Long before this year, NNAMDÏ’s music and live performances had solidified him as an artist making was truly something special. With three exceptional releases in 2020 (BRAT, Black Plight, KRAZY KARL), he’s cemented himself as one of the most creative and genre defiant voices. Ryan Martin spoke to him about the making of KRAZY KARL.
Split Fountain is the latest endeavor from songwriter Jordan Bleau (GLOSS, Frankie Teardrop, Cheap Fantasy), and features Rose von Muchow on bass/vocals and Fez Felzan on drums. On their debut release, the band hones in on a rugged power-pop sound that’s endearingly a little rough around the edges and undeniably catchy.
The self-described “gunk pop” project of Seattle-based songwriter Nicolle Swims, Black Ends consists of Swims on guitar and vocals, Jonny Modes on drums, and Ben Swanson on bass. Despite postponed festivals and cancelled tours, Black Ends are still back with 13+ minutes of their finest and “gunkiest” work yet via Stay Evil.
Veteran New Jersey post-hardcore outfit (Damn) This Desert Air return with “Body Anchor (Back in Atlantis)”. The video is a powerful accompaniment to a guttural song, both sonically and lyrically. The guitars are powerful and overwhelming right from the start, as a towering and melodic wall of sound quickly emerges.
An ape in midlife stasis; A talking bear; People in cocoons. On Magic Isn’t Real, the third album from Pile, surrealist imagery paints real crises - the feeling of monotony and parasitic relationships being just a few. While obtuse lyricism would be a defining characteristic for albums to come, Magic Isn’t Real was a defining moment in Pile’s discography.
Poised with emotional intelligence and calibrated force, the self-titled debut album from SPICE churns through the vast and emotive human chamber of pain and raw sentiment. This intoxicatingly precise and cathartic collective, exploring what the band refers to as the “power of groupthink,” is a true balance of life at its core.
Simple routine at Astral Spirits. Release showpiece after showpiece of contemporary free jazz and its intersections - e.g. experimental, electroacoustic, non-idiomatic, noise, no rock, avant jazz, and improv. Sheathe the sharp-eared music in striking wrap. Announce the heavy hitters in throwback Cooper Black font. Lure collectors.
Melbourne’s Vintage Crop are among the best of Australia’s brilliant punk bands, darting between their early garage punk days and a jagged post-punk artiness. Their lyrics often come with a sarcastic bite toward complacent life. Their third full length, the acerbic and raw Serve To Serve Again, is due out August 7th.
NNAMDÏ’s latest effort, released less than three months after BRAT, is a 20 minute mind-fuck that displays the core of his imaginative genius. Inspired by Looney Tunes composer Carl Stalling, it takes what made Stalling’s music fun, inventive, and exciting, and makes it darker, weirder, more experimental, psychedelic, and overall braver.
It’s only July but Philadelphia’s Nyxy Nyx is getting ready to release their third album of the year. You know what they say about idle hands. All A Dream is due out September 4th via BLIGHT. Records (Tadzio, Luna Honey, Br’er), a record that has been described as the project’s most collaborative to date.
The strong chemistry between Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart is at the heart of their sound, manifesting in tight vocal harmonies and imaginative guitar work. Fantasize Your Ghost is essentially an album of rock songs, but Ohmme push the boundaries of what that means, finding ways to seamlessly lapse into experimental territory.
Collaboration was a key element in making Ultimate Success Today, and with it Protomartyr continues to distinguish itself as a unique force. To learn more about the writing process and themes on the new album, we sat down with Joe Casey to talk about a few tracks, what the album title means, and how the collaborations came to fruition.
After 22 years, the legendary space-rock group Hum have finally arrived with a surprise new album. Inlet was released unceremoniously, but it took little time for the news to go viral. Based out of Champaign, IL, the band have become a staple of 90’s alt-rock. Inlet is a sonic journey, guided by huge riffs and heavy atmosphere.
The quartet, comprised of Max Jaffe (percussion), Rob Lundberg (bass), Jessica Pavone (viola) and Dave Scanlon (guitar, synths, vocals), are set to release Endless Birthdays on August 7th via Ramp Local Records (Godcaster, ESSi, Spirits Having Fun), pushing the envelop on the sonic template they’ve been steadily expanding since 2015
Never ones to sit stagnant for too long however, the band are back today with a new single, Cavehead b/w Mind’s Eye, out via Greenway and Austin’s Reverberation Appreciation Society. While the single comes from an upcoming record, the frantic psych boogie is more than enough to whet appetites until then.
