The Blog That Celebrates Itself has been providing underground and indie music coverage for a solid ten years. Along with that, they also put together special compilation projects that may pay homage to one of their favorite artists or fit a particular theme. You might have seen their Smashing Pumpkins or Fleetwood Mac tributes. Or maybe heard one of their planetary comps.

Most recently they released Little Fury Things, Dinosaur Jr. Revisited that features 17 bands taking on various renditions of the Dinosaur Jr classics. One band on that compilation is Nashville’s own Your Gaze and their cover of “In a Jar“, originally from the 1987 release You’re Living All Over Me. As one would hope, the band did a wonderful job of reinventing the original and infusing their shoegaze styles to it.

It’s subjective but I dare say the Your Gaze version is superior to the Dinosaur, Jr. version. That’s a blasphemous take if ever there was one but the song works extremely well as a wall-of-sound onslaught.

It’s been said before and it’ll be said again but it is a damn pity when a band releases an album moments before Christmas break. The latest from Mama Would Be Proud came out on December 21st of 2018 and I imagine many folks never caught it simply because, well, it was December 21st.

It’s a shame because the album, Meet is Murder, is legitimately interesting. At first glance it would appear to be an earnest, lo-fi, indie pop undertaking. The strained, high strung, vocal style is akin to Daniel Johnston in some ways; both evoking an innocence and a surprising confidence that carries the songs along. However, upon further listening, you’ll notice that there’s a penchant for beats, samples and keyboard swirls throughout that you’d rarely get from a straightforward bedroom endeavor.

For example, lead track “Throwing in the Towel” eventually subsides into a long form, ambient, piece; eschewing the vocals entirely for the last two minutes. “Best Carpenter” becomes a meditative refrain of the title as it stretches out past the seven minute mark. The title track, “Meet is Murder,” is both drunken and tropical before, again, devolving into something entirely different for the last quarter of the song; hinting at entirely different capabilities of MWBP.

To call a record challenging feels like a pejorative. Meet is Murder isn’t always immediately grabbing with big hooks but it’s a worthwhile investment to catch the numerous synths at play, the layered vocals and for the discovery of where a song may end up; often in an unexpected destination.

If the makeup adorning the band members press photo didn’t clue you in, newcomers The Blam Blams are very into the glam scene. In fact, they’re a self-professed “next-generation Glam Rock band” according to their bio. Generally, citing David Bowie and Queen as major influences can set the expectations bar way too high or, even worse, allow listeners to pigeonhole what you’re capable of. Fortunately, the Roll On debut manages to fulfill the Glam Rock criteria and surpass being nothing but a musical stereotype.

With only three tracks to form an opinion on, the band wastes no time in launching into densely laden harmonies, rollicking pianos and searing guitar noodling. It is immediately familiar but not distinctively derivative. Even the ballad-y “Liquid Gold” manages to stylistically cite Queen without feeling like a ripoff.

By the time EP closer “A Pretty Face” kicked in, this listener was locked in. The epic guitar mixed with bellowing layered vocals is entirely undeniable. All and all, a phenomenal first release with a lot of promise for a future LP.

There’s an unfortunate thing about releasing music at the very end of a calendar year. Music journalists have likely wrapped up their Best Of lists and potential fans have packed up the habitual listening habits as they partake in various holiday and Not At Work activities. That being said, it’d be a real bummer to overlook the debut release from faster is faster, An Invisible Red Thread, which was released on December 21st, 2018 – smack dab in the middle of everyone tuning out of the Internet.

The ten song undertaking is an ambient affair; a lyric-less journey that works its way between the foreboding and the optimistic. “The Music as a Caterpillar” stretches out dark synths over interesting beats and loops, while “Mirabile Dictu” sprinkles a lively swirls in between 2001-esque tones. It’s meditative and transfixing to listen to but never reluctant to hold your attention or fade into the background.

Not to bury the lede but the mastermind behind the project is Dillon Smith, most typically known for his guitar work in Protomen. A rabid fan may claim they hear that influence seeping in but it stands on its own. In fact, it’s a more compelling offering because of how much it stands on its own.

Available now on Bandcamp or streaming services.

High Bias is the label name that John Davis (of Superdrag, Epic Ditch, The Lees of Memory) uses to release various recordings coming straight out of his Yamaha MT-4X four track. As he puts it, “No packaging, no mastering, straight out the back for your enjoyment.” While that’s not always true, it does set the tone for what to expect sonically.

Or does it? As with the latest release, a multi-layered country affair entitled “That Ain’t Fair,” there’s a complexity to these songs despite the simplicity of the recording technique. The age old adage that limitations breed creativity seems to prove true here.

But enough about the recording – what of the song itself? It does a wonderful job of showcasing Davis’ guitar prowess and his ability to leverage his voice in both vulnerable and lonesome ways. It’s stylistically Classic not only because of the slide guitar but in lyrical content. When he croons “I don’t care if I never go back there, cause there’s a lot to lose and lonesome blues everywhere” you believe it.

The releases from High Bias are never on a schedule and inconsistent in the genre they explore, which is exactly what makes them so enjoyable.