The Faves Playlist - July 2023
New music from Outro, Tremours, The Casper Fight Scene and more. Check out our faves below:
Fake Fever - Graveyard Shift
On “Graveyard Shift,” NY artist Fake Fever pushes toward electronic / chillwave grooves. The track is the first single off of Inside The Well, Fake Fever’s second album, to be released on 9/1. The album sees the dream pop artist trying to move away from the comforts of nostalgia, instead focusing on the future. "This album encompasses that sometimes-painful process of loosening the grip on the past so that you can free yourself to move forward.”
Current Affairs - Casual Radicals
Post-punk band Current Affairs has never sounded more in unison. On “Casual Radicals,” the band leans into their new wave sound and leaves us pounding our fists with the beat. The band is scheduled to tour the UK in support of the new album, Off The Tongue, which was released on 7/14 via Tough Love Records.
Plattenbau - Celebration
Darkwave/synthpop band Plattenbau are back with their new single “Celebration.” The Berlin-based band, who has previously supported IDLES, Preoccupations, and more, is heading out on a European headline tour starting this October. The band’s album Net Prophet is out on 9/8 via Dedstrange Records.
semiwestern - pose
Indie rock duo semiwestern has released the first single off their upcoming album, due in the fall. The track “pose” is a moody slow-gaze track, one that pushed Ty Bohrnstedt and Daniel Gonzalez to write a full record. As Bohrnstedt explains, “Some friends had asked me if we were still working on music, the answer was no, but I showed them a demo of ‘pose’ and received some really positive feedback. Around the same time, my wiener dog had to undergo a second spinal surgery and required 24 hour care and months of rehab. We were confined to my room all day, with my recording equipment, for the better part of three months and that’s when I recorded ‘pose’ and wrote the rest of the album." The full-length album will be released on Spirit Goth Records.
Cloudland Canyon - Circuit City
Cloudland Canyon, the experimental pop project, is back with their new single “Circuit City.” The synthpop forward track is part of the band’s upcoming self-titled album, on which the project’s leader Kip Uhlhorn collaborated with AI to create electronic soundscapes. The album is out on 7/21 on Medical Records.
Downgrade - Stasis
Post-punk Atlanta band Downgrade is gearing up to release their debut album Absence Speaks. On the new single “Stasis,” the band explores fight or flight. As the band explains, “Stasis is about an inability to act, the paralyzing experience of not knowing the right thing to do (which then results in doing nothing at all). Sometimes you get presented with a difficult decision and, instead of choosing a path and moving forward, you lock up and enter ‘stasis.’ I wanted the song to have oscillating feelings of dread and comfort which eventually implode on themselves in the end.” Absence Speaks is out on 7/21 via Rope Bridge and Julia Swar Records.
bdrmm - Alps
“Alps,” the first track off of bdrmm’s new album I Don’t Know, starts out as a minimal electronic track, slowly morphing into something greater. On the track, the UK four piece indie rock/dream pop band tap into something ethereal, blurring the line between imagination and reality. The band is set to head out on tour across the EU / UK in the fall.
Jaws The Shark - Suff City
London-based Jaws The Shark is back with the new single “Suff City.” Influenced by the sounds of ‘70s legends like Bowie and The Stooges, the track blends heavily distorted guitar riffs and catchy melodies. Jaws The Shark is the solo project of musician Olly Bailey. The alt/indie-rocker is getting ready to release a new project on the prestigious label SO Recordings.
Elbé - Hazy
On their new song “Hazy,” the Irish indie rock band elbé reminds us to let go and take it all in. As the band explains, “‘Hazy’ is about those unexpected experiences that occur, when the air is electrifying and the energy from the people around us is contagious.” More than that though, they remind us to live in the moment. “It’s about letting go of your stress and worries and being in the moment, if ever briefly. The song concludes with how lucky you are if you finish the day in the arms of someone you love.”
Cool Sorcery - God Inside A Human Machine
On “God Inside A Human Machine,” Brazilian lo-fi garage rock project Cool Sorcery takes on digital currency’s impact on our behavior. The track is part of a 6-track split with Cleveland post-punk band da.daer. On the split, Marcos Assis, Cool Sorcery’s sole member, comments, “The underlying idea behind this split revolves around an evil god residing in the digital realm, primarily encompassing the fantasy genre. However, in this specific track, I utilized the concept of the evil god to symbolize ‘death’ and shed light on how our ‘online numbers’ ultimately hold no significance,” he explains. “It also addresses the issue of internet celebrities who falsely believe they possess genuine talent, when in reality, they are merely imitating the work of others. It's like a reality check waiting to happen for them in real life, and they wouldn't stand a chance.”
On their debut album Ambivert, Houston-based duo Blemishes—comprised of Julienne Ceron and Jessie Huntington—defies easy categorization by blending diverse musical influences and styles. This 50-minute album showcases a spectrum of sounds, from frantic rhythms to gentle instrumentation, reflecting their view of albums as cohesive narratives rather than mere collections of songs. To highlight its various influences, Ceron curated a playlist for us. Read our Q&A with the writer/producer and listen to the playlist.