Song of the Day #37: Theo Verney – “Dead n Bones”

Today we’re introducing 22-year-old THEO VERNEY, a multi-instrumentalist hailing from Brighton in the UK. Verney has been in and out of bands over time, but now he’s making music on his own terms for the first time. Everything you’re about to hear in “Dead n Bones” was written, played, recorded and produced by the man himself. That’s not a surprise considering he’s been playing instruments his entire life, starting with violin at the young age of four. He’s influenced by bands/artists like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart amongst others, some of which you can hear coming through in this fuzzy and staggered monstrosity titled “Dead n Bones”. The track comes along with a grungy, almost bluesy sounding snarl, characterized by crunchy guitar scuzz, some brief, high-voltage soloing and Verney’s nasty scowl. It’s a short track, but you can’t help but feel there’s going to be something bigger down the road. Verney is currently in the middle of mixing and mastering some songs for a new EP, so we’ll have to see what comes next!

Until then check out “Dead n Bones” right below. His Soundcloud page also includes another original track “Seventh Son” as well as a cover of the Misfit’s “She” (both free downloads!). Don’t sleep on it!

Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Pop, Lo-Fi

Theo Verney on Soundcloud – snag some free downloads !
Theo Verney on Bandcamp – download “Dead n Bones” !

Song of the Day #36: Trust – “Divine”

This previously unheard track comes as part of an EP titled Dressed for Space that Arts & Crafts dropped back in September. “Divine” is the newest material we’ve heard from TRUST since their debut LP TRST dropped back in early 2012 in February, so it’s about time we got around to sharing this. There’s no clear-cut answer, but “Divine” sounds like a track that was created before their debut album ever came out (much like “Not a Waste of Sky” from the Sacred Bones Records Todo Muere compilation). Driven by woozy synth textures, shimmering electronics and feelings of paranoia, Robert Alfons glides through the track with his particularly haunting slur, wielding a voice that by now we’d have to say is largely unmatched. As all of these hypnotic elements merge together toward the end of the track, it’ll be hard to shake this one from your memory – you’ve been warned.

Listen to “Divine” right below! If that isn’t enough, there’s a ton of related links below and it also looks like Arts & Crafts just dropped another digital EP from Trust on the 22nd.

Genre/ Tags: Electronic, Synth Pop, Ethereal, Dance

Related Posts:
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Sulk EP (Arts & Crafts)
Bulbform 12″ (Sacred Bones)
Candy Walls 7″ (Sacred Bones)
Todo Muere Volume 1 (Sacred Bones)
SOTD #14: Gloryhole
Trust Live in Philadelphia (10/24/12)
Find Trust in our Top 25 Albums of 2012
Find Trust in our Top 10 EPs of 2011
Find Trust in our Top 30 7″ Records of 2011

Song of the Day #35 – Mud Mouth – “Reset”

Self-described as a “jangle junk punk pop band,” MUD MOUTH come bearing a scuzzy strand of fun-loving and noisy pop from San Francisco, CA. All of the thirteen tracks on their s/t LP end up following a similarly short, sloppy, and straightforward pattern, overall clocking in at just over twenty minutes in full. Each new song is bursting with grainy and caffeinated guitar hooks as they plow through tracks with little remorse that never pass the two minute mark. Album closer “Reset” wraps up the LP with its gritty and concentrated guitars, exposing a sharp and melodic solo right in the middle. Other snarling tracks like “I Hope It’s Funny When I Die” or “Plug” again puts Mud Mouth’s trashy innocence on display, eventually closing out an album with equal parts punk, pop and slop.

You can listen to “Reset” right below and if those hooks sink in deep, you can hear the rest of their LP on Bandcamp!

Genre/ Tags: Pop, Lo-Fi, Punk

HEAR the rest of the LP on the Mud Mouth Bandcamp
Mud Mouth on Facebook
Mud Mouth on Tumblr

Song of the Day #34: Teen Mom – “I Wanna Go Out”

teen mom mean tom ep 2012 analog edition

My inbox was blown up many times about this TEEN MOM EP and rightfully so. They’re a trio from Washington DC and while their sound doesn’t totally fit our mold around here, you’re still going to want to pay attention. They just dropped the EP titled Mean Tom (in a short edition of 300) from the Analog Edition label which is also based in DC, bringing us all a 21 minute serving of their brisk, tight and refreshing indie pop.

This all quickly becomes clear in a dazzling track like “I Wanna Go Out,” which just may be the highlight of the whole EP. Lead singer Chris Kelly guides us through the track in his airy, blissful tone, standing out like a sore thumb against a backdrop of fuzzy guitars and wonky bass lines. His voice is easily the strongest detail within, sounding crystal-clear as he coos and bends his pitch in the process. Together these elements create an invigorating pop hook as they all come together in the sweeping chorus. Then in the final minute they begin to lay it on heavy and you suddenly find yourself amid crashing percussion and Kelly’s soaring vocals. After that, strangely enough, you’ll find yourself hitting the repeat button for this gem.

You can hear the track right here and if that does the trick, you can grab the EP from the Analog Edition store. Go get one!

Genre/ Tags: Pop, Alternative, Indie Rock

BUY the EP directly from Analog Edition Records – limited to 300 !
Teen Mom on Facebook

Song of the Day #33: Star Spangled KGB – “Jewel”

STAR SPANGLED KGB of Elmhurst, IL sent us over their new album Stargazer and it quickly sounded like something that would fit in around here. With an introductory track like “Safely Aboard the Mother Cell,” it’s hard not to get a little curious and see what this is all about – a wave of gentle, spacey psych slowly gathers us into its sweeping haze, revealing swirling guitar textures and colorful organs that begin to paint a bigger picture of the whole album. Needless to say, with thirteen tracks to dig through (totaling nearly an hour of space rock), there was clearly something to be found here. “Jewel” goes to show what these guys are capable of, starting out on a dark, dirgy note that suddenly pops off into raging psychedelia. They begin to lay it on heavy right in the middle of everything, taking the track to intense new heights as we’re blitzed by their wall of noisy, mutilated fury.

Hear “Jewel” right below, then you can head over to their Bandcamp and download the album for free! Don’t miss out!

Genre/ Tags: Space Rock, Psychedelic, Alternative

‘Name Yr Price’ for the album on Bandcamp
Star Spangled KGB on Facebook

Song of the Day #32: Ty Segall – “You’re the Doctor”

TY SEGALL truly stopped for nothing this year. Three full-length albums, a handful of 7″ singles (one repressed), two appearances (that’s plural) on live national television, a slew of tour dates across the world and whatever the fuck else you can think of. In the end, there’s nobody else that can say they added that much to their profile this year.

Twins would be his third LP on the year and his second (solo) album for the Drag City label. As far as the record goes, it pretty much ensures that 2012 was the year of Segall. A track like “You’re the Doctor” seems like the essence of everything the man has done up to this point – it’s absolutely catastrophic, supplying us with two minutes of full-on, pedal to the metal intensity. The song is led by the constant pummel of pounding percussion, making way for some vile guitar licks against the increasingly noisy backdrop. Throbbing bass lines and Segall’s bloodthirsty squeals help fortify the wild song, catapulting us headfirst into a raging onslaught of dirty, screeching guitars and enough driving energy to last into next year. Go on, hit that play button right below, you know you want to.

Genre/ Tags: Noise Rock, Garage Rock, Pop

BUY the LP directly from Insound
Ty Segall – Official Website

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Ty Segall & White Fence – Hair LP (Drag City)
Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin – Pop Song 7″ (Goodbye Boozy)
Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse LP (In The Red)
Ty Segall/ Feeling of Love – Split 7″ (Permanent Records)

Song of the Day #31: Purity Ring – “Fineshrine”

This PURITY RING album has been out for awhile now. It’s always been part of my plans to get it up here, I just didn’t know when it would happen. The reason being that, if you’re like me, you have an occasional soft spot for electronic music. This album obviously manages to hit that spot one way or another, the only difference being that this Purity Ring album is only good in small doses. If you begin to spend too much time with Shrines, things quickly go stale, kind of like you’re going around in circles lost in the woods. There’s no denying that Corin Roddick and Megan James have forged their very own sound here, but that’s also the problem – we don’t have anything for contrast, so this is all we’re left with. Which is in turn why this album can quickly go stale, unless of course, you carefully pick out each small dosage of Shrines as you go. Because once again, there’s no denying that something this calculated and something this pristine could ever possibly steer us wrong, frankly we just don’t want it to lose it’s originality.

Genre/ Tags: Electronic, Ethereal, Pop

Purity Ring on Facebook
BUY the LP directly from Insound – comes on teal vinyl !

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Song of the Day #30: The Teen Velvettes – “Cruising the Surf”

Unfortunately it’s not really summer anymore, but I am posting this today because it is one of those things that can’t be ignored. THE TEEN VELVETTES, otherwise known as the moniker of Michael Cotter, may be offering us one of the most legitimate surf-pop sounds to come from anyone anywhere in 2012 (save for Guantanamo Baywatch). Sadly information is somewhat sparse on the internet about Cotter and his project, but that really doesn’t make a difference. “Cruising the Surf” alone is an excellent indication of this sound, while the twelve minute EP itself is something you won’t want to miss. Most of these tracks are instrumental (except for a cover of the Surfari’s “Surfer Joe”), but all are righteously invigorating in their own right whether it’s twangy surf-pop or inviting doo-wop. The only complaint one might have, however, is the electronic percussion – it doesn’t really take anything away from the songs, it’s just a constant reminder of what recorded percussion would actually sound like with an extra crash.

It was tough to pick just one to leave you with below, but “Cruising the Surf” seemed like the right choice for it’s infinitely sunny vibes and beachy atmosphere. The other contender was EP opener “Grab Your Board” and honestly it’s just as worthy. “Cruising the Surf” puts us right in the midst of a 50s beach party, with glinting surf hooks that are just as shiny as the suns warming rays that blanket the song. Waves wash up on the beach and wet your toes as you lay back in the sun, scoping out which wave you’re catching next through the haze of your sunglasses. Perhaps this stuff is all too teasing of those summer beach visits some of us yearn for on a daily basis, but when it’s this good, it really shouldn’t matter.

Check out this track from the Teen Velvettes Soundcloud right below, then head on over to the Soundcloud where you can download the EP entirely for free, along with some older stuff too.

Genre/ Tags: Surf Rock, Pop

The Teen Velvettes on Facebook
The Teen Velvettes on Tumblr
DOWNLOAD these tracks (and more!) from the Teen Velvettes Soundcloud

Song of the Day #29: Scribbler – “No Curtains”

It’s been an awfully long time since we’ve heard from SCRIBBLER, the noisy, experimental folk-rock crew from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Well recently they sent over this track “No Curtains” which comes from a scene-defining compilation put out by the Khyber Centre for the Arts in Halifax. It’s a 27-track cassette and the second volume of the compilation, including some names like Dog Day and Each Other amongst a bunch of others.

As for Scribbler themselves, they seem to be keeping busy as of late, because this track “No Curtains” is a sort of precursor for where the band is headed with their upcoming debut LP, Abiogenesis. “No Curtains” is their first studio recording which shows a world of difference from their My Old Lady 7″ we covered way back when. It’s a dreary and folksy number, featuring a warming guitar twang and calming boy-girl vocal pairings. Within the final minute the track splits open at the seams, revealing a thick buzz that sits heavily atop crashing drums and shredded guitar chords. It’s as pummeling as it is surprising in a track that at first seemed less vigorous, which only leaves us curious what this new LP could have in store.

You can hear “No Curtains” right below, and then be sure to keep Scribbler on your radar. There doesn’t seem to be a release date for the album at the moment, but we’ll see what happens soon enough!

Genre/ Tags: Folk Rock, Noise Rock, Pop

BUY the cassette directly from the Khyber Compilation
Scribbler on Facebook
Scribbler on Bandcamp

Past Related Posts:
My Old Lady 7″ (Stumparumper)

Song of the Day #28: Meat Market – “TNT”

Oakland, California surf-punks MEAT MARKET drop their first release on vinyl, made up of some old and familiar tracks along with some brand new ones. The LP comes from Under the Gun Records in Los Angeles in a run of just 500 pressings.

The LP originally dropped as a cassette tape, which means we’re about to give this album the double-plug. The new, self-titled LP features ten tracks of their smart and sensible surf rock, taking a handful of the songs from the original cassette and filling them out immensely. The LP sounds so much better it shouldn’t even be a question, because now we get these fully-realized and fun-loving surf rock anthems like “TNT” to fill our hearts with joy. A song like this is overflowing with positive vibes and hook-heavy tendencies, led by warm, sunny guitars with a glinting, surfy twang. Care-free vocal hooks sit on top of the shredded guitars, supplying the song with a dose of innocence that is nothing short of catchy. Underneath there’s a relentless stomp that drives the track, which solidifies nicely at the end to show off a punching punk edge.

Hear the track below and if you’re sold on that, go and check the rest of the LP on the Meat Market Bandcamp.

Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Surf Rock, Punk

BUY the LP directly from Under the Gun Records – first 100 on color vinyl !
Meat Market on Facebook
Hear the rest of the LP on the Meat Market Bandcamp

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Meat Market CS (Under the Gun)