A brief blast of socio-politically relevant music (raging alt-rock from Destroy Boys and tuneful UK indie pop-rock from Swansea Sound) rocks the start of this playlist before swirling into delightfully heady dreampop (Blushing), beguiling choral to ephemeral dancepop (They/Live), reflective and melancholic electro-pop/trip-hop (Twin Rains), glittering to abrasive (Knifeplay) to flowing, yet foreboding (The Acharis) darkwave/rock, restless electro-pop noir (Body Unltd), ’80s-throwback indie pop with sax (Riki), and poignant vocals/word-centric (Charm of Finches).
1. Destroy Boys – “For What”
The band crushes it on this blazing number where they tackle rampant police brutality and government corruption through piercingly perceptive lyrics and frustrated rage.
New album Open Mouth, Open Heart was unleashed in mid-October via Hopeless Records.
MY MUSIC INTERVIEW with lead vocalist and guitarist Alexia Roditis at Rebel Noise.
2. Swansea Sound – “Rock N Roll Void”
A veritable supergroup with members of Heavenly, Talulah Gosh, The Pooh Sticks, and Death in Vegas (You know, Amelia Fletcher for the first three bands, Rob Pursey for the first two listed, Hue Williams for the 3rd one, Ian Button for the 4th), the outfit offer up a lyrically biting to bittersweet and nostalgic look back (and forward) at frayed relationships and socio-political shambles we’ve all been living through.
Debut album Live at the Rum Puncheon swings on in November 19th via HHBTM and Austin Town Hall in the US and on Skep Wax in the UK.
Oh, and Amelia and Rob are also in The Catenary Wires, with their latest album, Birling Gap out this past June.
MY MUSIC NEWS on Swansea Sound album.
MY ALBUM PREMIERE of Birling Gap by The Catenary Wires.
3. Blushing feat. Miki Berenyi (Lush, Piroshka) – “Blame”
Forget peanut butter and chocolate – This combo is pure cotton candy through and through, leavened with bittersweet lyrics and spiked with Miki’s sung-spoken word segment (and possibly backing vocals and guitar??).
Yes, the Austin, Texas dreampop band have collaborated with their hero(ine) on this super-lovely track.
Blushing will divest new album Possessions on February 18th, 2022.
Piroshka dropped their 2nd album, Love Drips and Gathers, this past July.
MY SONG PREMIERE of Blushing’s “Tether” from 2017.
4. They/Live – “Another Body”
Born Losers Records is on a winning streak, what with bands including Total Rubbish, Korine, and more on their roster.
Whitney Mower, recording under the They/Live moniker, offers up an ethereal/dancefloor-driven hybrid centerpiece here from her new EP Violet Coda that just came out on November 5th.
MY SONG PREMIERE of “Another Body.”
5. Twin Rains – “The Garden”
The Toronto, Canada dreampop noir duo of Jay Merrow and Christine Stoesser have endured a tumultuous few years and are now self-releasing their second album, Unreal City, November 19th that is drenched in contemplative musings and sparkling to shadowy synth-/electro-/trip-pop compositions.
MY SONG PREMIERE of one-off single “People Not Ready.”
6. Knifeplay – “Hurt Someone”
I don’t know anything about this band except that they’re on the aforementioned Born Losers, which says something right there, but also this song is moody and mesmerizing.
7. The Acharis – “False Positive”
This Oakland, California duo unveiled their darkly atmospheric, restless and at times ominous and noise-spiked (but with airy vocals) album Blue Sky / Grey Heaven on November 5th via Cranes Records.
MY ALBUM PREMIERE of Blue Sky / Grey Heaven.
8. Body Unltd – “Pathway”
This electro-noir duo from Seattle dropped their atmospheric and brooding to blooming Genevieve EP on November 5th.
MY ALBUM PREMIERE of Genevieve EP.
9. *Riki*- “Florence & Selena”
Sounding like an artist from the ’80s New Romantic underground, the LA-based creative will bow her second album Gold on November 26th via Dais Records.
10. Charm of Finches – “Heavy”
This Australian (Melbourne) sister duo delivers, yes, charming twinning and twining harmonies and wistful emotions, especially on this track from their recent album Wonderful Oblivion which came out in October.
