Today's Hotness: Seeds Of Doubt, Flying Saucer Attack, The Ghost Of Electricity

>> London indie pop four Seeds Of Doubt have released another winner, although this one is not exactly new. The newly available split titled Let The Ghouls Out, which features three songs from our heroes along with three from The Big Smoke's Keel Her, was apparently slated to come out on Portland, Ore.'s Gnar Tapes in 2015. However, the release never materialized ("the tape machine broke?"), so now Seeds Of Doubt has pushed the EP out to the Internerds via its Bandcamp page in order to focus on releasing fresher material via the label this year. Seeds Of Doubt's side B is packed with scritchy post-punk, from the tumbling 90 seconds of "Mirror" to the more pop-leaning and uptempo rocker "Waiting Room For The World," which echoes the sound of the efficient aughts guitar-pop heroes Art Brut. Closer "Stay Classic" sticks with the same recipe but boasts a more muscular beat and bigger guitars and fronter Chris Hopkins deliciously starts to lose his composure as the song careens into its final third, where rock-steady bass guides a tight jam toward a cracking denouement. The song is the clear highlight of the Seeds' side. Keel Her's tunes incorporate fronter Rose Keeler-Schäffeler's expansive but simple organ into her quintet's otherwise classic indie pop sound. Opener "Typical World" boasts a moody verse, but brightens with each peppy chorus, and "Call Me Back" sparkles from within a well of reverb while a cleanly distorted lead slices through the mix like bagpipes. The A-side closes with the terrific "Forced Tradition," a tune about an "awful job" Ms. Keeler-Schäffeler previously held (a version of the song was also recorded for Marc Riley's BBC 6 program late last year). Seeds Of Doubt's most recent prior release, SOD's Law, slipped by us in December; we wrote about another EP, Audible Human Repellent, here a year ago. Attentive readers will recall that Seeds Of Doubt showed us around their rehearsal space in Show Us Yours #20 back in May 2014. We look forward to hearing more from both SOD and Keel Her.



>> Revered indie label Drag City announced last week it will reissue on vinyl two classic titles from Bristol, England 'gaze/drone legends Flying Saucer Attack. The static-und-psych landmarks Further and Chorus have been unavailable as LPs for at least a decade, and their return to the 12" format transpires March 18; the records were originally released in April and November 1995, respectively. Drag City pushed the cut "In The Light Of Time" out to YouTube last week to promote Further, which was FSA's sophomore release, and "Feedback Song" to promote Chorus, and you can stream these via the embeds below. "In The Light Of Time" is basically a classic English psychedelic folk song enshrouded in ambient guitar noise. The tune creeps into being with lightly fingered acoustic guitar and masterminded David Pearce's serene vocals, which are obscured by swelling, shimmering delayed guitar and feedback. "Feedback Song" opens all the band's characteristic channels at once from the outset, blending feedback, ride cymbal, universe-sized delay on edge-less electric guitar, gentle acoustic guitar fingering and meditative vocals. It's a thrilling presentation of both delicacy and power at one and the same time. Eventually slide guitar establishes an almost tidal ebb and flow to close out the track. Buy Further on LP, CD or as a digital download here; buy Chorus as an LP, CD or digital download here. Back in the day -- and in the era of auto-reverse -- Clicky Clicky's executive editor dubbed these titles to a single audio cassette, so they are inextricably linked in our mind. After a long period of inactivity, Flying Saucer Attack returned last summer with the set Instrumentals 2015, which Senior Writer Edward Charlton wrote about right here.





>> We were immediately taken with "The Great Tower," an appropriate spectral deep cut from a new release by Boston outfit The Ghost Of Electricity. Taken from an EP called Bones that was released last week by Spark & Fizz, "The Great Tower" gently attacks with reverse-tracked guitar strums and layered, dreamy, droning vocals. The overall effect is mesmerizing and suggests a marriage of Modest Mouse's fractured folk and Nuno Canavarro's infinitely futurist ambient pastiches. A glance at the lyrics seems to reveal the subject matter is dissatisfaction with spirituality of some form or another, and other song titles from the EP -- "The Ritual" and "The Question" -- also suggest deeper concerns of the soul. Bones, while relatively brief, boasts many curiously arresting moments, including the delightfully aimless guitar lead in the aforementioned "The Ritual" and the clattering percussion break and whispers in the midst of the entirely delightful "The Anthropophage." Incidentally, the percussion tracks on the EP were apparently crafted from sampled sounds of car parts and bones, we suppose striking one another or being struck by something else. The Ghost Of Electricity is the solo vehicle of Ray MacNamara, who also holds down the lead guitar slot in Ithaca, NY's experimental Afro-beat act Big Mean Sound Machine. Bones is available now in a limited edition of 100 dark blue cassettes that will ship Feb. 17, or as a pay-what-you-like digital download. Stream "The Great Tower" via the Bandcamp embed below, and click through to acquire the set in your chosen format.

Today's Hotness: Sabonis, National Park Service, Media Jeweler

Portland's fledgling Good Cheer Records has in it first year made a name for itself as a bastion for the city's endangered under-age and DIY art communities. For a locale that puts such an emphasis on craft-brewed, alcoholic fun (and the rising rents and privileged patrons that accompany it), there has been a surprising amount of push-back in The City of Roses against some of the more challenging, creative and young individuals around -- a circumstance as unfortunate as it is expected. Thankfully, Good Cheer is fighting the good fight, documenting on cassette some of the more original and energetic guitar-pop bands the city has to offer. Among these is co-ed quintet Sabonis, whose twinkling, self-titled debut EP combines indie pop melodrama with introspective post-hardcore guitar lines. It's a sonic amalgamation that suggests an affinity for the more melodic Mike Kinsella projects, such as Owls and American Football, Clicky Clicky favorites each. The highlight of Sabonis' five-song release is undoubtedly the opener "More Time," in which male and female vocals couple in catchy mantras contemplating an instantly fraying relationship. The clear and sturdy production works wonders to highlight the neatly arrayed triple guitar attack, not to mention the thoughtfulness and subtlety of the lyrics. The deft interplay suggests a unit so capable that it need never resort to heavy handedness. "You left in slow motion, I watched in real time," sing Edward Beaudin and Maya Stoner -– a simple and devastating couplet that emphasizes the group's carefully considered songwriting. The song "Mother Of All Ghosts" rocks to an inevitable tempo, its palpable mesh of guitars and downcast lyrics establishing a mood akin to that of an anxious Interpol b-side Sabonis was issued Aug. 15 in a limited edition of 100 cassettes and as a digital download, either of which can be purchased via the act's Bandcamp dojo. Stream all of Sabonis via the embed below. -- Edward Charlton



In the late autumn of 2013, we were bowled over by the Lakewood, Ohio ambient/experimental project National Park Service and its fantastic I Was Flying cassette. The set's mix of pastoral acoustic looping, post-shoegaze delay guitar, synthetic drones and transporting samples was the perfect headphone accompaniment to the season's crisp, cool air and ephemeral longing. Imagine our delight at recently discovering new music from the mysterious act, a recently issued album called '97 Tracer. The seven-song set surfaced in June, but was superseded by a 14-song deluxe version Aug. 11. The physical release of the latter was issued by PSI Labs/Guest Room Records in a hyper-limited edition of cassettes that immediately sold out; a small number of the original seven-song tape -- perhaps from a second edition of 40 -- remain available; both versions are available as a pay-what-you-like digital download. The opening salvo of each version, "So Fucked Up on Drugs," sets the mood, trading in the carefully multi-tracked approach of Flying for something more live and electric. Speaking of flying, it would be negligence not to mention that the track echoes the early work of Bristol, England legends Flying Saucer Attack in the layered feedback chords and clanging strings marking the tune's first four minutes. After that, surprisingly, a live snare presents in the mix, grounding the piece while reminding the listener of The National Park Service's restlessness. Much of '97 Tracer maps a similar aesthetic, inviting the listener into a world of harsh noises that nonetheless retain the curious beauty of the project's previous work. The title track erupts into squeals before etablishing a low hum as the piece burns away via a steadily crumbling fade. While much of the original version of '97 Tracer concerns itself with crushing volume, the deluxe edition's bonus tracks showcase a softer side. "The Moment Has Passed" resurrects the drums of "So Fucked Up" and contrasts them with looping, rickety acoustic guitars. Highlight "Head Injury" behaves similarly, while setting a pulsing, two-chord guitar and piano groove against a dream-pop background, highlighting NPS' elegant melodies. If I Was Flying was the soundtrack to the feeling of the fall, this new release makes the case for serving as the hot and humid accompaniment to the increasingly fleeting dog days of summer; it's a meticulously arranged monument to the introspection of a very certain moment. Stream and download the deluxe version of '97 Tracer via the embed below, or purchase the original on cassette here while supplies last. -- Edward Charlton



>> Santa Ana, California quartet Media Jeweler caught our attention last month with its spastic, jazzy instrumental track "No Exit," one of three striking preview songs from the foursome's forthcoming debut album $99 R/T Hawaii. The LP successfully captures the very randomness its title suggests; it's due Sept. 18 via Brooklyn's Fire Talk Records. The seven-track blast enlists clean, caterwauling guitar leads and drum rolls to ensnare listeners within Media Jeweler's inspired logic and arrangement sensibilities. A press release referenced members emerging from the ashes of a "revolving door big-band," suggesting the members of Media Jeweler share a background in California post-hardcore or emo, and the band's noodling riffage, wanton horn playing, constantly changing rhythms and sharp, destructive drums cause this reviewer to imagine a killer house-show scene germinated its happy-go-lucky, youthful vitality. The aforementioned tune erupts into such an awesome atonal breakdown shortly after the first minute that this reviewer is fully prepared to invoke the name of math rock gods Polvo. The loping "Passport Invalid" fuses chanted group vocals to the controlled disorder, while the third preview tune "Autopilot" injects James Chance-styled free-jazz energy into Media Jeweler's clanging universe via some inspired horn playing, allowing us to posit a thrilling union of Californian hardcore and No Wave. $99 R/T Hawaii touts excellent production work from certain folks that have worked with Battles and Lightning Bolt (very fitting), and a stunning mastering job from XOQ (Liars, Factory Floor, etc.) further embellishes this impressive collection. The album is available now for pre-order in a limited edition of 200 translucent pink or a standard issue black vinyl 12", or as a digital download. Stream the aforementioned three tracks via the embed below, and click through to purchase. Media Jeweler embarked last night on a strand of west coast dates, which can be reviewed right here. -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: Flying Saucer Attack, Happy Diving, Mourn

>> A particularly cultish corner of the experimental rock music world was driven to hysteria month ago when it was finally announced that Flying Saucer Attack, one of the finest shoegaze/drone concerns of the 1990s, would release Instrumentals 2015 on Drag City Records this month. The new collection, due July 17, will be the band's first in 15 years! The apparently aptly titled, 15-song set features pieces recorded by fronter David Pearce (partner and vocalist Rachel Brook presumably sits this one out) to analog tape and CD-R at his home, a medium which served the band well on landmark static-und-drone releases Further and Distance. With hopes of appealing to both die-hard fans and those unfamiliar with the its catalog, Flying Saucer Attack's two preview tracks gently lull the listener while providing windows into Pearce's thoughtful and powerful sound world. "Instrumental 7" opens with smooth, mid-range guitar feedback that dramatically shuts off briefly at various intervals. As each drop-out occurs, swells of supporting notes join the feedback tone to establish additional new harmonies. Second single "Instrumental 4" takes a different approach, instead employing ear-splitting cascades of feedback and slowly plucked single-note guitar leads to slow time and space to a hypnotic background whir. With each track, the subtle mastery of the dynamics is first-class. Like another dreamy '90s shoegaze group, Auburn Lull, did last year with its magnificent Hiber cassette, the inimitable FSA have reappeared to show the seemingly burgeoning legions of bedroom drone instrumentalists how things are done. Pre-order Instrumentals 2015 on 12" vinyl, CD or cassette from Drag City Records right here. Both "Instrumental 7" and "Instrumental 4" can be streamed via our curiously but purposefully narrow YouTube embeds below. -- Edward Charlton





>> This publication was properly bowled over by Happy Diving's Father/Daughter-released debut long-player Big World last fall, and last month's news that the group are already set to return with a fresh 7" on the mighty (and getting mightier) Topshelf Records is certainly cause for celebration. Out July 17 on a variety of colored wax, the East Bay, Calif. band's preview single offers up two great, humid, chugging sludge-pop jams. A-side "So Bunted" recalls the Big World standout "Space Ooze" with its atypical structure, dense chordings and bummed-out vocals, while further pressing those signifiers as some of the band's greatest strengths. After a brief opening comprised of post-Blue Album guitar wailing, the group scales back to a single verse where guitarist/singer Matt Berry's plaintive, bruised vocal details a relationship gone as sour as the minor-to-major power chord changes that keep the song both murky and anthemic. Recorded in just four hours at The Atomic Garden with go-to California heavy-rock producer Jack Shirley (Deafhaven, Whirr, Joyce Manor), the two-minute piece is perfectly rendered in all of its live-sounding, signal-clipping glory. Happy Diving stay true to their monolithic approach to twenty-something, house show angst, and it promises even more fuzz-fest payouts on their next album, which at this rate of productivity just might be here by 2016. Pre-order "So Bunted" from Topshelf right here, and catch the band on its upcoming tour, the dates of which are listed out below. Stream "So Bunted" via the Soundcloud embed below. -- Edward Charlton



07/15 -- Oakland, CA -- One Fam
07/17 -- Portland, OR -- TBA
07/18 -- Olympia, WA -- Old School Pizzeria
07/19 -- Seattle, WA -- Office Space
07/20 -- Vancouver, BC -- Alf House
07/21 -- Victoria, BC -- The Mirancave
07/23 -- Santa Rosa, CA -- The Funk Den
07/24 -- San Francisco, CA -- Thee Parkside
07/25 -- Santa Cruz, CA -- Cafe Pergolesi
07/26 -- Los Angeles, CA -- The Echo
07/27 -- Corona, CA -- Sinbad's Hookah Lounge
07/28 -- San Diego, CA -- Che Cafe
07/29 -- Merced, CA -- Tigers & Daggers Records
09/04-09/06 -- Berkeley, CA -- Resurrect Cali Fest @ 924 Gilman

>> This reviewer admittedly missed Mourn's Captured Tracks-released self-titled debut album, which was issued in February, but the quartet's wickedly quick follow up Gertrudis 7" was enough to send us back to listen to it. The much-hyped Catalonian co-ed punk group apparently represent a rising wave of young Spanish punk which has greatly excited tastemakers including Captured Tracks' Mike Sniper, and A-side "Gertrudis, Get Through This!" certainly bears out that heightened interest. Opening with a kinetic, prickly guitar riff, the song highlights the cool vocals of Carla Perez Vas, which echo those of the band's idols including PJ Harvey and Sonic Youth. Building in tension as the instruments remain sturdy and straight, Ms. Vas breaks from a clear and upfront coo to a desperate chorus that brings to mind other European positive feminist punk outfits such as Welsh powerhouse Joanna Gruesome. While straightforward in its construction, the song shifts so dynamically into the "get through this!" chorus that the youthful angst of Mourn arrives in ear canals completely, precisely. Album number two will certainly not be slept on after a wake up call like this, and a release date has been tentatively scheduled for this very month. In the meantime, grab the single digitally via Steve Jobs MegaCo. right here. -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: Lowlands, Melt

>> The music of French label Beko Disques, best known as a purveyor of tasteful, weekly digital releases, has already graced these electronic pages a number of times, as evidenced by these pieces about The Bilinda Butchers and Mooncreatures, among others. The label shows no signs of slowing down, and in 2015 continues to conduct quality research into the dreamier neighborhoods of post-punk, largely at the intersections of faraway ambient and relatively immediate pop sounds. Which is also an apt description of the newest release from New Zealand's mysterious Lowlands. Coming in the wake of other shorter releases on Beko, the new, self-titled set presents a pastiche of Korg synths, acoustic guitars, and even a "Tibetan singing bowl." That alone should be enough to indicate that Lowlands -- which, according to its Bandcamp page, paradoxically makes its music "on a hill across from a city" -- takes its sound very seriously. Opener "Rift Valley" commences with an eerie, delayed clamor (could be that singing bowl?) before layers of crisp and spacey guitars mingle with cool spoke-sung vocals, affecting a sonic posture not unlike that of '90s legends Flying Saucer Attack. The succeeding tune, album highlight "Winter 1_Space Beyond Space," is proof positive that Lowlands can slyly insert a great traditional pop song within the warp and weft of its ambient drone. The song's sunny, bouncy bass guitar, whooshing digital synth waves and a boyish, upbeat vocal echoes the pep of The Shins, which is hardly the first singing touchstone one associates with ambient fare, thus making it a pleasant surprise. "You Are The One" immerses slinky '80s heartland rock vibes in endless reverb, and underscores that Lowlands is just as interested in experimenting with genre as they are with its apparently endless arsenal of electro-gadgetry. Finally, just in case the listener got too comfortable within the album's placid sound forest, Lowlands launch into "Today’s Revelation," a relatively clean slice of new-wavey pop replete with brittle post-punk guitars; the tune sound like something that could have been found on Minks' excellent, rainy Captured Tracks debut By The Hedge. In sum, Lowlands' record represents another Beko homerun, and strengthens our belief that there is actually a wealth of diversity within the world of ambient dream-pop, and plenty of unique ideas yet to be mined. A cassette version of the release sold out in mere weeks, but the record is still available as a digital download for any price via the Bandcamp embed below. -- Edward Charlton



>> The world lost a powerful force in aggressive dream-pop when Boston's Soccer Mom called it quits last year. That band's singular pairing of contemporary, house-show bombast and clean-toned, forward-thinking shoegaze (a la Swirlies circa They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons -- another Boston landmark, of course) filled this reviewer with both pride and awe. Imagine, then, our joy at identifying another act chasing a similar, noble aesthetic. We speak of New Jersey quartet Melt, whose recent powerful, glistening demo "Change" dazzles with its quiet urgency and rich melodicism. On the tune, the quartet – about which we presently know little besides the fact that the band has played shows in Boston and Brooklyn – alternate between a spectral, jangling verse and a post-hardcore half-time stomp during the chorus. That verse of "Change" stuns as well, doubling the watery guitar lines by the second measure, and creating a real six-string tango that crisscrosses over the sighing male vocals like shoelaces. The Swirlies connection (which we admit is nebulous, it's all just really just great music, right?) manifests in the root notes of the bass in that section. Here, starting with a B-flat major chord, the foursome elevates to a C minor before the bass unexpectedly drops to an A natural major during the third root. A restless bump halfway through is delightfully disorienting, and the odd nature of the chord choice leads the listener to reconsider their own melodic logic, which is a fun takeaway. Moreover, it makes the case that Melt can be counted among outfits such as Swirlies that aren’t afraid to nurture a subtly exploratory compositional spirit while still bringing the straight up rawk. If this already well-mixed recording is what Melt considers a demo, we sincerely hope that their first official material will remind listeners of why expansive bands like these are so important in the first place. Snag "Change” for a buck via the Bandcamp embed below, which of course you should also stream the tune early and often. Speaking of Soccer Mom, the band reunites for one last cacaphonous hurrah at the end of the month: it says goodbye May 29 at Great Scott in Boston. The night also includes sets from Infinity Girl, Chandos and Coaches, and complete deets and a ticket link are available for viewing right here. Swirlies, of course, have also just announced a series of summer dates with a very compelling line-up, and those tour dates can be inspected right here. Now if only Melt good get an opening slot or two on some of those east coast dates... -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: Screaming Maldini, Mutes, Ancient Babes

>> It snowed here in Boston Sunday, a sure sign that the inevitable seasonal change is coming. But from the standpoint of the blog, there has been even more striking change of late among the constellations of indie rock acts the blog champions. In recent months we've seen Clicky Clicky faves Young Adults and Soccer Mom call it a day, and two additional hometown favorites, The Hush Now and Varsity Drag, are going on hiatus and departing for the opposite coast, respectively. The number of bands shutting down or changing venue feels like an almost generational sea change, and we're left wondering who will be our new obsessions? That feeling was compounded last week with the announcement that Sheffield, England-based indie pop savants Screaming Maldini were hanging up their proverbial boots for good. The act -- then just a trio -- first breeched our radar about six years ago with an email from Maldini mastermind Nick Cox, who invited us to have a listen to hyerpop gems including an early version of the tune "The Extraordinary." The song would later help anchor the band's mind-bending 2010 EP And The Kookaburra, which was released by Oxford indie powerhouse Alcopop!, and additional EPs and an impressive self-titled full-length followed. The band announced early this year a monthly series of free songs, one which we hoped would culminate with some sort of album announcement. But, alas, Screaming Maldini had other ideas. In a statement on its Tumblr last week, the now-sextet stated it would play its final show at Queen's Social Club in Sheffield Dec. 5, with Laurel Canyons supporting. There are a few more installments of the monthly song series to roll out yet, including this month's: a cover of fellow Sheffielders Pulp's "Last Day Of The Miners' Strike." The tune was the only new track included on Pulp's 2002 hits collection titled Hits, oddly enough, and it tells the tale of a labor struggle in the UK three decades ago. One that, Wikipedia helpfully points out, didn't end well for our brothers and sisters in the labor movement. Screaming Maldini's is an appropriately solemn and somber rendition, shuffling drums, slowly rolling piano chords and a strong vocal from Gina Walters, whose exhortations to "lay your burden down" are chilling given the context. Stream the tune below via the embed. We're also including a stream of the band's transcendent pop ballad "I Know That You Know That I Would Wipe Away The Snowflake From Your Eye," because, well, it encapsulates the magic, romance and beauty that came to the band with such startling ease. We don't expect we've heard the last from Mr. Cox, Ms. Walters and the rest of the Maldini gang -- they are just too supremely talented to dissolve into shadow once the stage lights are cut. But, for now, tip a 40 for Screaming Maldini, maximalist pop collosus: they fought the good fight, they transported us to a better place with their music.





>> While the recent news surrounding Birmingham, England-based ambient guitar-pop project Mutes was that it has transmogrified into a full-band enterprise (featuring Johnny Foreigner drummer/Fridge Poetry mastermind Junior Elvis Washington Laidley on the cans, no less), the project's latest release -- a beautifully stirring and delicate EP titled No One Is Nowhere -- remains a solo affair. The seven-song collection wraps ethereal electric guitar loops around gritty acoustic guitar playing, and lays over top James Brown's affecting and spectral tenor. The overall effect is impressionist and wistful, and we stand by our initial comparisons to The Feelies and Flying Saucer Attack, although there is certainly more of the latter here on this new collection than the former. Indeed, the longest tune of the set, the enchanting, six-minute-plus song "Horror," completely eschews recognizable acoustic guitar -- as well as trad song structure -- and instead presents a prismatic mirage of processed and looped melodies and feedback. The gauzy (and even shoegazey) new compositions place a lot of the emphasis on the first-rate melodies and deep zones Mr. Brown is able to conjure. We expect this release may be the last relatively understated collection from Mutes, as all signs point to Mutes 2.0 being a more dynamic and muscular affair. No One Is Nowhere is available as a bundle that includes a Lewes Herriot-designed t-shirt and digital download, and also as a simple standalone download, both of which can be order from Mutes' Bandcamp wigwam right here. Mutes' next live date will be a show Nov. 14 with Clicky Clicky faves Burning Alms at The Oobleck in Birmingham, and we expect that will be quite a good time. Stream all of the tremendous No One Is Nowhere via the embed below, and click through to purchase.



>> Vancouver-based chillwave producer Ancient Babes' latest track "Atlantic Avenue/Street" may have a somewhat inscrutable title, but it is otherwise a slam dunk. Nostalgic and icy and beautiful, the song has the emotional immediacy of a vintage John Hughes soundtrack selection, with pulsing synths underpinning cool, measured vocals. While the rhythm and "bass" tracks in the verses are somewhat plodding and monolithic, something about the airy atmosphere and chilled vocals makes the song blow by fast -- its end always comes too soon and as a surprise. Indeed, the greatest surprise is the song's quiet final 15 seconds, during which the synths and electronic beats recede to reveal what sounds like hidden piano and guitar tracks, which twinkle briefly and then wink out like dead stars almost as quickly as they are uncovered. We suppose that aforementioned surprise is ultimately a sign of a great pop song, and we will be interested to hear what Ancient Babes is able to conjure next. Stream "Atlantic Avenue/Street" via the embed below, and click through to download the track. We last wrote about Ancient Babes at the beginning of the year here, when the band had just issued its dark and dreamy Futuristic Demons EP. While we weren't looking, the highlight of that short set -- a tune called "Occult Commando" -- was given the NSFW video treatment early this past summer. Check the video for the cut out right here.

Today's Hotness: Joey Fourr, English Singles



>> Maybe, just maybe, the Internet can help perpetuate mysteries, despite the regular bemoaning we hear from oldsters about the fabled age when much of what was known about underground acts could only be gleaned via rumor or a hard-to-get 'zine. Take, for instance, the latest pleasingly spooky enigma from Joey Fourr. Readers will recall that moniker is the nom de rock of Joseph Prendergast, erstwhile fronter of the late, great Tubelord. Fast on the heels of a series of five EPs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) issued over the last 10 months, Joey Fourr returned early this month with the new tune "Wooden Grooves," a contemplative, pulsing number fabricated from open synth drones and icy, layered melodies. We reviewed here Art Is Hard's Pizza Club single featuring Joey Fourr way back in June 2012. While that track, "Cross Dresser," was a fast-paced, low-fidelity rocker, this new effort aims for more hazy and narcotic territory. With its airy, meandering intro, "Wooden Grooves" calls to mind sedate space rock along the lines of that concocted by Arc In Round or even Flying Saucer Attack. As Pendergast's multi-tracked vocals materialize in the stereo field, and forlorn guitar strums drive the rhythm, it becomes apparent that one could even draw a parallel to the moodier, more atmospheric numbers off of Lilys’ spell-binding 1995 collection Eccsame The Photon Band (a quite relevant comparison -- look no further than Arc In Round's contribution to Clicky Clicky's And I Forgot A Long Time Ago How You Feel compilation). The hushed, funereal tone, hints at dream-pop and blurry sonics enable "Wooden Grooves" to strike a firm contrast against "Cross Dresser;" it certainly evidences a broader palette and we think proportionally broadens the appeal of Joey Fourr. In a Facebook post Tuesday, Joey Fourr suggested the possibility of taking a break: "This might be our last gig for a while... After Cardiff I'll be concentrating on writing/releasing a new project which I can't talk about yet but it's gonna be ridickulous..." We’re glad that, for now anyway, Joey Fourr is keeping the mystery alive. Stream "Wooden Grooves" via the Soundcloud embed below. -- Edward Charlton



>> English Singles broke the metaphor machine. This reviewer tried desperately to compare the timelessness of pristine power-pop to that of fine wine, but, guess what? It didn't work out. Because, unlike the tradition and spirit of Sacramento, CA's English Singles and their swinging, recently issued third single "Ordinary Girls," even the finest vintages and varietals will one day degrade. The resolutely buoyant "Ordinary Girls," on the other hand is built to last on the bedrock of pop brilliance. The tune is part of a three-song 7" out now on the venerable Slumberland label, and it continues the fine tradition of pop classicism forged previously by legendary groups such as The Television Personalities and modern antecedents like the defunct D.C. unit Julie Ocean. Quite simply, English Singles revel in the joys of innocent '60s and '80s DIY pop. The recording might fuzz and crackle at the edges, but at the heart of it lead singer Scott Miller's playful, everyman melodies deliver an irresistible charge. Prickly twelve-string guitar leads and callipygian bass unite for a powerful and punchy attack. The chorus is so strong that the band mostly just keep swinging around to it, but the best part happens at roughly the two minute mark when complementary female backing vocals join in to repeat the titular chant. With only three short minutes of music, both the band (and Slumberland) hit it out of the park. Buy the 7" right here. -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: Tullycraft, Fridge Poetry, Mutes



>> The fact that we haven't bought a Tullycraft record since the release of 1999's singles compilation (fittingly titled The Singles) is more a sign of poor decision making than of a lack of enthusiasm for the delightful indie pop institution. We can still remember the excitement in college back in the dark ages when those first singles were arriving at the radio station, a time when people still somewhat suspiciously referred to Seattle-based Tullycraft as the "new thing from the Crayon guy." Fronted by Sean Tollefson, whose naive, adenoidal vocals were the template for a surprisingly widespread strain of twee pop in the mid-'90s, Tullycraft and its upbeat indie pop would seem to have influenced countless acts that came in its wake, from Belle & Sebastian to Weezer. Tullycraft is now, somewhat startlingly, in its eighteenth year of existence. The band's latest collection, its sixth, is titled Lost In Light Rotation, and it is filled chock-a-block with sweet, concise and pure pop gems. From the fizzing opener "Agincourt" with its addictive bomp and self-effacing pre-chorus ("...I used to be clever but it didn't last...") about staying up late and buying records, to the moderately paced album highlight "Westchester Turnabouts" with its more subdued vocal and pretty harmonies, Lost In Light Rotation is proof positive that Tollefson and company are turning out the strongest material of its career. Which makes it all seem oddly anachronistic in a way: in the world of Tullycraft, it is constantly 1995, love is perpetually innocent, cardigans and thick nerd specs de riguer. The fact Tullycraft is able to do this almost 20 years into its career is a testament to the timeless appeal of undeniable pop hooks, which the quintet conjures with embarrassing ease (or borrows, as is the case of "From Wichita With Love," which appropriates Bobby Freeman's oft-covered 1958 pop classic "Do You Want To Dance?"). Magic Marker released Lost In Light Rotation on blue vinyl April 23; a CD version was issued by Fortuna Pop and a cassette is available via Fika. In addition, Fortuna released the title track "Lost In Light Rotation" as a single (with a cover of Yaz's amazing "Bad Connection" as the flip), and the entire record is embedded for streaming below. No matter what format you prefer, your spring will not be complete without hearing Lost In Light Rotation, so buy it here, here or here.



>> Well it's been eight months in the offing, but Fridge Poetry -- the bedroom pop project of Johnny Foreigner drummer Junior Laidley -- has finally delivered on its long-promised EP Soweto Slo Mo, which will be available via Bandcamp Monday. As we wrote here last August, the project's name is apt, as Mr. Laidley -- in the spirit of Dntel and The 6ths -- produces the music and then invites vocalists in to complete the tracks. Earlier this week Fridge Poetry unveiled a second tune from the four-song EP, titled "I'll See." The song features crushingly sad vocals from Evan Bernard of Philadelphia-based indie acts Dangerous Ponies, The Weaks and seemingly a thousand others. Mr. Bernard's high and lonesome vocal blooms over top of a poignant piano ballad augmented with electronic beats and is digitally delayed and smeared, resulting in a powerful downer that falls somewhere between The Postal Service's "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" and American Football's "Never Meant." Which we think you'll agree is a very good place to be. Last August Fridge Poetry revealed its debut track "Crash Down," which is also included on Soweto Slo Mo along with two additional numbers, "The Circles" (which, like "Crash Down," features vocal contributions from longtime Johnny Foreigner associate Thomas Sherwood Nicholls) and "First Word" (which actually has four words, all written by Laidley). At the moment two of the songs from Soweto Slo Mo are streaming in full and two are merely short teasers, so make sure to click over Monday to get the entire thing. In the meantime, however, here is the terrifically affecting "I'll See" embedded below. In related news, Laidley and his bandmates in Birmingham, England-based noise pop juggernaut Johnny Foreigner embark on a European tour with loud, strummy pals Playlounge beginning June 7 in Berlin and wrapping two weeks later at a city and venue TBD (the final confirmed date is June 19 in Utrecht).



>> And yet we are not done mentioning Johnny Foreigner. It seems that the band's guitar tech, who we only know by the first name James, has a bedroom pop project of his own called Mutes. The project has just borne fruit in the form of an impressive digital EP titled, well, EP. Mutes jokingly describes itself as "proper B-Town lad-rock grit-pop lash-monster" at YouTube, one of the two places the EP is streaming, but in truth the collection spans pastoral, Flying Saucer Attack-styled shoegaze, spacey acoustic reveries and more straightforward electropop sounds. The highlight of the collection is the curiously titled "M.P.D.G.," a title that reveals little. But the song takes the tambourine-spangled free jangle of The Feelies' "When Company Companies" and tones it down, making it more mysterious and inviting at the same time, like the sound of a far-off, late-night beach party that you can't get close to no matter how long you walk toward it. "M.P.D.G." is trailed by an even quieter and more mysterious (yet mildly psychedelic) number called "Port Sunlight," with inscrutable, echoed vocals and softly bending guitar lines tugging the listener along a beautiful melody buffeted by a light drone in the background. Closer "Smother" is a more uptempo pop number that proves Mutes has more than an admirable skill for crafting quiet psych balladry; instead "Smother" builds a firmament of percolating guitar loops into a colorful cloud while a danceable beat pushes layered vocals and simple, pretty harmonies. This debut collection from Mutes is remarkable, and we hope that EP is but a small taste of what the project has in store; it's certainly one of the best surprises we've encountered yet in 2013. Stream it below.