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.

It’s been a few years since Kyle Andrews has released anything new but I have a sneaking suspicion that there are new things afoot in his camp. Not only did he recently play a show with Pale Houses but he’s started to post his back catalog of albums over on his Bandcamp.

So, while anticipation brews for something new emerging from him, take a moment to revisit some of those previous records, such as Robot Learn Love, a record that manages to mash big guitars and small accents perfectly. For instance, the first track “Make Me Feel Human”, explodes with guitars but treats you with the most perfect twinkling keyboard. It’s a combination that Andrews pulls off with great aplomb throughout the duration of the record.

Consider this a public service announcement, just because it wasn’t released in 2018, doesn’t mean it’s not an enjoyable listen.

We posted about the last Makeup and Vanity Set EP, PRIS, fairly recently but it’s worth pointing out that he’s already released a follow-up that continues to world build on the previous. If you’re a sci-fi fan, the name Pris should ring a bell as a reference to Pris Stratton from Blade Runner. The prior EP is, thematically, built around a musical ideology geared towards that character.

With Run, MAVS is shifting his gaze to Zhora Salome, another replicant from the Blade Runner world. Musically, it’s a far cry from PRIS and much of the rest of the synthwave style catalog he’s known for. While it’s true that he’s keeping with a familiar subject matter within the genre, he’s stretching way outside of the standard sounds and styles. Speaking on an emotional level, the overtly doom-and-gloom vibe has been exchanged for something more mysterious.

I suspect there may be more of these releases coming in the future and I hope they continue to explore new territory.

Cookeville’s Pumpkinseed is closing in fast on the release of their third full-length album, Big Believin’ Sky, and have posted two tracks to tease you to the full offering. The latest is “Dumbass Day“, a gently rolling track that builds into a cathartic release with plenty of horns, piano and the occasional yelp. Lyrically, it’s a straightforward tale with plenty of vulnerability, an undertaking many artists tend to shy away from.

If you want to hear more, give “Victoria” a whirl. It’s a bit more straight ahead in its upbeat appeal and confirms Pumpkinseed has more than one trick up their sleeve.

While the entire experience won’t be available until July 13th of 2018, the new full-length record from Murfreesboro’s metal outfit Oubilette can be previewed over on their Bandcamp, complete with snippets of each song and a deep dive into the closing (and titular) track, “The Passage.”

The six-minute track is a cathartic release of screamed and growled vocals mixed with hammering drums and some pleasantly intricate guitar work. It’s definitely metal but it’s not trying to murder you. I’m likely in the minority on this but I find it somewhat calming to be enveloped in a wall of sound and guttural vocal explosions. They exude a confidence in their execution that is refreshing. Looking forward to the full record when it comes out mid-July.

Looking for some thick riffs to keep your Tuesday going? Look no further than the new batch of free songs up on the Hurts to Laugh Bandcamp in the form of the Ninteen Eighty More EP. The three songs were recorded over at County Q Productions with Mike Purcell and feature a “roomier” recording style for the band and more political lyrics.

Honestly, I’ve always felt like Hurts to Laugh succeeded most when it leaned more politically. Even their name, Hurts to Laugh, is an knowing nod towards the pains of political laugh. This may indicate a new era for the band wherein they are more open to comment on the world around us.

One way to verify that theory is to check them out at their upcoming June residency at The Springwater where they will be playing every Thursday. Look to see them with Sheep Shifter, Dead Deads and Gimme the Bad News.