Weekly Roundup Aug 4 – 10, 2013

Good morning. Lots happened over the past week, but we all know the only thing that really mattered: the return of Breaking Bad. It's great to have it back. Speaking of great, here's a new Weekly Roundup with some great new music and videos.

Here's what happened on the Dig this past week. On Tuesday, I offered some NYC show picks which are now over, but you can still check out videos from The Adversary & Whale Belly, plus a song from Motive in the post. Wednesday, Dave shared the latest from J Roddy Walston & the Business from their forthcoming Essential Tremors album. On Thursday, I wrote my latest in the music of Freaks and Geeks series on Episode 5 "Tests and Breasts" and Dave unveiled the cool collaborative acoustic EP from Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge, Close to Picture. The week ended with new music from our NYC friend Stefan Weiner and from Pay the Devil, a band featuring our longtime friend of the dig, Ivan Eisenberg. Both have great new EPs out.

This almost could be a roundup of one song, that's how much I'm digging "Always Lie" by Tape Deck Mountain. The first minute and a half of epic noise just floored me, and the way it downshifts between these roars and the cleaner parts is masterful. There is so much emotion in the sound, even as it threatens to collapse in on itself. The best metaphor I have for this is waves and my advice is to just let them crash over you. Look for the full length SWAY on October 1st.

My other favorite Brooklyn discovery of the past week is Gina Cimmelli. She's releasing new music as part of her Summer Singles EP. Check out the latest, "Like I Did," below. She has an assured voice, and I like how this track keeps getting stronger as it goes along, but in such a way you almost don't notice. It starts with a simple bass and her vocals, but by the end, there is a whole band going and some serious harmonizing (I think it's all her, which demonstrates her range). It seems there should be one more track on the EP coming, so keep an ear out for that.

We just shared a song by Stefan Weiner featuring Mree, and now I want to make sure you all know her newest album Winterwell is out. We have shared the song "Into the Well" before, and you can check out the new video below. The imagery of light and water fit well with what I envisioned in my head just listening. It is electronic, yet it goes beyond that to a feeling of nature. The space and airiness feel elemental. It's delicate but not fragile, especially her voice, which is just a pure aura that speaks to you on another intuitive level. Should be a great album.

The band Sioux Lion has some new music out, "This is Water" and "Virgin Memory." You can listen to the former here. What's hitting me is there is its element of r&b or soul, particularly in the vocals, which shimmy over a musical backdrop that feels a little different than expected. It's almost like hearing a remix, but this is the original. The point I'm fumbling to make is that the band is presenting a familiar sound in a cool, interesting way.

Wild Cub made one of my favorite videos of last year, "Thunder Clatter," and they are back with another really great one for the song "Blacktide." This song is not on their most recent album Youth, though it is very good. I think what has drawn me to the band is the pulsing human energy of their music. You can't help feeling it. "Oh, we couldn't keep that love. We were young," is just so rich with meaning because of what is says and how it's delivered. The video – which is NSFW because of some nudity – is beautifully shot and tells a compelling story of two friends as they join what appears to be a cult or some sort of alternative communal living situation. I won't say what happens, but with all the kiss hello's, Jerry Seinfeld probably wouldn't have done too well there.

Always great to have some new music from Teen Daze. The forthcoming project Glacier comes out 10/1, and I'm really enjoying the preview track "Ice on the Windowsill." His ability to use electronics astounds me. The songs never sound synthetic. It's like how if used correctly, CGI can enable a filmmaker's imagination to reach new heights, but when it becomes an end in itself, it's lame and fake. The music is beautiful, bringing a nice chill to the blazes of August. I always feel I can get lost in the soundscapes, which is a wonderful thing. Teen Daze will play Glasslands 10/26, so mark your calendars.