Dude York

Ah, there’s nothing quite like the sweet sound of garage rock in the early summer. I’ve been highly anticipating this year’s wave of gnarly, shred-laden belters for some time now, and A+ releases from Royal Headache and King Tuff have ignited the season with a riotous start. Now, Abeano points out this sweltering shout-along anthem from Seattle three-piece Dude York (I can’t believe nobodies come up with that one yet!). ‘Fuck City’ is a teenage kid newly suited up in this year’s cut-offs, guzzling angst by the bucketload and spewing it all over the street whilst giving you a dirty look as he perches on top of a bin down an alley somewhere. Get up, get down and thrash the fuck out to this tune. It’s insane.

Bow Church

Usually you’d have to question the quality of a band - as well as how big they’re about to become - when they have sub-500 likes on their Facebook page, yet appear in the ads on the right hand side. The band in question here is Bow Church, and from the image up there I’m sure you can derive what sound these guys are going for. Yes, it’s witch house, but there’s a little more to it than that. ‘The 9 O’Clock Service’ is a mesmerising, euphoric midnight anthem that would actually go down well in a night club, and that’s why it grabs my attention: you can dance to this. A witch house track. Sure, it’s still got its dark and brooding moments, but those moments are full of deep bass and melodies that start to bubble; boiling over at the top of a cauldron and erupting. Stream the track with the awesome accompanying video below, and check out more on Bow Church’s Facebook page.

Sun Stains

Are you looking for a sound to compliment your sticky Sunday mornings in bed? Or, perhaps, your inability to get to sleep amongst the humidity late one night? Either way, Sun Stains has got your back. ‘Bryopsida’ starts off slow and moody - just like when you open your eyes for the first time in the morning - but by the time the soft croon of the vocal sample (?) sets in and the melody elevates, it really starts to sparkle no matter what light it’s under. Without a doubt a beautiful, whimsical track that grabs hold of your early morning/late night vibes and rides them ‘til the end, and it’s just the breath of fresh (sea) air that the genre needs right now. Are we finally moving into post-chillwave territory? Only time will tell.

Walrus

I’ve found the definitive soundtrack to being really sweaty and totally spaced out in the sunshine. Walrus will make you want to melt away in the blazing heat with their vaguely psychedelic weirdo beats that make up their latest EP, Odobenus Rosmarus. ‘Van Dyke Brown’ is part off-kilter krautrock and part space age soundscape; humming and whirring like the gentle purr of a space shuttle’s engine as it glides in front of the sun, slowly disintegrating into nothing. ‘Weekdays’ on the other hand is a bleak ballad submerged in a deep ocean, vibrating in time to the waves; intricately bleeping and blooping like a repetitive SOS from a long lost submarine. It’s incredibly relaxing and intriguing stuff, and I highly recommend you press play on ‘Van Dyke Brown’ below and check out ‘Weekdays’ over at the Walrus BandCamp. 

Tours

The pre-summer heatwave is in full effect, and what better way to soundtrack it than with some big-hitting chillwave bangers? First up to bat for the sunny side is Tours, AKA Philadelphia lad Dylan Seih. Orchestrating all sorts of fuzzy beats and looping pulses together in ‘Grand Lux’, Tours may just well be the most promising chillwave act of the year so far. Seih stands out in the crowd by intricately weaving shoegaze, R&B and garage-esque beats together, which are perfectly visualised with the above found-footage clip that debuted via the very rad Hearing Gold. Featuring surf shots stitched together with clips from the 1979 film Sam’s Song, it’s the perfect video to kickstart your summer. You can download ‘Grand Lux’ via BandCamp. 

Jolumar

Jolumar is a rising star, for sure. Born in ‘91, this guy is destined for big things, especially with his roots planted deep in Miami. He first started dropping tracks just over a year ago, with his most recent jam - ‘Cause I Know You’ - appearing on SoundCloud only 18 days ago (how he hasn’t blown up yet is beyond me). ‘Cause I Know You’ is produced by Jolumar himself, which is fantastic because it certainly seems like he knows exactly the right kind of beats he needs to flow well. In just over four minutes, Jolumar rhymes and floats over some pretty surreal and hypnagogic beats; spitting a few verses before demonstrating his production abilities by allowing the beat to soar high and swoop low as it interweaves between vocal samples. It’s sun-drenched, it’s relaxing and there’s even a few R&B vibes tucked away somewhere in there. But most importantly, it’s damn good. Check out the stream below.

BAGGY ATTITUDE

Birthday Tapes are used to excelling in the brilliant output department, but their latest tape, GEMINI, really sees the label outdoing themselves. It’s backed with two tracks by the awesomely named BAGGY ATTITUDE, who dabble in extremely lo-fi bedroom pop of the cutesy, innocent teenage girl proportions. ‘Don’t Ask Me’ is exactly that, retrofitted with tales of faux-melancholia and first world relationship despair; bobbing up and down on a totally spaced-out & lethargic melody. ‘Swimming Pool’ on the other hand is a punkier - albeit only slightly - take on similar situations, but is also stripped of the former’s bouncy drum beat and is consequently a much rawer affair. In a nutshell: both of these tracks are rad. Do yourself a favour and stream them below, and purchase the cassette - which also features two more tracks - from Birthday Tapes now by following this link.

Lace Curtains

If, like me, you were too busy partying at The Great Escape this weekend, Gorilla vs. Bear (photo props to them too) dropped this new track from one of my favourite dudes in the whole wide world of music (and the world in general), Michael Coomer. Otherwise known as the brains behind the fucking brilliant garage rock outfit Harlem, he’s finally back with a brand new jam! Released under the pseudonym Lace Curtains, ‘High Fantasy’ maintains Harlem’s classic garage rock sensibilities whilst ousting itself as a more personal and grown-up affair on Coomer’s behalf. It’s an awesome, rackety, fully-fleshed tune that not only shows signs of maturity, but also shows signs of Coomer staying true to his roots, which is all we can ask for. Matt Tung of Bloc Party fame features on the drums too! Stream the track below and look out for Lace Curtain’s record, the wonderfully titled ‘the garden of joy and the well of loneliness’ which it out soon on Female Fantasy. 

Cheatahs

The ever sublime Marshall Teller Records announced yesterday that the new EP from East London-based Cheatahs is now available for pre-order. No, they aren’t meant to be called Cheetahs - the name is merely a nod to the genuine slacker pop sounds that these guys skipped spelling tests to get down to. And they really do: Coared is surf music consumed by wanderlust, longing to fall more in the grunge territory rather than participating in vocal harmonies on the beach. The production is raw but crisp; the vocals wondering around in a hoarse (yet legible) fog. You might be thinking this all sounds a little familiar, and well, it should. These guys are a bit of a DIY supergroup, comprising of members from Male Bonding and Weird Dreams. The sounds of both bands definitely seep through on ‘Coared’, but their own take on the lethargic, teen slob aesthetic also shines boldly. 

Stream ‘Coared’ below and pre-order the 12” EP of the same name over at Marshall Teller Records here. 

THE GREAT ESCAPE 2012: Big Wave Riders

One of the bands I’ve been repping to the max since this blog first started is Helsinki, Finland’s finest four-piece Big Wave Riders, and I’ll finally be able to catch them live at The Great Escape in Brighton next week. Just over a week ago now they dropped a brand new tropical pop gem in form of a re-recording of early demo Skate Or Die, a statement that luckily is meant more in a frivolous manner than a serious demand. And that frivolousness reflects itself in the music too: they’re not breaking any new ground by any means, but it’s the overall polish and mastery of jangly guitars (plus the undeniable hook) that keeps you coming back for another listen. Though the original demo had more of a powerful, muscular identity, this new version is by no means a lightweight. In fact, the way it’s now awash with a soft, overlapping synth and a slight haziness in the vocals evokes a much more refined sound from the band.

Stream the track below and be sure to catch them (twice!) at The Great Escape next week, 10th May at Prince Albert and on the 11th at Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar. For more details check out the Facebook event here.