While all three tracks are surprisingly consistent with the bands sound the latest release is the “smoothest” of the three. The Pink Spiders sound has always dipped a toe (or a whole foot) into the waters of Pop Mall Punk but never fully turn their back on a straightforward rock song with an undercurrent of sexual energy and, dare I say, “groove” carrying it along.

Much like the alternate styles of “Mrs. Ruston” from Sweat It Out, the band is always growing, changing and mutating into something new. See what I did there?

“Funny” music is a tough genre to exist in. Music has always served as an excellent escape – from your own personal demons or just the general daunting news of the world. But music that’s intentionally written to be amusing somehow gets filed into a “Less Than” category as it is perceived as shallow or insincere. Give yourself a gut check on your own personal reaction to hearing the names Weird Al Yankovic or They Might Be Giants to see where you land on the spectrum of feelings to amusing music.

All that is to set the scene for Ellen Angelico and her new EP, Haven’t Changed Much. It’s a handful of songs telling amusing stories or leaning into silly jokes. That’s not to say it’s entirely devoid of sincerity tho. On “She Got Married”, Angelico muses on talented friends that disappeared off the map because their heterosexuality led them to marriage and an abandonment of their potential. Harsh but not an untrue or unfamiliar tale.

If you’re paying attention, you’ve seen Angelico play with the likes of She’s a Rebel and Jasmin Kaset or making videos for Fanny’s House of Music showcasing various guitars. She can definitely shred when she wants to. Writing funny songs isn’t a lack of talent, it’s just an escape in a different way. As stated in the album credits, “It’s funny, but it’s not a joke.”

Dave Paulson is mostly known for his previous projects NORM, The Privates and My So-Called Band (the 90’s tribute band) but his latest album is something entirely different. While still firmly planted in the pop rock realm that he does so well, this album is a concept record inspired by ‘Tommy Boy’, the 1995 comedy starring Chris Farley and David Spade.

At first blush, that may seem like a ridiculous concept for a record (and it is) but Paulson managed to write a handful of incredibly sincere songs that transcend the novelty of it being related to an SNL cult classic film. Regardless of if you have ever seen the movie or not, the lyrical content makes perfect sense as a tale of triumph over adversity. There’s no samples from the film or overt references to the most memorable parts (see: “Fat Guy in a Little Coat”), it’s just a pop record about two people trying to find their place.

So, yea, it’s a bit of a novelty if you know the back story but it’s also just a damn fine pop album beyond that. The website has a song-by-song breakdown of the events being described from the film along with the lyrics. It’s startling how well it works.

There is something decidedly familiar and entirely otherworldly about the track “No More Running” from Eve Maret. Sonically, the single is powered by 80’s keyboard tones and beats that transform into a wash of ambient sound, enveloping the listener. The vocals are run through a vocoder like effect to transform them into something robotic and less than human; a fitting choice for the soundscape it accompanies. Altogether, it feels like a piece that stems from our world but is meant to portray somewhere else. I, for one, am curious to hear more.

In January, Zook posted a track from their forthcoming album Garden Variety. Here we are almost finished with June and there’s still no sign of the album but the band is playing at Fond Object (4th Ave) on July 14th as part of the Cold Lunch Recording “Discovery Night” series and I can only assume they’ll play more from the upcoming release during that set.

There’s a looseness and lightness to “What’s It to You” (and the previously released Carrots EP) that makes it immediately enjoyable. The production makes it feel like a casual performance from an artist just wildly enjoying playing the music. The combination of choral oompa’s and screeching guitar is a surprising delight contrasted with the lounging energy of the rest of the song.

It’s just one song but it’s a helluva preview for something great to come.

You ever hear the name of a band and just flat out assume you’re not interested? I’m not proud of it but I absolutely did that with Cordovas. They were often listed alongside many other Americana bands that I had listened to and I discounted them by association. Shame on me.

The band recently announced a new album to be released on August 10th entitled That Santa Fe Channel along with the first track, “This Town’s a Drag.” It’s a laid back number with just the right hint of western country flair and Southern Rock influences blended together. There’s also something authentically lonesome about the vocals that hits just right. I regret my initial judgment of the band but am happy to have come around just in time for a whole new batch of songs to be released.

Be on the lookout for That Santa Fe Channel via ATO Records this August.

The debut, self-titled, album from Charlie & The Evil Mothers was released back in April (we loved it) and I’ve been anxious to learn if that meant we’d experience a dearth of new music from the outfit as they worked the album cycle. Fortunately, that’s not the case. The new track, “Every Day is Sunday“, just hit the Internets and it’s a welcome dose of new Evil Mothers.

The track maintains the enjoyable oddness of the full-length but feels more layered and focused in its execution. The swinging nature of the song – back and forth between gentle ooh’s and yelping choruses – is accompanied by Charlie’s soon-to-be trademark guitar song and plenty of flourishes you hear on the third or fourth listen.

It’s just one track but it’s an exciting follow-up to an already enjoyable body of work.