I can’t help but be reminded of Seattle band Unnatural Helpers when listening to the new Police Teeth track “Bellingham Media Blackout”. It has a comparative blend of punk and heavy power pop, filled with rough rock guitars and pop-punk vocals. The band has come a long way from Real Size Monster Series (2009), which saw co-vocalist/bassist Chris Rasmussen in his first new post-Racetrack band. Read More »Police Teeth: Bellingham Media Blackout (MP3)
There’s fuel here, power and angst. Unnatural Helpers is back with a new track called “Hate Your Teachers” and they… Read More »Unnatural Helpers: Hate Your Teachers MP3
“Fuck Off” is a somewhat departure from “Nightmare”, the first publicly available track off Grave Babies‘ debut Hardly Art EP, Gothdammit. Amidst a softly pleasant backdrop are slightly creepy, pseudo-surreal gothic images put forth by director Jordan Utley. The opening notes of the song are initially reminiscent of Bunkbed’s cover of Xiu Xiu’s “Fallen Angel II”, acting as the perfect opening tune for the new EP. After nearly two minutes, a beat kicks in, then guitars and finally vocals. This completes the cold wave circle. Read More »Grave Babies: Fuck Off (Video)
Orcas is the collaborative project of Benoît Pioulard and The Sight Below. True to the nature of both artists, both “Carrion” and “Arrow Drawn” are hazy, minimalist pop songs, inherently dreamy and obscure. Its curious balance between ambiance and resonance makes this band both mysterious and endearing. Read More »Orcas: Arrow Drawn (Video)
Like Pioneers return May 22 with a new album on Abandoned Love Records called Oh, Magic. It’s their first new material since 2010’s Piecemeal LP on that label, and it finds the band straying slightly from their previous work in that it’s not as rooted in folk. “Boggs” is the lead single off the LP. Read More »Like Pioneers: Boggs
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band is back with their first new material since their 2010 sophomore LP, Where The Messengers Meet. “Warm Body” is off the new MSHVB EP, due out on Dead Oceans in the near future. The track is on the softer side of what we’ve heard from this Seattle band, but it remains as tight and composed as their existing library or work. Read More »Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band: Warm Body
Somewhere under a mountain of music, somewhere behind boxes of stuff from the living room, tucked away on my CD… Read More »TacocaT: Spring Break-Up
“Nightmare” mixes post-punk and fuzz for a highly infectious coldwave sound. It’s a bit odd, coming from Seattle. The fuzz seeps into everything, the harmony vocals, the percussion, all stemming from the guitar. Grave Babies maintain the nonchalant-ness of their chosen genre, yet there’s something oddly upbeat and positive about “Nightmare”. Read More »Grave Babies: Nightmare
I’m no stranger to discovering new music already in my collection. One such band is The Horde And The Harem, who’s song “Gold Rush” has been an obsession of mine since I unearthed it a few weeks ago. “Gold Rush” was released on their Harvest EP way back in 2010. So after a quick Google of the band yesterday evening, I discovered they have a brand new LP out (day of, nonetheless!) called A Long Midwinter… out February 2! Read More »The Horde And The Harem: Feature
Seattle and Austin are both towns with very distinct personalities, both as cities and through the musicians that reside within. Yet here is one man — Jack Wilson — that flirts with geography, calling both locations home and melding together the two sounds for a style of folk-based americana rock that is entirely captivating. Read More »Jack Wilson: Jack Wilson
