Huerco S. – “Prinzif”

Posted on 4 September 2013 by Brandon

Software is always coming up with something that sounds like damaged VHS copies of old horror movies. I’m not alone in thinking of the label’s signature sound as such; many others have come to the same conclusion in so many words and/or expletives. With a sound so dated and somewhat gimmicky, you might think it’d be pretty easy to get left behind in the quick pace of modern music, but Software somehow makes it work. More importantly, they make it worth a listen. Continue reading →

Waste Not, Want Not: Post-Labor Day Spectacular

Posted on 2 September 2013 by Brandon

Hooooooooooly crap guys. I’ve been lazy.

There’s a bunch of stuff I haven’t showed you this week and it’s all coming through at once, today, because you’ll probably need something to listen to after the long weekend.

Continue reading →

Waste Not, Want Not: 8/5/2013

Posted on 5 August 2013 by Brandon

So I’ve been falling behind on my daily slew of email press releases. Every weekday there are at least a dozen new bands, tracks and album that get announced and shared, but I tend to limit myself to a maximum of one thing per day, and even then I don’t always have the time or energy to put something up every day. I do, after all, wish to hold on to whatever shred of sanity I have left.

As a result, a lot of stuff gets left behind — a lot of stuff that is actually fantastic and worth sharing — so every now and then, I’m going to put together some of the best of my backed-up inbox. Here’s what you might have missed over the last few days: Continue reading →

Pop. 1280 – “Human Probe” & album stream

Posted on 2 August 2013 by Brandon

Filled with noise but never hiding behind it, Pop. 1280 is a band that channels their sound through the weirdo aesthetics of other Sacred Bones acts but roots it through the punchy tones befitting old Wax Trax releases. There are a plethora of words and phrases I use to describe the band’s sound, including, but not limited to: “death shuffle”, “garbage stomp” and “unholy soapbox gospel”. Continue reading →

Static Jacks – “I’ll Come Back”

Posted on 23 July 2013 by Brandon

In my mind, New Jersey’s Static Jacks are a little poppier than I generally take my guitar pop. The influences they’ve noted on their upcoming sophomore LP In Blue, out October 1 on Old Friends, are things I would have fawned over in high school: Smashing Pumpkins, Christian Death, Weezer, Garbage. Hearing those bands now, I tend to glance sideways with a nostalgic shrug and keep walking.

One thing I can’t deny, though, is that they’ve put together a pretty good first single (“I’ll Come Back”) and paired it with an entertaining video. A lyric video. One that isn’t too lame. Today’s just full of surprises. Continue reading →

Cool Ghouls – “Queen Sophie”

Posted on 15 July 2013 by Brandon

I’m going to get this over with: With a sound that’s become signature to the San Francisco indie scene, Cool Ghouls is certainly… on track.

I feel better now. Continue reading →

Bitchin’ Bajas – “Sun City”

Posted on 11 July 2013 by Brandon

There are some days when you just crave warmth and simplicity of a good old fashioned analog synth drone. Analogs have been getting a lot of attention in certain circles lately, but usually for the raw, blippy tones they give to dark wave revival acts. Bitchin’ Bajas takes another approach, smoothing out the sawteeth and extending songs to single-chord, multi-toned sunbaths. Continue reading →

Rainbow Chan – “Skinny Dipping”

Posted on 2 July 2013 by Brandon

Silo Arts & Records; 2013

While “Rainbow Chan” is a pretty attention-grabbing stage name, what caught my eye was the cover art for Long Vacation. You might think the album (out July 30) is an homage to the classic K-Mart portrait, but I’m certain its value is further east. A little while back I discovered a blind spot in my musical tastes by the name of Teresa Teng — a juggernaut of romantic Asian pop that is so well known my own mother looked at me funny for never having heard of her. (For reference, her tastes shifted from Indonesian surf rock to Tom Jones and then stayed there.) Continue reading →

Team Spirit – “Teenage Love”

Posted on 28 June 2013 by Brandon

Have you had enough alien penis in your life today? My guess is no. (And if your answer is yes — what exactly are you doing in your spare time?) Team Spirit is here to supply those “goods,” with their video for “Teenage Love,” which is the second in a three part series of videos for their self-titled debut EP. Also have you had lunch yet? I’m getting hun… wait they do what in the video? Oh. Nevermind then. Continue reading →

Temples – “Shelter Song”

Posted on 24 June 2013 by Brandon

There are a lot of kids out there trying to bring back the magic of the 60s and 70s, and most of them just don’t capture the sound right — that perfect storm of songwriting, production and drugs. I choose to believe that too many think it’s just about the drugs. Damn kids. Continue reading →

Black Porridge

Category Archives: Videos