Last year offered a window into the ever shifting patchwork psych of Webb Chapel, triumphantly lo-fi but undeniably focused, a wash of experimentation both bleak and warped. Zack Claxton (Beth Israel) returns to Strange Mono for SPEEDING, due out March 21st, a new album of originals and a batch of Mary Goes Round and Acid Freek covers.
A perennial underground favorite for nearly a decade, Sun Organ have been reshaping their sound in a constant state of sludgy pop expansion. With Candlelight Showertime, due out May 5th via Julia’s War and BLIGHT. Records, Jordan and co. continue to expand their pallet, adding a deeper sense of subtlety and a stronger emphasis on detailed lyrics.
Waste Man have moved. Originally mainstays of the NOLA scene, this tight-punk trio have made the move to NYC – and have a brand-new self-titled EP out on Feel It Records. It’s a re-positioning of its own, re-stating the central premise of their heavy-hypnotic sound, with a new framework and a laser-focus on what makes them special.
For London’s Moreish Idols, music is in constant evolution, growing upon new ideas, pulling threads to watch their framework both tighten and unravel. “Between These Ears” manifests itself without aggression, it’s tangled but calming, a piece of delicately jazzy art-rock that works atmosphere into post-punk density.
Glittering Insects and their debut album take the Mind Meld concept further, bringing together Atlanta’s Greg King (GG King, Carbonas), Ryan Bell (GG King, Predator), and Josh Feigert (Wymyns Prysyn, GG King) for a collaborative effort. While they all play together in GG King, Glittering Insects is assuredly something different.
Lil’ Peril, released via Mt. St. Mtn and Vapid Moonlighting Inc, highlights the fact that Finberg has become an exceptional producer over the years, but also that his songwriting remains intrinsically vibrant, bouncing with lo-fi mutant disco, jittery punk, agitated garage pop, bent soul, and warped yet classic psych.
Goo are set to self-release their second album, Squid Ink Sky, on June 9th. The band’s slow dripped brand of psychedelic folk and wide open expanses is void of the hustle and bustle of city life, the songs take their time to draw upon moonlight ambiance amid whispered croons, gentle acoustics, sweeping melodies, and subtle twang.
Seattle’s Telehealth is very much born of this world, a duo that embrace the ridiculous nature of modern life, and run with it at all speed, offering transmissions from the corporate future. The duo of Alexander Attitude and Kendra Cox (both also of SPASI), are making mutant pop music, heavy on synths and tongue in cheek charm.
Before uprooting from Chicago to Kyoto, Nature’s Neighbor decided to make one more record in the city where he’s developed his sound. The concept behind it is non-traditional to say the least, Mike Walker (joined by producer Seth Engel) set out to make an album where every song sounds nothing like what came before or after it.
Having shared lead single and EP opener “Copycat,” the band return with another Daydrops preview, a video (dir. by Mads Engel) for the kraut-pop splendor of “Wow Signal”. Where “Copycat” pulled at emotional heartstrings with wavy alternative rock ambition, “Wow Signal” opts for more of a hypnotic aura and a solar flare propulsion.
Since the release of Spiral XP’s debut EP, the Seattle band have moved around, swapped members, and navigated the obstacles that life will throw at you. The Max Keyes (Versing) led shoegaze quintet have come out the other side with It’s Been A While, due out February 17th via Danger Collective Records (Spirit Was, Emily Yacina, Red Ribbon).
Nick Podgurski has developed a wide grip on experimental music over the years, producing music often challenging and thought-provoking. Feast of the Epiphany is both, but it’s also enchanting, with its hooks deep into art-pop and prog rock majesty. The scope of the project is enormous but the collective work to contain it with orchestral grace.
Ending Buck Gooter upon Terry Turtle’s tragic passing would have gone against everything that made them a DIY dynasty, and if anything, Billy Brett’s desire to honor his lifelong friend’s wishes to “keep on playing my music” will drive the project further. Case in point, Ghost Brain, their upcoming album, due out April 4th, on Turtle’s 71st birthday.
While their bio makes it clear they aren’t here to rest on their past achievements, this ain’t their first rodeo, and when your past work includes Grass Widow, Preening, and Girlsperm, it’s worth noting. Past aside, Max Nordile, Lillian Maring, and Marissa Magic come together as one throughout Lost To The Fantasy, their debut LP.
The Eurosuite (mems USA Nails, Nitkowski) return with Sorry, a new record due out March 3rd via Human Worth, an album that feels like a sonic tour-de-force with the intention of rearranging our brains like a jolt of electricity to the skull. Lead single “BODY” doesn’t exactly build tension but instead arrives at full blast, already deep in the carnage.
