Today's Hotness: California Snow Story, Dikembe,Gold Muse

>> It's been nigh on a decade since we last had something substantive to say about indie pop luminaries California Snow Story, but that's not because we took our eye off the proverbial ball. Indeed, the Scotland-based act has been on hiatus pretty much since we first wrote about them here in 2007. But its timeless, genteel pop has stuck with us, particularly 2007's terrific tune "Suddenly Everything Happens," so our desire for new California Snow Story material has never waned. We were jazzed to see bread crumbs on social media late last year suggesting the band's return, and said return transpired late last month, when its winsome, understated sophomore long-player Some Other Places arrived. The set opens with the breezy strummer "Motorway," whose instrumentation and poignant melancholy establish an appealing mood that persists across every one of the albums' 10 tracks. Escapist reveries and optimistic longing rule the day, something underscored by even the song titles: "Our New Sun," "Her Ocean Airport," and "Railway Station," to pick a few. That latter track is an album highlight; it foregrounds acoustic guitar, and its simple vocal harmonies and electric leads tidily punctuate a perfect pop gem whose cool air echoes -- among other things -- the sound of contemporary groovers Ultimate Painting. California Snow Story was formed in 2001 by Camera Obscura co-founder David Skirving, who was later joined by Spanish vocalist Sandra Belda Martãnez, Japanese keyboardist Madoka Fukushima and, occasionally, drummer and vocalist Melanie Whittle. Shelflife Records released Some Other Places as a digital download May 27, and it can be purchased via California Snow Story's Bandcamp wigwam right here. The band has indicated a release on vinyl remains a possibility, so keep an eye on its Facebook page. Shelflife previously issued the band's One Good Summer EP in 2002; the band's debut LP Close To The Ocean was released on Letterbox Records in the UK and Philippines in 2007. Stream all of Some Other Places via the embed below.



>> Due to work commitments, the mighty Dikembe's new releases and tours tend to come at this time of year, something that helps set a rhythm to our modern lives. So there was a certain satisfaction that accompanied the news that the Gainesville, Fla. emo goliaths will release next month a new LP Hail Something, the band's third and its first to be released domestically via its own Death Protector Collective subscription service. The set was preceded by a flexidisc single touting two ferocious album tracks "All Wrong" and "Awful Machine." "All Wrong" is remarkably effective given its concise build and straightforward, three-chord foundation; Dikembe's finely tuned dynamics and fronter Steven Gray's mournful growl apply all the color the song needs, and the results are spine-tingling. "Awful Machine" stretches out a bit further and touts chugging guitars and splashy cymbals. But its fine appointments in the second half -- the dry acoustic guitar and the undertow of delayed and reversed guitars -- proclaim the strength of the quartet's composition. A third new tune, "Just Explode," is also streaming at Bandcamp, and you should be able to listen to all three via the embed below. If you'll indulge the tangent, artist-based subscription services are something that we've followed (and certain of our esteemed colleagues including the great Koomdogg have written about) since the turn of the century. In those early days, technical glitches created hurdles to providing really fulfilling digital subscriptions, but the march of technology would seem to have alleviated most old concerns. So in a way it is surprising more artists don't avail themselves of this type of platform, and we're hopeful to see more efforts like Dikembe's emerge. Hail Something will be released in the U.S. July 12; the set will also be issued on Dog's Knight in the U.K. and Lost Boy in Australia. Lucky American fans will be able to see the act perform live during an 11-day jaunt that kicks off July 18 in the nation's capital; full dates are posted below. We previously reviewed Dikembe's debut LP Broad Shoulders here in 2012 and sophomore set Mediumship right here in 2014.

07.18 -- Comet Ping Pong -- Washington, DC
07.19 -- Aviv -- Brooklyn, NY
07.20 -- Amityville Music Hall -- Amityville, NY
07.21 -- PhilaMOCA -- Philadelphia, PA
07.22 -- The Mr. Roboto Project -- Pittsburgh, PA
07.23 -- Mahall's -- Lakewood, OH
07.24 -- Downstairs (at SubT) -- Chicago, IL
07.26 -- Nostromo -- Nashville, TN
07.27 -- The Shark Tank -- Tallahassee, FL
07.28 -- Loosey's -- Gainesville, FL
07.29 -- Will's Pub -- Orlando, FL



>> Boston noise-pop leading lights Gold Muse recently released to the wilds of the Internerds a third digital single, just in time to help promote their very enviable slot opening for Philly 'gaze gigantes Nothing at Cambridge's Sinclair last weekend. Both new numbers, "Trick Of Time" b/w "Waves," are jarringly urgent, pretty, dark, and bracing. Continuing a trend first charted on "Kiss The Sun" earlier this year, the visceral rocker "Trick Of Time" features increased vocal interplay between Deb Warfield and guitarist Dan Parlin. That said, no song element is superfluous, and every one feels necessary: Justin Lally's syncopated drumming, William Scales' rapid-fire bass line, the skeletal guitar, the bending synth tones. At greater than six minutes, "Waves" is the foursome's longest foray to date, and it manifests certain of the band's post-rock impulses. The rhythm plods at first, the arrangement -- anchored to a dry acoustic guitar -- is spare, and the vibe is morose. But Ms. Warfield's simple organ enters at the midpoint and transforms the song into a rarified elegy that suggests turn-of-the-'70s Pink Floyd in the best possible way. It's a new direction, and both songs present exciting new ways forward for Gold Muse. Moreover, the release represents a bit of a departure for the band process-wise, as these are the first songs the band recorded with area hit-maker Brad Krieger. Indeed, the sessions, if memory serves, were the last done at Hanging Horse studios original Norwood, Mass. location. There hasn't been any indication of when Gold Muse's next release or live performance will transpire, but we will certainly keep readers apprised. In the meantime, listen to the terrific "Trick Of Time" b/w "Waves" via the Bandcamp embed below.

Today's Hotness: The Fuzz, Gold Muse, Lubec

>> While media reports decry the slow-down of the Chinese economy, the vast nation's production of top-tier indie rock seems to continue unabated. Or at least that's the impression we get based on the output of de facto flagship label Maybe Mars, which has a dynamite 2016 planned. Among the label's first releases of the year is the long-player The Root Of Innocence from indie rock quartet The Fuzz (a/k/a Chinese Fuzz or Fazi). The 11-track set was released Tuesday, and the lead preview track was the dreamy, synth-led treat "0909 II." The song's icy keys and sparkling guitars communicate a love of '80s UK darkwave, perhaps even an affinity for A Flock Of Seagulls. We admittedly know little else about The Fuzz, but comparing two versions of the band's "Control" -- one from a 2014 compilation and the other from the new record -- gives some indication of the band's artistic development. The compilation version (from Maybe Mars' collection The XP Sound Vol. 1) is a big, guitar-driven rocker. But this version that opens The Root Of Innocence is more atmospheric, reverberant and mysterious. The English language Internet tells us The Fuzz hails from Xi'an, capital of the northwestern Chinese province of Shaanxi (thanks Wikipedia!). The Fuzz will tour China in March and April to support the release of The Root Of Innocence, according to Maybe Mars, and the tour aims to visit about 40 cities. The band also intends to record its next record during the tour. If you happen to have the good fortune to be in China this spring, keep an eye out for the band. For the rest of us, streaming The Root Of Innocence will have to tide us over for the time being.

>> Relatively new 'gaze-pop four Gold Muse this week released a second digital single, which is not only notable for its great songs, but also because it shows a promising level of productivity for the Boston supergroup. Considering the easy pace at which certain of Gold Muse's members' other bands have released music, fans have reason to be pleased. As we've reported elsewhere, Gold Muse formed only last year, and is comprised of current or former members of Swirlies, Soccer Mom and Earthquake Party!; it took Soccer Mom about five years to release its only LP, and in about the same amount of time the still-quite-active Earthquake Party! has released but six songs. Gold Muse's rate of output appears Pollardian by comparison! The act's terrific "Kiss The Sun" b/w "Your Floral Crown" digital 1-2 presents a decidedly moodier side of the band, in contrast to its terrific first single. Deb Warfield's vocals and the exercised bass in the verses of "Kiss The Sun" deliciously echo classic Unrest, although the frantic jangle and explosive distortion of Dan Parlin's guitar propel the song somewhere altogether more dynamic. Darker still is the Parlin-sung "Your Floral Crown," which is led by an ominous, ascending synth melody buoyed by parallel bass work from Will Scales. Reverbed guitar sparkles faintly in the mix of the chorus, while a characteristically desperate vocal from Parlin is foregrounded, and the song soars to a dramatic conclusion across the back of some droning guitars and Justin Lally's bashing of the drum kit. It's a very strong single, and Gold Muse thankfully already has plans for a third, which it will begin work on this very weekend at Norwood, Mass.'s storied Hanging Horse studio. Which is not the only thing in Gold Muse's date book for the next 48 hours: indeed, Sunday the band plays night #4 of Magic Magic's current residency at Boston's Great Scott rock club (also on the bill are Boston treasures Hallelujah The Hills and Twin Foxes). Coincidentally, at Hanging Horse Gold Muse will work with hitmaker/engineer Bradford Krieger, who is presently playing in Magic Magic (in addition to his own project). It's all very serendipitous. Get that feeling by streaming "Kiss The Sun" b/w "Your Floral Crown" via the embed below, and click through to purchase the tunes.



>> It's been a while since we've heard from dream-pop heroes Lubec, but the brilliant Portland, Ore.-based trio return at long last next week with an EP it has been teasing since last summer. Dubbed Concentration and featuring pop hits "Late Bloomer" and "Many Worlds" ahead of the title track, the initial plan was for a vinyl and cassette release (as we wrote here in July), but plans on the former fell through. The music, of course, was very much worth the wait: the three songs on Concentration continue Lubec's winning ways, all sparkling guitars and massive melodies and the dueling vocals of guitarist Eddie Charlton and keyboardist Caroline Jackson. "Late Bloomer" in particular feels like a milestone for the band, with Ms. Jackson's vocals in particular literally and figuratively echoing the classic Slumberland sound, and Mr. Charlton's splashes of guitar and expansive, reverbed picking leading the songs through effervescent verses and arresting choruses to a deliciously jammy final minute marked by deftly arranged dynamics where big strums and explosive drums from kit-minder Matt Dressen trade off. Touchy Feely releases Concentration in a limited edition of 100 cassettes on Feb. 5. Lubec plays a release show for the cassette that very evening at Portland hot-spot The Know with support from Post Moves and Seattle's Versing, and full deets for that show are right here. Lubec plans a return to the studio in March to begin recording an LP with producer Dylan Wall that will be the follow-up to the band's titanic album The Thrall [review], which was among our favorite albums of 2014. We're hopeful Lubec will get out for another east coast jaunt this summer; keep hope alive by streaming the terrific "Late Bloomer" and "Many Worlds" via the embed below, and click here to grab your copy of the tape before copies are gone.

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

Review: Infinity Girl | Harm

Reverent adherence to a musical aesthetic in the absence of terrific songwriting makes for forgettable music. It's a truism that separates the propped-up sounds of otherwise accomplished stylists from music on ephiphany-inducing records such as Harm, the towering sophomore LP from Brooklyn shoegaze titans Infinity Girl. The erstwhile Boston quartet has in the past remarkably conjured sounds reflecting a deep respect for the holy trinity of shoegaze, but were it not for Infinity Girl's inspired songcraft and the emotional immediacy of its songs, no one would be listening, and we certainly wouldn't be (figuratively) talking. However, it is not just the great songwriting that distinguishes Harm, but also the act's willingness to shed certain of shoegaze's characteristic sonic skin and experiment with weirder, harder and more compact sounds. The result is a breakout record, a modern classic.

Harm's 11 songs evidence the band's ability to make expansive, urbane music, while incorporating a classic punk urbanness and economy. Inspired at least in part by the band's shift in fits and starts southward, the record is darker, grappling with alienation and anxiety along with the expected heartache ("I'm kind of an introvert and find that I have a difficult relationship with the world and people that are close to me," fronter and guitarist Nolan Eley told Interview earlier this summer). The bending, fuzz-bass-fueled opener "Hesse" gives the album a feeling of beginning en medias res, which perhaps approximates the feeling of arriving in Brooklyn during the gestation of the record. While the sound and vibe is definitely darker, the record is certainly not all doom and gloom. The colossal -- colossal -- hit "Dirty Sun" is an addicting, upbeat rocker, despite its recitation of love gone wrong ("...navigate your arms, they are crossed, like they always are..."). And there is joy in the quick pulse and subsequent stilted thrash of "Heavy." Another important piece of Harm is the growing role of lead guitarist Kyle Oppenheimer as a songwriter and vocalist; his arresting and sweet "Young," in particular, teeters at the edge of an innocence lost, his desperate, broken-winged vocal in the final 40 seconds will raise the hair on the back of one's neck.

Giving the record the headphones treatment quickly brings into focus that the delays and reverbs that are the stock in trade of the classic shoegaze sound have been significantly tamped down. The meaner, more sculpted textures Infinity Girl presents make Harm its most sophisticated record to date, and this is perhaps nowhere more apparent than on the amazing "Locklaun." After a stuttering opening, the tune's huge sonic surges recall Nine Inch Nails' brutalist excoriation "Wish" or even certain ridiculously loud Jon Spencer guitar solos. Sebastian Modak's drumming here and across the record is caffeinated to the point of punchy, emphasizing the post-punk heart beating here. And so Harm is a next-level record that has literally taken the band to the next level. The band revealed in late spring that it had signed with San Diego-based emo powerhouse Topshelf Records for the release, which streeted Friday. With Harm, Infinity Girl has released not only a truly great record, but a defining noise-pop record, on par with monumental releases from its original Boston base of operations including Swirlies' Blonder Tongue Audio Baton and Drop Nineteens' epochal Delaware.

Harm is available on black, grey marble and clear with "black smoke" 12" vinyl -- available a la carte or as a 3-LP bundle -- and digital download; order your copy from Topshelf Records right here. Infinity Girl fête the release of Harm with two big, big rock shows, including one Sept. 5 in Boston at Great Scott with psych-rockers The New Highway Hymnal, Fiddlehead, and the highly touted Gold Muse, who we believe will be at long last making their live debut. For those of you keeping score at home, Gold Muse consists of former members of Soccer Mom, Justin Lally from pop savants Earthquake Party! (whose long, long anticipated debut long-player seems to have finally been completed), and Deb Warfield, who has logged time with scad of acts including the aforementioned Swirlies and Broken River Prophet. Additional Infinity Girl shows include the Brooklyn release show at Shea Stadium Wednesday and a date Sept. 29 at Palisades, also in Brooklyn. We've heard chatter that there will be a formal tour before the end of the year, so keep your eyes trained to the trusty Internet, where all things will be revealed unto you. Stream three preview singles from Harm via the SoundCloud embeds below, or click here to stream the whole banana over at Billbored.

Infinity Girl: Bandcamp | Facebook | Internerds | Soundcloud







Prior Infinity Girl Coverage:
That Was The Show That Was: Infinity Girl, Lubec, Guillermo Sexo, Havania Whaal | Great Scott | 9 July
Topshelf Signs Infinity Girl, Titanic Sophomore LP Harm Due Aug. 28, Hear First Single "Firehead" Now
Clicky Clicky Music Blog's Top Albums Of 2012: Jay Edition
That Was The Show That Was: Infinity Girl EP Release Show With New Highway Hymnal, Speedy Ortiz and Soccer Mom | TT The Bear's | 5 Dec.
That Was The Show That Was: Clicky Clicky Community Servings Benefit Show Thank Yous And Wrap-Up
Today's Hotness: Infinity Girl
Review: Infinity Girl | Just Like Lovers EP
Forever Now: The Infinity Girl Interview
Review: Infinity Girl | Stop Being On My Side

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

Clicky Clicky Music Blog's Top Albums Of 2014: Jay Edition

It can feel anti-climactic, writing the intro blurb to the year-end list. The choices are made, the listening, the re-listening, the consideration all put to bed. But here's the thing: just listen again and the records spring to life -- and particularly these records: their greatness is re-greatened, just add water, and volume, the more the better. We revealed our top songs of the year here last week, and that list certainly was a strong indicator of what you'll find below. Namely: the best of the best, our favorite 10 records of 2014. Every year with a new Johnny Foreigner release is a great year, our position on that has been clear for the better part of the last decade. But there were plenty of things that were revelatory when we first heard them this year. We expected the Lubec record to be great, but did anyone expect it to overachieve so much? Certain street-level Ava Luna or Perfect Pussy fans might have expected those records to rule as hard as they did, but we were blown away. Ditto for Cookies, Literature and the mighty, mighty shoegaze concern She Sir, whose LP Go Guitars probably logged the most spins on our turntable this year of any new release. So below we break it all down (and maybe you already heard us talk it out with KoomDogg during one of the last three episodes of the Completely Conspicuous podcast). Our default position on indie rock and electronic music and the various permutations of same that we champion is decidedly optimistic. 2014 only strengthened that belief, and so we are totally stoked for 2015, which already looks like it will be brilliant based on the early notices of forthcoming LPs from Pile, Krill, Speedy Ortiz and Colleen (and maybe even The Replacements), as well as possible reissues from Lilys. Bet you can't eat just one. We humbly thank you for reading the blog in 2014.

1. Johnny Foreigner -- You Can Do Better -- Alcopop!/Lame-O

The Birmingham, England-based noise pop titans are not only amazingly prolific, but also remarkably consistent. Pessimists can sit around prognosticating a slump, but Johnny Foreigner gives no indication of obliging, even in the wake of releasing a sprawling masterwork, its third LP Johnny Foreigner vs. Everything. As we summed up here in March, the successor album "You Can Do Better is a powerful, diabolically catchy set, a compact firecracker of a record that ably and convincingly delivers the band's intelligent brand of bash and pop. The music is as dramatic and as emotionally vital as ever. The Brummies have stared down the challenge of its own album title." The lean and mean record touts potent ballads and brawlers and somehow, remarkably, was as strong as any prior release from the act. Johnny Foreigner will mark its official 10th anniversary next year, and we know fronter Alexei Berrow has already set to work on new songs for the next LP, and we couldn't be more stoked about what comes next whenever it gets here. Stream the set via the embed below, and buy it from Lame-O right here.



2. Lubec -- The Thrall -- Like Young

Oh how we waited and waited, but when Lubec's proper-ish full-length debut The Thrall finally arrived, it surpassed every expectation. The Portland dreampop unit's debut is like an ideal mate, both really smart and super pretty/handsome, and while the set didn't necessarily breach the overground, the magnificent guitar pop speaks for itself. As we said here in our review in September, "The Thrall is, simply put, a revelation, a fully realized and kaleidoscopic guitar-pop masterpiece that presents the band's striking songcraft and bright optimism within a shifting aural landscape that brilliantly balances clean, jagged leads, crystalline reverbs and thunderous percussion and fuzz." The band has already been writing new material and has studio time booked early next year, so there is more where that came from. Still, one could understand if Lubec rested on its laurels just a bit more, given the remarkable accomplishment this LP represents. Stream the set via the embed below, and buy it on cassette from Like Young right here.



3. Cookies -- Music For Touching -- Self-Released

Cookies' terrific full-length debut was preceded by a series of four 10" EPs packed with immaculate pop tracks, but even so Music For Touching was surprisingly excellent. The set synthesizes fronter Ben Sterling's affinity for contemporary pop and yen for engaging experimentalism, and the album's tracks hit the mark across the board, from the boundless groove of "Go Back" to the electrified euphoria of "1,000 Breakfasts With You." While the icy cool in meditative closer "The Dream" echoes certain tunes from Mr. Sterling's increasingly remote former life as part of the dynamite act Mobius Band, the path forward for Mr. Sterling's present project feels extremely ripe for exploration. Hopefully a new record isn't as long in coming as this one was; we reviewed Music For Touching here. Stream it via the embed below, and buy the set from the band right here.



4. Krill -- Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears -- Exploding In Sound

The smartest, most intellectually challenging act in contemporary indie rock this year scored big with an EP highlighted by a song in which the fronter imagines he is a literal piece of shit. Indeed, the tension between Krill's academic, "high art" idea/ls and visceral everyman narratives is perhaps the act's most potent calling card, but the band's very relatable humor and inclination toward rock songs that rock make Krill's work connect no matter the level at which the listener (or reviewer) chooses to engage. Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears was a triumph, and we are expecting big things from the band's next LP, A Distant Fist Unclenching, as well. The forthcoming collection is slated for release in February; buy Steve from Exploding In Sound right here.



5. Perfect Pussy -- Say Yes To Love -- Captured Tracks

The meteoric rise of Perfect Pussy in 2014 created a platform for the band's fiery, progressive politics, and set the stage for a planned 2015 solo set from brilliant fronter Meredith Graves. But, more importantly for us, the Syracuse noise-punk quintet's dynamite Say Yes To Love placed hardcore-influenced music center stage -- at least in the underground, which as we all know is the only 'ground that matters. The exhilarating record is arguably the best melodic hardcore collection since Fucked Up's David Comes To Life. We spent a lot of time listening to straightedge hardcore at the turn of the '90s, so Perfect Pussy's ferocious collection felt a bit like coming home, and a bit like sticking one's head out the window of a car at 60 miles per hour. The future feels bright for the act, and we're hopeful that its pronounced stances on social issues might also spur a revival of the liberal politics of two decades ago in independent rock music. Dillon Riley reviewed Say Yes To Love for Clicky Clicky right here in March. Buy the record from Captured Tracks right here.



6. She Sir -- Go Guitars -- Shelflife

Oh how we waited and waited and waited for this one, too. After all, She Sir's triumphant preceding set Who Can't Say Yes was released seven years -- an Internet lifetime -- ago. What we finally got in 2014 was the year's most lush and pristine dream-pop record. As strong as label Shelflife's roster is, and as focused as its aesthetic is, we were still overjoyed when the Portland-based enterprise announced it had signed the Austin quartet, as the pairing seemed ideal. Senior Writer Edward Charlton deemed Go Guitars, which he reviewed here in February, a "tour de force of sunny, spectral and shimmering rock" music. The Clicky Clicky Brain Trust expected it would be one of the year's best, and the Clicky Clicky Brain Trust was right. Buy Go Guitars from Shelflife right here, and stream it via the embed below.



7. Ava Luna -- Electric Balloon -- Western Vinyl

Something about the phrase "art-funk" really bothers us -- it's the built-in presumption that there isn't any art there unless you make sure to tag it on the front end (same deal with the phrase "art-pop"). Our personal hang-ups aside, the aforementioned descriptor is perfectly fitting for Ava Luna's ridiculously smart and tight LP Electric Balloon. We've seen the band live a couple times over the last couple years and their shows are mesmerizing. But the music on the LP is somehow even tighter, slightly frenetic, and rich and soulful despite a claustrophobic punk edge. We suppose it's that edge that translates more directly on the record as opposed to the stage. But, either way, it's a curious party record with a head on its shoulders. And it's one of the best records of the year. Stream Electric Balloon via the embed below, and purchase the set from Western Vinyl right here.



8. Literature -- Chorus -- Slumberland

Big, fizzing melodies and fuzzy guitars are a hallmark of the Slumberland sound, and Literature's diabolically catchy LP Chorus delivered perfectly on the Bay area label's pleasing proposition. We were surprised to learn Literature was operating out of Philadelphia, as we like to think we have a good idea of what is going on back in our former hometown. But it was a most welcome surprise, of course, and this record in particular did us a lot of good during some long and grueling stretches of work. We recall at least a couple days during which we listened to Chorus on repeat for a good five or six hours -- it's just that good, and what more could you want from a guitar-pop record? Like an ideal piece of chewing gum, the set stays fresh and flavorful for hours on end, and we look forward to hearing more from these pop savants. Buy Chorus from Slumberland right here.



9. Soccer Mom -- Soccer Mom -- 100m

Dark, beautiful and majestic, Soccer Mom's long-anticipated self-titled debut arrived and burned brightly, but the combustion was apparently too much for the act, which by the end of the summer had already announced that it was decommissioning the battle station and going into mothballs. Five-year-old Soccer Mom's record reigned in the band's overwhelming live sound, and in doing so illuminated the elegance, passion and pathos that make its songs so powerful. We highly recommend picking up the vinyl of this one, as finally hearing it on a proper turntable after listening to digital files and early mixes for about a year revealed a low-end punch we had not previously appreciated. Soccer Mom is a huge record, and sadly, is also now a monumental reminder. Will Scales and Dan Parlin recently announced they have formed a new act called Gold Muse with Young Adults' Chris Villon, Earthquake Party!'s Justin Lally and musical journeywoman Deb Warfield, and we are very excited about the possibilities there. Buy Soccer Mom -- which we premiered here in April -- from 100m Records right here.



10. Radiator Hospital -- Torch Songs -- Salinas

Sam Cook-Parrott's facility crafting catchy indie pop approaches awe-inspiring, and -- as good as Radiator Hospital's sophomore LP Torch Songs was -- there were signs that his estimable talents were seeping into more experimental territory. But his proverbial bread and butter, hook-laden power-pop anthems and poignant downer ballads, were still well-represented. The prolific songwriter's scrappy, fizzing anthems brim with emotion on this distinctly summery record. Staff Writer Dillon Riley reviewed Radiator Hospital's Torch Songs here in July. Stream the set via the embed below, and purchase it from Salinas right here.

Clicky Clicky Music Blog's Top Songs of 2014 (Jay Edition)

Another year. And one in which, frankly, we didn't get to spend nearly as much time enjoying music, experiencing it live and interacting with the cool people who make it, as we would have liked. There was a lot of life lived in 2014, a fair amount of crap to deal with. But all of it made the music we did listen to all the more precious to us. Listed below are the songs we carried in our head through long hours of work and all-too-fleeting hours of leisure, sometimes just during a dark 6AM walk or a, well, dark 5PM trot to the parking garage from the office. Oh sure, there were other massive tunes and tunes of note: who can forget Johnny Foreigner's insanely great cover of The Wannadies' legendary single "Hit?" Playlounge's fuzz-ball anthem "Zero?" The War On Drugs' entrancing "Under The Pressure?" Or basically all of She Sir's phenomenal Go Guitars? But, as we said introducing last year's list, the 10 songs listed below were the songs we sang to ourselves most throughout the year, and the songs we consumed most often according to a messy pastiche of ITunes playcounts and Last.FM scrobbles or whatever. Sure, there was no shortage of incredible songs this year, and our aim here is to make sure you hear at least these 10. But before you dive in, we'd like to acknowledge the crucial contributions to Clicky Clicky of Senior Writer Edward Charlton and Staff Writer Dillon Riley. When we are in our busy spells such as the one we're swirling in presently, these guys ARE the blog, they ARE the brand, and we sleep soundly at HQ knowing they are out there in the trenches of indie rock when we can't be. So thanks to them, and thanks to you for reading the blog this year. Expect to see a year-end list or two from Mr. Riley, as well as our own year-end albums list, before Christmas rolls around. We leave you with a quote from the immortal Homer J: "No, no, no, don't stop a'rockin'."

1. Johnny Foreigner -- "Le Schwing" -- You Can Do Better [buy]

This is a classic Johnny Foreigner ripper, sort of in the vein of "The End Is The Beginning" from way back in the demo days, but better, because somehow this band keeps getting better even 10 years on into its existence. It's also sort of a throwback to the sort of tunes that the band was writing for Grace And The Bigger Picture, songs about touring the world and messing up relationships at home. It certainly doesn't hurt that the band released a tremendous video to go along with the tune to coincide its recent South African tour. All of the Birmingham, England noise-pop titans' 2014 long-player You Can Do Better [review] is terrific, and we suppose we could just have easily have chosen "Shipping" or "Stop Talking About Ghosts" -- whose defenestrating chorus "the hardest part is letting go" may be the biggest chorus on the album. But there is something so comforting about this one. Cross those fingers that somehow -- with all of the personal stuff going on in the lives of the bandmates next year -- we get Johnny Foreigner back on U.S. soil for a tour in 2015 to support Lame-O's domestic release of the set. Devestator....

"...flew into America looking for a revelation, ended up in Washington, got our shit stolen..."



2. Krill -- "Turd" -- Steven Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears [buy]

Honestly, sometimes we think "Fresh Pond" is the better song. Hell, even the title track from Krill's 2014 EP Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears is incredible. But there is something perfect about the central metaphor of "Turd," and how its coarseness plays against the bright but tangled intellectual exercises fronter Jonah Furman is working through with his lyrics. Over and above that, it is the stirringly honest sentiment -- so uncommon among the set-piece artifices of rock music -- that makes the tune so special. As we said in our non-review [non-review] of the EP, if you'll permit us to quote ourselves: "The more we listen to Steve the more the narrative recedes, and the more we just hear the line from "Turd" over and over: "If I could just keep a commitment, maybe I'd be happier?" Real talk. What a song. What a record. We can't wait to hear Krill's next LP, which will be issued in February.

"...if I could just keep a commitment, maybe I'd be happier..."



3. Lubec -- "Sunburn!" -- The Thrall [buy]

Spoiler alert: Lubec's The Thrall is in our year-end album's list, too, and that's because all of the record is as strong as this incredible song. But let's just focus on this one for now. The production is beautifully dreamy, the vocal lines breathy and somnolent and referencing the classic Heasley/Sorrentino sounds from the earliest Lilys recordings. But there's also tremendous guitar playing here, vocals that reference Classical mythology, superlative melodies that cascade around the listener as every element in the arrangement seems to dance gracefully around where the song leads us, like birds coaxing the listener to follow. So much is happening on "Sunburn!" Why the exclamation point? We don't know. But "Sunburn!" teaches us to not question the process, because the results are so amazing. We reviewed The Thrall here in September.

"...what comes next when nothing is enough..."



4. Beach Slang -- "American Girls And French Kisses" -- Cheap Thrills On A Dead End Street EP [buy]

At first we actually thought this number was a bit corny. But it is just so outrageously catchy, the pace and energy so invigorating, the stutter at the chorus, and the forthright emotion driving it all so wildly engaging. Dare we say it recalls the great Jawbreaker, as does the rest of the terrific Cheap Thrills On A Dead End Street EP. Simple hooks, straightforward emo punk: even here there can be magic. It's exceptional songs like "American Girls And French Kisses" that reward the optimism of the serious music fan. The real headscratcher is why Beach Slang tucked this tune away as track three on this EP. But one listen will certainly lead to 30, maybe even 50, and then an hour or so trolling YouTube for live clips (there are some good ones, too). More songs like the four on this EP and we fear Beach Slang will become so successful that we'll get sick of them. But sick of this song? Probably never.

"...I hope when I die I feel this alive..."



5. Benjamin Shaw -- "You & Me" -- Goodbye, Cagoule World [buy]

Here's another tune sort of hidden away -- track six on Benjamin Shaw's wonderful seven-song set Goodbye, Cagoule World. But Clicky Clicky, as we've trumpeted many times before, will not be thwarted when it comes to finding the best jams, no matter where bands try to hide them. Label Audio Antihero made an uncharacteristically brilliant move in October, re-releasing the tune as the lead track on an EP alongside some truly stunning covers of same from other acts in the AAH stable, and we highly recommend that release to your attention. And each cover version underscores what a terrific song Mr. Shaw has here in "You & Me," from the charmingly comedic and sardonic lyrics to the affecting melody. Not content to just make a remarkable pop confection, of course, Mr. Shaw also richly appoints the tune with fine touches, like the tremeloed organ tucked into the right channel. Shaw is a treasure, and we hope he takes half as much satisfaction from his work as we get from it, and that he continues for a long, long time to come.

"...save a decade for a new leaf, and a hostile reception, for you and me..."



6. Pile -- "Special Snowflakes" -- "Special Snowflake" b/w "Mama's Lipstick" [buy, only three left]

Oh God the weight, the endlessly cool heaviness, the crooked and explosive mega-blues of Pile's "Special Snowflakes." Seeing Pile play this one live at the completely INSANE Mean Creek record release show last spring might be our live highlight of the entire year. The songcraft of Rick Maguire is stunning, and perhaps never more so than on this single, an almost-suite filled with metal parts, whipsmart dynamic, wildly inventive drumming, and Mr. Maguire's limber, stentorian vocals, whose contortions illuminate his dark lyrical imagery. But, oh God the weight. Pile. PILE.

"...now it's too tough to tell if ever he was real..."



7. Speedy Ortiz -- "American Horror" -- Real Hair EP [buy]

It continues to be Speedy Ortiz's world, and we're all just living in it, and the band's towering 2014 EP Real Hair certainly made us feel fortunate about it. The lead track from the short set, "American Horror," offers generous helpings of scraping guitar greatness, with textures and melodies reminiscent of the big rock sounds of Pavement's Brighten The Corners or a heavier reading from the book of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Fronter Sadie DuPuis' narrative of dealing with a loved one's struggles is gripping, and how she modulates her voice from the song's final chorus to its final moment is one of our favorite things about 2014, period. We've been singing this one in our head all year, and we don't really see that stopping any time soon.

"...baby ya feel so crazy, you keep me up for a whole week..."



8. Soccer Mom -- "It's Probably Not Your Fault" -- Soccer Mom [buy]

"Probably." Leave's some room, doesn't it? Soccer Mom and its self-titled LP should have been the biggest story in the Boston scene in 2014; unfortunately the act has already called it a day. If it's any consolation, we've still got their amazing record. Ironically, "It's Probably Not Your Fault" deals a bit with consoling, seemingly with coping with powerful loss. Co-fronter Dan Parlin's singing is gripping, and the melodies in the song are very engaging. But it is the bludgeoning, excoriating ending that provides the tune's most exciting and dangerous moments.

"...hopefully can replay what's left on my mind, it takes all day..."



9. The Weaks -- "How To Put An Audience To Sleep In Under Two Minutes" -- The World Is A Terrible Place & I Hate Myself And Want To Die EP [buy]

The best thing about this song is that it is actually more than two minutes long. Well, OK, that's not the best thing, but it makes us laugh every time we listen. The Weaks, emo's little band that could, decisively delivers on this kinetic belter. Massive choruses, pick slides, crushing drumming and clobbering bass playing render "How To Put An Audience To Sleep In Under Two Minutes" undeniable. Co-fronter Evan Bernard's lyrics ring so true, his singing is so unassailably so heartfelt, that it's hard to believe The Weaks haven't made a mint on just this song alone.

"...Dreams ending in white picket fences, dreams ending, the world isn't quite so big..."



10. White Laces -- "Skate Or Die" -- Trance [buy]

On an album that captures the sound of a band almost literally growing, this track in particular presents Richmond futurepop goliaths White Laces just totally going for it. Powerful rhythm tracks propel the song, furnishing a foundation for the tune's ricocheting, chiming melodies. Fronter Landis Wine's vocal become increasingly desperate and exercised as "Skate Or Die" rockets to its thrilling conclusion. Then, quietly, the song's final moments quietly shudder, reiterating its opening seconds, a twitching, winking film of oil shifting on a membrane that provides a subtle indication that the tune is a Jeff Zeigler production. "Skate Or Die" is ripe with huge moments, the kinds of moments that make it among the best songs of 2014.

"...you say it's fine, you won't come down, you want the lights, but hate the sound..."

Today's Hotness: Soccer Mom, Young Adults, Gabriel Saloman, Los Roys

>> For quite a few years we sided with Tom Petty, believing that the waiting was the hardest part. What we learned in the interim is that that feeling sort of subsides once you're an adult and a lot of life's waiting is behind you. Now we feel firmly ensconced in the Johnny Foreigner school of thought, which believes the hardest part is letting go. We were met yesterday with an opportunity to remember that, as news made its way to us that beloved Boston noise-pop goliath Soccer Mom was pulling the plug on its operation after just a couple more live shows. The context here is that The Mom will play as part of the bill for static-blasting scenemates Young Adults' final show Oct. 12. News of Young Adults' dissolution surfaced this spring, and we have steeled ourselves to the idea of living in a post-YA world, so the sting of the noisy power trio's demise has long since ebbed. But Soccer Mom's formal announcement today was certainly a surprise to many. The foursome -- founded by guitarist and singer Dan Parlin about five years ago -- rose slowly and steadily up from the Boston underground on the back of a couple singles and an EP, all of which we wrote about in these electronic pages, and with the release of its fiery self-titled full-length this past spring [review here, stream it via the embed below], it was as if the band had finally, finally arrived. Now after its show Oct. 12 and an as-yet-unannounced final show, The Mom is gone. If there is some consolation, it is that we're already hearing rumblings about new music projects coming from certain of the members of Soccer Mom, and there is similar news about new music coming from Young Adults fronter Chris Villon, and we look forward to bringing you more information about those things at the appropriate time. In the meantime, Young Adults intends to issue to the wilds of the Internets tomorrow two previously unreleased tunes "Old Kids" and "Void," and we can tell you that both of them rage against the dying of the light and are sure to inspire fist-banging mania among the band's adherents. Chances are if you keep an eye on the Young Adults Facebook page tomorrow you'll see the announcement, but you may also want to open a browser tab for this link and this link, too, just to make sure you've got an eye on things. Young Adults' final salvo into the proverbial breech will occur, as mentioned supra, Oct. 12 at Great Scott in Boston; in addition to Soccer Mom, California X and Earthquake Party! will also perform, making the show a wall-to-wall slayfest. All the details are at this Facebook event page. Now get some rest, you.



>> As the autumn leaves begin to turn and ultimately fall to the streets below, the bare trees will in turn make way for winter's eerie, late-night silences that seem to exist simply for fragile, emotional drone music. Overly sentimental, perhaps, but this reviewer will certainly be adding all 34 minutes of "The Disciplined Body" by Gabriel Saloman to his queue of introspective, ambient jams. Mr. Saloman, who operates out of Vancouver and may or may not be better know for his work with noise-duo Yellow Swans, has turned his attention of late to pleasing piano drones and swooping electronic zones for his latest, two-track release Movement Building Vol.1. The set that apparently collects recent work composed by Saloman to accompany a dance performance by fellow Vancouver-ite Daisy Karen Thompson called "Re-Marks on Source Material." Movement Building Vol.1 will be released by Shelter Press Oct. 18. An preview excerpt titled, for some reason, after the record and not the song, offers up a glimpse into Salomon's sonic world. The composition commences with glowing, quavering bass pulses, then slowly unravels. The front end of the excerpt at first sounds synthetic and vaguely electronic, but gradually gives way to a spacious instrumental section that captures the introspective, clenched emotions of the most chilly, starry evening. After two minutes, the overbearing bass steps aside and an impossibly reverberated guitar drapes a wandering, bottom-string motif over a kick drum that mimics a heartbeat -- an arresting move that gives the glacial track a queerly vital immediacy. And that's just a single excerpt! Stream "Movement Building Vol.1 (Excerpt)" as well as a second excerpt via the Soundcloud embeds below. These relatively quick flashes of the larger whole of "The Disciplined Body" makes purchasing the stark, 500-edition vinyl that much more tempting. Buy it from Shelter Press right here. -- Edward Charlton





>> Remember Bozmo? We covered the Berkeley, Calif.-based outfit now and then, noting its awesome, wide-eyed '60s-inspired psychedelia. The act's sound is never too derivative, coming across more as homage than rote reproduction. More recently we turned on to the apparently affiliated California act Los Roys, whose latest self-released digital EP Hag Season seems to be further evidence that there must be something -- something murky and mod-garage -- in the obviously-only-proverbial Northern California water nowadays. Over the course of six tracks, Hag Season grounds itself in bright acoustic strumming while layered harmonies, snappy snare work and clean lead guitar flesh things out. The overall effect is not too far from some of the fractured pieces by White Fence, whose latest single on Famous Class comes highly recommended. Outside of the eponymous opening instrumental and similar closing track, Los Roys' EP offers up four perfectly realized pop songs that showcase humorous crooning and carefree lyrics in equal measure. "One Thing At A Time" strikes this listener as a sarcastic ode to dealing with life's many problems. "Honey Bear" not only revisits the very Lewis Carroll-esque whimsy that dominated much of the British freakbeat and psychedelic scenes from 1966-1968, but further adds to the tongue-in-cheek fun that Los Roys capture so well (Case in point: The dejected "fuck" that begins "Twisted"). Speaking of "Twisted," it's the best song of the bunch -- all fuzzy vocals and funny warbling and cackling that leads right into an odd, lounge-y electric guitar riff. For those who regard the slack, cut-up posturing and atonalism of the Pebbles, Vol.3: The Acid Gallery compilation as the pinnacle of boomer-generation creativity, Los Roys could not be any more appealing. They speak the truth, man! Stream Hag Season via the Bandcamp embed below, and click through to download it for any price. -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: Gold-Bears, Bozmo, Mincer Ray

>> From its humble beginnings, the Slumberland Records catalog has always possessed a great spiritual unity, and an argument can be made that the revered label's aesthetic, as mapped by its recent output, is becoming more outwardly emotional and mature. It's in the remarkably affecting, folk-inspired rock of Withered Hand, and it's in the dazzling, exuberant new single "Simple And Sure" from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (who, strangely, are releasing the full-length that contains the single via a different label, Yebo). And it's also in the sparkling anthems of Atlanta-based guitar-pop giants Gold-Bears. That quintet's sophomore effort Dalliance will be released June 3 -- incidentally, the day after the band performs at Cambridge, Mass.'s Middlesex Lounge with local indie pop standouts Bent Shapes and shoegaze titans Soccer Mom [dee-tails]. As with another upcoming SLR band, The Proper Ornaments, Gold-Bears' two preview singles (the latest being the cascading, co-ed rush "Yeah, Tonight") draw from the '60s-influenced side of Slumberland's classic pop aesthetic, while pushing the emotion to the forefront in less usual ways. The first single "For You," is a step forward for Gold-Bears, particularly in terms of both audio fidelity and composition, when compared with the five-piece’s delightful 2011 debut. The song's impact is predicated on minimal, Ramones-inspired power chords and a thoughtful arrangement. What might at first seem a continuation of the band's frustrated, punk-ish yelp-pop in the tune's first half, though, shifts suddenly to a succession of refreshingly clear moments of triumph. At roughly the half-minute mark, a piano smartly lays a wedding-bell progression against the grind of the band, and emotionally flattens everything in the song's proverbial path. It's a simple move, but when that instrument counterbalances the fierce chord progression, it sets up a tight-throated rush that suddenly imbues aggressive lines like "You're a mistake" with a serious twist. Have you ever watched a song grow up before your very eyes? Spend three minutes with this one for sure: you can stream it via the Soundcloud embed below, and pre-order Dalliance from Slumberland right here. -- Edward Charlton



>> The madcap psychedelia lives! If our readers were truly in tune with this reviewer's taste, they would know he is very excited about the forthcoming cassette from Boston-born and now Berkeley, Calif.-based Bozmo. The set is called Leather Umbrella and it is due any day now on the un-Google-able Peaking Pear Records. The collection -- which was recorded entirely by Bozmo principal Bo Moore to a Tascam 388 -- presents a classic case of hard-shifting mod that chases it's own fascinating logic. The title track from the album has been loosed to the wilds of the Internerds for a couple weeks; it's a Revolver-esque jaunt through fields of poppies that features bouncy harmonized lead guitars and delicately picked verses that serve as a perfect foil to the bubbly guitar work that bookends the piece. Adorning the snappy composition are great, prominently mixed tambourines and period-correct vocal delays that neatly wrap the production in perfect 1967 indie dressing. While "Leather Umbrella" cycles resolutely between its A and B sections without further development, the overall energy and neat melodic flourishes recall our beloved Lilys circa Better Can't Make Your Life Better. That's high praise from this publication, don't you know. We've had an opportunity to delve into all of Leather Umbrella and are pleased to report that its contents are uniformly terrific, and, in fact, the brightest spots arrive back-to-back in the middle of the record. Here we find the mid-tempo strummer "Cheap Blue Memory," a slightly downcast mood piece with excellent lyrics, gentle vocal harmonies and an amazing, warped guitar solo. That tune is followed by the fuzzed-out pop triumph "Perry And The Vest," with high-voltage harmonies in the chorus and another, albeit briefer, transcendent guitar solo. The two tunes each clock at about three minutes and cry out for release as a vinyl 7", so if you've got unspent student loan money burning a hole in your pocket maybe now is the time to flush your future down the toilet and start your own indie label. While you ponder that exceedingly questionable advice, stream and download "Leather Umbrella" via the embed below and watch that Bandcamp page for information about the Leather Umbrella cassette, which may possibly be your most prized possession this summer. -- Edward Charlton



>> It's not uncommon for this American blogger to wonder about and perhaps glorify the life of ex-pats. For one thing, there's the suggestion of European jet-setting, or contemplative Far East sightseeing, but even more so, there's the thrill of making a fresh start somewhere challenging and different. Our urge is heightened by our recollection that Berlin indie rockers Mincer Ray counts among its number not one, but two American ex-pats apparently in search of some great truth about scratchy, trad-sounding indie rock. Mincer Ray recently completed a new, long-playing collection, Fellow Traveler, which is available to download now for any price via Bandcamp. What quickly becomes apparent when playing the ten tracks is the extent to which the group has surpassed the delightful Guided By Voices-inspired lo-fi of 2012's Ray Mincer, which we wrote about here. The new set is more scattered but no less creative, at turns surprisingly rootsy and soulful, and at others sonically aggressive. "Couch Neighbor Catherine" and "Bassmaster" trade in shambolic loose strums that remind this reviewer of Pavement at their most country-inclined, or Palace Brothers at their most precise. "A Pickaxe From My Mom" and "Grand Tunk Plastic Lake" are both bits of classic, Yo La Tengo-styled indie. Instrumental "Great Trunk National Park" evokes Fugazi at their most willfully sloppy and the shape-shifting, instrumental closer "Das Grune Tor" utilizes a distorted whammy to great effect. Sure, the Berliners often evoke their touchstones, but the sense that they're having a blast and tapping into something pure makes one curious as to what great truth they've uncovered during their international adventure. Download Fellow Traveler via the embed below; it's for you. -- Edward Charlton

Premiere: Soccer Mom's Crushing LP Soccer Mom

We are exceedingly pleased to premiere today the self-titled, full-length debut from the mighty Boston shoegaze foursome Soccer Mom. More than four years ago, we decided this was an important band, and despite the protracted wait (which was honestly little surprise, given the premise of our first feature on them), here today the quartet resoundingly and at long last delivers on the promise of its clutch of early singles and the crushing 2011 EP You Are Not Going To Heaven. Certainly all that time seems to have been put to good use: Soccer Mom is a painstakingly crafted, likely career-defining collection that positions the act for national attention. The LP contains powerful and beautiful music explosively rendered from charred shadow and blinding light. But the biggest accomplishment of Soccer Mom may be the containment itself: Soccer Mom in effect cages the beast, tidily confining -- without stifling -- the visceral squall of the band's live sets in such a way as to reveal the elegant architecture and compelling emotion that comprise the bone and flesh of Soccer Mom's music.

The album sits in a strange place: it sounds like a lot of things -- Soccer Mom typically draws references to Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Swirlies -- but very few things in the contemporary soundscape within and without its native Boston sounds like its synthesis of shoegaze, post-hardcore and post-rock. While not overtly mathematic or emo, Soccer Mom wields its very considerable charms not just through raw power but also via big dynamic shifts and face-stinging emotions. One feels it as the towering walls of textural guitar crumble into slowly picked melodies in "Orejas," or while the chords of "It's Probably Not Your Fault" stutter, grind and wantonly feedback in the song's final thrilling minute. It's in drummer Justin Kehoe's clever consolidation of new wave and hardcore playing, which skitters like mechanical mice in "Sundown Syndrome," and routinely spurs jarring transitions. And it's in Danielle Deveau's bass playing, which serves as the still point of turning that anchors the record.

The album's emotional impact is firmly indexed to those big dynamics, a key factor in making the music so engaging, even as it comes in a variety of flavors. There's the cool, clinical reportage of co-fronter and guitarist Will Scales' "Hideaway Sands," or his troubling final understatement ("you don't seem like yourself") in the buzzing and grinding "Open Heart Surgery." Co-fronter and guitarist Dan Parlin's desperate, declaratory vocal in opener "It's Probably Not Your Fault" (a title that feels equally sarcastic and sad, but knowing this band it probably is a sound bite from a reality TV show) is just as affecting as his poignant, introspective query "what's a boy to do, but hang around with you?" in the aforementioned "Sundown Syndrome." Many of the songs on Soccer Mom are burnished by the subtly applied vocal contributions of Deborah Warfield, who has in the past served time with the aforementioned Swirlies and collaborated with former Autochrome fronter Jeff Bartell. Notably, instead of weighing the mix down with yet another element to manage, Ms. Warfield's voice, while often barely there, provides a sense of lightness, that, were this a different kind of album, we might even consider uplifting. We extend kudos to recording engineer Shaun Curran of Somerville, Mass.'s Napoleon Complex for executing a very precise mix that, as we stated stated supra, reveals and even illuminates Soccer Mom's music. The band writes terrific melodies worthy of its oft-cited shoegazing progenitors, and now you know.

Soccer Mom will be released Thursday via the New York-based 100m Records as a vinyl 12", compact disc or digital download. The release is being feted May 3 with a live show at Boston's Great Scott rock club; dream-pop titans Infinity Girl, shoegaze behemoth Bedroom Eyes and indie rock upstarts Palehound also perform, making the evening one of the most rewarding you will likely see in a small Boston club this year. Here's the Facebook event page for the show. We are given to understand Soccer Mom will have merch on-hand, including some fetching shirts, so start saving up your shoe-shine tips now. We'll see you Saturday.

Soccer Mom: Facebook | Tumblahhh | Twonger

Selected Related Coverage:
Today's Hotness: Soccer Mom
Clicky Clicky Presents A Benefit Show For Community Servings Featuring Soccer Mom | 3 Nov. | TT The Bear's
Footage: Soccer Mom's Devastating "A Canoe Shy"
A N D I F O R G O T A L O N G T I M E A G O H O W Y O U F E E L
Midriff Residency Night X: Home for Little Wanders Benefit With Soccer Mom
Clicky Clicky Music Presents... N O F U C K I N G W H E R E
That Was The Show That Was: Soccer Mom Record Release Show | TT The Bear's Place | Sept. 23
Be Prepared: Soccermom | You Are Not Going To Heaven EP | 3 October
The New Sound Of Slack: Soccer Mom Surfaces Slowly

Today's Hotness: Soccer Mom, Screaming Maldini, Routine Involvements

>> Based on the math and the recurrent wringing of hands/gnashing of teeth about Facebook page views, roughly 95% of Clicky Clicky Facebook page readers missed our trumpeting there of last week's long-awaited announcement about the pending release of Soccer Mom's full-length debut. Which is quite a long sentence. But, indeed, this is finally, finally happening. The Boston shoegaze giants' titanic first long player is a self-titled, nine-song collection that will be released by 100m Records May 1 as an LP, CD and digital download. As for the music, Soccer Mom presents an impressively realized set of songs, songs that balance delicately the dueling guitars of co-fronters Dan Parlin and William Scales. Texture is a concept the band has championed for years, but the real stars of the new set are the finer melodies, and the distinct (but not stifling) framing these recordings provide (as opposed to the volatile maelstrom of the band's live performances). We don't want to say more than that, as we'll have a complete review of the full record in a few weeks. But it is coming, with all of its bad magic and transformative loss. Ardent fans will note that some of the new songs are already in the wild, with early versions of "No One Left" and "Hideaway Sands" appearing here at Foundwaves last summer, and today here, where "Sundown Syndrome" and "Orejas" were debuted by Allston Pudding. Soccer Mom's catalog to date also includes a vinyl single, the colossal 10" You Are Not Going To Heaven, and last year's desperate and desolate digital single "Brides" b/w "A Canoe Shy." There is as of yet no pre-order information for Soccer Mom, but we've seen evidence that physical copies of the record exist, so all in due time, my pretties... The record will be feted May 3 at Great Scott with a release show featuring the staggering slate of support acts Bedroom Eyes, Infinity Girl and Palehound. For now, how about taking a listen to The Mom's brilliant cover of Lilys' "Ginger," from last year's Clicky Clicky comp? It does a body good.



>> Sheffield, England-based indie pop geniuses Screaming Maldini have loosed to the wilds of the Interzizzles the third in its mysterious and apparently monthly series of free downloads, an effort now dubbed #monthlymaldiniXII. The latest track is the anxious, dreamy ballad "Abyssinia," in which singer Gina Maldini passionately entreats, fiercely fends off desperation. The tune is dark and dynamic, raising itself up from plodding piano chords onto the back of thumping percussion and gang vocals in the chorus. "Abyssinia" carries the sextet's characteristically deft arrangements and sophisticated harmonies, and draws on its familiar horns and key changes, but the compositional skill, a Maldini hallmark, makes the song feel newer and fresher, even among the act's impressive repertoire. Not only did Gina perform the lead vocal of the track, she also wrote and directed the video for the accompanying clip, which you can watch right here. Last month the sextet issued "Bearings," the second tune of #monthlymaldiniXII, which can still be heard right here. This month finds Screaming Maldini heading to Japan for the first time, to support the recent release into that market of the band's stirring self-titled full-length (which we reviewed here a year ago). Two tunes from Screaming Maldini charted in the Tokyo Hot 100, a very respectable achievement for the Sheffield six. We're holding out hope that at the end of the 12-month exercise that is #monthlymaldiniXII there is a physical release of some sort. Call us old-fashioned. And after you're done doing that, listen to "Abyssinia" via the Soundcloud embed below.



>> Is upstate New York having a moment? It's probably always having a moment, right? But, anyway, obv. now-act Perfect Pussy hails from Syracuse, noise-rock upstarts What Moon Things are poised to make a statement and break out of verdant New Paltz later this year, and now comes Routine Involvements, an act that cultivates hooky, crunchy guitar pop from its base of operations in Rochester. Let us consult a map: oh yes, there it is, physically even further west than Syracuse. But sonically -- at least based on the new song "Faux Affections" -- Routine Involvements are considerably more west. That is, if you want to go ahead and compare the four-year-old act (which was formerly known as Stereophone) -- as many likely will -- to Weezer circa the first two albums. The Rochester trio's latest effort is the Future Days EP, which will be released on cassette later this month by Dadstache Records. The six-song set includes the aforementioned "Faux Affections," which follows its chugging bass line and palm-muted guitars through several logical steps, none of which shock, but all of which add up to a bracing bit of scruffy pop. Choruses are big, alluring feedback pools across the floor of the second verse, calm if tense vocals explode along with the guitars in the final thirty seconds. It's a great song, and we're eager to hear more of them from this rock combo. At present there is no information about ordering Future Days at the Dadstache online storefront, but if you keep your eye on that there link we expect it is just a matter of time. For now, stream "Faux Affections" below.