Premier: White Laces – “Invocation”

It’s taken some time, but WHITE LACES are finally back again and this time it’s with their debut LP titled Moves on Speakertree Records. The album is due to hit the shelves on August 21st in an edition of just 500 pressings with the first 100 coming on green vinyl.

Today we are pleased to premier a track from the album called “Invocation,” which is only a small, teasing piece of the whole incredible album that is to follow. The track features a tense, psychedelic haze that washes over everything (a definite staple of the White Laces sound) which is filled out by quivering, crystalline guitar hooks that sound irresistibly feather-weight and intricate. Underneath the song is driven by a groundshaking rhythm section of pulsing bass lines and frantic drumming, all coming together for a dazzling and bleary-eyed wave of vibrant color that sprawls out in all directions. The band recorded everything live to tape with the exception of Landis Wine’s soaring vocals and a couple synths, which definitely helps give this track its stunning, immersible qualities.

Please listen to “Invocation” here and here only, then download it courtesy of Speakertree Records via Soundcloud!

You can preorder a copy of the record now, just head on over to Speakertree Records and reserve one! The quicker you move the better chances you have of getting one of those green copies. If this lone track is not enough, follow this link to hear the only other song that’s been revealed from the LP.

Genre/ Tags: Alternative, Noise Rock, Pop, Ambient

PREORDER the LP directly from Speakertree Records – first 100 on green vinyl
White Laces on Facebook
White Laces on Tumblr

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Arches Split 7″ (Worthless Junk)
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Find White Laces in our Top 10 EP’s of 2011

Song of the Day #26: Milk Maid – “Bad Luck”

Manchester band MILK MAID are back with their sophomore LP Mostly No on FatCat Records. Throughout the album, Martin Cohen and the gang do an excellent job at varying their sound from track to track, resulting in pulsing lo-fi surf-rock jammers like “Do Right” or strung-out, folksy acoustic numbers like “New Plans” that could lull you to sleep.

One track in particular, titled “Bad Luck,” is almost like the meeting point between these two conflicting sounds. The song drags along at a medium-to-slow pace with heavy guitar hooks acting as the anchor, which barely allow the song the come up above the surface. Memorable choruses swirl and spin with their uplifting tendencies, eventually trailing off a bit past the middle for a head splitting guitar solo that suddenly emerges above the surface from the heated depths. As the song reaches its ending, we’re met by an infinitely sunny guitar hook that is literally the perfect closing statement for such a wholesome and cohesive song.

The way this all unfolds makes every second of its four minute duration worth it. Listen to the track right below and then do yourself a favor and check out the rest of the LP.

Bad Luck –

Genre/ Tags: Alternative, Rock, Pop

BUY the LP directly from Insound !
Milk Maid on Facebook

Song of the Day #25: Deathtram – “Vultures”

For those who may not know, DEATHTRAM are a currently evolving psych-drone outfit from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. By the looks of their videos, the band is comprised of at least five different members which is probably what helps give them their huge, sweeping psychedelic sound.

Their new self-titled cassette on Error Records is an excellent example of this all taking place. Begin with the opening track “Vultures” and you will slowly but surely learn what Deathtram are all about. The song unfolds somewhat slowly, with a constant searing guitar lick lurking in the background. On top of that, we’re guided along by that hypnotic bass line, which combines with the whirlwind of menacing, metallic guitar madness and begins to swallow us whole – now the track is beginning to take form with all of it’s soaring qualities. A bit past the halfway mark they lay it on heavy, combining all of the elements into one heart-stopping psychedelic mess that will knock you on your ass.

You’ve been warned. Go check out the rest of the cassette on the Deathtram Bandcamp if you’re looking for more beatings like this. Then go and buy the cassette – it’s only $2!

Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Drone, Shoegaze, Trance

BUY the cassette directly from Error Records – limited to 50, for only $2 !!!
Deathtram on Tumblr
Deathtram on Bandcamp

Song of the Day #24: The Enthusiasts – “Better Lover”

Since we last heard, THE ENTHUSIASTS of Ardsley, New York have been working on their debut LP. Ever since we got wind of their most recent 7″, we’ve been (not so patiently) waiting for whatever comes next. Well, that’s slowly beginning to change as The Enthusiasts just unveiled the first new song from their most recent batch of recordings. It’s called “Better Lover” and it features that same rollicking, pulsing type of bluesy garage rock that made their 7″ so memorable. The band is currently shopping these new songs around to some record labels in hopes for their first full length record, so let’s keep our fingers crossed! In the meantime, they’re playing the Cheater Slicks 25th anniversary show on August 17th at the Parkside Lounge in NYC with The Hussy and The Living Kills. Be there!

PS – Here’s the track on YouTube if that’s more your thing

Better Lover –

Genre/ Tags: Alternative, Garage Rock, Rock & Roll

BUY their debut 7″ on Bandcamp – only limited to 150, get it while ya can !
The Enthusiasts on Blogspot
The Enthusiasts on Facebook

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Song of the Day #23: Nice Purse – “Broken Filthy Arrows”

NICE PURSE are self-described as a “loud, dumb, garage pop band from Minneapolis.” Their sophomore LP, Slumber Girls, is their first release to come out on wax from the Forged Artifacts label which is also based in Minneapolis. As far as their own description goes, they’re pretty much dead on – they’re loud in a joyfully obnoxious kind of way due to whiny vocals, they’re definitely garage pop to keep it simple, but they’re far from dumb.

The opening track of Slumber Girls, titled “Broken Filthy Arrows,” sets us up with quite an optimistic and unsettling pop vibe. If you think like us then it’s probably pretty hard not to be hooked after a song like this. With Magic Bullet-esque guitar hooks and plenty of energetic change-ups, Nice Purse make it difficult for us to solidify any specific pattern throughout this blissfully upbeat jammer. They roll with this spastic formula, comprised of cheerfully sloppy vocals and tightly woven guitar jangles with a hint of grit, all done up with an admirably uplifting pop sensibility that makes it hard to not like these guys – hence, they’re not dumb. A short bit past the two minute mark, the song suddenly stops before they take it for another spin, hereby gracing our ears with another solid two minutes of this exemplary pop.

The best part is, aside from this lone track, there’s still six others out there just begging to be heard – for those who are curious, some are similar, but some are also very different (like “Run Tun Tun” or “Your Mohawk”). Listen to the rest of these tracks from the excellent LP on the Nice Purse Bandcamp, then head on over to Forged Artifacts to grab your very own copy of the vinyl – there’s only 250 pressed, so don’t sleep!

Genre/ Tags: Pop, Folk Rock, Indie Rock

BUY the LP directly from Forged Artifacts – limited to 250 !
Nice Purse on Facebook
Nice Purse on Tumblr

Song of the Day #22: Estrogen Highs – “Grass of Leaves”

It’s been way too long since we’ve covered the ESTROGEN HIGHS. Their latest album Irrelevant Future on Trouble in Mind Records sees the band bringing a little bit of everything from their previous releases into one cohesive effort (minus the weirder stuff, like from the Cycles EP). They focus on the task at hand by sticking to their whimsical, off-kilter garage rock, laying down hit after hit with their tightly woven guitars on what turns out to be an undeniably solid album.

One that personally stood out was “Grass of Leaves” with it’s unsettling pop charm. They plow through the song at breakneck speeds, throwing around malfunctioning keyboard swirls and nasally guitar hooks that sound quick and snappy. It’s hard to dismiss such an inviting song, especially when it’s surrounded by other instant-classics like “Columbus Nightwalkers,” “Temporary Spaces,” and “I Wanna Be Tall” just to name a few. In the end this song is really only a small piece of the album, but it goes to show the kind of sound Estrogen Highs strive for, and better yet, how they achieve that sound in each of these 12 tracks.

Considering these guys have dropped a pair of full length records, countless singles and a bunch of other shit, it’s no surprise that they’ve ended up here with Irrelevant Future. Check the song below and you’ll see what we mean. Chances are you’ll be aching for the rest of the album once you’re finished with this lone track.

Grass of Leaves –

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

BUY the LP directly from Insound – comes with download code !
Estrogen Highs on Myspace

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Song of the Day #21: Mount Carmel – “Real Women”

It’s been an awfully long time since we’ve heard from this Columbus, Ohio trio. MOUNT CARMEL are back once again with their sophomore LP Real Women and they’ve taken a huge step forward. Their vintage blues rock sound is still intact and sounds as epic as it always has, except now it would sound as if these guys are at the height of their powers. Songs sound full and highly thought-out, making for a sensible and exhilarating listening journey where once just wouldn’t be enough.

The whole album offers up nine tracks of this totally electrified, heavy blues rock that will only leave you aching for more. “Real Women” is one excellent example of this taking place. High-voltage guitars rain down from the thunderous skies as if the gods were playing the instruments themselves, followed by a rollicking rhythm section that shakes the very foundation of our precious planet. It’s tough not to endorse such an authentic and vintage sound, especially when it’s obvious that the band is putting every last bit of their soul and effort into it. Check out this track below and we should be on the same page soon enough.

Real Women –

Genre/ Tags: Blues Rock, Psychedelic, Alternative

BUY the LP directly from Insound
Mount Carmel on Myspace

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Plateaus – “Do It For You” Video + Interview

PLATEAUS – who were responsible for one of our favorite 7″ singles last year – are back at it again. This time they are putting the finishing touches on their upcoming 7″ from Hozac Records. To hold us over in the meantime, they just set free this brand new music video for the song “Do It For You” which will appear on the new 7″. We had a minute to catch up with the band and ask them about their new single and the new video – see what they had to say below.

How does your new single on Hozac compare with your earlier single on Art Fag?
Kevin: Quite well, I think. Apples and oranges? I dunno.
Jon: The new one has the whole band on it instead of just me and Kevin, Chris even sings the A-side. I think sonically this single is more abrasive than the last one.

The new music video for “Do It For You” is pretty rad. What was the inspiration for such an exhilarating video?
Chris: I guess the inspiration for the video would be the song. We gave the song to our friends Dusty and Derrik and after listening to it that was the concept they came up with.

And how exactly was that video created?
Chris: The video was made by Dusty Dirtweed of Mushroom Necklace and Derrik Acosta of Mega 64. Dusty made pretty much everything you see in the video by hand. He made almost everything out of pizza boxes and glue, then painted them. After everything was made him and Derrik made a set in his garage and filmed the video. Derrik then took all the shots and edited the photos into an animation.

What can we expect from Plateaus in the future after this new 7″?
Kevin: We are going out to Chicago real soon for the Hozac Blackout Fest, we’re playing a bunch of shows on the way out and on the way back. It’s gonna be fun, Red Cross and Roky Erickson! Also stoked to crack a Mike’s Hard with San Diego hometown heroes “The Spider Fever.”
Chris: We have another 7″ coming up shortly after the Hozac one, and an LP coming out this fall (both on Art Fag).
Jon: Expect to see us on the road more for sure.

There you have it folks. Plateaus seem to have their work cut out for them between now and the start of the summer. In the meantime the video above for “Do It For You” should hold you over until they start dropping these new records. Sit tight!

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

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Song of the Day #20: Guantanamo Baywatch – “Boomerenga”

GUANTANAMO BAYWATCH are currently putting the finishing touches on their 2nd full length LP. The album, titled Chest Crawl, drops May 22nd from the Dirtnap Records label which is surely a fitting home for their grimy, psyched-out strand of surf rock. “Boomerenga” is an excellent example of this sound being put on display. The song is guided along by twangy guitars with an evil edge while swift percussion and chunky bass lines work to keep the rhythm. These elements all combine for a ridiculously sloppy (and somehow sexy – did you see that album art??) blend of garage and surf rock that sounds particularly careless while also sounding wet. The lead guitar slithers and slides across the track which really helps create those slippery, unsettling vibes. Throughout the rest of Chest Crawl the Portland trio offers up plenty of tricks, the most notable being those blood-pumping instrumental tracks which have a truly vintage sound. See what they’re all about in the track below!

Boomerenga –

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

BUY the LP directly from Dirtnap on May 22nd (no pre-orders)
Guantanamo Baywatch – Official Website
Guantanamo Baywatch on Facebook

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Song of the Day #19: Cousins – Speech

COUSINS are a four piece garage rock band that formed in Halifax in 2009 by Aaron Mangle. “The Palm at the End of the Mind” is the name of their sophomore LP on Saved By Vinyl, consisting of nine tracks of totally sharp and raucous garage-pop music that also manages to be quirky and highly energetic. Of the nine tracks, “Speech” just might be the most fitting example of this wildly frantic energy. This rowdy track starts out with a jangly bang and rarely ever settles back down afterward. The song is driven by crunchy guitars and a pounding, unpredictable drum pattern that will keep you guessing with each new pulsing measure, bringing the “manic energy and underlying calm” together in one strikingly memorable three-and-a-half minute track. You’d be a fool to miss it below – after the first 15 seconds you’ll see.

Speech –