Back in January of 2018, Bleary released a batch of demo’s that was a highly enjoyable blend of shoegaze and dream pop. Now the band has released “Ghosts” and announced the official follow-up to those demos in the form of Gates, a full-fledged EP due out on Cold Lunch Recordings on April 4th.

Based on this single, it seems that the vibe from the demos hasn’t been lost in the slightes. The band has refined their recording techniques to further emphasize all the right parts. The guitar tone is uniquely Bleary and fits perfectly with singer Callan Dwan’s emotive hooks; a blend of introspective melancholy and tender storyteller. That vulnerability paired with the explosive chorus is a formula for a worthy place in your heavy rotation.

Last we heard from Murfreesboro’s The Schwa, they were releasing their MTSU recordings from Studio D in the form of the Bound to Happen EP. Today they’re releasing a brand new track – “Stuck in the Middle” from a new forthcoming EP set for release this Summer.

The track builds upon the sound and swagger of the previous EP, evoking sneering BritRock bands like Artic Monkeys or Nothing But Thieves. That’s not to say they don’t have their own thing going but if you need a touchstone for a jumping off point, that’s an appropriate place to start.

They stepped up their production on this one as well. There’s plenty of subtle layered vocals, small warbles on the guitar and just enough flourishes to give you something new on a relisten. It’s energetic, memorable and an excellent taste of what’s in store for their future release.

Back in November, Jasmin Kaset released a collaborative album with Quichenight entitled Tuxedo.* The record is a different tone and style than Jasmin’s previous solo releases and work as part of Birdcloud. The lead track, “Things I Wanted”, has a heavy 70’s rock vibe to it with rollicking drums, a searing guitar lead and just the right amount of jangle. There’s even some falsetto backing vocals to offset Kaset’s lyrical laments.

The official video for the track just released and was filmed in various locations around Melbourne, Australia – tho the settings are, literally, less front and center than Jasmin herself; who undergoes a myriad of costume and hair changes throughout.

Maybe the video is commentary on how we change ourselves to try and get to those people and goals that elude us. Maybe it’s about finding yourself through the trials and tribulations of yearning for something. Maybe it’s just a great looking video. Regardless, it’s a great piece of work from start to finish, visually and aurally.

* This album was released via yk Records, owned and operated by Michael Eades; curator of We Own This Town and writer of this piece. There is heavy bias here.

Modern Convenience is, by no means, a newcomer to the scene but they are a new transplant to the Nashville area by way of Memphis. This is wildly good news as it means that we can confidently call their late 2018 release, So So Modern, a local release.

The record marries a chaotic, discordant, landscape with an unrelenting push forward, brimming with influences of Post-Punk, New Wave and Classic Rock, delivering memorable hooks all along the way. Tracks like “Scream and Shout” or “Bleed for Rock and Roll” bring big riffs and powerful, chant-able, choruses but the record really succeeds when it shrugs off the more macho vibes and focuses on the more eclectic. The feverish guitars of “Shut Your Brain Off” or the jerky movements of “This and That” evoke a deranged B-52’s, danceable but offputting.

The record evokes a dark energy; a cathartic expulsion that can only be achieved with the sweatiest, crazed dedication to rock. If you’re in need of shaking off some demons, crank this record or see them live and sweat yourself clean in the throbbing masses.