Jaill’s ‘Traps’ revives ’70s power pop
Like last year’s Smith Westerns release Dye it Blonde, Jaill gives us a contemporay take on 1970s power pop with the Milwaukee band’s new album, Traps. The music is so sugary sweet it sometimes glosses over the angry lyrics that lie underneath. (Check out Everyone’s a Bitch below.) Traps is a fun listen throughout and the infectious parts of the album keep pulling me back.
Jaill plays Summerfest in Milwaukee tonight (Friday).
New video: The Presets’ ‘Youth in Trouble’
Check out this new video from the Presets, for the song Youth in Trouble, from the upcoming album, Pacifica, due out in September.
New song: Communist Daughter’s ‘Ghosts’
Here’s another song from Communist Daughter, Ghosts, the lead track off the Minneapolis band’s upcoming EP Lions & Lambs.
Brendan Benson plays Lincoln Hall
Popster Brendan Benson, supporting his new album, What Kind of World, plays Lincoln Hall Thursday night.
Tame Impala teases new album
Tame Impala is teasing us with a short video and part of a new song in what appears to be a promotion for a new album. Stay tuned.
Why? releases new song ahead of EP, album
The band Why? plans to release an EP in August and a full-length album sometime in the fall. The releases will be the first from the band since 2009. Check out the EP’s title track, Sod in the Seed, below.
Double dose of heavy: Ty Segall, A Place to Bury Strangers
It’s a double dose of hard and heavy Tuesday. Ty Segall Band put out Slaughterhouse, while A Place to Bury Strangers released Worship. Both albums are worth checking out if you can handle it. I give a thumbs up to both.
Thee Oh Sees release new song ‘Lupine Dominus’
Thee Oh Sees just released a new song, Lupine Dominus, from the band’s upcoming album Putrifiers II. The album is expected out in September.
Also, see Thee Oh Sees to tour with Ty Segall, release new album
Summer hits: Dana Buoy, Superchunk, Summer Camp
Every summer needs a playlist. I usually make mine a week or so before Memorial day and update throughout the hot months. For me, the perfect playlist is a mix of power pop, punk, rock, alt country and electronic. My top summer song may be an anthem or a dance track.
While it’s not required that the word summer actually appears in a song, album or band name to mark the season, there’s no shortage of references.
Dana Buoy beat almost everyone to the beach this year with the May release of Summer Bodies, a rollicking Caribbean music-inspired album. Dana Buoy is actually Dana Janssen of the band Akron/Family, a group that sounds nothing like Janssen’s side project. The music on Summer Bodies is bouncy and uplifting. It’s definitely feel-good music and makes a nice soundtrack or playlist for summer.
Indie rock veterans Superchunk just put out a single, This Summer, which gets closer to that anthem thing I mentioned. But mostly, it’s just a great rocker and a cool summer song.
I feel like I have to mention Summer Camp, which is following up its awesome debut from last year, Welcome to Condale, with a five-song EP out July 10. The EP is called Always. Check out the title track below.
I love the new album, Correct Behavior, from Eternal Summers, which also comes out next month.
Also, Sweden’s jj just released a free digital EP, High Summer. You can get it here.
New releases by Best Coast and Beach House also get my vote for summer albums. (And not just because they have warm-weather connotations in their names.)
Also see New Music: Best Coast, Beach House
New music: No Joy’s ‘Negaverse’
As the band’s name would imply, No Joy doesn’t create light-hearted summer fare. The music is more likely to appeal to fans of My Bloody Valentine or Jesus and Mary Chain. On Negaverse, the band delivers five songs in about 14 minutes, drawing from those aforementioned ’80s artists and maybe a little Sonic Youth. The songs don’t really have a link to each other. Rather, the EP is almost like five stylistically different tracks. It’s not a bad thing because the songs are all good. The release is a follow to Montreal-based No Joy’s 2010 debut album, Ghost Blonde.
Hollows put out new video: ‘Golden Chain’
Chicago’s Hollows just put out a cool video for the song Golden Chain off the band’s new album, Vulture. I’m very high on this album and this band.
New video: Beirut’s ‘The Rip Tide’
Beirut has a new video, The Rip Tide, the title track off Zach Condon’s album from last year.
New video: Brendan Benson’s ‘Pretty Baby’
Here’s a new video from Brenda Benson, Pretty Baby. The song is on Benson’s latest album, What Kind of World.
Wes Hollywood delivers power-pop prize ‘Fantasy Arcade’
I’m a sucker for power pop and Chicago’s Wes Hollywood delivers it in spades on his latest album, Fantasy Arcade. Think Cheap Trick, Ray Davies, Shoes, Sloan, etc. Wes, who also has recorded as tenniscourts in recent years, is so old school that he’s offering his new release in both stereo and mono versions.
Either way you choose to listen, this album is strong from start to finish. Check Wes and his band out Friday at Darkroom for a record release party for Fantasy Arcade.
Listen to more Wes Hollywood here.
Woods to release new album, Bend Beyond
There is good news if you’re a fan of Woods. (And if you’re not, you should be.) The band is releasing a new album, Bend Beyond, in September.
Here’s a (fairly) new and very awesome video.
Craig Finn returns to Chicago with the Hold Steady
Two weeks ago, Craig Finn played songs from his recently released solo album, Clear Heart Full Eyes, at Do Division. On Sunday, Finn returns to Chicago with his band the Hold Steady.
It was great to hear Finn with nothing but an accoustic guitar reel off a bunch of stories about down-on-their-luck characters. On Sunday, you can hear him do the the same thing with his rocking bar band accompanying. The Hold Steady plays Taste of Randolph at 8 p.m. And check out Chicago’s Hollows at 5:30 p.m.
Spencer Krug’s Moonface hits Lincoln Hall
Spencer Krug is best known for his work with Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown. His other bands include Frog Eyes, Swan Lake and, most recently, Moonface.
Here’s a video released this past week from Moonface’s new album, Heartbreaking Bravery. The band plays Lincoln Hall tonight (Saturday).
New song: Dead Leaf Echo’s ‘Act of Truth’
Brooklyn band Dead Leaf Echo just finished a split 7-inch record with San Francisco’s Slowness. The record is scheduled for release later this month. The Dead Leaf Echo song comes out ahead of a debut album being made.
Eternal Summers puts out video for ‘Wonder’
Here’s another video from Eternal Summers — this one for the great song Wonder. The band’s album, Correct Behavior, is out next month.
New video: Nada Surf’s ‘Waiting for Something’
Nada Surf just put out a new video for the pop gem, Waiting for Something, off the band’s latest album, The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy.
Wild Nothing releases new song, ‘Shadow’
Wild Nothing plans a new album in late August, Nocturne. Check out the song, Shadow, the lead track off the upcoming release.
The Right Now releases new video, ‘He Used to Be’
Chicago’s soul/R&B revivalists the Right Now just dropped this video, He Used to Be, off the band’s new album, Gets Over You.
Tom Williams & the Boat posts new video, ‘Too Young’
Here’s a new video from Tom Williams & the Boat, Too Young, off the album Teenage Blood.
New video: Dent May’s ‘Home Groan’
Check out this new video from Dent May. Home Groan is a song on the just-released album, Do Things.
