The opening notes of the Point Nemo EP from Shanshala are a deceptive representation of the two full songs that make up the release. A gently strumming acoustic guitar accompanied by a warm organ might fool your brain into thinking you’re in for some Lightning 100-esque Adult Contemporary but the vocals introduce themselves with a slight warble that tells you otherwise. 

There’s something nostalgically familiar about these two songs that harkens back to late 90′s era rockers that eschewed the Grunge sound and embraced more Classic Rock tenants. While more of a single than an EP, it still serves as a nice jumping off point to a slew of additional recordings over on Bandcamp and Soundcloud.

A lifetime could be spent documenting the work of R. Stevie Moore. Part of that undertaking would be shining a light on many of the 40 years worth of collaborations Moore has given the world. One such frequent collaborator is Billy Anderson, reportedly Moore’s best friend since the late 60′s and, from the sounds of it, a fitting partner.

Billy Again Lately was recorded released in late 1977 and features a number of lo-fi original pop gems that you’d expect from the frantic brain of R. Stevie Moore and some bombastic covers, such as the satisfyingly intense version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” As you’d hope, it runs a wide gamut of styles but somehow manages to feel like a cohesively good time.

Supposedly Anderson now resides in Nashville (if Bandcamp profiles are to be trusted) and I can only hope that leds to more collaborations.

There’s something completely endearing about listening to a band that wears their influences brightly on their sleeve. Assuming you also enjoy those influences, it creates an instant common ground. The Explorer’s Club channels The Beach Boys every bit as much as Bully channels Grunge. They do it with their own twist and expertise but, regardless, the root influence is still there.

Such is the case with The Pills Lost Tape, a presumably older recording that they’ve just recently decided to surface. The general style is psych rock but they’re clearly pulling from the same bag of tricks Tame Impala draws from. It’s not derivative or overdone but it seems safe to call them fans of Kevin Parker’s infamous band. 

There’s only three days left until official Christmas so the shelf life on this song is slim. Listen to Joseph Bradshaw and Nikki Lane duet on this delightful diddy about fucking up around the holidays.

Many artists toil and rack their brains trying to write the perfect song but not Waterfall Wash; they openly admit “Do You Know When It’s Christmas” was “written in 25 minutes.” And you know what? Not half bad for a song written in under a half hour! 

As the year winds down now is the perfect time to remind you of a few facts about *repeat repeat:

• They put on a scorching live show.
• They released the second full-length record, Floral Canyon, on Dangerbird Records in 2017 and it’s excellent. Do Listen.
• They are a funny bunch.

That last point is best exemplified by their antics of their podcast but there’s a quality dose of humor in the bands latest release, a quasi-Christmas song entitled “Baby It’s 2018.” It’s a short and silly treat here at the end of the year.