If It's Too Loud...

Another album that came out way back in February that stuck with me all year was the debut from Mothers, When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired. One of my most anticipated releases of 2016  based solely on the strength of the song "Too Small for Eyes," the rest of the album lived up to the hype I had created in my mind. The true power of the album is  Kristine Leschper's voice, which is equal parts beautiful and discordant, fragile and powerful. "Too Small for Eyes" borders on twee, sounding like a folk song being played on a dying, broken music box. "It Hurts Until it Doesn't" is a bit more rocking and is more what indie used to be instead of what is considered indie now. "Nesting Behavior" is an incredibly delicate song that might be the most terrifying lullaby ever. "Lockjaw" simmers throughout its entire 5:00 length and builds to a crescendo that never quite comes. Right when you expect and want it to break wide open,...

Photo by  Erez Avissar After raving about "Too Small for Eyes" and calling their forthcoming album  When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired one of my most anticipated albums of 2016 , we have another new song from Mothers to check out. "Copper Mines" isn't quite as sparse or minimal as "Too Small for Eyes." In fact, it's a fairly straightforward mid-tempo indie rock song. What truly sets it apart from standard indie rock fare is  Kristine Leschper's voice. It lives in this world between a traditionally beautiful voice and the discordant-but-interesting voices of the J Mascis' and Marissa Paternoster's of the world. When she's not singing, the swirling guitars keep you sucked in. When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired  is due out February 26 on Grand Jury Music. Listen to "Copper Mines" below, and be sure to check out their website and Facebook .

With all the upcoming albums in 2016, five really have captured my interest to the point of obsession. They include brand new artists, returning favorites, and dream collaborations. Mothers - When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired - Ever since I first heard "Too Small For Eyes," I've been listening to Mothers pretty much constantly. Considering I they only have four songs on Spotify, that means I should have burnt them out, but I keep going back. I don't think I've ever had such anticipation for a debut since Benjamin Booker, which I consider very high praise.  The I Don't Cares - Wild Stab - Paul Westerberg and Juliana Hatfield are a dream combination I didn't know I needed until it existed. They've kept the details of their debut album as The I Don't Cares pretty quiet. All we know about it is that it will be called Wild Stab  and at the end of October it would be released "soon." I'm betting this will be one of those ...

Photo by Kristine Leschper One of the most buzzed about bands at CMJ this past fall were Mothers, a Athens based 4 piece. They are set to release their debut album early in 2016, and you can listen to a track from it right now. What's slightly odd is you tend to associate the term "buzz band" with something loud, boisterous, and in your face. Instead, Mothers are quite quiet. "Too Small For Eyes" might be too laid back for a coffee shop, but that's what makes it so great. The instrumentation is so sparse, you're forced to truly listen and focus on it. If you just let the song play in the background, you'd just hear a few plinks of strings here and there, instead of the lush soundscape designed by the band. Kristine Leschper's voice adds to this effect, since it's just so damn compelling you want  to pay as close attention as you possibly can. I don't believe Mothers are Elephant Six related, but fans of Elephant Six (or Athens bands...