Listen: Cold Specks - "Post Operative #8"

Canadian singer/songwriter Al Spx continues to deliver more of her luscious, dark, soulful hymns as Cold Specks with another single from her brilliant debut album I Predict A Graceful Expulsion. But as incredible as another listen of "Hector" is, the real cause for excitement is in it's b-side "Post Operative #8".

"Post Operative #8" with its slow, melodic purl and bare, simple delivery wouldn't be at all out of place on the album proper and yet, it's brand new and hints that Spx has found her sound in evocative, slow unfurling tracks that showcase her daunting vocal prowess; her rich emotive alto pouring over you like molasses and congealing on her minimalistic but poignant lyricism.

Listen to the b-side to "Hector", "Post-Operative #8":

Watch: Cold Specks - "Hector"

It's rare that you look forward to an artists video as much as I've been looking forward to each creation from Canadian singer/songwriter Al Spx aka Cold Specks. In addition to her utterly consuming brand of stormy gospel-inspired folkiness, she has a real talent for pairing her musical talents with fantastic videography. And that's no less the case with her latest video for new single "Hector" from her debut album I Predict A Graceful Expulsion.

Very little is explained in the video and that's probably for the best. As the video begins, you're not entirely sure what you're seeing as a white figure drags a body along a grassy path before revealing the figure as a pregnant bride still in all her wedding day dressings. There's flashes of the unborn baby as well as the Spx's groom before whatever disaster befell him. There's scenes of a happy wedded union cut with those same flashes of the unborn baby and there's Al Spx in various stages of almost menacing beauty as she sits, stands, and wanders alone. Who decapitated her bridegroom? Was it Al? Was it the baby? Those are the questions you try to unravel as the cinematic music video plods a long. 

Watch the haunting and beautiful video for Cold Specks' "Hector":

Listen: Saint Rich - "Sorry/Sadly"

If for some reason you've been able to stop listening to Delicate Steve's Positive Force, you're in for another all-consuming release from Steve Marion. He's got a side project with bandmate Christian Peslak by the name of Saint Rich and their first single" Sorry/Sadly" is a slice of homey even-kneeled Southern-inspired rock. It's too clean and polished to be proper Southern rock but damn if it doesn't try. A burst of sunny guitar licks to warm you in the upcoming seasonal thaw.

An album's currently in the works and it might but be offensively catchy enough to make you never want to listen to anything else ever again. That's quite a statement based on a three minute debut track, I know. But I've got high high hopes for Saint Rich. Here's hoping there's more to come soon.

Listen to Saint Rich's debut single "Sorry/Sadly":

Listen: Local Natives - "Breakers"

Whoa! Whoa whoa whoa! One of the ways I explained away not bringing my laptop with me to CMJ was the fact that I assumed any/all music news would more or less cease to exist that week. Apparently I was wrong. Turns out the only Local Natives news wasn't that they were the secret guests at a already sold out show where they played a bunch of new stuff from their new album. No, also they released a single and let some album details out. And I'm just discovering this now, two weeks after CMJ. Well, better late than never I suppose.

"Breakers", the first single off Local Natives upcoming sophomore record Hummingbird, is everything I didn't know I needed from Local Natives. It's familiar but obviously more than a rehashing of Gorilla Manor songs. It reminds me of everything I absolutely loved about "World News" in that it's a rock song that actually makes use of dynamics; bursting forth with a wordless chorus pretty much right out the gate. There's not only the cresting chorus but also the ever-rising intensity as the song bustles ever forward. It's enough to make your heart ache in the best way possible.

Welcome back, Local Natives. We missed you. "Breakers" is a sure-fire favorite because it's too good to be anything else. Making me all sorts of giddy and excited for Hummingbird. I'm sure it'll deliver the goods.
Listen to "Breakers":


Local Natives sophomore follow up Hummingbird will be out January 29th on Frenchkiss.

Listen: Marissa Nadler - "Devil Town" (Daniel Johnston Cover)

Boston folk chanteuse Marissa Nadler continues the Halloween love as well as her own series of lo-fi covers with a cover of Daniel Johnston's "Devil Town" and it's kind of exactly what you'd expect from Marissa Nadler. That is, it's quietly beautiful, features Nadler's yawny vocals (and doubly so as she harmonizes with herself), and also features Nadler on an instrument you didn't know she played: the harmonica. I swear Marissa Nadler's steadily conquering each and every instrument known to man. Anyway, it's a good cover that she manages to deliver in her own style. Makes me wish everyday was Halloween.

Listen to Marissa Nadler's "Devil Town" cover here:

Writer - Brotherface (2012)

At last the day is upon us. After discovering garage pop brother duo Writer earlier this year, I've been eagerly awaiting the day when their tunes could be mine. And they been pretty helpful on that front releasing 7" singles that you could download on their Bandcamp. But even as I listened to single after single (only three but you get my point), I couldn't help but wonder what a full length from The Brothers Ralph would sound like. Well wonder no more, Writer's debut full length Brotherface is out today.

If you've followed Writer's career at all i.e. downloaded any of their 7"s, the album's tracklist won't be that much of a surprise to you. In fact more than half of it consists of tracks you'd find on the 7"s and singles they've put out so far. And yet that shouldn't dissuade you at all. As I listened to Brotherface, I was shocked by how well it all fit together despite the fact that many of the songs weren't recorded or even written at the same time. But here we are, with Brotherface crashing along with an almost odd cohesiveness. Writer make you work for the newer tracks, lumping them all together at the end of the album instead of dispersing them among the more familiar previously released tracks. Which turns out to work pretty well. And while Writer more or less barrels forward, they're not noisily plodding to the finish line; there's instrumental track "Yamaha Trip" as well as slower moving "North Park Fairies" as well as "Swamp Fire Lake".

Brotherface consists of songs you'd pretty much expect to hear from Writer. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's an enjoyable set of tracks that work surprisingly well together as a whole. If you were a fan of the earlier releases you're more or less getting more of the same. Where the same happens to be gold old fashioned home-made multi-layered clatter-filled rock with a ear for melody. Brotherface follows the "If it ain't broke" style of music-making and does it quite well. It isn't out to challenge and impress you but it's more than just another release under Writer's belt. It's Writer's strengths all laid right out for you: their songs may be short but they're memorable, they're boisterous but never annoyingly so. And that's good enough for me, for now. A likeable record completely free of missteps? A up and coming band can only be so lucky.

Brotherface is out now digitally and available in a very limited edition vinyl run on the UK's 3 Syllable Records here. Writer will also have a handful of records available for purchase on their upcoming east coast but don't sleep on it if you want it. Writer's releases tend to run out fairly quickly.

 You can listen to the album via Writer's visual stream on Youtube (don't worry, individual tracks also available):

Listen: Telekinesis - "Clock Strikes Midnight"

While bands/artists and blogs are foisting their Christmas-themed songs upon us earlier an earlier this year, it's easier to forget that Halloween is a thing. A big thing. Sure, trick-or-treating isn't really a thing for adults but we get Halloween parties. And not just any Halloween parties; Halloween parties for days. The whole weekend leading up to it and perhaps even the weekend after are fair game for a party.

And while there's a ton of spooky themed tracks, Michael Benjamin Lerner aka Telekinesis offers up his own creation to the theme mix. It's a short but oh so sweet track very much in line with his power-pop stylings and it's a great addition to your Halloween party playlist. Especially if you want people to throw caution to the wind and get their boogie on.

Give Telekinesis' "Clock Strikes Midnight" a listen and download it if you like it (Don't worry, you will):