Back in April, Charlie Abbott released an album entitled Nirvana that has unceremoniously flown under my radar until just a few days ago. It’d be difficult to discuss this album without lightly touching on the title. While “nirvana” (lowercase) has its own meaning, it’s impossible not to see the word and not immediately conjure thoughts of Cobain and crew. Not surprisingly, there’s a good deal of that influence at play here – particular some of the earlier, messier style can be heard seeping through in “I’m Dead” – but it’s never a direct nod or exhausting play on style, it’s just the state of the world where Nirvana was a popular band twenty-five years ago.

But enough about that. The title has very little to do with the record but it must be mentioned just to get it out of the way. Overall, the album is a solid offering of strong rock songs with no gimmicks. That’s a tough sell these days as there’s a limitless grab bag that it could pull from. But there’s no vocal style to adjust to, there’s no secret metal influence underlying the riffs or, really, any pretense whatsoever (not there’s anything wrong with any of those other things).

That’s not to say there isn’t a unique voice at work here. The songs are big, emphatic and filled with flourishes that take it from being just Riff Rock to being something altogether special. There’s even an eight-minute instrumental smack in the middle of the album that takes a deep dive into some post-rock Quiet/Loud explosions.

It’s hard to be memorable in the world of Rock Music these days but Nirvana is an album that rewards on additional listens. It’s not breaking the mold but it’s an exemplary offering of how the style should be done.

When making “dark” music, there’s a fine line to walk between impressively brooding and hilarious parody. Thomas Mayo manages to stay on the right side of the execution with his three song EP, The Man Who Damns Gods. Admittedly, there’s a heavy vocal fry throughout the lyrics that feels almost painful at times but that stretch and strain works especially well on tracks like “The Fall” where the guitars provide a brighter contrast.

If I had to make a comparison, I’d say if you ever enjoyed the likes of White Zombie and Interpol and the lyrical content of The Cure or New Order, you’ll find something to enjoy here.

There’s a deceiving simplicity to the handful of tracks from Dancers available over on their Bandcamp. For instance, “Well Rested” consists of a simple drum machine beat, a gently strumming guitar and a floating vocal but the entire song is augmented by subtle keyboard flourishes that race through the background and vocal harmonies that hit at just the right moments. It’s fair to call it dreamy.

There’s two other tracks available with the same kind of rewards available upon multiple listens. Looking forward to a full EP or album from them.

There’s only two tracks currently available from Patzy but there’s an enchanting allure to both. “Black Bangs” slowly rolls along with a very subtle tension mounting throughout the verse until the track finally releases into a full wall-of-sound of guitars and layered vocals.

The lyrical content seems to be about a lost love but since there’s a darkness to the presentation that undercuts the entire thing, you can’t help but wonder if something more sinister is going on.

Two tracks isn’t a lot to go on but it’s looking good for Patzy. I’m ready for more.

Ron Gallo is nothing if not diverse. His previous EP, Really Nice Guys, goes from breakneck punk blasts to floating musings to psych-rock explosion in the span of three songs. It’s not unpleasant but it’s definitely hard to pin down.

Now he’s released “It’s All Gonna Be OK, the first single from his forthcoming full-length, Stardust Birthday Party. It’s an upbeat rocker with a mouthful of lyrics about the political times we live in. The message may or may not be nihilistic, depending on how you look at it. The thing is, the majority of the song sounds like an Oh Sees style rocker with the back third changing entirely into a DIY sounding jazz trail off. This kind of stylistic gymnastics is not a new thing for Gallo but it makes it difficult to forecast exactly what the full album will sound like.

You can pre-order the digital, CD or vinyl over on Bandcamp and start taking bets on what the record will sound like when it’s released on October 5th.

Have you ever been at a wedding and the band starts to play and you immediately think about how corny they are? Then, fifteen minutes later, you find yourself indulging in the sincere performance and letting go of your indie rock baggage to just enjoy yourself? There’s elements of that in this single from newcomers The It City.

There’s something undeniably delightful about the song and video. Despite being posted a year ago and having over 100,000 views, I’d never heard tale of it. That may be because the song is intentionally… fun? It’s R&B / funk inspired number with some “smooth grooves”, great horn parts and enjoyable, occasionally, falsetto. The video features the band members acting a fool around an elementary school as the kids, donned in superhero costumes, watch from afar. On paper, you’d likely scoff at the idea. In execution, it’s a treat.

As a hippie at a concert once whispered to me, “Let It Go.” All your pretension about music, just let it wash away and enjoy this first song. Maybe even allow yourself to smile a little bit.

I hesitate to post this as it’s not entirely clear that All Them Witches is even a Nashville based band anymore. I’m hedging my bets here though that at least one of them still lives here, making this appropriately relevant to post.

The desert rock / psychedelic group has announced a new album due September 28th via New West. The LP, entitled ATW, is a self-produced undertaking that intentionally steers the band in somewhat new directions. The first available track, “Fishbelly 86 Onions“, is much less of the slow burn we’ve come to expect from the band and more of a roar out of the gate. Obviously, not much is known about the rest of the record yet but it’s going to be a double record, so it’s safe to assume the runtime between the eight songs allows some of them to stretch out into the meditative state the band has honed over the years.

Pre-orders of the album are available here and I’m sure we’ll see a video or two in the not so distant future.