“Rhythm” by roman around is a study in simultaneous contrasts. A driving indie rock number that is also cloaked in hushed-ness, somehow both big and small, anthemic and intimate all at once. From the low breathy vocals to the ways the guitars and drums are recorded it envelopes you in a cocoon like feeling while also rocking out the entire time. We know this will be a strange sentence, but it’s almost as if an early Foo Fighters song was covered by a shoegaze band and it’s weird just how well that works.
June 24, 2022
Friday 5×5
Behold! Our 55th installment of the Friday 5×5! We’re five fiving it up today with new music from Twin River, East Mane, Vargen, The Dirigibles and Low For High. Check it out after the jump.
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January 20, 2022
Thursdays With J.R. – selfpity
Sometimes beauty can come in small, short yet noisy packages. Take “Dead Dreams” by Canada’s selfpity, my spin of the week. Guitars wash over you quickly as the music starts on a collision course towards your brain. “You are alone” cuts through the mix as the first line of lyric. I believe they are doubled with a lower octave track that creates one collective sound for most of the song, certain lines poking out at you for added effect. The drums at first seem simple and punchy, yet tight and fitting. However, when the song really opens up in the middle there are ghost notes and snare work that shines through. These are either analog or whomever programmed them has a drummer’s ear. Waves of guitars swirl around and upward while the bass dives into the tonal depths of the mix to drive everything forward. Altogether it works to create a beautiful, upbeat yet dark noise.
May 12, 2021
The B-Side: New Candys
With “Zyko” the New Candys show that you can keep it simple and still be engaging and rocking. Most of the song is built on a repetitive 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 down beat that you would usually hear as an intro or build up to an explosive chorus, but here it’s the groundwork for the whole song. Sure they add and remove layers and guitars move in and out, but most of the band most of the time is playing that simple, driving rhythm. The overall effect is one of the same effortless cool of the 80’s shoegaze movement, just don’t try to dance along.
May 3, 2021
We Never Asked For This
Today we have new music from Simone Istwa, Vypera, Disturbios, Karaboudjan, Ari B. Ingber, ameliarose, NATL PARK SRVC, Plaster of Paris, the HVNZ and seasonal.
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April 16, 2021
Friday 5×5
Today we economically tell you about new music from Gallant, I Know I Know, James Diomede, Paul Cook & The Chronicles and HYMNS.
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March 19, 2021
Friday 5×5
Today we have new music from Matt Monsoor, Tashaki Miyaki, Clip Frassexx and His Counterfeits, Evan Cheadle and Andreas Vey.
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March 13, 2021
We Never Asked For This
Our inbox blooms because (Jeff Goldblum voice) new music…uh…finds a way. Check out new tunes from Nisa, Phantom Wave, Real Kevin, Rory Ryan, Souls in Motion, elsa kennedy, Phaeic, Brig Aurora, Vision Video and OK Cool.
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February 23, 2021
The B-Side: Adi Sun
Adi Sun has left behind the shoegaze leaning alt rock of their band Phenomenal Sun to strike out solo. The result is a more meditative and vulnerable sound that spools out lush and languid. The gauzy sonics of Sun’s former work are still there, only now they are subtler and more refined, and an exciting jumping off point for where they’ll go next.
January 22, 2021
Friday 5×5
Today we have new music from Yellow Dudes, Jamie Rhodes, Crystal Cities, Deb Ruby and Shoes On, Now!
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