Today's Hotness: The Fireworks, Krill, Pile

>> London-based fuzz-pop upstarts The Fireworks execute very well on a simple formula, and its forthcoming sophomore single "Runaround" b/w "With My Heart" and "Asleep" situates the band in the noble sonic company of like-minded noisemakers spread across almost four decades, from Buzzcocks to The Manhattan Love Suicides. The straightforward concept should not dilute anyone's excitement about what's happening here. The quartet's A-side is amped up and distortion drenched, as over-driven guitar chords and a persistent snare cadence drive the song relentlessly forward. The final thirty seconds touts a sparkling lead guitar over top the heavily concentrated, cotton-candy strumming, as singers Emma Hall and Matthew's voices alternately proffer words and dreamy ahhs that push "Runaround" to a delightful close. It's a brilliant track, and shows a lot of promise for the two-year-old indie pop concern that traces its genesis to Matthew singing certain of his songs over the telephone to friends. "Runaround" b/w "With My Heart" and "Asleep" will be released in the U.S. by Shelflife Records Nov. 26; the single is on offer in a limited edition of 300 pieces, including 100 red vinyl circles and 200 black, and pre-orders are already being taken right here. The Portland, Ore.-based label previously issued The Fireworks' debut, a self-titled EP, in March in a limited edition of 300 pieces, and the band apparently sold out of their stock after a well-received appearance at the Indietracks festival in the Derbyshire countryside last summer. Blast off into the coming week by streaming "Runaround" early and often via the Soundcloud embed below.



>> Exploding In Sound Records disclosed this week that it has signed Boston bugcore outliers Krill, and will release a forthcoming EP from the trio in early 2014. It's a fairly unsurprising move, given the success both Krill and the label have had in 2013, and because we expect many people assumed the band was already signed to the label in the first place. Krill already enjoys a tight camaraderie with the other acts Exploding In Sound's roster, and this is underscored by the aforementioned forthcoming EP. It is titled Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears, and it is a concept release that tells the story of two characters from the Pile song "Steve's Mouth." According to Exploding In Sound's announcement about the signing and the release, "[t]he journey begins when Steve and Mouth become aware they are in a Pile song and things get weird, wonderful, and wild from there." Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears will be released on vinyl and as a digital download; no word whether the band will also release it on a thumb drive lodged in a ball of cheese. As of yet, we don't have any music to share from the planned Krill EP, but we'll be certain to share it when we do. In the meantime, there are some notable live dates coming up for Krill, including Nov. 22 at TT The Bear's in Cambridge (with Pile, Porches and Summer People) and Dec. 7 in Plymouth, Mass. for the big Ash Gray Proclamation Toys For Tots benefit show. We reviewed Krill's transcendent sophomore LP Lucky Leaves right here in July, and you can stream it via the embed below.



>> Speaking of Pile, the band went out on tour this weekend, opening their two-week foray down and up the east coast with back-to-back dates in Philly. The tour goes as far south as Gainesville, where Pile will play at The Fest. After that tour is in the history books, the Boston-based grunge heroes travel back to Philadelphia to record an EP at the Sex Dungeon in Philadelphia, the studio responsible for Pile's 2012 LP Dripping and Speedy Ortiz' Sports EP (which is about to be re-pressed by EIS, according to the label), among other recordings. The planned EP will also be released by Exploding In Sound, and -- based on an email from Pile this week -- will probably be released as a 7" in January. Unless that 7" is some other thing, in which case, WOOT, two Pile releases coming! But we think the EP mentioned in one email is the same thing as the 7" mentioned in the other email. And fear not far-flung rock fans: Pile is already planning a March tour down to the annual South By Southwest music and technology confabulation in Austin, Texas with Speedy Ortiz. We wrote about Pile and Dripping a year ago for the late, great Boston Phoenix right here. Take a listen to "Steve's Mouth" from Dripping via the Bandcamp embed below.