What’s it mean when a band releases a brand new song mid-album cycle? Have all the rules changed these days? Okey Dokey’s full-length, Love You, Mean It, came out in January of 2017 but it doesn’t seem to be slowing the band down from releasing even newer material. The new track “Hometown†is a pleading missive from the band to not have to return home. Is the narrator asking to see more of the world? Is it a cry to stay on the road supporting their album? It’s catchy whatever it is.Â
Commander Keen “Brain Wavesâ€
You know what’s right around the corner? The Tennessee State Fair (Sept 9-17th). Get excited for all the corndogs, rigged games and terrifying park rides with this Commander Keen video for “Brain Waves†– off their Cowboy Killer EP we talked about a few weeks back.
(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)
The By Gods “Wait Upâ€
Another new track off the forthcoming Move On album courtesy of The By Gods, due October 2017. It manages to find that balance between pop ballad and giant-wall-of-guitars, an enjoyable combination if ever there was one.
Thelma and The Sleaze – Somebody’s Doin Somethin’
Everything I know about Thelma and the Sleaze points to them being a hard rocking, no-fucks-giving, party rock band. Their “Too Tough†video from 2013 has the band dressed as bikers watching a no-holds-barred wrestling match. Their 2014 EP Heart Like a Fist is filled with dark, big riff, rock songs. They are defiant and confident, to say the least.
Which made the first listen to their full-length Somebody’s Doin Somethin’ a bit of a surprise. The album showcases a much more diverse and, dare I say, softer sider of The Sleaze. “Why You Wanna Do That?†has a 50′s soul feel, right down to the background ooh’s and aah’s. “Roses†has a jaunty piano line running underneath the guitar solo and pleading vocal line. These are not unpleasant elements, just unexpected.
That’s not to say that the album doesn’t have it’s fair share of bootlicking hard-rock as well. “Lucy†is as explosive and immersive as you could hope for and “Lost City†has all sorts of fist-pumping anthemic vibes (and a xylophone).Â
It’s a refreshing listen and nice verification that the band has more tricks up their sleeve than they may have pigeonholed for.Â
Microwave Mountain – Shades Up
Stumbled upon Utah transplant Jamie Timm’s project Microwave Mountain the other day and have become entranced by the slightly oddball songs. Created entirely “using a 2 track loop pedal, one bass, one microphone, a free app, and a few guitars†the album captures that slightly goofy spirit of someone having fun making music. “Rainbow Twist†could easily have come to light one drunken night sitting around on a porch, while “What Do You Mean?†feels like a 50′s ballad run through a forelorn acid-trip.Â
All that is to say, it’s not easy to categorize whatever is happening here but it’s worth the time investment.
Champagne Superchillin’ “Mon Loupâ€
If you caught Volume 89 of the podcast, you heard Champagne Superchillin’s “Fragmentâ€. Now they’ve debuted “Mon Loup†– a slow psychedelic burner of a track from their forthcoming Sept 24th album Destino. The video is an onslaught of well-intentioned live VHS effects taken directly from a Public Access performance.Â
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
Little Bandit - “Platform Shoesâ€
You may remember Little Bandit’s video for “Platform Shoes†when it was originally released way back in 2013 but it’s never too late to revisit it! As this Rolling Stone Country article notes, the video features Margo Price, Coco Hames, Tristen and many others (that’s Amaia Agirre, Bekah Cope and Samantha Frances Cutler) portraying street workers, trying their best to make ends meet. The video always struck me as a bit cheeky but the song itself is absolutely harrowing as it follows Price’s character to a dreadful end.
The song is available on Little Bandit’s album Breakfast Alone, streaming everywhere.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
Volume 90
The amount of new music flowing forth from Nashville is so abundant that we’re following up the previous podcast with a new installment just a week later. Expect to hear more from several of these artists in upcoming editions as their respective albums aren’t out yet and we couldn’t bear to remind you to hear more from each of them.
- WELLES – Life Like Mine
- The Lees of Memory – Keep a Tight Grip on Your Mind
- Cortney Tidwell – Blind
- GAY VIBES – No Chill (feat. Kyle Andrews)
- The By Gods – Rat in my House
- Commander Keen – Cowboy Killer
- Vekunin – Dance 2nitel
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Faux Ferocious “The Big Kahunaâ€
The latest release from Faux Ferocious has a short run time (about 13 minutes) but it packs a whole lot in. The bookend tracks are kraut rock, psych rock inspired with a jangly, straightforward rock song right in the middle. That track, “The Big Kahunaâ€, now has an official video in which the band embodies 80′s hair metal band shenanigans with KISS style makeup. Oh, and there’s a flying shark. It’s a bit of a fun reprieve from an album that, on the whole, gives off much darker vibes.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
Tape Deck Mountain – I Will Break U EP
There’s something comfortably immersive about properly executed shoegaze that really gets me. This 2016 EP from Tape Deck Mountain is filled with languid vocals backed by massive guitars, driving bass and just the right amount of feedback and squelches to make for a proper wall of sound. Best listened to at full volume in a small space.
Scoot and Skeet – Bak Up in Dis Bitch
The thing about a joke band is that you have to be noticeably awful to really let your audience be IN on the joke. I recently caught a set by Lazersnake and honestly couldn’t tell that I was seeing a parody band; they loved what they were doing.
Thankfully, such is not the case with the second EP from Scoot and Skeet, a comedy undertaking from unknown sources that does an unbelievably good job of aping a number of genres with their own absurd twist. Will I listen to the Chipmunk’ed gibberish vocals backed by exploding shoegaze emo fury of “Sad Hawk Down†on repeat for the rest of the day? You bet your ass I will. It’s legitimately hilarious and shockingly well executed.Â
The final track, an ambient undertaking entitled “Affleck, You Da Bomb In Phantoms Yo!†is the only questionable contribution; as there’s no funny stuff, just a haunting dirge. Maybe Scoot and Skeet’s got more to offer than they’d have you believe.
Blank Range “Seemed Like Word Got Aroundâ€
Another new track from the forthcoming Blank Range album, Marooned with the Treasure (due August 25th), is now streaming. Listen to more country tinged goodness from the band and mark your calendars for the full release.