Sego "Sego Sucks (Roll Call)"
What do I think of this new Sego record, Sego Sucks? No no no no. I don’t think Sego sucks. And I don’t think Sego Sucks sucks. See, Sego sucks was seen by the band as a comment online and they liked the sound of it, and sort of ran with it. They went so far in their troll sleighing that they named the new record after it. But whatever the opposite of “suck” is, that’s what the new record does. This is an indie rock record in the classic sense of the words. Quirky, punk-y, post-punk-y, post-post-punk-y, post-post (sorry, you get the idea). Bouncy bass parts, angular, experimental guitar parts, deadpan vocals, creative drumming… It’s an early-Beck meets LCD Soundsystem meets the best of ‘90s college radio (this is really hitting some sweet spots for me..) Check out “Heart Attack” (the song, not the cardiac event).
Small Feet "…With Psychic Powers (Barsuk)"
Simon Stålhamr is back with his second album as Small Feet. (I wonder if anyone accidentally downloaded a Small Feet record thinking they were gonna get back into Little Feet and thought “woah, they are way weirder than I remember”) …With Psychic Powers (Barsuk) finds Simon leaning more experimentally than his last (critically acclaimed) effort Far Enough Away Everything Sounds Like The Ocean. He’s mixing in more of that neo-psych rock sound-leaving the whole thing sounding a little Beach Boys, a little Syd Barrett, a little Congratulations-era MGMT, and a lot amazing. Reverb soaked and mysterious, often with a multi-tracked chorus of one. Check out the incredible album opener “Let The Guys Down.”
Zammuto "We The Animals Soundtrack (Temporary Residence)"
Nick Zammuto (formerly of Books, currently of being a solo artist) was asked to write the score to Jerimiah Zagar’s gorgeous and heartbreaking film We The Animals. He, of course, obliged in with aplomb. Beautiful and haunting just like the film, Nick uses scarce instrumentation (mostly electronics and synths) combined with clips of dialogue and natural sounds to make the soundtrack here it’s own singular achievement. Check out the ethereal “Fly Away.”
BRUTUS "Nest (Sargent House)"
Nest (Sargent House) is the latest release from Belgium trio Brutus. Mixing post-rock, metal, hardcore, and math rock all while vocalist/drummer Stefanie belts out “out the most impassioned vocals, shifting from deceptively melodic to out-right larynx-punishing in the blink of an eye.“ So says Sargent House’s PR, and so do I agree. Imagine a more pop-leaning MONO as led by a Sugarcubes-era Björk (when they lean pop) and… well, when Stefanie is really belting it out she sounds like no other voice in rock music. Moody, atmospheric one moment and nearly thrash metal the next moment. This is a stunner of an album, as is evidenced by the operatic changes of the single “War.”