Spider Bags "Someday Everything Will Be Fine (Merge)"
Spider Bags are back with their second record on Merge Records. But really, it feels like their first. Having left behind the trappings of modern recording, Someday Everything Will Be Fine was laid to tape a legendary Tascam 388-warts and all. The result is a garage rock take on crafted songwriter-y artists a la Tom Petty and Bob Dylan (ESPECIALLY Dylan on the whiskey soaked “My Heart Is A Flame In Reverse.” So if you’re looking for a rough around the edges, classic rock ‘n’ roll time-I’m talking like period piece about the ‘70s-then look no further than this! Check out the aforementioned best Dylan song Dylan didn’t write, “My Heart Is A Flame In Reverse.”
The Love Language "Baby Grand (Merge)"
Ok. Normally I listen to a new record before I read the PR for a new record. But my internet was being weird when I tried to get Baby Grand (Merge), the new LP from The Love Language, to start playing. That’s when I read this “The song “Juiceboxx” is what you’d get if Mick Jagger crooned his “Emotional Rescue” falsetto over a backing track by the Style Council” and for the first time ever I had a new favorite song before I even heard it! There’s a lot of that here. From the soulful Beach Boys balladeering of “Let Your Hair Down” to the Neutral Milk Hotel crooning of “Castle in the Sky” to the Frankie Goes To Hollywood meets Portlandia sounds of “Shared Spaces”… Every single one of these new tunes could be your new favorite song. So go ahead and start figuring out which one now.
Free Cake For Every Creature "The Bluest Star (Double Double Whammy)"
There I was, walking down the street and minding my own business. A song in my heart and a hunger in my belly. All of a sudden, a sign caught my eye. It read: Free Cake For Every Creature and there was an arrow pointing to a door. I’m no dummy, if a sign promises “free cake” I follow it. When I went into the room, I immediately noticed a definite lack of baked goods. “Let them eat cake indeed…” I thought to myself as I noticed the sweet sounds that were filling the room. The room was filled with records. I was in a record store. I pointed up to the ceiling and looked blankly at the record store clerk-the universal sign for “what is this playing?” “It’s Katie Bennett’s band Free Cake For Every Creature” she replied without looking up from her phone. It didn’t matter, I was sold. The jangly indie strains and warm vocals had me hooked like the best slice of Black Forest money could buy. But money couldn’t buy cake at a record shop (though, I suppose, it could buy Cake). It could, however, buy the latest FCFEC LP The Bluest Star (Double Double Whammy), with it’s DIY/lighter side of The Vaselines vibes. Check out “Around You.”
Phantastic Ferniture "Phantastic Ferniture (Polyvinyl)"
The immensely talented Julia Jacklin is known for her heartfelt, emotional tunes. Being something of a folky, it occurred to her that “ every experience I’d had on stage was playing sad music with a guitar in my hand. I thought, I would love to know what it’s like to make people feel good and dance.” So she got together with her friends Elizabeth Hughes, Ryan K Brennan, and Tom Stephen and formed Phantastic Ferniture. Their self-titled debut is a chance to set-aside their “meticulously crafted solo work” and have some fun. Everyone decided to not play their primary instruments and just have a blast playing some tunes. Now it’s your chance to have a blast listening to their giddy, danceable dream-rock. It’s like Liz Phair, The Breeders, and Elastica finally got together to jam and everyone was having their best day ever. Check out the bouncy “Gap Year.”