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.”
Major Stars "Motion Set"
You’re sitting there like everything is normal, like your face isn’t about to melt off. Well all that is about to change, as 18 blistering strings of guitar-ness set your eyes, ears, and nose on fire. Wait. This isn’t 5 alarm chili. We are only here to burn your ears. And blazing they will be with the majesty of Motion Set (Drag City), the new face-melter (remember, I warned ya) from Major Stars. Drone-y wry vocals from Kate Biggar, and ‘70s metal rhythm lay the foundation for the guit-army to attack. Hints of Black Sabbath, Mike Oldfield, and lots of other great guitar things that happened in the ‘70s mixed with a bit of a Pinkerton-era Weezer thing, add a million awesome guitar solos, throw in some jazz exploration, and there you go. Prepare yourself for the aforementioned Sabbath-ness of “For Today.”
Cory Hanson "The Unborn Capitalist From Limbo"
Cory Hanson, the frontman for psych-rock favorite Wand is here with his solo debut, The Unborn Capitalist From Limbo (Drag City). So what’s it sound like? Well, sure, it’s a little psychedelic feeling, but this is not exactly the rock sound his band Wand is known for. Here, Cory has opted for a lush, pastoral, celestial folk sound. String arrangements worthy of Nick Drake and a star-gazing vibe not unlike Joni Mitchell. This is a smoked-up good time, with Cory delivering his poetic vocals with just a hint of a British accent that suits the music better than a tailored shirt. Ok, I’m not sure how I feel about that analogy, but I am sure how I feel about this record. It’s great! Don’t believe me? Then check out standout track “Replica.”