Ruler "Winning Star Champion (Barsuk)"
You want hooks? You want riffs? You want sing-a-long melodies and lyrics? You want the kind of rock that makes you triumphantly nod your head? You want fries with that? Well, minus the fries (sorry, BRM doesn’t have a fryer. Check out our Yelp page, we don’t serve wings either- much to the chagrin of our customers) if you’re looking for all of those things then you are looking for Ruler! Winning Star Champion (Barsuk) is Seattle’s Matt Batey’s latest offering, and it’s just about as catchy as you can get without needing a shot to combat the ill-effects. But fear not! There are no ill-effects here (except in the Beastie Boys meaning of the word). A little like those early few Death Cab records mixed with the current resurgence of pop-punk. It’s a ‘90s + ‘10s sort of thing. You know the deal, good influences in=good music out. So check out the first tune from the record “Petrified” and measure Ruler for yourself! (Sorry)
Tracyanne & Danny "Tracyanne & Danny (Merge)"
There you are, just a regular ol’ fan of the Camera Obscura as well as the album Danny Coughlan released as Crybaby. “Great” you think to yourself “I like these two bands” and then you go about your day like nothing is happening. WRONG! Get ready to have those two great tastes taste great together! Tracyanne & Danny is both the name of the group and the title of their debut. Tracyanne Campbell, of Camera Obscura fame, and Danny (of aforementioned in this blurb fame) have teamed up to create music that invokes their shared influences such as Lou Reed, Dion, Serge Gainsbourg, The Style Council, and more. A vintage, simple sound that reminds the listener of times long gone. Check out “Home & Dry.”
Beach Slang "Everything Matters But No One Is Listening [Quiet Slang] (Polyvinyl)"
You remember MTV Unplugged don’t you? Actually if you are the age I think you are then let me step that back: Do you remember when MTV used to play videos? Well, on top of that they’d have bands play acoustic versions/more intimate versions of their jams in front of a bunch of candles and drapes. Obviously Nirvana’s “Unplugged” was legendary (Hey, I was there for the taping!), and its influence is still felt today in such releases by Beach Slang. Yup, break out the acoustic guitars, ask your friend who plays piano to bring his friend who plays the violin to show up and well, in this case, tell the drummer to go buy beers since he isn’t needed (What, no Hot Rods™ were available?). Regardless, these versions of your favorite Beach Slang jams will have you holding hands, burning patchouli oil and singing along (quietly). Check out “Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas.”
Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert "Here Lies The Body (Rock Action)"
There is very little info on the website for the debut album from Aidan Moffat and RM Hubbert. But what few words that are there speak volumes more than some 100,000 word Wikipedia entries. Wanna know what it says there? Good, because I’m about to copy and paste the hell out of it. “Sex and death. Love and life. Family, fortune, faith, and fear. Guitar, voices, cello, sax, Roland, wolves. Leggings and jeggings, the multiverse and marshmallows. The debut album by Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert.” Right? Honestly, what more do you need to know about Here Lies The Body (Rock Action). Oh fine, I’ll let you know a little more. Aidan, you might know from his many days with Arab Strap. RM is better known in Scotland as Hubby, the guitarist and singer in his post-rock band El Hombre Trajeado. The result of their pairing is a little like if Phil Spector produced El Vy. Check out the rollicking brogue of “Party On.”