jay som – “pirouette”

– featured image courtesy of ebru yildiz –

today finds melina duterte, known for her work as jay som, revisiting material from the recording sessions that yielded last year’s excellent full-length, everybody works.  two songs from those sessions that didn’t land on the album, “pirouette” and “o.k., meet me underwater,” have been packaged together as a 7″ single, due out january 26th via polyvinyl records.

“pirouette,” the single’s a-side, is a delightfully crunchy slice of pop, filtered through duterte’s signature lyrical lens and capped off with a woozy ostinato of a coda.  take a listen below.

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communions – “eternity”

– featured image courtesy of lasse dearman –

communions have the rare distinction of being an incredibly young band with an utterly singular sound.  the danish quartet absorbed some frosty, post-punk comparisons to their copenhagen counterparts on early singles, but that icy exterior has thawed into some of the most consistently-sunny songwriting meandering through the internet.

next month, communions will release a new 7″ single on their new label, the esteemed fat possum records.  this announcement was coupled with “don’t hold anything back,” the single’s triumphant a-side; today, the band has shared its counterpart, “eternity.”  a comparatively mid-tempo number, “eternity” is again bolstered by martin rehof’s instantly-recognizable, gripping lead vocal, and his command of melody carries over into the track’s guitar work, toggling between sonorous chords, chiming bell tones, and busy lead lines in the song’s latter half.

“eternity” is the caliber of song expected from a band with a few full-lengths under their belt, but communions has yet to release their debut album.  that will come soon enough, though.  for now, take a listen to “eternity” below.

communions – “don’t hold anything back”

– featured image courtesy of lasse dearman –

danish four-piece communions have been gradually shedding their frosty outer shell for the better part of two years, with each subsequent release feeling less indebted to post-punk forebears and more informed by sharp, memorable hooks.  this progression seemed to culminate in the quartet’s excellent eponymous ep last summer, but then “don’t hold anything back” dropped.

wrapped in martin rehof’s buoyant lead vocal and powered by an especially fat snare drum, “don’t hold anything back” feels like communions’ first true foray into the realm of pop, a clear, glorious pivot from the more austere timbres that adorned their earliest work.  guitar arpeggios still appear at the forefront throughout the verses, but their fluid transition to simple, chiming chords just in time to bolster the hook is perhaps the key ingredient in this effortless composition; “don’t hold anything back” is an attractive mid-season contender for song of the summer.

communions recently signed to fat possum records and will release “don’t hold anything back” as the a-side of a 7″ due out september 16th.  check out the single below.

listen to a new song from day wave

photo courtesy of the artist

after releasing a string of singles earlier this year that culminated in a very strong debut ep, jackson phillips is already prepping more day wave material.  the oakland-based artist will release a new 7″ on november 6th via united kingdom upstart house arrest recs, and today he’s shared its a-side.  “come home now” continues to channel phillips’ affinity for a home-recorded aesthetic, though his muted, reverb-tinged vocals are accompanied this time by a brassy synth structure that fiercely competes for immediate attention with phillips’ signature arpeggiated guitar lines.  the beefed-up arrangement may be a nod to day wave’s exodus from the bedroom to the stage, but “come home now” also finds phillips becoming more comfortable in his role as an incredibly poignant lyricist; the song’s melancholy chorus perfectly belies its sunny exterior.  take a listen to “come home now” below.

listen to a new song from diet cig

photo courtesy of andrew piccone

there’s probably a diet cig full-length album in the works somewhere, and it’ll probably be very, very good.  in the meantime, alex luciano and noah bowman are offering up a new 7″ on the heels of their excellent debut ep over easy.  “sleep talk” b/w “dinner date” is due out on vinyl via father/daughter records and art is hard records on september 18th; we heard the a-side last month and earlier this week the duo shared “dinner date,” a surging mid-tempo anthem that culminates in luciano’s strongest vocal hook to date.  take a listen below.

listen to a new song from diet cig

photo courtesy of andrew piccone

new paltz duo diet cig has already rustled up one of our absolute favorite eps of this year with their debut, over easy, a release soon to be augmented by a new 7″.  “sleep talk” b/w “dinner date” is out jointly via father/daughter and art is hard on september 18th, and today the band let go of its a-side.  like its predecessors, “sleep talk” is simple and concise in construction – although the guitar’s higher end is noticeably more pronounced this time around – a foundation built to support a lyrical set from alex luciano that fluctuates between self-deprecation and hesitancy and a prevailing shoulder-shrugging, fuck-it mentality.  it’s the coda that really sells this track, though; a poignant, cyclical line delivered in half-time quickly becomes a mantra of sorts for all of the preceding fragments.  take a listen to “sleep talk” below.

listen to a new song from los angeles police department

ryan pollie emerged as one of the more intriguing acts of 2014, releasing a wistful collection of breezy, home-recorded tunes under the moniker los angeles police department.  pollie evidently piqued the interest of fat possum records, who have tapped the musical l.a.p.d. for a 7″ single – “insecurity” b/w “water and wine” – due out february 24th.  the label let go of the fuzzy a-side earlier this morning, and it’s been on repeat here ever since.  pollie waxes poetic about his complex feelings for a girl over top of a subterranean guitar riff, replete with a cheeky, meta-esque reference to police departments.  take a listen to “insecurity” below.

listen to a new song from communions

the young danish band communions has run a large chunk of the musical gamut in a relatively short amount of time, touching on a lo-fi aesthetic for their cobblestones ep before taking a more polished approach on “so long sun,” the a-side of their upcoming 7″.  today the quartet shared that single’s b-side, another chiming, downright poppy effort called “love stands still.”  the new 7″ is out november 10th via tough love; take a listen to “love stands still” below.

listen to a new song from communions

copenhagen’s punk scene is packed full with exceptional talent, yielding bands like lower and iceage over the past few years.  joining the roster of head-turners is communions, a young quartet very much indebted to post-punk forefathers like joy division.  after releasing the excellent cobblestones ep via posh isolation this past march, the band is back with “so long sun,” the a-side to a 7″ out november 10th via tough love records.  contrasting the grit and low fidelity of their ep, “so long sun” finds communions experimenting with sharper production, chiming guitars, and soaring vocals bolstered by reverb.  it’s a suitable and welcomed shift that manages to send summer off in style.  check out the song below.

listen to a new song from pillar point

i don’t know too much about pillar point.  the project is currently shrouded in quite a bit of mystery, but i’m guessing this is a one-man show based on the promotional photos.  what i do know is that pillar point recently signed with polyvinyl records and will be releasing a 7″ sometime this year.  check out “diamond mine,” the a-side of the single, below via polyvinyl’s soundcloud page.  it’s commanding, ethereal, and downright addictive; polyvinyl hit the jackpot again.