The Halo Benders - The Rebels Not In

 

I slept on this until this summer for some reason, and that was a poor poor decision. Calvin Johnson and Doug Martsch kill it with the contrast of high and low vocals. I guarantee after a minute of Virginia Reel Around The Mountain, you'll be in.

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Gunk - Gradual Shove

 Philly never ceases to amaze me. Always keeping up with the jams. 90's vibes. At least listen to Just A Man, cause damn, that's just gold. A few of these songs have those hidden treasures halfway/toward the end of the song that take it in a place you never saw coming, very worth listening.

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Told Slant - Still Water

Since I was a lazy piece of shit after work and didn't go see them tonight, I might as well post this. I listened to this a lot these past few months while going through some rough shit, so it hits me in some sort of way. In Parking Lots, the removed sounding electric guitar reminds me of the void loneliness similar to that of older Modest Mouse, then the banjo comes in and warms your heart as much as it can. Algae Bloom just straight up breaks my heart. I admire the sincerity of this album.

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Japanese Breakfast - June

Ready to get sad? Listen to Day 5. Simple, lo-fi, catchy hooks that don't last nearly long enough, and some beautiful vocals. It's good to zone out to, and then you zone into a certain line that just punches you in the face.

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Kempa - Dog on Crutches

Talk about music for the season. Dark, haunting, and beautiful. This lady's voice is killer - at times it reminds me of Aimee Mann, but a bit higher pitched. I have no idea how this isn't more well known.

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