First Listen: New Releases for 11 and 18 October 2024

Artist: Orla Gartland
Album: Everybody Needs a Hero
Quick Thoughts: Apparently Orla Gartland is kind of big? Not sure when that happened, as I loved Woman on the Internet and, uh, apparently everyone else did, too. This is absolutely a step up either way, a little more mainstream, a little more produced, but it's still a ton of fun whatever way you slice it. "Little Chaos" in particular is a real winner this week, so check it out.
Songs of Note: "Sound of Letting Go," "Little Chaos," "Backseat Driver," "Late to the Party," "Three Words Away"

Artist: Kylie Minogue
Album: Tension II
Quick Thoughts: Kylie Minogue continues her exemplary third act with Tension II, a tight package of dancefloor tunes that just absolutely crush it from start to finish. She's riding high after "Padam Padam" last year, and there's just so much here to love. I don't honestly know why she's not up there as one of the biggest names in pop, but as the queen of that second tier, she's killing it nonetheless. Loved this listen, not a bad track on it.
Songs of Note: "Taboo," "Someone for Me," "Good as Gone," "Kiss Bang Bang," "Dance to the Music," "Edge of Saturday Night," "My Oh My," "Midnight Ride"

Artist: The Linda Lindas
Album: No Obligation
Quick Thoughts: The (mostly) teenage (all) girl band is back with a new album that both demonstrates how good they are at all this while also showing a musicality beyond their years. Yes, they're everyone's favorite these days in so many ways, but the buzz only ultimately serves to mask the fact that they're doing a great brand of pop-punk that deserves everyone's time. Each release is better than the last, make time for this one.
Songs of Note: "All In My Head," "Once Upon a Time," "Yo Me Estreso," "Don't Think," "Resolution/Revolution," "Stop"

Artist: Touché Amoré
Album: Spiral in a Straight Line
Quick Thoughts: In a punk-heavy couple of weeks, I wanted to make sure to highlight this record. Only hit my radar because of the Julien Baker collab, but it's the sort of hardcore-adjacent punk that doesn't always hit well with me, but really did the trick this time around. If you're open to the genre, give this a listen.
Songs of Note: "Disasters," "Hal Ashby," "This Routine," "Finalist," "Goodbye for Now"

Artist: Sinclair
Album: God Forbid
Quick Thoughts: I've been following Sinclair for a while now, and while she's dropped a few great EPs over the last decade alongside her songwriting getting some modest success, this is somehow her first proper album and it's great. A great slice of modern pop music that isn't afraid to have a point of view, it's a refreshing listen from an independent artist charting her own path. Can only hope this is the breakthrough she deserves.
Songs of Note: "White Boy Syndrome," "Back Corner," "Left Standing," "You're No Fucking Saint"

Artist: Burrrn
Album: Without You
Quick Thoughts: There were a handful of really solid shoegazey releases this week (give Shower Curtain a listen), but Burrrn's album this week was a really wonderful listen. It's fuzzy and buzzy and hits all the right notes, and provided more than a few highlights (especially "Your Sweetness"). Worth a listen.
Songs of Note: "Passing Rain," "Flirtation," "Your Sweetness"

Artist: The Lookout
Album: I Know the Future
Quick Thoughts: It's obviously difficult for a punk act to stand out in 2024 (despite a bunch of great efforts this week), but The Lookout has cracked the code. Anthemic songs like "Silvertrack," fun throwbacks like "Hot Date," everything here points to a punk band that understands the genre and knows how to strike the right balance. A fun album this week.
Songs of Note: "Discount," "Silvertrack," "Hot Date," "Acting Out," "Nonono"

Of note:

* The Chesterfield Kings - We're Still All the Same (Has no right being as fun as it is.)
* Dawes - Oh Brother (Their best in close to a decade.)
* The Thing - The Thing Is
* Beau - Girl Cried Wolf
* Great Gable - Small Fry
* Rubblebucket - Year of the Banana
* Inga McDaniel - Double Mug
* Early Riser - Big Life
* Outside Air (ex-Sure Sure) - Forever
* Raven Reid - Waiting for Change
* Harmony - Gossip
* Toby the Tiger - Demapper
* Poise - Hell or High Water
* Caroline Says - The Lucky One
* The Dumples - Gay Boredom
* Black Ends - Psychotic Spew
* LoveLeo - Strongest Man Alive
* Lehnen - Negative Space: Gradients
* Curtis Eiler's American Circus - Another Nice Mess
* Leila Moss - Transparent Eyeball
* Jean Dawson - Glimmer of God
* Lindi Ortega - From the Ether
* Holly Macve - Wonderland
* Meemo Comma - Decimation of I
* Office Culture - Enough
* cumgirl8 - the 8th cumming
* BATTS - Just My Luck
* Popstar Benny - Oasis
* Leon Bridges - Leon
* Midland - Fragments of Us
* GRLwood - SWEAT
* Momus - Ballyhoo
* MEMORIALS - Memorial Waterslides
* Stick in the Wheel - A Thousand Pokes
* Wine Lips - Super Mega Ultra
* Twisted Pine - Love Your Mind
* Liam Wright - Old Flame
* TeZATalks - Black Girl American Horror Story
* Palomino Blond - You Feel It Too
* Tucker Zimmerman and Big Thief - Dance of Love
* La Femme - Rock Machine
* The Cheap Cassettes - They'll Never Forgive You For Pop
* Andreya Casablanca - See More Glass
* Cosey Mueller - Softcore
* Blue Zero - colder shade blue
* Kurious - Kurious
* Porridge Radio - Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There For Me
* Chad Crouch - Wapato Walk Soundwalk
* Confidence Man - 3AM (LA LA LA)
* Bear Hands - The Key to What
* The Lipschlitz - Plinth
* Shower Curtain - words from a wishing well
* Grace Bergere - A Little Blood
* Molina - When You Wake Up
* Seafoam Walls - Standing Too Close to the Elephant in the Room
* Mousey - The Dreams of Our Mothers' Mothers!
* Medicine - Medicine
* Briana Marela - Teardrop Star
* Lowen - Do Not Go To War With the Demons of Mazandaran
* Young Man in a Hurry - man in suit levitating with cigarette emoji
* Callahan and Witscher - Think Differently
* BABii - DareDeviil2000
* Amnesia Scanner - HOAX
* GRYPT - GRYPTEST HITS
* Hemlock Ernst and Icky Reels - Studying Absence
* Nicolay - Terra Ferma
* Liv Greene - Deep Feeler
* Karate - Make It Fit
* Tim Heidecker - Slipping Away
* High Contrast - Restoration
* Rat Champion - Burn It All
* Phantogram - Memory of a Day
* Letting Up Despite Great Faults - Reveries
* 7xvethegenius - Death of Deuce
* Hemlock - 444
* Goat - Goat

EPs:

* Camera Obscura - Look to the Demos
* Office Dog - Doggerland
* Al Foul - Come Back a Dog
* flowerovlove - ache in my tooth
* Lucian Rice - right now, forever
* YDE - 8
* Andrew Bird and Madison Cunningham - Don't Let Me Down Again
* UV-TV - The Optimistic Wrench
* Gloom East - there's no place like home
* Caroline Kingsbury - I Really Don't Care!
* Wallice - Deadbeat
* Phoebe Rings - Phoebe Rings
* Five Decades of Destruction - 00's
* Mike Froh and The Bad News - Hate Me
* 22elby - Trap Shit
* Sierra Spirit - Coin Toss
* Frost Children and Haru Nemuri - Soul Kiss
* Temples - Other Structures

Live albums/Compilations/Reissues:

* Charli XCX - Brat and it's completely different but also still brat
* Great Lake Swimmers - In Pieces: An Acoustic Retrospective
* Noise for Now - Songs for Sex
* American Football (Covers)
* Hypersensitivity: A Decade of Allergy Season

Also out:

* Sponge - 1994
* Nap Eyes - The Neon Gate
* Jerry Cantrell - I Want Blood
* Vayda - VAYTRIX
* MC5 - Heavy Lifting
* Nicky Soft Touch and ELCON - TERRA INCOGNITA: Book Two

Shotgun Waltz - "Lay Low"

If you've been paying attention to the Boston music scene for a while, you've definitely come across the name Shotgun Waltz. The longtime Boston alternative roots rock band just released a new single that is just oozing with rock nostalgia. "Lay Low" is a rocker with a shout along chorus that lives somewhere between the styles of the 80's and 90's. The song has that roots rock sound from the 80's but with some of the alternative fuzz of the 90's. It's a straight up rock song that sounds like you've heard it before, and if you just give it a few minutes you might remember, but it was probably high school? Plus, it features Greg Hawkes of The Cars on keyboards, and there aren't many (if any) other keyboard players you can recognize just from their playing.

You can watch the video for "Lay Low" below. The single is available now via Bandcamp. For more on Shotgun Waltz, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.

Rosali - "Hey Heron"

Photo by Derrick Alexander

We absolutely adored Rosali's album Bite Down when it was released earlier this year. The album was filled with songs that bordered both indie rock and Americana and deeply connected with me personally. Now, Rosali has a new single out. "Hey Heron" was written during the sessions for Bite Down and was originally scheduled to be released in October. It came out earlier on the Cardinals at the Window compilation to help raise funds for damage from Hurricane Helene in Rosali's home state of North Carolina, and now it's out as a single for the same. "Hey Heron" is an absolutely epic single. The song starts at a high point and continues to get more and more epic as it goes on. The build for the song is exquisite, and every time you think that it's peaked, it just keeps going. Most artists would need well over ten minutes to fit this much in, and Rosali pulls it off in under five and a half. This reminds me of Liz Phair jamming with Wilco on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Rosali says of her new single:

“It’s a reflection on our existence and interconnectedness with all things. I was seeking answers to sadness and suffering while walking the river path daily, speaking to the trees, the rocks, and the birds. I found solace in the practice and learned to trust in the timing within my life. And what a joy to witness—to imagine oneself as a droplet, or an ancient stone carved by the rushing water, to be part of the whole. And within these great cycles, there are ups and downs, light and dark, and lessons and inspiration.”

You can listen to "Hey Heron" below. For more on Rosali, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.

Tue. Oct. 22 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile^
Wed. Oct. 23 - Portland, OR @ Revolution Music Hall^
Fri. Oct. 25 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom^
Sat. Oct. 26 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom^
Mon. Oct. 28 - Phoenix, CA @ Crescent Ballroom^
Tue. Oct. 29 - Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater^
Mon. Nov. 4 - York, UK @ Fullford Arms
Tue. Nov. 5 - Glasgow, UK @ Hug & Pint
Wed. Nov. 6 - Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s
Thu. Nov. 7 - Norwich, UK @ Norwich Arts Centre
Fri. Nov. 8 - Ipswich, UK @ Steven’s Church
Sat. Nov. 9 - Falmouth, UK @ Cornish Bank
Sun. Nov. 10 - London, UK @ Pitchfork Music Festival

^ = supporting Mdou Moctar

Proles - "On the Outside" / "Reasonable Man"

Earlier this month saw a new single from Proles, aka the Dark Wave project from Gretchen Shae. "On the Outside" / "Reasonable Man" actually includes a third song, "Downward the Infinite Spiral Staircase." This collection of three songs sounds a little more DIY than previous singles from Proles, but that adds to the aesthetic perfectly. On this release, Gretchen Shae sounds the most like her Siouxsie Sioux cover band Gretchen & The Banshees, and the instrumental "Downward the Infinite Spiral Staircase" in particular sounds like very early The Cure. "Reasonable Man" sounds like a lost John Carpenter... until it gets oddly funky. While most music that finds itself in the post-punk or Dark Wave genres tends to be more polished, the raw sound of "On the Outside" gives the entire project a darker feel.

You can listen to "On the Outside" below. The three song release is available now via Bandcamp. 

Che Noir featuring Rapsody - "Black Girl"

Photo via Facebook

Buffalo has become one of our favorite hip hop scenes around, and Che Noir is one of our favorite MCs from the city. Her latest single, "Black Girl," features Rapsody and is a must listen if you've been into any era of hip hop over the last fifty years. A lot of rock music gets called timeless, but "Black Girl" is the first rap song I've heard that doesn't sound like a specific time. It's clearly a modern hip hop track, but there are elements of the martial arts inspired music of Wu-Tang Clan, the jazz inspired music of Guru, and even some G-Funk thrown in. It may have some elements of the glory days of the 90's, but "Black Girl" doesn't sound anything like a throwback.

Che Noir says of her new single and upcoming album:

“I started working on the production for The Lotus Child in 2021, with the intent to really showcase my production skills on this project.  My fans know I produce, but they don’t know how important it is for me to be a multi-faceted artist.  With that in mind, I really branched out and explored, and brought in other musicians to help me bring my vision to life. With The Lotus Child, I had an opportunity to work with one of my favorite artists; Rapsody.  It was a long journey trying to get the record finished and cleared.  We recorded two different versions of this song, and thankfully, got it finished and cleared a week before its release; but my team made it work!  Thank you to my team and thank you to Rapsody!’

You can listen to "Black Girl" below. The Lotus Child is due out October 25, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Che Noir, check out the artist's website.

Ritual Error - "Life as a Contact Sport"

Photo by Richard Mukuze

Strap yourself in tight and get ready for the latest single from Ritual Error. The London band's upcoming album is "... a love letter to a certain 90's noise," which includes bands like Drive Like Jehu, The Jesus Lizard, and the Dischord Records roster. The band's new single, "Life as a Contact Sport," is an explosion of loud noise, discordant guitars, and screaming. This sounds like one of the louder and more aggressive songs we've brought to you in a while, and possibly one of the best. "Life as a Contact Sport" is not meant to be background music. Ritual Error is going to demand your full attention, and they well deserve it.

You can watch the video for "Life as a Contact Sport" below. Dial in the Ghost is due out November 8 on TNS Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Ritual Error, check out the band on Instagram.

Swansea Sound - "Toxic Energy"

Swansea Sound is the new musical project of Hue Williams and Amelia Fletcher of The Pooh Sticks. The UK band just released a new single, "Toxic Energy," which imagines a duet between the late Terry Hall of The Specials and Elon Musk. (Williams plays Terry Hall, and Fletcher voices Elon Musk.) The song is a hyped up song that is both punk and pop, but not pop punk. It's joyous and biting with all of the attitude you would expect from a song with such a subject matter. "Toxic Energy" is the kind of fun you only get with a punk song that is both happy and angry. You can tell Swansea Sound are taking great delight with this one.

You can watch the video for "Toxic Energy" below. The single is out now on Skep Wax, Formosa Punk, and Sm. Craft Advisory, and is available via Bandcamp. For more on Swansea Sound, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.

16 Nov: Cambridge,  Blue Moon (Sold out​) 

23 Nov: Bristol, Thunderbolt 

24 Nov: Oxford, Jericho Tavern 

25 Nov: Brighton, The Albert 

29 Nov: Leicester, Firebug

30 Nov: Sheffield, The Shakespeare 

01 Dec: Coventry, Just Dropped In 

14 Dec: Rainham, The Oast 

15 Dec: Folkestone, Twentieth Century Speedway 

21 Dec: Cardiff, Moon Club  

22 Dec: London, Lexington

Ebo Taylor, Adrian Younge, & Ali Shaheed Muhammed - "Feeling"

Afrobeat pioneer Ebo Taylor has a new single out from his collaboration with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammed. "Feeling" the psychedelic Afrobeat and West African funk and mixes it with the style of jazz we've come to associate with the Jazz is Dead label. It's instantly addictive, and will instantly draw in any true music fan. It's that chilled out style of jazz that demands the audience move, and if you can sit still during "Feeling," you might want to check to see if you have a soul. Taylor turns ninety years old in January, and the fact that he is still making music this vital and engaging at this point in his career and life is something that needs to be celebrated. "Feeling" is truly a special single.

Adrian Younge says of working with Ebo Taylor:

“Collaborating with Ebo Taylor is definitely a bucket-list accomplishment. For me, it is the equivalent of working with musical genius Fela Kuti, because of how much I have studied both of their work and influence on the genre of Afrobeat. Seriously, recording the genius to analog tape while highlighting the raw recording styles of 1970s Africa is a dream I never thought could come to reality! It was also great to work with Ebo’s son, Henry Taylor, who is a true musical force in his own right.”

You can listen to "Feeling" below. Ebo Taylor JID 022 is now set for release on January 31, and is available for pre-order on Bandcamp. For more on Ebo Taylor, check out the artist on Instagram. Upcoming rescheduled tour dates are below the song.

04/07 - Thalia Hall, Chicago, Il
04/09 - Fine Line, Minneapolis, MN
04/13 - Concert Hall, Toronto, ON
04/18 - Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
04/20 - Webster Hall, NYC, NY
04/23 - Howard Theatre, Washington DC
04/25 - Terminal West, Atlanta, GA
05/01 - Radio/East, Austin, TX
05/04 - Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, Denver, CO
05/06 - Neptune Theatre, Seattle, WA
05/10 - Revolution Hall, Portland, OR
05/12 - The UC Theatre, Berkeley, CA
05/14 - The Magnolia, San Diego, CA
05/16 -The Ford, Los Angeles, CA - SOLD OUT
05/17 - The Ford, Los Angeles, CA
05/23 - Foro Indie Rocks!, Mexico City, MX
05/30 - Autêntica, Belo Horizonte, BR
06/06 - Casa Natura Musical, São Paulo, BR

Other Brother Darryl - "The Ballad of Joni and Graham"

Other Brother Darryl are one of those bands you end up loving more the more you listen. The Boston based Americana band just released "The Ballad of Joni and Graham," which is an ode to Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash. The song is a laid back song blurring the lines between folk, rock, and country, which tends to be Other Brother Darryl's specialty. It's heavy on vocal harmonies and has more than a little hint of nostalgia laced throughout without sounding like a throwback. "The Ballad of Joni and Graham" is modern folk/country/Americana at its finest. Slowly, Other Brother Darryl have become a band that I really like to a band I'm starting to become obsessed with. 

Vocalist and guitarist Nate Leavitt says of the band's new song:

“Joni and Graham’s thing inspired them to write songs about each other, it seemed fitting we write a song about them. Dan [Nicklin] writes about the human connection often and puts a lot of himself into the characters he’s singing about. Sometimes you can get a perspective of your own life while seeing it through other people's eyes.”

You can listen to "The Ballad of Joni and Graham" below. For more on Other Brother Darryl, check out the band's website.

Looking Glass War - "Adamantine Chain Gang"

Photo by Coleman Rogers Photography

We always look forward to getting a new single from Boston's Looking Glass War, and their brand new one might be our favorite yet. "Adamantine Chain Gang" is everything we love from the glammed up post-punk band, but this one delves into further into darkwave than they normally do. The new single is just deeply dark sounding, while still having all of the glam and fun that you need in a Looking Glass War sound. "Adamantine Chain Gang" is just oozing with menace from the its opening bassline, and by the time singer Goddamn Glenn comes in, you need the relief his vocals provide. There's just something about a darker shade of glam that's always going to appeal to me, and if you agree you'll need to check out the latest from Looking Glass War.

You can listen to "Adamantine Chain Gang" below. For more on Looking Glass War, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook.