It's been a crazy week and we weren't able to get this Roundup posted yesterday, but the wait is now over. Here's six new songs for all of you to dig!
-Seems like ambience has been compelling us lately, between the recent post on Ryan Ferreira and now this song from Mombi, "The Misunderstanding." Unlike Ryan's purely instrumental compositions, Mombi eventually adds voice and a steady electronic beat to the mix. I find it to be a very nice combination, as it allows for immersion into the soundscape or more directly engaging listening by focusing on the "song" aspect of the words and beat – whichever suits you. Why not listen to it multiple times and experience both?
Mombi – The Misunderstanding by fanaticpro
-Though I don't know for sure, I'm inclined to think Yields is a very new band just getting started on what could be an excellent musical career. Their website and facebook page don't offer a whole lot of information regarding releases or shows, but we at least have two good songs to enjoy. "Rope" is a graceful tune of simple guitar and vocal melodies. It builds slowly but confidently with light touches of xylophone, chimes, synth, and shaker percussion. It doesn't reach a showy climax, but it undeniably picks up steam as it goes along. A promising debut if that's indeed the case.
–Tango In the Attic will be releasing their second album on April 12th and have shared a live performance video of a song called "Swimming Pool" in anticipation. I like how they are playing in a cold room, evident from the occasional view of wispy breath and the coats, gloves, and other garments for keeping warm. The rhythm section is particularly on point for this song, I love the drum beat of the song's first half. The band takes its time with the instrumental groove, there are great bursts of vitality in the choruses, and the transition between the different parts of the song works well.
-This week Those Who Dig officially became 2/3 Brooklyn, NY-based. In honor of that – and also because it's a good song – check out "Cut The Final Scene" from local act Gross Relations. The song has the beautiful messy charm of lo-fi indie, the energy of garage rock, and the catchiness of pop. The band will be gearing up to record their first official album, so enjoy this tune in the mean time and also be sure to visit their website for upcoming shows in the area. I feel like they'd be pretty fun to see live.
–The Breakups have an album due out February 14th called Running Jumping Falling Shouting. Judging from all the action and motion of that gerund-y title, plus the utterly infectious single "Better Off Alone," it should be an upbeat collection of tightly crafted power pop. I probably can't assume that it'll all be fast and catchy, but it's not unreasonable to expect it to be great because I'm really digging this song. And after the rush of the music wears off, you might want to consider the lyrics, which raise an interesting question: when are we better off alone? Of course, if you can't answer that, you can always put the song on again.
-I mentioned that Those Who Dig is 2/3 Brooklyn now, but our origins are 100% Erie, PA. Since I'm an aspiring city planner who occasionally gets obsessed with things like Census data, I may have subconsciously bristled upon first reading the email sent to me by the band Ghost Ship. It revealed they are from Allentown, PA, which overtook Erie for #3 in the state. All (mostly kidding) city beef and neuroses aside, it revealed an amazing debut EP that simply has to be shared. It's called Ghost Ship and it is, in the simplest terms, awesome indie rock. They link to their bandcamp page with the description "the ruckus," and I don't think I can describe it better than that. I dig.
Pretty awesome roundup, eh? Don't go yet, we have our third and final batch of holiday leftovers for your digging pleasure…
-…starting with previously featured Paranoid Castle. I simply get enough of this song "Feeling Inside." It's a stupendously produced track and MC Kirby Dominant raps line after line that hit me right in the core after the intense experiences I went through in the past week. I'll probably be writing more about this later on, but suffice it to say, a song about the crazy nature of life and how it can be so hard but so beautiful made a huge impression. Hope you enjoy it.
-We have some beat-driven indie rock from The City Streets with a song called "Decline of the West." It's a bit like Wilco's "Spiders (Kidsmoke)." This band will be releasing two more LPs very soon.
Decline of the West by Clamour Records
-I was thinking it and then they literally referenced him, but I'm still going to say it: The Parlor Soldiers do an excellent job of channeling Johnny and June Carter Cash-style country Americana. Check out "Crazy" and the album When the Dust Settles to see what I mean.
-I can't calculate how many hours I've spent baffled by nice, attractive girls who obsess over asshole guys that treat them badly. I know this certainly is true for the reverse as well, but the point is, this song "JERK!" by Stephie Coplan & the Pedestrians captures this situation vividly from a woman's perspective. It's very rousing musically and it's complex lyrically because it seems to channel both the "head" absurdity and the "heart" impulse that make these situations so sticky and tricky. Quite a song! The group's debut album came out on Saturday, by the way.