New Albums

spring break edition #3

WAX CHATTLES : s/t : Captured Tracks/Flying Nun Records (18.05.18)
Hailing from Auckland/NZ, this trio infuses just the right amount of nervous verve and viciousness that has been absent from the post-punk game for quite some time, resulting in a complex and heavily frenetic album which proves once again that indie rock from New Zealand doesn’t necessarily need to be laid-back and jangly. 8.75/10

MOOMIN : yesterday’s tomorrow : Wolf Music (18.05.18)
Remember that one outstanding night where you were supposed to meet a couple of friends at this small yet very happening underground club where the music is eclectic as fuck but you soon realized that no one will actually make it on time (or at all) and therefore you started to drink and soon had rad conversations with random strangers since basically everyone involved was trying their very best to make it a night to remember and danced their asses off? Chances are fairly high they played Moomin’s debut for Wolf Music on repeat. 8/10

VIVE LA VOID : s/t : Sacred Bones Records (04.05.18)
Sanae Yamada took a break from the Moon Duo mothership in order to sink her teeth into a musical joyride which doesn’t seem to be too far away on first impression from the sonic spectrum her main band is cherished for. It’s equally as dense and psych-infused but definitely more heavy on swirling synths. The perfect music for doing a road trip where you consciously take wrong turns just to extend this feeling of being under way. 7/10

LA LUZ : floating features : Hardly Art (11.05.18)
Don’t let the relocation to Los Angeles fool you: La Luz still has this dark and knowing undertone, which makes their garage/surf/psych-informed and slightly hazy sound so unique and overall rad. “Floating Features“ is the logical follow-up to “Weirdo Shrine“ and sounds as if Julee Cruise would suddenly sport worn-out Chuck’s while falling for guys with knuckle tattoos. 8.75/10

GRAINTABLE : herons : Ransom Note Records (out now)
The Portland-based producer delivers an album high on analog synths and drones, which somehow feels like the perfect fit for a late night walk in his hometown and evokes images of John Carpenter suffering from a bad migraine jamming with King Midas Sound. If you embrace being slowly but steadily unnerved for completely irrational reasons, you should definitely give “Herons“ a shot. 7/10

FATHER JOHN MISTY : god’s favorite customer : Bella Union (01.06.18)
Mr. Tillman continues his journey into meta-narratives filled with absurd observations on today’s society, omnipresent delusions of grandeur and his very own, insular thoughts. The lyrics and songwriting once again are pretty much a league of its own, the musical bows to McCartney & Co are masterfully executed... basically everything proves itself to be exactly at it’s right place at the right time. Why does it start to feel a bit tiresome then? 7/10