Twin Rains "Automatic Hands"
Everyone, please welcome Twin Rains to the Rough Trade Publishing fold. This Toronto dream pop duo have been making music together in some capacity since 2009, and were the founding members of the Toronto indie band Make Me Young. As Twin Rains, the pair are crafting a beguiling mix of delicate, poetic vocals and modern, mid-tempo electronic music. A bit like the sound from our pals from Galaxie 500, some keyboard sounds not unlike Au Revoir Simone, a smattering of Portishead vibes, all the while very modern sounding, skipping over the complete ‘80s fetishization that many other modern dream pop bands rely on, and instead mixing those flavors with something very new and modern. Probably with some turmeric. Everything seems to have turmeric in it these days. So drink some turmeric tea and check out the sexy groove of “Flash Burn.”
Title Tracks "Long Dream"
If you’re looking for some power-pop perfection, then you are looking for the latest from Title Tracks, Long Dream (EJRC). It does everything power-pop should do: remind you of how much you love rock and roll, remind you a little of The Beatles, and then remind you a little of Cheap Trick (who also remind you of, of course, The Beatles). The choruses are big, the verses are sing-a-long-able, guitars are jangled, the drums never end, and the bass player is likely exhausted. Check out the Matthew Sweet covering The Cure sounds of “Don’t Start.”
Radian "On Dark Silent Off"
The members of Radian have been experimenting with dance, electronic music, post-rock, and other genres for 20 years now, and their latest release On Dark Silent Off (Thrill Jockey) might be their most cohesive, addicting album to date. Is it noisy? Is it strange? It sure is. It’s also beautiful, as the dudes dwell on sounds most other musicians strive to eliminate from their recordings. ‘90s-era cool jazz DJ beats mixed with static solos, acoustic guitars, and all other manner of bewildering instrumentation. They have done the impossible here, made a sci-fi sounding album that sounds nothing like John Carpenter (neat trick, eh?). It’s more like Aphex Twin remixes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor songs (who do we call to make THAT happen?). In the meantime, give the under construction opium den sounds of “Scary Objects” a listen.
E "E"
There are a few things that you can guarantee someone in the BRM office is talking about daily. The tastiness of chocolate combined with peanut butter is one. The benefits of wearing bajas is another. When it comes to music, one of our very hot topics is how criminally underrated Thalia Zedek is. Seriously. There should be a Mount Rushmore of influential guitarists somewhere that’s just Neil Young and three Thalia Zedek heads. This time around, she has started a new band called E, and their self-titled debut is a masterclass in squeal-y, harmonious guitar noise. She has paired herself with Neptune’s Jason Sanford and Karate’s Gavin McCarthy. No bass, just drums and two guitars, and two of the most distinct voices in rock music. A little like The Bad Seeds and Tom Waits later works mixed with Sonic Youth’s experimentation, this is sure to please the ‘90s indie rock fans longing for some guitar power. Check out the punishingly good “Great Light.”