For Hennen (aka Shady Bug’s Hannah Rainey) and Algae Dust (aka Frankie valet’s Alison Setili), their music works wonders alone, but it may be even better together, the home recorded pairing highlighting each other’s differences but making a point of what ties them together, good songwriting and a wistful nature.
Bodies of Water introduces a band that have a well-crafted vision of what they want to achieve and the ability to execute that vision almost immaculately. Margaret McCarthy’s brand of no holds barred songwriting is striking on so many levels and the way with words displayed on this record leaves quite an impression.
Silicone Prairie is the solo outlet for Kansas City artist Ian Teeple (of Warm Bodies and the Natural Man Band). Their first full-length release My Life on the Silicone Prairie is accidentally a perfect record for the lockdown era. Recorded at his home on 4-track over the last couple years, it would have been a solitary effort regardless.
Chicago post-hardcore stalwarts Great Deceivers return once more with a new self-titled album, due out April 30th via Landland Colportage. While the members stay busy between bands like C.H.E.W., Options, and various solo projects, they’ve remained committed to their work in Great Deceivers for over a decade.
Gulch and Sunami put out a split on Triple B Records. The pairing is the perfect summation of where hardcore is at in 2021. Those divisions that existed in the 90’s look really stupid in retrospect. It's all just glorified caveman music at the end of the day. All the different iterations on the genre are welcomed and even more so encouraged now.
Their new video for “Xuxa,” directed by Jamie Jones and Connor Surdi, is the latest installment in their already charming visual saga. Cinematically encapsulating all the characteristics of the band’s music, the video features Flying Fish Cove amongst all the elements and ephemera you’d imagine the creators of this music to be into.
While making their new album Plastic Flag while traveling around Europe in 2017, Cal Fish spent a lot of time listening to the 2004 Arthur Russell compilation Calling Out of Context, and a similar experimental spirit is alive in their record. Cal gathered loops from cassettes found on the streets and fused them with beats.
Melbourne quintet Spiritual Mafia boast members gathered from some of that city’s best underground outfits (Ausmuteants, EXEK). Alfresco is their debut album but it was a fractured journey with their members all based around the far reaches of Australia. Spiritual Mafia’s music constantly arrives at a confluence.
Zach Phillips is back with another release on his new La Loi Records, the debut of a new project, Perfect Angels. Joined by Olia Eichenbaum on vocals and a slew of frequent collaborators, the band’s own brand of dreamy avant-garde lounge pop is equally enchanting and spaced-out throughout Exit From The Ultra-World.
Growing up surrounded by Creole musicians, she might have been primed to follow in their footsteps. Renée Reed has broadened her palette, taking inspiration from a wide range of folk and popular musicians. Her self-titled debut album is a surprising, subtle joy to listen to, showcasing both her roots and a path forward.
There’s feckless Royals on the prowl again in the international scene, and for those of us terrified of the press, here comes Dry Cleaning to redeem us with a tram-rhythmed, chugging, pulsing, effortless groove-that-just-don’t-won’t-stop. Above all there’s Florence Shaw, whose cool, low Sprechstimme makes it all work.
The quartet are set to return with the fourth full length, True Deceiver, due out April 23rd, their heaviest and noisiest effort to date. The band, led by Travis Trevisan (guitar/vocals) have always played around with and subverted the shoegaze formula, shifting the sound in all directions, here that direction becomes increasingly dense.
Floatie operated in a constant state of unfinalized growth for the better part of their existence, becoming a sharper band, a better-every-time-you-see-them band. Voyage Out is the culmination of these pursuits, an excellent and cohesive collection of skittering “frog rock” enveloped by the quartet’s clever arrangements of balmy bass and twin guitars.
Brigid Dawson & The Mothers Network offer sanctuary from the trials of the greater storm; an analogous warmth, forthright honesty, & familiar newness, which lull one into a sense of comfort & calm amidst our swirling chaoses. Ballet Of Apes is that ice cold beverage on a scorching summer high noon; a retro-tomorrow frequency.
The syrupy sludge of Sweet Williams is instantly identifiable and yet nearly undefinable. It’s slow, tense, heavy, and often abrasive, creating something with the dexterity of post-hardcore, the patient beauty of slowcore, and the raw tonality of noise rock, and yet all those genre tags feel somewhat off.
The band’s previous releases displayed a marked, modern J-pop influence, and that’s definitely present here as well. Overall, however, Ethernity highlights For Tracy Hyde’s heavier and more indie-minded instincts. The boost in volume not only underscores the anthemic nature of these songs—it offsets the saccharine hooks.
Moontype have been fleshing out their sound since 2019, allowing individual influence to elevate McCarthy’s songwriting while dilating the music’s emotional scope with a distinct sound and texture. Post-Trash caught up with them before the release of Bodies of Water to talk about geology, Incubus, their creative approach, Earnest the goldfish and the year with no tours.
The bulk of music released under the Balloon Club banner has been softer and atmospheric, while Ghost Pop’s releases are largely first draft run-throughs of songs. Water Songs—the newest EP from Balloon Club, and Liu’s first on upstart Portland label Bud Tapes—makes an effort to wed those two divergent identities.
