Wolff Parkinson White fully embraces discord on Favours, his first album in eight years, producing glitchy, stumbling electronic tunes that leave space for the human voice. Single “When I’m in Pieces” lets his broken machines spring into action — multi-tonal leads, off-kilter rhythmic progressions, and dulcet accents churn along, with singer Clare Manchon’s vox tethering the track’s seemingly disparate parts to earth. White’s choice to pair his mathy, multi-signature tracks with a vocal performance helps provide structure to chaos, enabling experimentation that always feels in control, a necessary calm in a storm of chiptune bytes and synthetic parts. Stream it below ahead of the album’s release this Thursday, February 7th.
NYC
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Field Guides’ new LP hazily recollects, plays Mercury Lounge 2.9
The various moving parts that come together on This Is Just A Place, the latest offering by Brooklyn collective Field Guides, create a verdant mix of folk and dream-pop, creating music that feels both grounded and distant. Single “Guessing at Animals” provides a wide open space for bandleader Benedict Kupstas to experiment, his narrative baritone centerstage, waxing nostalgically, buttressed by layers of interweaving, echoing guitars and the occasional sax line. It is this very synthesis of hazy instrumental backgrounds and Kupstas’ prescient songwriting that provides Field Guides with its greatest strengths, a release that’s drawn from human experience but presented as if viewed by some omniscient narrator, looking down from space — softly recollective tunes for recounting the past through rose-colored glasses. Listen to it below, and catch Field Guides on February 9th at the Mercury Lounge with Onlyness and Rose Blanshei. —Connor Beckett McInerney
L.A.
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02.24: SXSW-bound Kills Birds plays Gold Diggers
Kills Birds have a slate of shows coming up in the next few months, which means that more cities across these United States will have a chance to catch their wild live antics. They kick things off with a hometown gig at Gold Diggers on February 24th, and from there, they’ll take their act on a wild ride up and down the West Coast. Once they’ve done that, they’ll head down to Austin for SXSW, where they’ll entertain the masses who have heard of them through big names such as Reggie Watts and Kim Gordon. Should you have that Monday night available — or, even if you don’t — you should go throw yourself around the room to the fierce tracks that Kills Birds have to offer. The band released their debut album last year; for an idea of what you’ll experience from their stage show, take a listen to "Volcano" below. – Will Sisskind
Toronto
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Gypsy Brydge – Blistering Rock n’ Roll Debut “Up Jumped the Devil”
Long haired dudes from Hamilton. This power trio play serious rock n’ roll that ranges from glam rock to the blues. You can hear this on their debut single “Up Jumped The Devil” which features a harmonica intro, a KISS inspired party rockin’ verse, shredding interludes and a thrash solo. Crank it up! Their next gig is at Stonewalls in Hamilton on February 29th. – Kris Gies
New England
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Surnames debut with gripping record “These Days”
The music of Boston’s latest standout band Surnames is sweet caramel, hot chocolate, gooey marshmallow—whatever decadence you can think of. Surnames’ debut record These Days grips you immediately with its smooth indie rock, tinged with a surfy vibe and sprinkled with natural sounds that enrich each atmospheric track. From the groovy dance number “Can’t Take It With You” to the funky-intricate guitar picking in “California,” the record is sensual, fun, and very much liberating. Even slower tracks like “To Wolves” drip with emotion as they swell into euphoric breakdowns highlighted by the soulful vocals of Liam Anastasia-Murphy, who has put together a group of talented individuals for a record worth betting on in 2020. Stream the romp-igniting track “Can’t Take It With You” below and let loose. – Rene Cobar
Chicago
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The Outfit “Come Alive”
The Outfit have released the first single, “Come Alive”, from their forthcoming sophomore album, Viking, which is due out March 27th.
This is the Hard Rock of Mark Nawara (Drums), Matt Nawara (Guitar), Mike Gorman (Bass), and Andy Mitchell (Vocals/Guitar).
Chicago
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Handsome Naked “Heat Check”
Comedic Hip Hop trio Handsome Naked has released their latest single “Heat Check”. Both the song and its accompanying visual are guaranteed to make you laugh as they take Brad Kemp’s hard hitting production as a bed for their lyrical “Heat Check”.
L.A.
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Blame Baby releases sophomore indie single “The Floor”
Blame Baby have captured the essence of early 2000s emo, injected it into pop punk circa 2020, and released a catchy little offspring called "The Floor". This follow-up single to their debut "Headcase" further showcases the band’s ability to craft steady indie pop songs around serious subject matter. Guitarist and lead singer Jesse Johnson attacks privilege and greed from the viewpoint of someone who can see the misery inherent in incessant wanting, while bandmates Omar D. Brancato and Matt Tucci back him up on the rhythm and bass. The band’s first single of 2020 sets the stage for more to come this year; take a look at the lyric video for "The Floor" below. – Will Sisskind
Chicago
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Glass Lux “Radio Silence”
Glass Lux has returned with Radio Silence, their first album since 2014’s Eat Flesh. This is Synth heavy Electro-Pop of Alfonso Mayen, Emily Morse, and Leo Saucedo.
The album was two years in the making and manages to blend fun, New Wave, danceable pop with deeply personal and raw lyrics.
Photo by: Shami Choudhry
Chicago
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Billow “Disengage”
Emo Punk Trio Billow has released a new single called “Disengage”. This is the first new music from the group since their 2019 EP “Wrecks”.
You can catch Billow at Byers Brewing in Dekalb on February 15th with Binx, Middle Aged Overdose, and Lightweights.
NYC
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From the Submissions: The Paris Buns’ ” Charm (Metromania I)”
It’s impossible to ignore the influence John Darnielle has on songwriter (and erstwhile Deli NYC contributor) Will Sisskind. Similar vocal cadences aside, his music under the Paris Buns moniker charts its own course on Charm (Metromania I), the first in a year-long series of emotively-inspired EPs. Backed by barebones electric drums and minimalistic synth contributions, Sisskind sings about the role charm itself plays in disparate social settings, whetherits inconsequential flirtatious banter (“Sphallolia”) or the inclination to smile in social settings (“The Eccedentestiast”). Verbose, prose-filled odes paired with driving acoustic guitar make for a unique effort that showcases the Paris Buns as a daredevil songwriting act that’s perfect for fans of the Mountain Goats or AJJ — give it a listen below.