist Déhà in collaboration with Polish artist Marla Van Horn.  The result is the new "Earth and Her Decay" LP, a majestic album that feels like it should be played in a concert hall somewhere.  Check out the sprawling track "White Blood" below, with its sparse and beautiful and ominous intro that morphs into something heavier.  Then get the album here from Musical Excrements or the vinyl here from Roadburn Records if you're in the USA.

Daily Jam - Nowhere Near

Working from home.  Kids are off today.  Calamity ensues.  It's a good time for some Yo La Tengo.  Here's "Nowhere Near," our Daily Jam.

Secret Attraction

Here's some icy and chilled out lo-fi synth pop from Phoenix artist Secret Attraction.  Elements of post punk, new wave, and darkwave abound on "Replica," a dreamy kind of throwback.  Check out "Without" below and head here to download the album or grab one of the last few cassettes from Stratford Ct.

Daily Jam - The Summer of '91

The summer of 1991.  What was i doing then?  That would have been the summer before i went to 7th grade.  My family took a long road trip vacation that took us from west Texas to New Orleans, through the south and on to Washington DC, and up to New York and New England.  Weird to think that that was over 30 years ago.  Anyway, here's a song called "The Summer of '91" that's not about any of that from ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead.  Check it out below, our Daily Jam.

Chrome Canyon

It's been almost a decade since we last got an album from Chrome Canyon.  And now the artist is back with "Director" and 10 more cuts of analog synthesizer goodness.  Check out the whimsical and slightly ominous opening track "Broken Theme" below and download the whole thing here from Stones Throw.

Daily Jam - Of Dreams

Let's start this Saturday off with some Long Island psychedelia from 1969.  Check out Morgen and "Of Dreams" below, our Daily Jam.

VOWWS

LA death rock duo VOWWS released a couple of cool new tracks this morning.  Check out "One by One" below and download the songs here from Anti Language Records.

Friday Horror Trailer - Cherry Falls

 

Daily Jam - Dirty Dream #2

Here's a sweet song about being secretly in love with someone...and having wet dreams.  Listen to "Dirty Dream #2" by Belle & Sebastian below, our Daily Jam.

HEALTH

LA noisemakers HEALTH's "Disco 4: Part 1" dropped back in 2020, and it looks like we've got part two on the horizon.  These two records have found the band moving beyond the usual remixes that used to fill up their "Disco" releases, instead collaborating with a whole host of different artists spanning genres and styles.  The latest taste is "Cold Blood" which pairs the band with Virginia metal band Lamb of God.  Check it out below and pre-order "Disco 4: Part 2" here via Loma Vista Recordings.

Blanck Mass

I just saw that electronic artist Blanck Mass is providing the score to the upcoming movie about Ted Kaczynski called "Ted K," opening tomorrow.  I recently rewatched Ben Wheatley's "A Field in England" which makes wonderful use of the artist's "Chernobyl" on its soundtrack, so this music should feel right at home on the screen.  Check out "Montana (Main Theme)" below and pre-order the record here from Sacred Bones.

Donny Benet

Australian pop artist Donny Benet has a new EP of funk and R&B infused synth jams heading our way in April, perfect for those crisp and sunny days beachside.  All hail our yacht rock overlords.  Listen to "Le Piano" below and pre-order the album of same name here from Remote Control.

Daily Jam - La Vie

I'm in a mood this morning, and i'm afraid the only cure is weird, psych-tinged, French prog from the '70s.  So here's Les Chats Renaissance with "La Vie," our Daily Jam.

Sadness and Unreqvited

On Valentine's Day, experimental black metal/shoegaze artist Sadness released a split album with fellow purveyors of noise Unreqvited.  Each group provided a track for the split, both a booming and epic 20+ minutes each.  Check out both tracks below and get the record here from Prophecy Productions or here from Flowing Downward.

Daily Jam - Croco du Ciel

I first came across American singer and actress Radiah Frye a few years ago when i was mildly obsessed with the 1974 album "Nino and Radiah" by Nino Ferrer and the aforementioned Ms. Frye.  She popped up sporadically during the '70s, including on a handful of singles produced by Ferrer.  Here's a kind of weird and dreamy disco B-side from 1975 called "Croco du Ciel," our Daily Jam.

La Casa al Mare

Italian shoegaze maestros La Casa al Mare just released a couple of new tunes with their "Otherwise / Autumn" single.  I'm partial to the hazy, floaty, daydream vibes of the B-side myself.  Check out "Autumn" below and get both songs here from the band.

Daily Jam - Tuoksu Tarttuu Meihin

Since hearing it some 13 to 14 years ago, i've thought this piece of music from Finnish collective Paavoharju is one of the prettiest and most serene things that's ever graced my ears, like there's still beauty in this world.  Listen to "Tuoksu Tarttuu Meihin" below, our Daily Jam.

Pneumatic Tubes

Jesse Chandler, the keyboardist and woodwinds player for Denton, Texas band Midlake and alt-rock mainstays Mercury Rev, also releases solo music as Pneumatic Tubes.  The artist dropped an album of dreamy indie rock last year featuring Slowdive's Rachel Goswell called "Sunfrost" that i totally dropped the ball on.  It's a lush and gorgeous piece of work, but feels like a far cry from the upcoming "A Letter from TreeTops" LP, set to release letter this month via Ghost Box.  The new album is a kaleidoscopic mix of psychedelia, kosmische, and library music that feels like like looking through old, faded Polaroids.  Both albums are worth your time.  Download "Sunfrost" here from the artist, and pre-order "A Letter from TreeTops" here.  In the meantime, go here to listen to a montage of tracks from the new record.

Daily Jam - Pinned Together, Falling Apart

It feels a little bit like they may have been a little forgotten over the years, but i think you could make a pretty convincing case that "No Cities Left" from Montreal band The Dears is one of the best albums of the '00s.  Dense, layered, and emotional stuff, it can put you in the same kind of state as listening to Morrissey does, but without all the baggage and bullshit.  Check out "Pinned Together, Falling Apart," a track that moves from a cacophony of orchestral noise to silence to aching lament.  It's our Daily Jam.

Edward Scissorhands

It's maybe a little weird that there's an Edinburgh producer who decided to call himself Edward Scissorhands, but all names aside, the music is cool.  New album "Mere Mortals" is a strange collection of instrumental hip-hop that pulls its sounds and samples from post-punk and industrial rock rather than funk or soul or psych or whatever.  It makes for some total metal machine music.  Check out the album opening "The Gatekeeper" below and get the record here.

Daily Jam (Covers Week) - Rodeo in Joliet (Live)

Did you know that there was a jazz fusion Jesus Lizard cover band?  And that their name is The Jazzus Lizard?  And that after releasing a couple of albums in the late '00s (with four-letter word titles of course), they released a live album recorded at Austin's The Lost Well in 2017 with some assistance from David Yow himself?  Well, now you do.  Let's finish off covers week here with this weird and wonderful take on "Rodeo in Joliet," our Daily Jam.

Alto Arc

Yesterday saw the release of the debut, self-titled EP from supergroup Alto Arc.  The band consists of Trayer Tryon of Hundred Waters, producer Danny L Harle, Deafheaven's George Clarke, and makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench.  Death Grips and Hella member Zach Hill even shows up for a track.  The project's result is a hard describe mix of electronics, screaming, noise, soaring synths, and an all around gothic vibe.  It's cool, and you probably won't hear anything else that sounds quite like it today.  Check out the album opening "The Model Gospel" below and get the EP here from Sargent House.

Daily Jam (Covers Week) - If You Have Ghosts

It kind of flew in under the radar last year, but we got a pretty excellent tribute album to the late, great Roky Erickson called "May the Circle Remain Unbroken."  One of the highlights was Chelsea Wolfe's absolutely haunting take on "If You Have Ghosts."  Check it out below, our Daily Jam.

Robert Stillman

Yesterday evening, i came across this wonderful and experimental mix of jazz and blues from American ex-pat Robert Stillman and his new "What Does It Mean to Be American?" LP.  "Cherry Ocean" is a slowly moving piece consisting of piano, woodwinds, and whispered, mumbled vocals, and it's been haunting me for the last few hours.  It feels like moving in a surreal dream state.  Check it out below and then head here to order the whole thing from Orindal Records.

Fawn

All the former Chromatics members are moving on with new projects and new music.  It's bittersweet, but i am digging on the new jams.  The latest comes from Nat Walker with her new project Fawn, which notably includes Glass Candy's Ida No in the mix.  Check out the dreamy and melancholy "Graffiti in the Hall" below.  Hopefully there is more to come soon.

Friday Horror Trailer - The Curse

 

Daily Jam (Covers Week) - Needle of Death

Neil Young has been in the news a lot lately, so let's listen to him.  In 2013, the legendary artist recorded an album for Jack White's Thrid Man Records entirely in a refurbished 1947 Voice-o-Graph vinyl recording booth.  It gave the whole record a very raw and lo-fi aesthetic.  Listen to his devastating cover of Bert Jansch's "Needle of Death" below, our Daily Jam.

RIP Betty Davis

Oh man, i just found out that funk icon Betty Davis passed away yesterday at 77.  The cult artist released three fantastic records back in the '70s that were mostly overlooked at the time but garnered more acclaim when reissued in the '00s.  They're all worth your time.  Listen to "In the Meantime" from her debut below.  RIP Betty Davis.