Any of LANY’s seven songs sound as if they could soundtrack a John Hughes film, but on their latest “Bad, Bad, Bad” they’ve reached peak catchiness. Painting a picture of a young relationship in its “honeymoon phase,” the single is set to atmospheric â€80s production, with its dreamy vocals making it noir-pop perfection. The electro […]
Twelve years since their last album and 16 years since their last in their original lineup, British rockers Blur announced today that they would release “The Magic Whip” on April 28. The spark for the new songs was ignited in 2013 when the band — Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree — went into […]
Singer-songwriter Kimi Recor debuted her solo venture Draemings, not long after the demise of dream-pop quintet Black Flamingo. Since then, she’s collaborated with others, played in the band Tete and continued to work on her R&B-tinged darkwave, releasing a mixtape and an EP (which now seem to have vanished online). Today, Recor revealed Draemings has […]
L.A grunge-pop duo Spaceships are releasing their second LP, titled “Little Buddha,†on Feb. 24 via Unsatisfied Records. The album was recorded sporadically from 2010 to 2014, collecting 12 tracks of Spaceships signature lo-fi moodiness. Jessie Waite and Kevin LaRose know how to do the scuzzy garage-rock their way. Every song on “Little Buddha†sounds […]
Australian dance-machinists Miami Horror set up shop in Southern California about three years ago, not long after seemingly long-ago their debut album “Illumination” (2010) shone its light on many a dance floor. Since then, the quartet of Benjamin Plant, Aaron Shanahan, Josh Moriarty and Daniel Whitechurch have done some exploring, with Plant and Shanahan engaging […]
There are few bands around that scream positivity quite like L.A. septet the Mowgli’s, and they do that in spades on their new song “I’m Good.” After touring relentlessly supporting their debut record “Waiting for the Dawn,” they hit the studio with bonafide hitmakers Tony Hoffer (The Kooks, Fitz & the Tantrums), Captain Cuts (Smallpools, […]
L.A. psych-rockers Mini Mansions have unveiled yet another sublimely psychoactive video for a song from their forthcoming album “The Great Pretenders.” Following up the Colin Hanks’ study for “Any Emotions,” the video for “Freakout!” is the work of Matthew Newman (dba Mount Elmut), who has done visuals for the Pixies, among other artists. Mini Mansions—Michael […]
Detroit’s Sufjan Stevens has unveiled the first track from his forthcoming seventh studio album “Carrie & Lowell,†out March 31 on Asthmatic Kitty Records. The track entitled “No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross†is delicate and reflective, with an anti-climactic close. Stevens’ music has spanned everything from lo-fi folk to noisy indie-racket to […]
Too cool to cut loose? Not Spencer Ludwig and Ryan Merchant, the duo [pictured at center and right above as part of Capital Cities] who recently released the first song of their side project, HISTORY. The song is titled “History,” co-produced by André Anjos (whom you know as RAC). And it’s an outsized anthem that […]
“I’m sick of being dumb,” Colleen Green sings on the title track of her new album “I Want to Grow Up.” Either as a reply to the Descendents’ 30-year-old “I Don’t Want to Grow Up” or as a cautionary note to a scene that celebrates youth-infatuated culture and all its foibles, it’s a welcome rallying […]
