The Swim
Pre-order Hearthand 12″ from Friendly Noise.
2009, Plus Tapes/Addenda RecordsChicago’s Hollows is three girls and two guys making garage pop. Off the bat, it doesn’t sound all that spectacular, but they actually manage to stand out in a sea of fuzzy lo-fi pop that seems to be everywhere these days. From cheerful cutesy ditties to equally catchy melancholic pop tunes. Granted, it’s not exactly seminal stuff, but there’s something to be said for their lovely girl harmonies and incredibly catchy hooks.
It was difficult to decide which two tracks to feature, but fortunately you can listen to the whole album on their labels’ sites. Hollows CS is out now on Plus Tapes, “only available directly from the band”. The vinyl is coming out on November 10 through Addenda Records. Pre-order the LP here.
Hollows’ Myspace.
True Panther Sounds, 2009
1. Mild Confusion; 2.Light Shadows;
Stream Light Shadows on Myspace.
The 7″ comes out December 9, but you can pre-order it HERE.
She’s got a full length coming out on Mexican Summer in 2010.
2009, Echovolt RecordsPG&S is a collaboration between Speculator (Grackle, Galaxy Toobin Gang) and Professor Genius (Italians Do It Better, Thisisnotanexit). The Motorik EP is out now and it’s limited to 300 copies worldwide. It features three tracks from PG&S, one from Speculator and one from Professor Genius. Some fine kraut disco stuff.
To stream the songs and buy the EP, visit Echovolt Records site or Myspace page.
2009, TzadikFollowing the last year’s reissue of their best record, the critically acclaimed The Same and the Other, instrumental math-rock beasts Ahleuchatistas return with a new album. Once again they shift from math-rock to free jazz to experimental post-rock in each song, occasionally featuring some catchy melodies. Also, the new drummer apparently fit in very well. This band is a must listen for math-rock lovers.
Those with Guns
Racing Towards the Hard Kernel
Get Of the Body Prone from Tzadik.
Ahleuchatistas official site / Myspace.
2009, Thrill Jockey“Side A features none other than Eye from Boredoms doing a remix of the album’s opening track High Class Slim Came Floatin’ In. Side AA features the legendary dub/version master Mark Ernestus of Basic Channel and Rhythm & Sound doing a Version of the track Gigantes.”
The EP that was released this summer is now on sale on iTunes. As for the vinyl, Thrill Jockey claims that it’s sold out but it seems to be available from the Tortoise online store…
Unrelated: There’s an interesting Tortoise Fireside Chat Radio Show for Red Bull Music Academy you can stream in its entirety.
Tortoise official site / Myspace.
2009, Fifth Column/Stained CirclesBloodstains is a limited live 7″ featuring three tracks: “an opening doomy, industrial punk blaster that blows cobwebs off the basement/folk style of their LPs…”, “a classic, damaged acoustic guitar/vocals dirge” and a track with “an epic Saints/Crazy Horse feel that is deeply satisfying”. Yeah, something like that I suppose.
Livin’ in the City
Another new limited 7″ release from Pink Reason is a split with the lo-fi psych-pop group The Electric Bunnies. Here’s one of the Pink Reason tracks:
Hey Girl
Both releases are available from Volcanic Tongue. Get ‘em.
Hecuba on Myspace.
*Reminder* Jeans Wilder is the project of Andrew Caddick, a former member of Fantastic Magic (which included Nathan from Wavves and Matt of Heavy Hawaii).
The album is coming out soon on Sacred Bones Records. They also have a split out with Telepathe at the moment, available from Skinny Wolves Records. You can stream it here.
Effi Briest on Myspace.