Katie Von Schleicher "Shitty Hits (Ba Da Bing)"
When Katie Von Schleicher was interning at Ba Da Bing Records, our bud Ben offered her the chance to release a cassette on the label (because he is a swell guy). Some demos perhaps? A live recording? Well, Katie decided to go all the way with it, and recorded the self-produced, fully-realized Bleaksploitation which garnered her all kinds of interest in her music. After the surprise success of that release, here we find her releasing her proper full-length debut, the hazy, sunny T-Rex meets Paul McCartney at his most pop-loving sounds of Shitty Hits. Pop it in the tape deck, roll all the windows down, and drive as fast as the law allows on your favorite highway while you blast the sounds of “Paranoia.”
Ramona Falls "Coils"
If you have been anxiously awaiting the third LP from Ramona Falls then you might wanna sit down, because I have excellent news for you. Are you ready? Strapped in? Do you have your helmet on? Because Coils, the third Ramona Falls record is here, and it is fantastic! Brett Knopf, also of El Vy and Menomena) has packed Coils to the brim with quirky bounce and indie-pop touches to delight one and all (hey, I almost turned into a carnival barker there!) The whole thing combines the confidence of The Mountain Goats with the easy cool of Serge Gainsbourg and the musicality of Van Dyke Parks. Check out “Prayers.”
Twinsmith "Stay Cool (Saddle Creek)"
For their third LP, Twinsmith decided to strip things down. They had been continuously expanding their sound into a hazy surf sort of sound. For Stay Cool (Saddle Creek), the dudes went back to their roots. They recorded the whole thing in their dining room, using old synths and drum machines for a keyboard heavy take on their unique pop sound. Sounding at times like late ‘80s Beach Boys or even a little like Billy Ocean at his yacht-iest, but through a modern lens. Check out the buoyant “Boji.”
Waxahatchee "Out In The Storm (Merge)"
Look. It doesn’t get much better than a new Waxahatchee record. It also doesn’t get better than this line from Merge’s press: “Out in the Storm is the blazing result of a women reawakened. Her most autobiographical and honest album to date…” Also, there are few things in this world that makes us as happy as the words “At Agnello’s suggestion.” That’s right. This time around, Katie Crutchfield not only brought along her sis Allsion as well as the rest of the band to record in Philadelphia, but producer/engineer/podcaster extraordinaire John Agnello who convinced the band to record live, giving the whole record a vast richness, and leaving it more guitar oriented than her previous albums. Check out the would-have-been-right-at-home- on-college-radio-in-the-‘90s vibes of “Silver.”