A Tarantula Whispering Bad Thoughts Into Your Ear – A Q+A With Surrealist Troubadour Gus Englehorn

Photo by Estée Preda. Banner photo by Ariane Moisan. Gus Englehorn is an Alaskan singer/songwriter, now based out of Montréal, whose innocent-sounding bleat and whimsical turns of phrase belie the spooky undercurrent that swirls beneath his scruffy garage rockers. Englehorn released his debut album, Death & Transfiguration, in 2020, and recently played a show at … Continue reading A Tarantula Whispering Bad Thoughts Into Your Ear – A Q+A With Surrealist Troubadour Gus Englehorn →

Daily Yinz – Ex Pilots – Miles of Lace

Ex Pilots and Gaadge--two acts that take listeners on pedal-fueled guitar odysseys-recently released a split tape. Project mastermind Ethan Oliva's work with Ex Pilots, much like his outputs with Gaadge, Barlow, and Sober Clones, leans heavily on interstellar riffs, whipcrack drums, and faded, echoing shouts. "Miles of Lace" takes a softer touch than some of … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Ex Pilots – Miles of Lace →

Daily Yinz – The Universe Online – MAD, BOUNDLESS LOVE

The Universe Online's fourth release this month is a glitchy, mumbly ballad that sounds like it was improvised in the midst of a lonely night, maybe around 3 AM. Where some Universe Online tracks forego vocals, the human voice takes center stage here, mournfully sifting through phrases and thoughts like an internet-dwelling Gertrude Stein overtop … Continue reading Daily Yinz – The Universe Online – MAD, BOUNDLESS LOVE →

Daily Yinz – Elton Wong – Free Love Song

Elton Wong (who has also recorded as The Kowloon Corporation, HOME APPLIANCE SYSTEM, and Weather T.V.) dabbles in folk, vaporwave, spoken word, and more. The central track on the recently released Elton Wong's Free Love Single, the "Free Love Song" itself, hews closer to Daniel Johnston's brand of outsider sincerity than it does to the … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Elton Wong – Free Love Song →

Daily Yinz – Shepherd’s Tone – Daydream

Shepherd's Tone is an atmospheric synth project created by Pittsburgh artist Jared Simpson; his self-titled debut came out in late May. When I said that Shepherd's Tone is "atmospheric," I meant reeeaal atmospheric. Like, drifting-through-the-upper--stratosphere-at sunset-so-much-haze-that-you-can-only-see-objects'-outlines atmospheric. The four-song project buries Simpson's narcotic vocals beneath sprawling washes of lo-fi synthesizer. Each chord stretches out like … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Shepherd’s Tone – Daydream →

Daily Yinz – ALONA – 999999999

Spectral R&B duo ALONA returns with a new single, "999999999." Leaning further into the murky depths that were plumbed on January's R.E.D, "999999999" drifts by in a subaqueous haze, muted synth tones blending with ghostly, disjointed vocals until they become one swirling entity. There's some ambient clatter in the background that reminds me of rattling … Continue reading Daily Yinz – ALONA – 999999999 →

Daily Yinz – Rex Tycoon – Birthday Cake

Rex Tycoon (not to be confused with Rex Kwon Do or Rex Orange County or RollerCoaster Tycoon) are a Pittsburgh indie rock act whose recently released 2020 demo has that wonderfully raw, iPhone-voice-memo quality. Amid pixelated guitar strums that alternately scorch and caress, Rex Tycoon frontman Austin Reesman waxes bored and exhausted about bad habits, … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Rex Tycoon – Birthday Cake →

Daily Yinz – Carnival Room – 1000 Mirrors

Carnival Room are a Pittsburgh duo that crafts little nuggets of lo-fi psychedelic music. Carnival Room's latest release, Mirrors Have Eyes, dropped on leap day, and it contains noisy jet-stream pop, soporific chillout balladry, and everything in between. "1000 Mirrors" (that must mean a lot of eyes), a track built around a lonely drum machine, … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Carnival Room – 1000 Mirrors →

Daily Yinz – Merce Lemon – Moon Shots

Merce Lemon is a Pittsburgh indie-folker whose first two EPs are being reissued in March (along with some bonus material) on the Crafted Sounds label under the title Ride Every Day. Ride Every Day's lead single, "Moon Shots," was originally included on Crafted Sounds's April 2019 Bridges compilation. It's an aching lo-fi ballad that glows … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Merce Lemon – Moon Shots →

Daily Yinz – ALONA – DANCE SLOW

ALONA is a Pittsburgh lo-fi R&B artist whose first album, R.E.D., dropped in late January. R.E.D.'s six tracks sound like they were recorded on an old Motorola RAZR phone that had been left in a puddle for a few hours. Grainy washes of melody bleed into faded percussion and disintegrated samples while ALONA murmurs and … Continue reading Daily Yinz – ALONA – DANCE SLOW →