The songs on LITE have already been released on previous albums by Kal Marks with the clarity of full studio production. LITE is a collection of demos made on what the band describes as a “shitty tascam 4 track cassette” performed by front-man Carl Shane, singing, and playing guitar with his songwriting prowess on full display.
Motherhood, the first full-length LP from No Joy in five years, is genre-mixing ear candy. Still here are the shoegaze influences, but they are sweetly complimented by everything from nu-metal to chamber pop. Now appearing as a solo endeavor, Jasamine White-Gluz seems to expand the project's horizons.
Reverse of Mastery is the first full length release from NYC trio Dig Nitty, and it is one that shows a band willing to wholeheartedly explore sonic and melodic territories with extraordinarily little apprehension. The exploratory feeling allows for a wide-ranging aural trip from loping folk blues to the occasional psych-punk freak outs.
New Orleans duo Lawn released their second album, Johnny, less than two weeks ago via Community Records and Muscle Beach, an incredible album that stands among the best we’ve heard this Summer. The album covers a wide range of musical inspiration from hard wired post-punk to jangly indie-pop, excelling at it all.
Profligate has been serving up goth-inspired dark pop for several years, and the musician’s upcoming album Too Numb to Know is a shining example of his refined songwriting abilities. The latest single “No Clear Way” is a standout offering with richly textured arpeggiating synths that drip with melancholic atmosphere.
The Octagonal Stairway brilliantly captures the decadent stream of contemporary consciousness. Whether it is by shredding eardrums with jigsaw riffs or making you feel awkwardly self-aware through cinematic noise, these tracks are essential if you’re looking to dwell in a vast maze of primal and visceral sonic freedom.
The album’s centerpiece, “Kissing Under Some Bats,” is the prime example of Mekbelly’s melodic destruction gone haywire, harnessed at times and unhinged at others. For two and half minutes we’re given a punishing dose of the band’s signature post-hardcore dexterity and noise pop charm, and then, it all comes unglued.
In the words of Wire, 10:20 is a “collection of strays“ featuring brand new songs alongside re-envisioned previously-released material which spans from 1978 to present day. However, these eight tracks come together to create one solid piece of work that feels too cohesive and purposeful to be dismissed as a mixed bag of B-sides.
I’m Doing This to Myself – Alright’s first full length after a series of EPs – is a strong, spunky statement of fuzzy indie punk that’s chock-full of hooks. For this record, the band connected with producer Kyle Pulley (Thin Lips, Kississippi) and cut the album up north in Philadelphia at Headroom Studios.
Today Born Yesterday welcomes Red Tunic to the family, the solo project of Chicago via Cincinnati’s Ezra Saulnier. No stranger to the artistic punk world, Saulnier was previously a core member of Cross Country, a band that faded out as he moved. With a new location and a new project, Red Tunic have released their debut two song single.
Last month New York’s Common Sage released Might as Well Eat the Chicken, We Won't Be Here in the Morning, their first new release since their debut album in 2018. Comprised of three songs and three segues that tie them together, it’s a collection of emotional songs that are built on personal reflection and shifting moods.
Whole New Mess is Angel Olsen’s fifth full length release, and the majority is made up of re-interpretations of songs from All Mirrors. On this record Olsen is accompanied solely by herself which hearkens back to her earlier days and is a departure from her recent albums which contain lusher production values.
“Held Open Door” is Tired and True’s first single, a song that reintroduces Maya Stoner’s project with a vibrant and radiant force. Opening with an immediately detached guitar progression reminiscent of both Television and Palm, the guitar is dreamy and dissonant, the perfect art-pop mirage for the impossibly catchy vocals.
Freak Heat Waves are back with their latest album Zap The Planet. The new release finds the two-piece dipping into darker musical territory, and it’s their most realized work to date. Zap The Planet is an experiment in cold, warped synthesizer and 80’s drum machines, and the songs are alluringly ominous.
New York’s Brandy come from a strong line of blown out and noisy punks, with core members having previously played in Pampers and Running. Following on from their debut LP, the trio are set to release their next album, The Gift of Repetition, on September 18th via their new home at Total Punk Records (ISS, Foster Care, CIVIC).
