Spring has arrived and it’s time to start thinking about festival season and the magical time of year when droves of us aim our transportation of choice toward the beach. But before you heat things up there, heat ’em up right here with this week’s New Music Friday!
Enjoy!
Bonny Doon – Longwave
If you’re ready to take it slow and steady into the weekend, this is your jam. With gorgeous guitar work, a bouncing bass line, drums that are subtle and calming, and vocals that will warm ya up, it’s the perfect music to relax with. Great storytelling, pace, and ’60s indie vibe throughout.
Favorite tracks: “A Lotta Things” & “Part of Me”
Of Feather And Bone – Bestial Hymns of Perversion
Now on to the other side of things. If you have no interest in going slow and steady into the weekend, this 32-minute death metal album will take care of you. Read the name of the album; that’s exactly what it sounds like. If you like your music like you like your haunted houses, this’ll scare you good (possibly possess you).
Favorite tracks: “Repulsive Obscurity” & “Mockery of the Ascension”
Ben Frost – All That You Love Will Be Eviscerated
Welcome to the soundtrack of your nightmare. It’s minimalistic, it’s cinematic, and if you were walking through a dark hallway, you’d be waiting for someone to jump out and grab you. That being said, the 31 minutes is a tight synthy goodness, albeit dark and mysterious.
Favorite tracks: “Self Portrait in Ultramarine” & “An Empty Vessel To Flood”
GosT – Possessor
Jesus does not take the wheel on this one. With an incredible mix of black metal and satanic synthwave, this is a gothic lover’s Graceland. If the video game Castlevania had a sped up soundtrack, this would be it. Light some candles, turn the lights off, and let this one possess you.
Favorite tracks: “Shiloh’s Lament” & “16 a.M.”
Swampmeat Family Band – Too Many Things to Hide
Oh myyyyyy. This is the debut album from some English rockabilly masters. From the first song you know you’re in for a good time directly out of the heyday of rock ‘n’ roll. The whole record could have been recorded in the ’50s as easily as it was today, and there’s a simplicity in the songs that people are going to love. Throughout the nine songs, you’re going to hear nods to everyone from Buddy Holly, to Tom Petty, to Elvis Costello, to even Bob Dylan. It’s a super good time and feels longer than 31 minutes.
Favorite tracks: “Long Way Down” & “Too Many Things to Hide”
Squirrel Nut Zippers – Beasts of Burgundy
Picture this, you’re walking in a back alley, a strange door in the distance draws you to it and from the outside, you can hear that there’s a party going on inside. The door swings open and inside is the most hopping speakeasy you’ve ever seen. This is the band playing and you wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s jazzy, it’s vaudeville, and I’m going to be listening to this one all weekend long. It’s also their first album in 18 years!
Favorite tracks: “Karnival Joe” & “Axman Jazz (Don’t Scare Me Papa)”
BONUS EP: Two Door Cinema Club – Four Words to Stand On
If you’re a fan of their big hits “What You Know” or “Something Good Can Work,” you’re going to love this. And while it may be “new,” three of the songs were actually released ten years ago on their debut LP, but this is the first time it’s online. The insane part about the five indie rock tracks is that they did it when they were only 16 years old.
Favorite tracks: “Do You Want It All?” & “Standing On Ghosts”
BONUS SINGLE: Pale Kids – “Hesitater”
Sneaky kids, this single’s got three songs on it. Then again, all three songs chime in at under six minutes total. It’s everything you want in pop punk with a ton of energy slammed into a tiny bit of space. It’s also a super relatable album about defining your beliefs growing up.
Favorite track: “St. Theresa”
See you next week!
