“Oldest Daughter” finds The Wonder Years both maturing and, um, dematuring. “Oldest Daughter” sees the pop punk powerhouses return to the generation of The Greatest Generation in more ways than one. The track is a direct sequel to that album’s acoustic number “Madelyn” and, musically, this is the most pop punk they’ve sounded since The Greatest Generation (arguably since Suburbia). The structure is that of a classic pop punk song: Verse -> pre-chorus -> chorus -> repeat -> bridge -> end with a chorus. The chorus rips, there’s a chugging guitar riff, there are some sing-a-long echoes, and it never slows down for a “quiet” section. In other words, “Oldest Daughter” sounds like everything you would want from a pop-punk song in 2012, just a decade too late.
Yet, somehow, “Oldest Daughter” is also maybe the most mature that The Wonder Years have ever sounded. Dan Campbell has developed a deeper control of his voice since the release of Sister Cities five years ago (the vibrato!). The production sounds much cleaner than their previous two releases, yet still rough enough that it avoids sounding sterile (the harmonies!). Campbell has also clearly taken some influence from Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties in his lyrics, as the storytelling style that The Wonder Years already lean into is transformed into an even more literal style, sharing the heartbreaking story of what Madelyn’s life has turned into in the ten years since (the imagery!).
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 22nd, 2022. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: April 22, 2022 –
Alex G: We’re All Going to the World’s Fair
Genre: Soundtrack Label: Milan
Amenra / Cave In / Marissa Nadler: Songs of Townes Van Zandt Vol. III
Genre: Folk (Covers) Label: Neurot
Armory: Mercurion
Genre: Heavy Metal Label: Dying Victims Productions
KILL or KEEP is back and we are doing the White Album! We have never done the White Album before, and this is quite important to stress because why the hell hadn’t we? It is the Beatles’ longest album. Is it their magnum opus? Some people think so, and most of them are wrong about literally everything! Let’s show those frauds! But first, we will go so far as to tender an apology for not already having KILLed and KEPT it, reasons for which go something along the lines of:
“Hey Phero, when are we going to KILL or KEEP the White Album?”
“Idk man sounds like a great idea. Sounds perfect. Let’s get porc and do it!”
“Sweet yeah, good shout. porc would be perf for this rofl. Hold on one sec, I’ll get in touch…”
70000 unanswered voicemails and two months later.
“Hey Johnny, remember when we had that great idea about KILLing or KEEPing the White album?”
“Oh shit man yeah, that was such a good plan why haven’t we done it yet?”
“Um no idea, but shall we do it now?”
“Yes let’s, actually wait, how about we do an actual good double album that everyone agrees is good instead?”
“Sidelines” is the new song by the music artist Phoebe Bridgers. You know who she is, glad to be on the same page. Is it a good song? It recalls the minimalist keyboards of the title-track of her 2020 phenomenon statementzeitgeistermeme album Punisher, but where that song’s progression was intricate, fragile and full of intrigue, this one follows butterfingered plinky-plonks and emointense study beats and an antidynamic chord pattern so tepid Aaron Dessner would doze into his decaf chaipalace eyemask latte over it. Bridgers’ vocal performance peaks when she channels Imogen Heap on the occasional high note, and it dips when she mumbles some bollocks about personifying her houseplants instead of objectifying herself to the chonk of that babysnare. Is this a little cruel? To the lyrics: oh okay, Phoebe Bridgers is using the first song released from her new(ish)found platform of supercelebdom to affirm the confidence she’s found to leave her house, all while weighing up a fresh stint at Berklee (hardly unwarranted by this song’s sclerotic arrangement)? She is dealing with fame marvelously, and you can tell this because she grounds it in sly Bright Eyes references. All things considered, this is a guaranteed live kicker and I can’t wait to hear some tosspot in a suit promote their insurance company over its opening stanza the next time I open a Youtube video 10/10 well played.
Shoegaze is a big genre and this is a big fucking post.
Cut out 10-15 minutes for yourself, and away we go…
Intro
I feel that practically everyone listens to shoegaze in some form or another, but what landmarks or band-families this entails varies surprisingly wildly depending on who you ask. Shoegaze is old and it’s big: 30+ years is easily enough time for successive generations of bed-headed indie fucks and aesthete space cadets to carve out their own fuzzy atmospheres and dish them into the proximity of every single other genre that looks good in mood lighting (and a few that don’t). Back in its ‘90s heyday, shoegaze was panned for being homogenous and turgid, guitar music’s version of an overused slow-motion effect, but it grown so many variants across so many styles that these remarks’ failure to pick up on its creative potential is case-closed moot.
All of which amounts to quite a lot. How do you navigate it? Who’s the next step if you never made it past My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive? What’s your ticket to mothership if your main exposure is from mayfly albums on the fringes of Bandcamp? What if you’re up to your arse in Deftones and Beach House and still aren’t sure whether real shoegaze is worth the money? Aren’t there any acts who’ve done something surprising or exciting with the genre? Why gaze in the first place?
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 15th, 2022. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: April 15, 2022 –
Abstracted: Atma Cornflux
Genre: Progressive Death Metal Label: M-Theory Audio
Aevum: Glitch
Genre: Symphonic Metal Label: darkTunes
Alunah: Strange Machine
Genre: Stoner / Doom / Heavy Rock Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
Analepsy: Quiescence
Genre: Brutal Death / Slam Label: Self released?
Axel Rudi Pell: Lost XXIII
Genre: Heavy Metal Label: Steamhammer
A Wilhelm Scream: Lose Your Delusion
Genre: Punk Rock Label: Creator-Destructor
Azaab: Summoning the Cataclysm
Genre: Black Metal / Death Metal Label: Satanah / Maxima Music
Charlie Simpson: Hope Is a Drug
Genre: Singer Songwriter Label: Komorebi
Cremation Lily: Dreams Drenched in Static
Genre: Experimental / Ambient / Shoegaze Label: The Flenser
Darkher: The Buried Storm
Genre: Doom / Dark Folk Label: Prophecy Productions
Artist Bio: Nick & Jeff Discover Infinity consists of two friends who met in September 2021 and began making music together with the goal of being adventurous and avoiding confinement to one genre or sound. Sometimes catchy and immediate, other times hypnotic and ethereal, there is always something unexpected around the corner. They are currently writing and recording their second full length album and a punk EP.
I caught up with Deathconscious about his musical project Nick & Jeff Discover Infinity: from the meaning of the band’s name and its origins to where they see their pursuit of infinity taking them.
The name of your band seems to perfectly encapsulate what the music entails. There’s a sense of raw exploration in your songs, and while one can’t always be sure of where they’ll arrive, they typically – at the very least – make for an interesting journey. What inspired your no-limits approach to making music? Was there anything specific (a novel, movie, etc) or are you both just dreamers? Also, are there any musical acts that influence/play a role in shaping your art?
Denzel Curry’s work has always been a bridge between the old and the new, between the precise cuttings inherited from his influences and the exuberant energy of his contemporaries. It resulted in highly conceptual albums that also worked on a purely anthemic level. Now, Curry is ready to slow down. Ditching most of the roaring basslines and dynamic 808s to favor softer and jazzier hip-hop, Melt My Eyez, See Your Future is the rapper’s most suave album. Not that it induces somnolence, but rather that the Floridian’s other influences are more strongly felt than before: you can hear jazz, R&B, funk, soul, and even a bit of that punk energy Curry has always had.
And while some might regret the absence of a banger like “Ultimate” or “Ricky,” it’s gratifying to see Curry’s personal growth reflect his artistic maturation. The album ends with “The Ills”, where he states how his introspection drives him to take bold creative steps. It’s a powerful final thesis, illustrating why Denzel Curry felt it was time for him to take a new direction. He remains true to himself but still dares to venture into different spaces – proving that he is indeed the most artistically interesting Southern rapper these days. He constantly tests himself, opens up his possibilities, and manages to raise the bar with every album. Whether Melt My Eyez, See Your Future will be his definitive…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 8th, 2022. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: April 8, 2022 –
Angel Nation: Antares
Genre: Power Metal Label: Inner Wound Recordings
Archive: Call To Arms & Angels
Genre: Progressive Rock Label: Dangervisit
BANKS: Serpentina
Genre: Electronica, Alt-R&B Label: AWAL
Bekëth Nexëhmü: De Dunklas Gravrit
Genre: Black Metal Label: Purity Through Fire
Black Swan: Generation Mind
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock Label: Frontiers Music SRL
Calexico: El Mirador
Genre: Alternative Label: City Slang
Camila Cabello: Familia
Genre: Singer/Songwriter Label: Epic Records
Concilivm: A Monument In Darkness
Genre: Black Metal, Death Metal Label: Iron Bonehead Productions
Destruction: Diabolical
Genre: Speed Metal Label: Napalm Records
Epitaphe: II
Genre: Blackened Doom Label: Aesthetic Death
Et Moriemur: Tamashii No Yama
Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Black Metal Label: Transcending Obscurity
Father John Misty: Chloe and the Next 20th Century
Welcome to the first installment of our 2022 quarterly playlist! Feel free to jam the playlist below while reading what our writers had to say about each selection. Tell us what your favorites are in the comments, as well as any new artists you may have discovered here – or, alternatively, tell us what we missed! Thanks for reading/listening.
Tracklist:
40 Watt Sun – Behind My Eyes
Approaching twelve minutes in length, and devoid of most “exciting” musical elements, “Behind My Eyes” isn’t for the faint of heart. For those of the right bent, though, it’s a gold mine. Hazy slowcore (and a touch of folk) reminiscent of golden age Kozelek imbues the listener with just the right blend of melancholy and warmth. Spin at the required moment, and this listening experience can approach the feeling of a religious epiphany. –Sunnyvale
Astral Tomb – Traversing the Wandering Star
I’ve been searching around for the right album to throw a little more attention at all afternoon, but I couldn’t exactly throw the twelve minute track alongside the bite-sized morsels on this list. Astral Tomb have a small, cult-like following and for good reason.…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 1st, 2022. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: April 1, 2022 –
Alabaster DePlume: GOLD – Go Forward in the Courage of Your Love
Genre: Jazz / Pop / Comedy Label: Debt Records
Bhleg: Fäghring
Genre: Black Metal Label: Nordvis
Black Death Cult: Diaspora
Genre: Black Metal / Doom / Death Metal Label: Profound Lore
Brainwaltzera: ITSAME
Genre: Electronic / IDM Label: FILM
Carpenter Brut: Leather Terror
Genre: Synthwave Label: No Quarter Prod
Centinex: The Pestilence
Genre: Death Metal Label: Agonia
Dare: Road To Eden
Genre: Hard Rock Label: Legend
The Dead Tongues: Dust
Genre: Americana Label: Psychic Hotline
Decrapted: Bloody Rivers Of Death
Genre: Death Metal / Black Metal Label: Xtreem Music
Artist Bio: Stray ghost mutt making strange noises. Gameboy music meets your favourite David Lynch film and gives birth to broken dreams. Digital ghost guitar screams. Cute/
I caught up with Johnny about his musical project Nightmare Puppy, from its formation to what he sees in its future.
Hugh Puddles circa 2017. Image has been blurred to protect his identity from Brazilian LDR stans.
I’m looking at the artist pic on your bandcamp page right now. Is that the elusive and ever-sought-after Hugh Puddles? Also, how long did it take you to grow that hair out? Is that a pornstache or just a shadow?
Hello heh, yes that was me five years ago. Can’t confirm how long the hair took because I was a hippy flake and never cut it, like, ever. Times have changed and I look like a moody square now, but it was fun while it lasted. The pornstache was and is real. It comes with a beard and lots of good intentions.
Tell us a little bit about how Nightmare Puppy formed. What sparked your desire to make music? What cumulative influences (artist, video game, or otherwise) led to the sounds that we hear on your latest endeavor, Nara Nara Voltsong For Shower?
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of March 25th of 2022. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: March 25th, 2022 –
ABBATH: Dread Reaver
Genre: Black/Death Metal Label: Season of Mist
Absent In Body: Plague God
Genre: Doom/Post/Sludge Metal Label: Relapse Records
Aldous Harding: Warm Chris
Genre: Alternative Folk Label: 4AD
Ande: Vehemence
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal Label: Naturmacht Productions
Animals As Leaders: Parrhesia
Genre: Progressive Metal/Djentlemen Label: Sumerian Records
Architects: For Those That Wish to Exist at Abbey Road
Genre: Metalcore, Live Label: Epitaph
As The World Dies: Agonist
Genre: Death Metal Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Bâ’a: Egrégore
Genre: Black Metal Label: Osmose Production
BillyBio: Leaders And Liars
Genre: Hardcore/Metal Label: AFM Records
Bomber: Nocturnal Creatures
Genre: Heavy Metal Label: Napalm
Camp Cope: Running with the Hurricane
Genre: Self-Described Power Emo Label: Run for Cover
Caracara: New Preoccupations
Genre: Alternative Label: Memory Music
Confidential: Devil Inside
Genre: Symphonic Metal Label: Massacre Records Crystal Viper: The Last Axeman
Arcade Fire are back. Does lightning strike twice? Are once-great bands entitled to a second lease on life in the same way cats are an additional eight? Are we excited? I dunno, excitement’s a pretty hot commodity with this band. Much as I love vintage Arcade Fire, I never found the inclination to listen to Everything Now in its entirety: 2013’s Reflektor had already exhausted much of my patience with its inflated mishmash of arthouse flim over occasionally decent songs that insisted both on taking an eternity to end and on orbiting incremental degrees of pastichey conceptual bollocks. I had no desire whatsoever to hear those wavelengths aggressively reconfigured into a smug “expose” of the Gritty Realities Of Everyday Life. Maybe this was unfair, maybe apathy won and society died, maybe I was spending my time listening to better music – we’ll never know.
What I do know for sure is that “The Lightning I, II” is every inch The Song Destined To Make Me Believe In This Band Again – that is, insofar as it goes through all the motions that persuaded anyone to believe in them to begin with minus, unironically enough, a crucial pinch of electricity. As many have pointed out, it more or less sounds like one of the Suburbs‘ more expansive cuts (though I hear a subtle measure of Reflektor in the ’80s-tastic booming chords and twinkling accents of Régine Chassagne’s piano) – far as Canadian megaindie goes, this is all welcome but older hat than Kevin Drew’s baseball cap. The music video is also entirely appropriate for an Arcade…
Artist Bio: Allelic is a vessel of creation of atmospheric and melodically inclined black/folk metal through fictive yet deeply personal conceptual records for the band’s Principal Investigator. The project was born in 2017 in Montréal and is now based in Sherbrooke.
I caught up with Sputnikmusic member lalchimiste about Allelic, their influences, the latest single, and future plans.
While you’re certainly not the first artist to blend elements of folk and black metal, Allelic still manages to sound very unique/distinguishable compared to bands of a similar ilk. I think user reviewer DungeonBoy expressed it best when he wrote, as part of a review for your 2018 debut EP Reverberations, “To label it ‘black metal’ or ‘folk’ would be misleading as the two elements are more intertwined than fused.” How do you view this balance in your music, and is there a specific focus on your part to ensure that both genres/styles get equal representation?
I have always had a strong connection with acoustic guitar and recurringly used instruments in certain folk music be it flute, violin, percussions used as genuine tools for creating an atmosphere and not as a gimmick. Same goes for BM…
