if indie rock albums could be measured by how effectively it evokes of the teenager experience, I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone would be nothing if not a triumph. The sophomore effort from the Asheville, NC quintet is a dark, deep work that captures the emotional messiness and simmering irascibility of adolescence with a searing accuracy.
The Bay Area’s Sour Widows have been trickling out singles since last August but the wait for their upcoming self-titled EP is nearly over. Due out on February 28th, the young band show a great deal of promise as they mix bedroom pop, post-hardcore, and a penchant for big melodies and wayward structures.
Indy500 part 1, the first (obviously) of the four releases planned for 2020, is preceded by single “Trackstar,” a driving track filled with subtle electronics that accentuate The Human Fly’s already eclectic sound. Mathis’ pop vocal chops are in full swing here, but there are also plenty of instrumental sections.
Hudkins and Segedy have again combined their forces to craft the sequel to Dreamboats, to which they’ve given the appropriate name of Dreamboats 2. Right off the first few chugging bass notes and vocal oohs in “Absolutely,” Dreamboats 2 announces itself as a celebration of friendship, of collaborative artistry, and of honing a craft.
Mary Vision make that shimmery, humid, taking-a-break-from-roofing-inside-the-barn kind of psych. It's slow burning and crunchy as it mixes it's blues rock tones with the drawn out proselytizing of the psych jams of yore. The vocals are always a little behind in the mix, with the three guitars really putting in work to keep things sonically wacky.
Old Table can sometimes be reminiscent of the music of Daniel Johnston or Guided by Voices in that the pop brilliance seems completely uncalculated- Will’s craft could better be described as song-channeling than songwriting. Where Old Table differs from the aforementioned acts, though, is the lyrical content.
His music tends to take a more somber and subdued look into introspection, searching for meaning from his childhood and all that has resulted since. Set to release his latest album, Youth Pastoral, on February 28th via Whatever’s Clever, the album is a reflection on growing up a Christian teenager and the rebellion that emerged.
The sub-30 excursion is colorful and bustling. Fusing hip-hop and salsa with elements of pop and bachata, Pero is teeming with Pedazo De Carne’s originality and uninhibited creativity. The artist keeps the music of his youth in mind, combining traditional Dominican styles with the contemporary sensibilities of footwork, rap and R&B.
Brooklyn’s Tetchy are carrying their own combustible energy on “Quitter,” the band’s second single and the first to come from their upcoming debut EP, Hounds. The record follows months spent playing live throughout Brooklyn, and their energy is ever apparent on “Quitter,” a perfect introduction to their creeping and blistering grunge inspired sound.
