A Giant Dog "Toy (Merge)"
My favorite barista at my local coffee shop, who knows only vaguely that my work has something to do with music, said the following to me after she binged Girl Boss: “Oh. My. God! Do you know this band A Giant Dog? I heard them on Girl Boss and immediately they are my favorite band!” So besides the thrill of telling her that “yeah, we had a hand in that” I was also thrilled to tell her “you know they have a new record coming soon?” She was very excited. As is everyone. You either have never heard of A Giant Dog or you are obsessed with Sabrina and the gang. Toy (Merge), their latest LP, is full of their Nashville punk perfection, a sound somewhere between Joan Jett and The Ramones, with a little Jason & the Scorchers thrown in for good measure. And with Sabrina front and center, as fearless and anyone in rock, there is nothing A Giant Dog can’t do. Rock along with “Bendover.” Now, if only I could figure out how to parlay this into a free iced coconut latte…
LIARS "TFCM (Mute)"
TFCM (which is short for Theme From Crying Mountain), the newest album from Liars, is the first since guitarist Aaron Hemphill left the band, leaving Angus Andrew as the sole member. If you’ve been listening to Liars for a while now, then you’ve come to expect the unexpected from their sound. Combining some of the dance hints from their latest albums, as well as the acoustic guitar and electro-experimentation of their 2006 standout Drum’s Not Dead, TFCM is as wonderfully strange as anything they have ever released. Sometimes the record sounds like modern classical music, and other times it sounds like Negativland. As someone who has spent a lot of time listening to both of those things, I’m pleased as punch. Check out “Cred Woes.”
Rare Energy "Rare Energy (Team Love)"
If you like your drums to have an indie shuffle, your songwriter’s emotions to be worn on their sleeves, and your aesthetic to be of the ‘90s college/indie persuasion, then boy oh boy do I have a new favorite band for you. Rare Energy, the new EP from Guilt Mountain is everything someone could want from a genre that can be decidedly overproduced at times. Sounding a little bit like early Helium tracks with Kate Larson’s vocal delivery reminding me of the Deal sisters at their most conversational, this is the kind of collection that makes you want to start a band immediately. Like, right this second. But you don’t have time for that now, because you need to check out “Fever.”
Rainer Maria "Rainer Maria (Polyvinyl)"
There we were. It was just a regular day at the BRM offices. Jen was being sensible. Pete was wearing a hat. AJ was hungover from the show(s?) he hit the night before. We got an email, just like any other, except it wasn’t. Our buds at Polyvinyl had something to say. “New Rainer Maria!” It didn’t matter what we were doing, when you get an email with music from a band you spent your youth loving and hasn’t released so much as a single in over a decade, you drop what you’re doing and you listen. And listen we did, my friends. Everything was there! Everyone’s favoritist DIY trio was treating our ears to introspective, rocking indie tunes once again. Lemme tell you, there was much rejoicing. You’ll be rejoicing too as you check out the power of the instant classic, “Lower Worlds.”