Writing about music in lieu of human interaction
In September, noise-poppers Barlow celebrated the 10th anniversary of their first set by releasing an album called Walls of Future. Even though Walls of Future's title wouldn't sound out of place affixed to a big-budget Marvel picture, the album itself, like so many of Barlow's others, is gloriously lo-fi. Recording at home using Logic and … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Barlow – At Home
The dream-poppers of Flower Crown recently released "The Billy" in advance of their album Heat, due out September 24th on Crafted Sounds. The single is a buoyant power-pop anthem that uses chiming, major-key guitars, resonant drums, misty synths, and stacked layers of vocal harmonies to convey a sense of blissed-out optimism; Mojave 3 would be … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Flower Crown – The Billy
Dream-poppers The Real Sea follow up June's swooning "Paper Machete" with "Jeong Kwan," premiering this morning on Bored In Pittsburgh. The single pays tribute to the titular Seon Buddhist nun and vegan chef, a woman who uses simple, homegrown food to explore the eternal. The song hits like a sunrise--slight at first, and then radiant--starting … Continue reading Daily Yinz/Premiere – The Real Sea – Jeong Kwan
FADE TO PHARAOH are an offshoot of psych-rock outfit Sciencevision; their self-titled debut was released on member Brandon Dunlap's Astral Research label. FADE TO PHARAOH's sounds encompass swaggering shoegaze, knotty six-string workouts, and whimsical slackerism, culminating with closer "When We Lose Our Names," which takes the previous songs' ingredients--jangling, jazz-tinged guitar, synth accents, and dextrous … Continue reading Daily Yinz – FADE TO PHARAOH – When We Lose Our Names
The Real Sea are a dream-pop quartet whose latest single, "Paper Machete," came out in late June. "Paper Machete" is the kind of swooning, hazy thing that, when performed live, could coax even the most introverted showgoers away from the wall and into the middle of the floor, to sway rapturously as chiming guitars and … Continue reading Daily Yinz – The Real Sea – Paper Machete
Care Package is a recently formed dream-pop outfit featuring members of Baseball Dad and Urban Heat Island; the band's debut EP, I Wanna Swim, came out this month. The EP is filled with twinkling bits of melody that come in the form of guitar arpeggios, glockenspiel plinks, and filigreed synth adornments. The group proves itself … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Care Package – Blue (I Wanna Swim)
Emily Rodgers's latest release, I Will Be Gone (Shimmy-Disc), is a haunting document of loss. I Will Be Gone is a tribute to Rodgers's brother, who died by schizophrenia-related suicide fifteen years ago; the music contained within is spectral and feathery, but elemental and emotionally direct at the same time. Produced by Kramer (a man … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Emily Rodgers – I Will Be Gone
The psych-rockers of slugss released the wonderfully dreamy APPEAL a few years back; now, they let us under the hood with a collection of outtakes and demos from that era. Some of the tracks included on APPEAL outtakes eventually made the final cut, while others laid dormant until now. "Belladonna" is one of the latter … Continue reading Daily Yinz – slugss – belladonna
BODYMELT creates bleak, rock-adjacent music that drips with doomy electronic textures. BODYMELT's latest single, "FANTASY," kicks off like a bad dream, with queasy tones, glitchy percussion, and surreal, spoken word lyrics that plumb the depths of despair. Eventually, the track explodes into a booming, guitar-driven bummer anthem; BODYMELT sings, "Take me/Break me/It's easy/I'm barely human," … Continue reading Daily Yinz – BODYMELT – FANTASY
The post-punkers of Death Instinct return with the Silhouettes singles, two tracks inspired by the late-winter/Valentine's Day season. Silhouettes's two songs, considered in tandem, feel like the nadir of winter depression followed by the faint bloom of hope that comes along with melting snow and temperatures that venture above freezing. While the opening title track … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Death Instinct – Candy Hearts
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