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.
Love-Lore is a beautifully compact and unapologetic collection of an overwhelming variety of music. It merges high-brow with low through five tracks of incredibly measured and composed psychedelic freakouts with strings of quoted musical lines that cross artistic, commercial, and cultural boundaries.
In case their band name didn’t tip you off, one could describe Birthday Ass as a “colorful band” at every step of the way. From their lyrics to their compositions and every abrasion that comes as a result, the Brooklyn based band create a fun and freaky mix of jazz, prog, punk, and pop, skewering everything into it’s own chaotic charm.
Nightshift broadcasts to the world from Glasgow and this beautifully angular prism of an album comes to us via Trouble in Mind Records out of Chicago. This album has been a true musical companion for getting through this pandemic winter, an album that was created during the lockdowns where members recorded separately from afar.
Jen Bender is the vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter for Rochester, NY’s Cusp, a new band that features members of Full Body 2 and Rut. Set to release their debut EP, Spill, via Dadstache Records on 5/7, it’s a great collection of worn in and fuzzed out DIY rippers, built with emotion, wandering structures, and plenty of good old guitar harmonies.
Ainsley Wagoner's upbringing by her church musician parents becomes readily apparent on Silverware's new single "Take Me With You” thanks to the unmistakable sound of the Hammond organ that permeates the track. The post-breakup anthem showcases the multi-instrumentalist's singular voice and penchant for raw lyricism.
