Well if you need to know how our week is going let us start by pointing out we’re posting our “get your week started” post at the end of Monday. Yeesh, looks like this one is going to be a tough one. Lucky for us and you we have “The Weather” by Split Parasite to help us through. Melodic and mathy, its a tasty slice of Midwest emo influenced alternative that is both fresh and catchy while still harkening back to classic genre tightrope walkers of the 90’s and aughts. There’s the essence of Braid and Minus the Bear here without actually sounding like either one of those bands. Today was rough but a jam like this gives us hope just because of how good it is.
November 21, 2022
Week Starter – Split Parasite
November 19, 2022
Week Ender – The Luka State
Gotta love a song that comes out swinging and doesn’t let up until a sweet breakdown letting you catch your breath before kicking the door back down. “More Than This” by The Luka State is such a song, blustery and driving and passionate and demands to be sung along to in the front row of a sweaty rock club or in your car at the red light with zero fucks given. In other words, it’s some kick ass rock n’ roll and if you want to feel that fire from your stomping feet to shaking ass to pumping fist you’ll turn it up loud and often.
November 19, 2022
Friday 5×5
Heyyyyyyyy due to a little technical glitch and Editor’s travel schedule we didn’t get this up on Friday, but you know what they say…Saturday IS the new Friday….in that most of us still have to go to work. Fun! You know what else is fun? These five songs so good they don’t need us giving them long write ups. Nah dawg, these are the star employees of your ears totally taking care of business and getting you what you need. Behold the efficient greatness by Dan Smyth, Alas de Liona, I Know I Know, Noelle Tannen and The Impossible Shapes.
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November 17, 2022
Thursdays With J.R. – Wild Child
Anyone who knows me, knows I love a good “room sound” on a recording. Sometimes you get this naturally with a raw recording and sometimes artists go for this sound. It literally puts you IN the room. This week’s song sits you down next to the guitar and lets you just be. I spun “Photographs” by Wild Child and was transported to the room where it happened. The song starts off with room ambience before the guitar begins ever so slightly, pulling you into what will happen next. Gentle sounds of the Rhodes piano guide you into the beautiful and gentle vocals. They are complimented with a keyboard or guitar pedal that sounds almost sick, trying to fight its way into the song. The chorus is catchy and layered with horns. Rimshots, hand claps and snaps change the dynamic of verse two. The vocals become syncopated and full of attitude before we glide into the chorus again. The horns add so much here, not what you expect when the song begins so sparse. There are also subtle strings and keys that round out the sound. The sick guitar effect comes back at the end to stake its claim, it never overwhelms but keeps you interested. This song will surprise you all the while making you feel like you’ve heard it before as the chorus has a familiarity even after the first spin. Highly recommend this tune, starts simple and ends simply fantastic.
November 17, 2022
The B-Side: Lorem Ipsum
From the Netherlands come Lorem Ipsum with a catchy little number called “Lessons In Living.” The lessons these Nords seem to have learned is how far you can go on a well crafted, straight forward riff if you imbue it with swagger and energy and a dash of mystery. Is that a guitar running through a fuzz pedal set to obliterate or is it an organ set to 11 and played through a blown speaker? Who knows, but also who cares because either way it’s cool. Throw in a grooving rhythm section and catchy vocals and you have a certified strut that shimmies down the line between indie rock and garage rock.
November 16, 2022
Wordless Wednesdays
Wordless Wednesdays is our column where we spotlight the best new instrumental tracks.
Once again we are bending the rules on Wordless Wednesdays by bringing you a song that does indeed have words; but the words present in Dave Hawley‘s “Bhava” are disembodied, ambient vocals singing in a foreign language. So your English language processing brain is free to just let them float through the mix as another color adding to the rich palette of piano with percussion. It’s impressive how all enveloping the song is with only a few key ingredients, but such is the mastery of composition on display here.
November 16, 2022
The Midweekly – Long Mama
The Midweekly is our column from Mike Jeffers; lead singer of Chicago punk stalwarts SCRAM, music junkie and all around righteous dude.
Named for a cactus, imbued with both endurance and fragility, the music of Long Mama takes on those characteristics as well. Out of Milwaukee, they have dropped their debut, Poor Pretender, a record that has bloomed beautiful flowers, guarded by prickly thorns. Simply put, it’s folk, country, and Americana. No frill or gimmicks, just classic songwriting. Stories that shake the dust, and ache the heart. There’s a light touch to the rhythm section, a sharp twang to the guitars, and a magnificent voice over all of it. Handle this one with love and care, and if you get pricked every once in awhile it’s ok, just pretend it didn’t hurt.
November 15, 2022
Tuesday Tip-Off: Noda Pappa
Tuesdays are all about settling into the groove of the week and hitting a comfortable flow. Yes, you got things to do but no need to be too worked up about it because you still have plenty of days in the week to get it done or procrastinate yourself into a fun little Friday freakout. You know what makes a great soundtrack to that vibe? “The Life I’m Not Living” by Noda Pappa. From Greece comes this groovy little tune that harkens back to the heyday of 70’s AM gold but with a modern indie touch. It’s easy listening in the best of ways. Great melodies, a chill but still fun mood and just the whisper of a funky little strut underneath it all.
November 14, 2022
Week Starter – Mother Vulture
This marks the second week in a row we’ve posted a face melter as our Week Starter post. These cold grey Mondays need a little extra kick in the ass we suppose. Mother Vulture is a four piece from Bristol (England, not Tennessee) and “Monster Crunch” is a pedal to the metal post hardcore ripper that reminds in some ways of early My Chemical Romance. A smidge heavier and leaning a few more degrees toward metalcore, but with the same catchiness and touch of dramatics. Also it should be noted that releasing a song called “Monster Crunch” two weeks before Halloween would’ve been hack, but releasing one two weeks after? Artistry.
November 11, 2022
Week Ender – Dubinski
If your weekend is half as fun and energetic and absolutely perfect as “Gotta Get Outta This Place” by Dubinski is than you’ll be doing just fine my friend. It’s a power pop tune with enough raw energy to make it the most infectious indie rock number you’ve heard in a hot minute. Landing somewhere between OK Go and Superfuzz it fucking rules and really why are you still reading this? Just hit play and send us a quick thank you for hipping you to it.