In 2021, Justin Roth decided to retire Soft Idiot. Now, in 2023, he’s returned, not only with a new album, but a new touring lineup, and seemingly, a renewed energy towards life, art making, and observation. This new release, Some Captured Light, is a record that breathes a decisive sense of relaxation and rumination from its very onset.
Sword II have been dwelling in their local DIY underground. Coming together as titans of their scene and community, they’ve spent the last five years playing shows around Atlanta, aiding in protests and experimenting in their basement practice space. Their new album Spirit World Tour is a product of these sentiments.
Itchy and the Nits are today’s most genuine garage punk three-piece from Sydney, Australia. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Tee Vee Repairmann, who recorded this tape, the band dabble in moody garage riffs that their melodies imitate well, digestibly simple lyrics, and varying vocal duties that keep choruses fresh and oblivious every listen.
Set in the woods of Harvey’s hometown of Dorset, I Inside The Old Year Dying constructs a folk-horror universe with the assistance of longtime collaborators, Flood and John Parish. Old Dorset dialect, musique concrète, field recordings, audio libraries, and standard instruments reshaped create surreal sounds that transport listeners.
Only Constant foundationally resists pretentiousness. The music is physical and the band is earnest. GEL’s music, message and motive seem to be all in alignment– achieving an oft sought after goal for a band on the rise. On their full-length debut, GEL offers open arms to all that may fall in – no matter the form you might take.
On A Trip To Bolgatanga, African Head Charge’s first new album in twelve years, lies a multicolored vision of psychedelic textures, sounds, and surely, a deep mystification of the outer realms of dub and reggae. Active since the early 1980s in the UK, the band encapsulates the spiritual drumming of Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah and producer Adrian Sherwood’s philosophy.
it’s unlikely you won’t find something to love, or at the very least be entertained by on Supervision. The Chives have grown, if not necessarily matured, in both line-up and sound since their 2020 self-titled debut, but they haven’t lost the youthful exuberance and raw production that made that album work.
7xvethegenius and DJ Green Lantern’s The Genius Tape is every bit as brilliant as the name would have you believe. The ten song project clocks in just under 29 minutes, but 7xvethegenius makes every second count. The Genius Tape is packed with witty lyricism, introspective self-reflection, and lush imagery.
On their first full length album, Big Girl vs God, Big Girl front-person Kaitlin Pelkey delivers wonderful insight into their self and a sense of wonderment that shines even through the most haunting moments of self doubt and regret. Her cohorts in Big Girl bring a massive sense of pomp in the best way possible.
Squid Ink Sky is the second full length from the New York based Goo, a record that pushes their sound further than ever. Beck Zegans brings a unique, fresh, and open approach to songwriting that really shines. The album brings a melodic wallop, colored with sweeping and woozy keys which add a little more force.
Without giving consideration to the future or lack-there-of, it’s safe to say that Squitch have made their best record to date with Tumbledown Mountain, a collection of songs both personal and inherently complex. It’s an album that deals with the finality of things but as the band know, “it’s not the end.”
Califone essentially began as Rutili’s solo project derivative of his former band Red Red Meat and has positioned itself well within the experimental rock and folk scenes since, now a full-fledged musical project with regular contributors. Villagers is Califone’s most dignified and emotionally liberating project thus far.
Pardoner have hit their stride. The SF quartet is known for guitar-driven tunes that straddle the line between pop-rock anthems and sludgy punk screed. Peace Loving People, their fourth LP, fully captures their singular sound built around the infectious interplay of the guitars and vocals of the main songwriters Max Freedland and Trey Flanigan.
PetroDragonic Apocalypse sees the Aussie lads return to “thrash metal.” In a sense, nothing but the seeming violence of thrash will do the trick in stressing the importance of environmental awareness. In their new record, King Gizzard achieve this, with an even more brutal approach than their first full foray in Infest the Rats’ Nest.
On Nothing You Do Matters, Ganser split the difference between the immediate and an emotional distance to create some of their best tracks yet, ending up with a dancey, atmospheric take on post-punk. Composed primarily by Ganser’s rhythm section, the EP diverges stylistically from the more caustic material on their last LP.
