May's Must Have Bands.

Over the last month I've found it surprisingly easy to acquaint myself alongside some really idealistic listening, only to soundtrack the nail-biting nostalgia bringing the flood of new musicians and underground scenes to spill over  onto the innocent ears of those racking up their playlists to summer. So just a few ideas of where you could get some starter influence... 

The Coathangers   

Yes it would only seem legit that a bunch of Atlanta bound punks could name themselves as the grittiest band to emerge out of mainland America. But how ironic is it that the band formed as a joke have only progressed onto four albums plus opening for The Black Lips in New York City. So after all this, why is their sound so addictive? Well the previous release this year, 'Suck My Shirt', is an all out gut wrenching twist of a modern day Distiller twang to songs such as, 'Follow Me.' It has pulsating drive behind the guitars whilst Julia Kugels vocals stab, "Chase you round my bed/Chase you down until your death" it's like some taunting yet fanatical burden threat on your little brother. But of course the meaning is far more obvious from the album, compared to the basic 'fuck you' of their early works songs like 'Merry Go Round' have the bitter bass line attitude that expresses the bands pure annoyance of lies and anger against them. Unlike any other punk streaming out of the US recently, it's refreshing to actually hear some truly teared records. 





Color War

As realised by many, the crackle over the radio of synth pop isn't exactly uncommon. However it all depends on the overall complexion of the visionary, intimate setting Color War release their sound out from. Looking at stand out track, 'It Could Only Be This Way' -(also the name of their intricate recent released album) Lindsey Mound's whistling sighs of, " In the moonlight I can see you turning/ And all I know I'm afraid of fire, you're a volcano." it graces through as the delicate layer that aligns to Sylvan Esso, except the synths are even muffled and murky throughout the most magnified areas of the track. Unsurprisingly they're another one to watch on the Brooklyn radar.
Here's another tune below and a link to the one metioned :http://colorwar.bandcamp.com/



White Hills

Also from across the pond,the Brooklyn psychedelia that makes up the spaced out vision of stoner rock of White Hills. They've had a collection of twelve albums in 9 years which for one is impressive, recent releases of 'Eye to Eye' are a shredding melt of distortion and attacking yet progressing into the soulful whisk crying solos and deepening drum crescendos. It's with such an impact that can lead onto their contrasts of, 'Somewhere Along the Way' being a echoing, delicate strum and string bends over spacey synths it proves the hardcore innocence in all its beauty. But it's never to hard to find the bands heavier side you can find yourself walking straight from a Bladerunner scene. Their lyrics don't always stand as the initial foundation but since supposing that's never been the definition of  psychedelia anyway, White Hills nail down their sound with complete solidity. 





Non-Violent Femmes ( Compilation)

If you've always heard the vague name of a  few bands that you've never quite got around to discovering until a friend puts it in your ears for you , well that's still worth to claiming a new find. When listening to their debut self titled compilation it strikes that tracks such as

'No below' are a faded blister of irony to the bands name, but full of tasteful hooks, as well as being the joint compilation with Speedy Ortiz . Don't be always disillusioned by their originality,  the amplified electric backing pump their way through tracks like,'Sunday 5' being along the unexpected lines of TEEN. But no fear, that's just the exception. You can easily get your head bobbing to the lyrics " All my friends were punks and we were sailing/all the way the day we were dreaming" from Beach Day, they have all sort of eeiry melodies and solos clashing to mix into their own drift punk genre.
http://kaninerecords.com/product/various-artists-non-violent-femmes/


Nothing

Having found this after the recommendation from Cerebral Ballzy's front man Honor Titus, I could soon start to see why the sub-shoegaze flux takes such a toll.  One perfect example

 track, 'In Metal' is a beautified sweep on escalating synths down to the point of alluding you into a sane day dream. Perhaps a dark one too where you can still encapture a fruitfully vitalising sense involving the varying instrumentation it proves that ambiance is purely reliant on the contemplation you receive with this record.



Shunkan

A lo fi drizzling over the indie roots from which Shunkan layers over is irresistible. I mean it,  you will not hear any sound of hers quite like it. Only perhaps a small relation to Waxahatchee or Joanna Gruesome, considering Shunkan has helped put out records for them amongst others. Her latest self titled  EP features the likes of 'Dust In Your Eyes' which swings and glistens over some fazed out synths against her blunt vocals during the bitter guitars to help master this record. Of Japanese origin, LA risen and now New Zealand living you can listen to the beautified ringing into her loud and prudent vocals punching through most of the instrumentation but it all equates well balanced with the harmonised strums and, " You stay in my brain/and you wont' come out" she beams over the gradual echoes that ring distantly through to close the ever so promising rise that Shunkan cries out. 





Tigercub

Precisely what a lo fi 90's grunge band would blast out the speakers at your last school garage bash. Having been on tour previously with grit-distortion rulers Dinosaur Pile Up. Listening to track, 'Blue Blood' you can easily pick up on Jamie's twangy vocals mixed with the squander and thrash to ring out another Nirvana descendant, towards the end you hear the scrappy In Utero like whines , but even the vague hint of Brighton rock is still there. Of course they're not quite alongside The Wytches but the pulsating energy is similar to draw parallels. Think modern all this with a slight twist of Sonic Youth. 




Tuff Love

The Scottish bunch that make the suttle fuzz trio are for one, a speculation to come out of Glasgow's riddling music scene. And yes, their sound is over the fuzz rock solidity that keeps them heading from strength to strength in,'Sweet Discontent' it has the sort of minimalist vocals to produce an effortlessly DIY dosage floating across the fluent chord progressions along with the full on bangs/head bobbing attitude that fills out the heavier riffs.  After having let out their EP on Fence Records it's no wonder why tracks like, 'Flamingo' bring out the original sound which is sure to produce them fully into the underground band soon to emerge.