If It's Too Loud...

As much as I enjoy it, I know that the dark Americana/Western noir of This Lonesome Paradise is probably not for everyone. That being said, their latest single might be the closest they've come to being widely accessible so far. "Into the Sun" is kind of like an odd crooner country song. It's closer to artists like Roy Orbison and Chris Isaak than you would expect, albeit through a dark and bizarre lens. My previous observation that This Lonesome Paradise sounds like it's from the soundtrack to a movie that Quentin Tarantino will make in thirty years still works for "Into the Sun." This is an unexpectedly groovy version of their dark Americana that is going to surprise a lot of people. You can listen to "Into the Sun" below. Nightshades is due out October 21 on American Standard Time Records, and can be pre-ordered through Bandcamp . For more on This Lonesome Paradise, be sure to check them out on Instagram .

Last year I became enamored with the dark Americana/Western noir of This Lonesome Paradise. Since the Oregon based band released Electric Dreams last Halloween, they've relocated to Joshua Tree, CA and recorded a new album. Their latest single, "Scorpion Song," continues on their sound and expands on it. It's an oddly hypnotic track that seems to meander in at will without anyone truly having control over it. It feels more like a meditation put to a very loose song structure and gives me some serious Leonard Cohen vibes. It's haunting, and a little disturbing, but it's a compelling listen. "Scorpion Song" sounds like it could have been made specifically to be in a Quentin Tarantino movie that will be made in thirty years. You can listen to "Scorpion Song" below. Nightshades is due out October 21 on American Standard Time Records. The album can be pre-ordered here . For more on This Lonesome Paradise, check them out on Bandcamp and Instagra...

Oregon's This Lonesome Paradise are back with a new single before their new album comes out on Halloween. "Creatures of the Night" has that "Western noir" we've come to love from the band, but it adds in a crooner element and a doo wop element. If you've always loved those genres but wished they could sound much, much darker, this one is definitely for you. What I'm coming to truly adore about This Lonesome Paradise is how they take traditional and classic American sounds and filter them through a dark sonic prism. Even the sound feels warped on "Creatures of the Night" like you're listening to this on a record you found in a basement closet underneath boxes of junk. And I mean all that as the best possible compliment. You can listen to "Creatures of the Night" below. Electric Dreams is due out October 31 on American Standard Time Records. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on This Lonesome Paradise, check out the artist...

Last month we brought you the dark Americana of Oregon's This Lonesome Paradise. Their latest single is titled "Hello Darkness," so logic would state that it would be even darker than "Needles & Pines." "Hello Darkness" is indeed dark, but relative to the previous single it's almost downright cheery. That could be because the guitar has an almost surf style twang to it, and it's impossible for a surf song to not be at least a little cheery. There's also a very 50's crooner quality to "Hello Darkness," and maybe it's just that odd 50's nostalgia that I experienced in the 80's but that also adds a level of cheeriness to the song. That being said, this is still a song from This Lonesome Paradise so it is still quite dark. It's just a bizarro world dark version of cheery songs from the past, and who can resist that? You can listen to "Hello Darkness" below. Electric Dreams is due out October 31 on Ame...

Astoria, OR's This Lonesome Paradise make Americana, for lack of a better term. I only say that because we cover a lot of Americana here, and their new single "Needles & Pines" lands squarely in Americana, but it doesn't really sound like anything we've covered before. The song is an extremely dark version of the genre. Today is the first day of Autumn, and this is a perfect song to post for that. This is the soundtrack to chilly temperatures, earlier sunsets, trudging through leaves in the woods, and all around creepiness. "Needles & Pines" is a combination of dark lyrics with darker vocals, wailing harmonicas, and everything dripping in reverb that has us desperate for more. You can watch the video for "Needles & Pines" below. Electric Dreams is due out on October 31 on American Standard Time Records. You can pre-order your copy over at Bandcamp . For more on This Lonesome Paradise, check out the band's website .