Been a while since one of these posts. There's been a lot of great music announced and coming out, so I wanted to squeeze in one of these before getting back to albums. Lots more modern music coming soon as well as older shit. Stay tuned.
Clarence Clarity - SAME EP/Telenovela
The reigning king of post-ironic, legitimately exciting internet-fueled pop and electronic music returns with an "EP" - five songs, with each song being exactly the same. Hence the title. While there are tiny little differences in each track, what we're getting here is essentially a single, but luckily it's fantastic. From the first second, disorienting arpeggiated chords and children shouting clue the listener in that Clarity has returned with his traditional maximalist sound with possibly even more layers to peel back. What makes his music so amazing is the replay value: every single time you listen you hear something new. Maybe the raga-inspired guitar line, subtle in the pre-chorus, or the chanted background vocals, pitch-shifted both high and low, maybe the buzzsaw synths over pounding drum machines with an almost dubstep-like feel. While "SAME" 1-5 are fantastic, there's a hidden track on Clarity's SoundCloud called "Telenovela" that is as good or better. It focuses more on a tight groove, but with sudden and odd shifts into Spanish music and themes, with synth horns in a prominent role. That is, until the song becomes incredibly dubstep-inspired with a prominent drop and synth wobbles following it, then jumping back to its original style. Both songs are excellent and compliment each other nicely, showing Clarity adding more method and madness. No news of a longer release has been accounced as of now.
https://soundcloud.com/clarence-clarity/sets/same-ep
https://soundcloud.com/clarence-clarity/telenovela-hidden-track/s-1gzT0
Wormrot - Hollow Roots
Wormrot is a grindcore band from Singapore that plays as much in a traditional style (early Napalm Death as a main soundalike) and in a moodier, slightly more straightforward angle all their own. This cut from their new album, "Voices", is fantastically heavy and dark. From the opening D-beat rhythms suddenly jumping into a wonderfully orchestrated grind section, this track is unique and powerful, with well-recorded guitar lines coming out beautifully. It's a strangely pretty track in its own way, especially from the guitar melodies - the album is out now, and its a doozy. Might be a post on it at some point. "Voices" is out on Earache Records.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IPSTb84JoI
https://wormrot.bandcamp.com/album/voices
Landlady - Electric Abdomen
I caught Landlady open for Okkervil River at the Metro, and I was really surprised and happy with their lighthearted, beautiful approach to indie pop and rock music. They announced their latest album, "The World is a Loud Place", just today. They've shared two tracks here, and I remember the track I chose from their live performance, with their outspoken frontman delving into the song's history before jumping in. It's slower than some of their other tracks, but it features some Landlady traits: odd rhythm (5/4 for most of it, I believe), funny lyrics, group harmonies (subtle, here), and a focus on a lighthearted mood, something kind of comforting in today's world. It's a very pretty song but has a nice evolution to it, something you can dance or just happily nod to. Fun live show, too. "The World is a Loud Place" is out January 16th on Hometapes.
https://landlady.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-is-a-loud-place
Luke Roberts - Silver Chain
Luke Roberts' newest album is just a great record, though it's hard to pin down. It's not strict country, it's not blues enough to be blues, and though I guess it could be simplified to singer-songwriter that strips away some of its charm. This lead single was a fantastic jumping off point: I had never heard of Roberts before this track, which was, and is, absolutely stunning. It's beautifully simple, pairing very well with Roberts' say-it-like-it-is poetry. Its simplicity is deceptive, though: there's a lot here to listen to. Fantastic harmonies and banjo additions come from Kurt Vile, and excellent piano and synth lines just barely brush up against delicate piano melodies. It's a gorgeous song, one steeped in older traditions but very recognizable as a modern take. "Sunlit Cross" is out now on Thrill Jockey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDG2l4J3N3c
http://www.thrilljockey.com/products/sunlit-cross
Cloud Nothings - Modern Act
Indie rock band Cloud Nothings return from a few years of silence with a new(ish) sound and album announcement. Their last album saw them stripping away some of the grit and harder-rock elements on their breakout album, "Attack on Memory". This seems to be even more in that direction, but in my opinion, it's not a bad move. They've proved that they can write some catchy, interesting material while keeping it lighter (at least sonically) through singles on "Here and Nowhere Else" or their collaborative album with Wavves. Though both projects had weak moments, there were songs here that proved Cloud Nothings could move away from their past with maintaining solid songwriting. They prove it here, making a single that's easy on the ears but heavy on the heart. Dylan Baldi, their lead singer, acknowledges this melancholy: it's just a "lil bit emo". This song is catchy, first and foremost, but after repeated listens it becomes wonderfully sad. It's a very good sounding song, as well - it doesn't seem that losing some of the original lineup has impacted the full-sounding band here. While I love their Albini-produced material, this song is a solid reason to anticipate the new record. "Life Without Sound" is out January 27th on Carpark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNaMY8ssUfA
http://store.carparkrecords.com/products/571782-cak115-cloud-nothings-life-without-sound
Smidley - No One Likes You
As someone who has always been neutral or less on all of Foxing's music, this came out of nowhere. Conor Murphy, lead singer of emo, post-rock and indie rock band Foxing makes a solo debut as Smidley and writes a strict indie pop and rock song, the kicker is it's fucking excellent. From the plinky, twangy guitar lines to the fuzzy bass and cute drum line, this song has character just from the instrumental. Murphy plays it straight here, dipping into a strangled shout in some heavier moments but the entire thing is so beautifully light and airy, perfectly contrasting the hilariously dark lyrics. This song is not exactly the antithesis of Foxing, but it's very unexpected in a good way. What's a shame is that this is probably a one-off.
https://smidley.bandcamp.com/track/no-one-likes-you
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