Today's Hotness: Fennesz/O'Rourke, Cold Pumas, Sneeze, Flout

>> This reviewer is an expert on neither the vast, sprawling output of Tokyo-based Jim O'Rourke (long a mainstay of both Chicago and New York's experimental and avante garde scenes) nor the stirring oeuvre of Vienna's electronic sound sculptor Christian Fennesz, but he is certain of one thing: these artists deservedly command massive respect from a devoted global following. But even novitiates will find appealing the melodic warp and textured weft of the duo's forthcoming Editions Mego set, It's Hard For Me To Say I'm Sorry. The two-track collection, due June 24, spans an LP and captures the familiar signatures of each composers as the sides unfold. Based on the preview excerpt -- a generous six minutes extracted from the amorous "I Just Want You To Stay" -- the unfolding occurs at a slow, Steve Reich-ian pace. The tune's soft churning reveals endlessly delayed melody lines, otherworldly, convulsing synthesizers and a guitar sound that resembles industrial sawing. The sum of the parts calls to mind peers in the contemporary ambient electronic artists such as Tim Hecker, particularly his Virgins album, as well as the gifted stable of artists that annually populates Kompakt's compelling Pop Ambient series. "I Just Want You To Stay" largely floats throughout the excerpt, a whorl of melodies cinematic and futuristic. At least for O'Rourke, the song could signal exciting new territory for the endlessly restless and creative compositional mind to explore. Editions Mego is offering It's Hard For Me To Say I'm Sorry as a vinyl LP, CD or digital download; pre-orders are already available right here. Stream the excerpt of "I Just Want You To Stay" via the embed below. -- Edward Charlton



>> Despite having been released four years ago, love for Brighton, England quartet Cold Pumas' debut long-player Persistent Malaise endures, and quite strongly in certain strata of the American undercosm. This reviewer has noted the continued inclusion of Malaise shoulda-been hits "Fog Cutter" and "Sherry Island" on late-night Portland house party playlists, alongside related efforts of Cold Pumas fronter Dan Reeves and his label Faux Discx. It was heartening to learn earlier this spring that the band are still at it, apparently further tweaking its mechanized noise-pop for a pending Faux Discx and Gringo Records release The Hanging Valley. Due July 1, the set includes nine new tracks; based on two fetching preview tunes, the group remains faithful to its favored motorik rhythms and wistful bummer-pop. Leading preview single "A Change of Course" is strikingly more dense and melodic than what we've come to expect from the band; it takes the two-chord pull formula of earlier tunes such as "Sherry Island" and compacts it to fit a sub-three-minute pop framework that echoes the more shoegazey side of early Deerhunter. It may very well be the best thing the Brighton combo has released (to date). Second single "Fugue States" stretches into a longer runtime, and employs open, ringing chords alongside a rambling, Ian Curtis-styled deadpan that reminds listeners that Cold Pumas know their classic gloomy post-punk inside and out. Based on these two rich samples, Clicky Clicky can only expect that the forthcoming The Hanging Valley will be as timeless and tasteful as its predecessor. Faux Discx is offering the record in a limited edition of 1,000 vinyl LPs (half of them black, half of them an undisclosed color), as well on CDs and as a digital download. Pre-order the set right here, and stream both preview tracks via the embeds below. -- Edward Charlton





>> Sneeze effectively predicted the au courant grunge-rock house-show wave currently gripping swathes of the American underground with its releases dating back to 2011, and now the celebrated Boston power trio stands at the ready to cement its O.G. status with a forthcoming new EP, Rot. The short set arrives this fall -- yes, way off in the distance on September 23 -- via Glory Kid Records, which also released the three's excoriating slay-fest Wilt in 2014. Rot's lead single "Food" doesn't deviate far from the act's established, thrashy punk-pop template, but its more lively feel and chunky, bristling distortion and feedback connects its efforts at least spiritually with those of some of the genre's current DIY stars, including Oakland's mighty Happy Diving. Indeed, the humid, overdriven guitar production and ever-crashing cymbals that are the hallmark of Happy Diving producer Jack Shirley and his Atomic Garden studio are prominent here, although for Sneeze the sound was realized by Western Mass.-based, hit-making engineer Justin Pizzoferrato -- known for his work with everyone from Dinosaur Jr. to Parquet Courts to Kindling. So the vim, hooks and production of "Food" makes it a pit-ready bomb of a tune that packs enough smarts and chugging melodrama in its brief minutes to drive the crowd to the merch table, where they'll hopefully be lucky enough to get their hands on one of the only 300 LPs being pressed (200 to traditional black media and another 100 to transparent black; the set will also be available as a digital download). Pre-order Rot from Glory Kid right here. -- Edward Charlton



>> When we last wrote of Warwick, New York home recorder Flout last year, we noted mastermind John DeRosso's skillful embrace of atypical production techniques and the way they enhanced the lo-fi project's charm. That same charm marks his recently released collection Norman Doors, a terrific and understated set that surreptitiously slipped onto Bandcamp with eleven more tracks of beautiful, and beautifully intimate, indie pop. Amazingly, Norman Doors was recorded throughout DeRosso's parent's house on an iPhone 6, yet the songs sound as great as ever, and feature as many overdubs and coincidental quirks as Flout's fantastic 2014 debut, Gims. Early track "Safelight" opens with present and confident vocal lines -- the first intriguing line is "I want a broken windshield" -- before masterful harmony lines shepherd a brief, electric sunshine-pop section replete with a toy synth line that soon collapses under its own communion. Like many of DeRosso's compositions, the success of the piece often rests in its ability to hold back, never outstaying its welcome. "Seven*Five" charts an opposite course, allowing itself time to open up with warm electric palm muting, drums and the laments of an unfolding relationship. "17M" further limns what DeRosso does so well. Beginning with fragile acoustic guitar and soft vocals and with the hiss of the room in the background, the song inevitably erupts into a Guided By Voices-inspired rocker that marries thick and chunky power chords with a simple, flute-like synth and dueling leads. Vibrant closer and set highlight "R.E.A." further illuminates DeRosso's range -- the blazing tambourine, ringing acoustics and smooth, watery vocals prove that Flout needs nothing more than a $100 device and an affordable carrier to capture his minimal pop world in the magic of his bedroom. Norman Doors is available to download for any price right here, and we highly recommend it. -- Edward Charlton

And Then This Happened: Noise For Toys II with Elizabeth Colour Wheel, Coaches, Kindling, Gold Muse | Make Out Point | 12 Dec.

[PHOTOS: the great Jay Kumar and the Clicky Clicky Photo Desk] Now that was a spectacular rock show; all the A games were brought. More words later... perhaps? Happy holidays to all, and thanks to everyone who brought a toy that will certainly make the season brighter for a kid in need. And especially heartfelt thanks to those who made the drive, shared their gear, arranged for the space, and gave of their enormous talent. Stars all. See you next year for NFTIII. Pencil yourselves in for the Clicky Clicky Winter Ball in January, and keep Feb. 27 open for a very, very special Clicky Clicky event.

Noise For Toys II: Elizabeth Colour Wheel, Coaches (EP Release), Kindling, Gold Muse | Make Out Point | 12 Dec.

It feels good to give back. And as we age, and recognize how we've relied on others to carry us through the times we needed carrying, that good feeling only grows stronger each time we are able to give. Sure, our virtual lives at times seems like an endless chain of crowdfunding requests, some laughable, others heart-wrenching. But that's for good reason: at its best, the "crowd" is strong, and can accomplish amazing things. Sadly, it seems sometimes the idea gets lost, or at least seems so self-evident as to go unheeded, that the community exists for the benefit of the community. While it may not be apparent on a daily basis, our fortunes all rise and fall together. And a little help from everyone can go a long way.

Take toys. A toy for a kid that has less and needs a little more can mean the world, the difference between hopelessness and hope. To try to help tip the scales toward the latter for as many young people as possible this holiday season, we've once again banded together with our good friends from noise-rock five Coaches and South Shore music blogging standard-bearer The Ash Gray Proclamation to parlay our collective affinity for independent music into something bigger and better: Noise For Toys II. The show is this Saturday at 8PM at Make Out Point, which is an alias for an alternative show space. To get the address, hit us up or ask a punk. While that might seem a touch complicated, the overarching idea is simple. You bring an unwrapped toy to this incredible rock show, we do what needs doing to get it into the hands of a kid, and you get to see four of the finest underground rock acts the region has to offer. Coaches will play, of course, and we've tapped other hitmakers of the day for the event, as well: No Idea recording artists Kindling, rising dream-core goliaths Elizabeth Colour Wheel, and Gold Muse, the recently commissioned collab featuring members of Soccer Mom, Swirlies and Earthquake Party!.

This bill is almost too good to be true. Readers will recall from this piece last week that Coaches is celebrating the release of its terrific new EP Shush as part of the show. Additionally, Western Mass. bigs Kindling are packing up their three-guitar attack and towering wall of sound and trekking to Boston for the show. Released just last month, the quintet's stormy Galaxies 12" touts four tunes that build off its early, Velocity Girl-inspired sound and rev it up with blunt, punky energy. Elizabeth Colour Wheel's recent ascent continues unabated; its very successful 2015 included the release of a debut EP (which Clicky Clicky premiered right here), some well-received singles (including the holiday-themed Dolly Party cover embedded below) and many mesmerizing live shows. Gold Muse just in the past week released to the wilds of the Interzizzles its debut digital single, "Easy Dance" b/w "Sometimes Smiling," and it is light, nimble and intoxicating. The pop-leaning sound may be a bit of a surprise given the combo's component parts, but with ready hooks, fluid dynamics and Deborah Warfield's inviting vocals, each song is a winner. So yeah, we think the show is going to be really great.

Look, we recognize our game is indie rock, and our day-to-day is not about curing society's ills. But at its heart indie rock is optimistic, in that we all believe there is a better way to make, live, and breathe music. There are kids out there that need a reason to be optimistic, too, some sign that there are people out there pulling for them. Let's be those people. And let's rock Saturday night. Let's rock most steadfastly. Stream tunes from the four bands via the embeds below.

Elizabeth Colour Wheel: Bandcamp | Facebook
Coaches: Bandcamp | Facebook
Kindling: Bandcamp | Facebook | Internerds
Gold Muse: Bandcamp | Facebook

Infinity Girl, Kindling, Elizabeth Colour Wheel, Big Eater | Out Of The Blue Too | 8 Nov.

Just look at this goddamn show tonight.

Infinity Girl: Bandcamp | Facebook
Kindling: Bandcamp | Facebook | Internerds
Elizabeth Colour Wheel: Bandcamp | Facebook
Big Eater: Bandcamp | Facebook

Show Us Yours #24: Kindling

Attentive readers with fairly decent memories know that Clicky Clicky fell pretty hard for Western Mass.-based shoegaze duo Kindling early on, back when it was intent on building an open-ended catalogue of demos called Spare Room [link] in an apartment. Well, it turns out the little shoegaze pair that could -- comprised of bike shop guy and Ampere fronter Stephen Pierce and Gretchen Williams, whose proverbial bag is global health and human rights -- had a big 2014: releasing its beautifully blurred debut single "Spike & Wave" via Dallas-based Moon Sound Records; moving into a proper practice space; expanding its lineup to include dudes named Andy, Andy and Jonathan; and performing its first live gigs. And 2015 looks to be even bigger, as the now-quintet plans to record a couple times this month, including a shoe brand-sponsored session at Q Division Studios in Somerville, before starting to track a Kindling full-length later in the year. We decided to check in with guitarist and co-founder Stephen Pierce for an interview before things got too hairy, to learn more about Kindling's new rehearsal digs at Easthampton, Mass.' Sonelab and general goings-on. We thank Mr. Pierce for his time and attentiveness, and invite you to read our exchange below.

Clicky Clicky: So why do you use this practice space? What makes it the best space for Kindling right now?

Stephen Pierce: Sonelab is great. It's a three-minute bike ride or drive from most of our houses, which is huge and makes it feel worth it for me to go down there even if just for an hour or so to work on ideas. It's a 24-hour space, too, which is nice when you can't start practice sometimes until 9pm. Because it's in a warehouse that otherwise hasn't been too developed (beyond the studio, the practice spaces, and two (!!) breweries), we don't have to really worry too much about disturbing anyone. A luxury, to be sure, for a loud band.

CC: Is there an idiosyncrasy or quirk to the space that has affected the sound of one of your songs, or even the overall Kindling sound? I imagine that might have been more of an issue before you moved into Sonelab, yeah?

SP: I think having the green light to get every amp going at once has had an impact on what full-band Kindling sounds like, sure. Like, when I'd plug in at home, or even when recording Gretchen's vocals for the 7", we'd be hyper-aware that we were right above the downstairs neighbor's living room. They're friends of ours, but that made us even more conscious of volume than we would've been had they been strangers. Like, it's easier to just say "fuck 'em, they can deal with it" if you don't know who you're inconveniencing. I guess I'd still feel pretty guilty about that, too. In any case, sound changes when it gets louder, and the songs that we had quietly written and recorded at home get a chance to open up now that we're A) a full band, and B) at Sonelab.

CC: You walk into your space. What's the first thing that you smell?

SP: Any sort of mix of old warehouse smells, like old wood, and lately solder if I've been working on wiring pedals. We never let it get so bad that it smells like old beer, but a world could exist where that may happen someday.

CC: I assume with the recording studio as part of the complex -- that's right, yeah? -- the spaces must be pretty well sound-proofed? Or can you only play when there are no sessions on? Does Mr. Pizzoferrato ever wander in?

SP: Well, the studio is definitely a part of it, but they have a good buffer between the studio and the rooms. I've never heard anything coming from the studio when I'm in our room, and they're super soundproofed, so I've got to imagine that they don't hear whatever's going on in the spaces. We can play whenever. The rooms themselves, though, will definitely experience bleed from neighboring rooms, but I don't think it would really ever be audible while playing except for, like, the quietest bands. No one's drowning anyone else out, I don't think.

With Justin, usually it's the other way around, where I'll go pop into the studio and hang out in his control room with him when buddies are recording, but that's not super often. I try to be conscious about how an outsider's presence may alter a band's studio experience or productivity or whatever. As ya do, I make sure that I'm not coming at the worst possible time before going in. You know.

CC: I didn't realize that Ampere was still a going concern until I saw some notices about recent shows.

SP: Ha, yeah! We're still at it. As long as people want us to do the occasional cool thing in a part of the world that we've never visited, we're down. Like, we're going to Sweden in April to play a single show. Ampere usually practices at Will's studio, Dead Air, in Leverett, which is about 30 minutes from Easthampton, but [we] recently practiced at the Kindling space for the first time. It was fun, but it just sounded and felt weirdly different. I'm sure it was mostly just the context of one band practicing where another band lives.

CC: Kindling has expanded since we first started writing about the band. Has that changed the songwriting process at all? Would you say Kindling is now more "bandy?"

SP: I mean, we're definitely a BAND and we definitely develop by interacting with each other's parts, but the writing process is still something I do at home or on my own at the space rather than at practice. I tend to get the song fully worked out and recorded before we try to start learning it together. The recordings streamline things, make it easier to communicate ideas, especially when you're a guy that isn't super comfortable with the idea of telling people what to do. I've been in bands with Andy, our drummer, since I was a teenager, though - so, really, the drums that I hear in my head when working on the songs at home end up syncing up perfectly with the sort of stuff he'd do. From exposure, Andy's become the drummer in my head, which definitely makes things easy and fast on that end.

CC: So you are the sole songwriter then? Does Gretchen contribute lyrics, or is that all you as well?

SP: No, I'd hesitate to say that I'm the sole songwriter. When you bring other people into a creative thing, whatever you start with becomes a lot more fluid. There's an ebb and a flow. Gretchen brings a lot to shaping the songs, and often the recordings that I begin with will be edited to, like, change a lead or something based on her feedback. It's really important to the band, I think, to have her as a creative partner. It forces me to think outside of myself, which can be hard for me to do after spending, you know, a full day playing the same riff over and over, then listening back to that riff. New ideas that I wouldn't necessarily land on by myself come from that. And lyrically, it's a split responsibility. We started the band together, and I'd never ever want to downplay how important a role she plays in what the end-product is.

CC: All that aside, what do the next six months look like for Kindling?

SP: We're recording a few times [this month] -- two days with Justin, and one day at Q Division in Somerville for a Converse Rubber Tracks session. They have a few pieces of cool gear there that I've never used before, like an Echoplex EP-3 and a Roland Space Echo, so we wrote a song kind of designed to make the most of that stuff. Not too far after that, we'll be going back to Sonelab to record a full-length, which we're just about done working on. The hope is to spend a few weekends playing shows - like New York/Brooklyn, Boston, Philly or wherever makes sense - with friends' bands, but I guess with the recordings coming up so soon, we'll think harder about firming that sort of thing up after we're done. I think it's best for me to only be super-focused on one thing at a time. There's a good deal of insanity, by the way, that goes into our process. All of which [is] on my end.

Moon Sounds Records plans to issue "Spike & Wave" on cassette, according to this Facebook status, so for those of you who feel the vinyl 7" isn't quite anachronistic enough for you, take heart! Apparently, the 300-piece initial pressing of the single to vinyl is dwindling, so if you want one of those, you'd best get on that now. We premiered the single right here in July, and we are very much looking forward to hearing the planned new recordings.

Previous Show Us Yours episodes:
Shapes And Sizes | Dirty On Purpose | Relay | Mobius Band | Frightened Rabbit | Assembly Now | Meneguar | Okay Paddy | Charmparticles | Calories | Sun Airway | It Hugs Back | Lubec | A Giant Dog | Bent Shapes | Krill | Golden Gurls | Earthquake Party! | Hallelujah The Hills | Seeds Of Doubt | The Cherry Wave | Coaches | Night Mechanic

Premiere: Kindling's Spike & Wave 7"

One of our best tipsters had us focused on Western Mass.-based shoegaze duo Kindling pretty much from the jump, and -- as we wrote here in March -- we enjoyed the steady parade of demos the pair placed at its Bandcamp through the spring. When that parade faltered, however, other folks in the know might have wondered whither Kindling? Fear not! Principals Gretchen Williams and Stephen Pierce had simply begun concentrating on writing for a planned self-release. As that plan was being executed, however, Kindling was picked up by Dallas-based Moon Sounds Records. Clicky Clicky readers may recognize the label, as it recently issued R.M. Hendrix's Urban Turks Country Jerks, which we wrote about here in early May.

And so it comes to pass that later this week Moon Sounds will release Kindling's proper debut release, the beautifully blurred Spike & Wave 7" EP. The short set proffers four tunes saturated with trenchant melodies and monolithic guitars; it will be available in a limited edition of 300 lavender vinyl singles with sleeve art that evokes the cover of Bauhaus' classic third LP The Sky's Gone Out. Two of Kindling's new tunes have been streaming online for a few weeks, but we are very pleased to be able to premiere the whole kit and caboodle for Clicky Clicky readers today. Like those lollipops with gum in the center, there's a delicious tension in Kindling's music, namely the play between cacaphonous, towering guitars and Gretchen and Stephen's dreamy and serene vocals. The tension is there in the opener "Other Times," and reliably appears in "Sunspots", "Given" and "A Return" as well. We've stated previously that the sound reminds us of Velocity Girl's mammoth first LP Copacetic, and we stand by that assessment. We think Spike & Wave is just the sort of thing Clicky Clicky readers are looking for, so stream the entire EP via the embed below, and then click right here to order it from Moon Sounds ahead of the proper July 17 release date. We eagerly await word that Kindling has begun playing shows, and will certainly alert readers to that fact and particularly to when the band makes it to Boston to rock face. In the meantime, permit Spike & Wave to rock your ears.

Kindling: Bandcamp | Facebook | Interzizzles | Soundcloud

Today's Hotness: White Laces, Fennesz, Hymnals

>> It's a bit of an understatement to say things have timed out pretty nicely for White Laces of late. Hot on the heels of finishing the recording of a sophomore LP with renowned Philadelphia producer Jeff Zeigler in December, the hotly tipped, Richmond-based futurepop four was selected to support The War On Drugs' current U.S. tour, which has its penultimate stop at Boston's Paradise Rock Club tomorrow. Reviews of the Laces' supporting slots have been solid, and we've heard reports that the guys have stayed healthy and sane (and, importantly, literally on the road, when that sort of thing counted). But for those not lucky enough to be on the tour rout, the most exciting thing of late coming out of the White Laces camp is the first taste of the forthcoming LP, Trance, a bombastic, kinetic and fluid groover called "Skate Or Die." The sounds are bigger, fronter Landis Wine's vocals more desperate, and one can literally hear the band expanding on its sonic proposition, becoming bigger and bolder, on the new tune. There are as yet no public plans for the release of Trance, but the looks and listens White Laces have been garnering on the current tour -- the band's first circumnavigation of the U.S. -- will likely prove invaluable when it comes to finding a home for the collection. So get to the Paradise early on Thursday, Boston -- you will be glad you did (at least for now, tickets remain available). Last we saw the act live, it was playing a third-floor living room in J.P. in 2011, so needless to say the band has already come very far; we expect the next year will bring more of the bigger and better. Press play on "Skate Or Die" via the embed below and get ready to rawk. We reviewed White Laces debut long-player Moves right here in August 2012.



>> A reader tipped us off to the presence on YouTube of a new Fennesz song titled "Liminality," which is a slowly spiraling delight of fuzzy electric guitar and icy electronic tones. The 10-minute meditation is the third to surface from the forthcoming, seven-song collection Bécs, which will be released by Editions Mego on LP, compact disc and as a digital download April 28; Pantsfork premiered the substantially more ominous "The Liar" here in February, and the escapist fantasy "Static Kings" here in March (although the author of the latter piece seemed unaware of the former). Bécs is Vienna-based Fennesz' first solo long-player in six years (although the song "Sav" is co-written by Cédric Stevens), and it is apparently intended as a follow-up to Fennesz' ground-breaking 2001 collection Endless Summer. "Liminality" certainly seems akin to the music from that tremendous earlier LP, in terms of tone and texture. Loosely gathered electric guitar notes cluster together into jangling, fuzzy chords, and then billow loosely in the composition's quieter moments, in much the same way Bill Frisell's guitar is at its most beautiful when it just serenely sustains. Those quieter moments eventually recede as Fennesz constructs a wall of melodic distortion that undulates and ripples like the surface of a warm pool of water. It's a mesmerizing piece, one that is distinctly Fennesz. Pre-order Bécs right here, and stream the stunner "Liminality" via the embed below, while it lasts.



>> So you're one half of rad indie rock duo Kindling, and your partner in crime is out of town for a week: what do you do? Make monolithic, fuzz-blasted rock music, that's what. Seven days to himself was enough of an opportunity for Stephen, the surnameless male component of the Western Mass.-based act Kindling, to dream up "When You're Away," which he has released here under the moniker Hymnals. It's unclear how active this project will actually be, dependent as it would seem to be on Gretchen Kindling's travel schedule. The duo certainly has kept busy since we first wrote about the band right here last month. Although progress on the pair's ever-expanding demos set Spare Room would seem to have stalled, in fact the apparent inactivity is the result of the fact that Kindling has a four-song 7" in the offing, according to this Facebook status. They are still finishing up vocals, so there's no telling when we might hear this 7", so it's nice to have a new little sumpin' sumpin' from Hymnals to tide us over. Stream the blunt, concise swirl "When You're Away" via the embed below.

Today's Hotness: Kindling, Tyrannosaurus Dead, Feral Jenny

>> Sepia-toned Velocity Girl dreams and young women in tall Doc Martens, that's what an excellent new collection of songs from upstart Western Mass.-based combo Kindling makes us think of. Their set, titled Spare Room, presently has nine songs, but a Facebook status from the band a few weeks ago indicates the universe of songs will grow as the band continues writing and recording (or will once the band gets a new vocal mic, dang). In its current iteration as of press time, Spare Room comprises nine songs including a cover of Wire's "The 15th." Spare Room is filled with big fuzzy guitar strummers and subdued vocals that swim just beneath the surface of the duo's controlled cacaphony. "Escapism" touts a pop bounce and bright lead guitar line that makes it perhaps the Kindling tune most analogous to the output of the aforementioned, Maryland-bred indie rock legends. Kindling's two-person configuration likely sets them up for comparisons to contemporary UK heroes (and pairs) Playlounge and Nai Harvest, as well, but that is certainly fine company to be in, non? Gretchen and Stephen, Kindling's surnameless (for now anyway, these things eventually always sort themselves out...) principles, certainly don't struggle to give their recordings a full sound, with dense guitars, cracking snares and sizzling cymbals filling the stereo field like so much fireworks and cotton candy. The highlight of Spare Room is also the pair's loudest and dreamiest number, "Became." Here overdriven guitar compresses into a vast cloud from which Gretchen and Stephen's vocals gently whirl around each other in a head-nodding, pretty chorus accented by alternating shaker and cymbal crashes; it's a perfect song. Kindling only just created the aforementioned Facebook page for itself late last month, so we're assuming the duo is quite new. Given the great music they've written so far, we are very eager to hear what comes next. Stream all of Spare Room via the Bandcamp embed below; the music is also on offer as a paywhutchalike download here, or, if you are lucky enough to run into the band, there is photographic evidence of some CDs or CD-Rs, too.



>> London-based Oddbox Records disclosed recently that the delightful Brighton quintet Tyrannosaurus Dead is planning to record a debut full-length with Rory Atwell that will hopefully be released before the year is out. Based on this Facebook status from last week, it sounds as if tracking starts at the end of the month. To set the stage for what will surely be a bracing set of noise-pop, Oddbox has gathered up all of T-Dead's various recordings to date, including the Pure//Apart 12" EP we wrote about here last year, for a CD anthology titled, quite obviously, Greatest Hits. The CD also contains the band's self-titled EP, the Lemonade EP, a track from a Reeks Of Effort cassette compilation called GUTS, and the 7" single "Bed Dread" b/w "Oyster Boy You're A Blast" issued by San Diego's Bleeding Gold Records last July. In all, Greatest Hits touts 16 tracks, and it is the first time any of them have been released on CD, which means Tyrannsaurus Dead is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the inevitable comeback of CDs, once all the hipsters get sick of vinyl again... lulz. We're expecting big things from the planned new long-player, and hope that the sort of success that has met peer groups Joanna Gruesome and Playlounge is just around the corner for T-Dead. While we all wait for the end of the year to get here, listen in to the brilliant tracks "Buried In The Ground" and "1992" via the embed below. Each tune touts big guitars, big melodies and smart vocal interplay, with affecting lyrics of longing, youthful confusion and stunted ambition. The chorus of the blistering rocker "1992" repeatedly advises "you should lower your expectations," before pleading "can I always dream of you?" It's classic stuff. Greatest Hits is available now for £7 via the Odd Box Bandcamp page.



>> The snappy tunes of Boston-based lo-fi concern Feral Jenny never quite emerge from beneath a blanket of gentle fuzz -- perhaps even tape hiss, do the kids use the tape machines anymore, we wonder? -- but that doesn't in any way obscure or detract from the appealing character and able songcraft found on its latest collection. Feral Jenny is the nom de rock of Jenny Mudarri, and her short set Bedrooms was recorded in her childhood bedroom. It's got a homespun sound, to be sure, and calling the set anything besides a demo might be an overstatement, but there are great songs here. Underneath the scuzz and of-the-moment, surf-styled leads, there's an urgent energy that will easily translate to the stage once Ms. Mudarri gets Feral Jenny out of the bedroom. The rough edges belie the workings of a mind that seems to appreciate tidy organization: vocal layers and harmonies are neatly applied, guitar reverbs are weighed and dialed thoughtfully -- the compositional chops are all there. Its also not hard to hear the youthful energy of, say, Potty Mouth, or the introspective scab-picking of Manors in these six songs. Opener "Say The Word" blasts off with a Wyld Stallyns-esque guitar flourish and then locks into an uptempo frug of garagey chords, over which Mudarri elongates vowels and stacks vocal melodies. She aims to put a band together in Boston, but at present Mudarri is concentrating on figuring out how she can perform this new material herself without sacrificing its layers and harmonies. An earlier collection of Feral Jenny songs from 2012 titled Bowie, Too is even lower-fi, but possibly even more charming, so we recommend you stroll over here and have a listen. Bedrooms was issued at the beginning of March and you can listen to the whole deal via the Bandcamp embed below. Mudarri previously fronted the Burlington, VT pop-punk act Nancy.