Check out new songs, videos and artists from this week, including Low, Generationals, William Tyler, Phaseone, Foxygen, Hands, National Park System and more.
Chilly, minimalist (but optimistic!) electronica has just the right amount high ends and melodic lines. National Park System’s “Silver Miner” is techno-drone weekend listening in a close-your-eyes kinda way. This new track is included on “A Visitor’s Guide” EP, out on Jan. 23.
Generationals‘ “Spinoza” has a Sam Prekop-joined-The-Smiths kinda vibe, though I hesitate with the term “throwback.” In their other material, the Polyvinyl signees have perfectly formed pop-electronica and Brit-influenced dance. This guitar-conscious track is from “Heza,” due April 2.
“‘Impossible Truth’ was born on tour as William Tyler was reading two books with an odd kinship while on long and lonely Midwestern drives: Barney Hoskyns” ‘Hotel California’ and Mike Davis” ‘The Ecology of Fear.'” Have no fear: it’s a highly energetic and masterful instrumental guitar record. Track “Cadillac Desert” is the sound of imminent magic. Album’s out on Merge on March 19.
Carmen Villain‘s “Lifeissin” scratches the Cat Power “Free” vibe, with an anxious ambiance and feverish electric six-string groan. Her debut “Sleeper” will drop on March 12.
Given the opportunity, go see Mobley. I saw the Austin-based group during Transmission’s Free Week here in the Texas capital, and I’d call it much more of an “experience” than a cross-armed bar concert. The band is currently supporting 2012 EP “Young Adult Fiction,” with eyebrow-singeing “Torch.” They head out on tour to the South and Midwest at the end of this month.
Watch New York quintet Isadora’s music video for “21 1/2.” God, I wish I could dance.
Phaseone’s “It’s Not Forever” is for the Burial fans out there, and it shares vinyl space on a split release with Parisian, out on Jan. 29. The repeated line “It’s not forever” makes much more good, sad sense around the 100th time it’s iterated.
I get a hoot out of Foxygen‘s “San Francisco” particularly from the line “That’s OK / I was born in L.A.” This hippy-trip got an equally heavy-lidded music video with your mom’s sepia tones and a jangly groove impossible to forget. Full-length “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic” (seriously) is out via Jagjaguwar on Jan. 22
I love seeing any new action from Kill Rock Stars, and they just signed Los Angeles electro-rock band Hands. In new song “Trouble,” I want to break the bones of that synth and drink its marrow. “Synesthesia” is due April 30.
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Here is a urgent new Mimi-led Low song, “Just Make It Stop.” It sounds like a Low song. “The Invisible Way” will be out March 19 on Sub Pop. Happy 20th anniversary, guys.