MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Employed To Serve – “Mark of the Grave”
I love hearing when a band decides to take some risks and do cool shit in the process. “Mark of the Grave”—the latest single from British bruisers Employed To Serve, taken from their forthcoming LP, Conquering (out September 17th through Spinefarm Records)—is a groove-laden monster with flashy harmonic flourishes and clean vocal hooks. While the track still packs a punch, the quintet are clearly having fun with it and that’s what really counts. Watch the trippy video for “Mark of the Grave” below:
Wormwitch – Wolf Hex
Coming through with more frosty black magick bullshit, Vancouver BC metallers Wormwitch are back with a new record, Wolf Hex (out August 27th through Prosthetic Records). Following up 2019’s majestic Heaven That Dwells Within, the band have perfected their atavistic fusion of black metal fury and d-beat, black ’n’ roll mayhem on tracks like “Hammer of the Underworld” and “Abracadabra.” Stream the LP’s lead singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Nas – “Rare”
When I reviewed King’s Disease last year, I posed a question to myself, asking: “Is it really worth it?” Despite my misgivings about that record, the answer was still a resounding yes, and Nas then went on to win a Grammy for it, so… shit, what do I know? Less than 12 months later, Mr Nasir Jones is back on the cut once again, armed with a new record and spiritual sequel to that album, and it makes for a far more palatable and thoughtful experience this time around. Listen to the single “Rare” here.
Flowvers – The Old Chapel Demos
Well, this was a pleasant find from social media this week. Portsmouth quartet Flowvers make “songs for sweaty teens,” and, to my ears, it sounds like a delightfully sincere blend of Brit-pop, post-punk and twenty-first-century alt-rock affectations. The Old Chapel Demos is poppy without being saccharine and musically interesting without disappearing up its own arse. Get some beers, go sit in the park, and let this shit rock for a while. You can thank me later. Stream the full EP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Hjelvik – “Synkverving”
While I do miss having Erlend Hjelvik in Kvelertak, I’m glad he’s got his own solo effort off the ground. The world should never be denied this man’s indomitable, full-throated banshee shriek. As best I can still, his latest single “Synkverving” references a concept from Norse folklore related to “glamour”: a process of confusing the mind by mixing up right and wrong, ugly and beautiful, the real and imaginary. Word. (I still can’t understand Norwegian but it sounds rad as hell.) Listen to “Synkverving” here.
Last Gasp – The Storied Weight Of It All
I’ve had my eye on up and coming Ohio hardcore punk outfit Last Gasp for a while now, as I eagerly anticipate their next major effort. Well, folks, it appears that the wait may be over. The group’s debut album, The Storied Weight Of It All, is expected by the end of the year. Lead singles like “Vastly Deep” and the new cut “Only Jokes” have me pumped, so watch this space. Stream the LP’s singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Silk Sonic – “Skate”
Speaking of eager anticipation, will Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak hurry up and drop this Silk Sonic record in time for summer already? God damn. New single “Skate” is super smooth and fun and sexy and just a roaring good R’n’B tune. I desperately need an LP with this level of infectious, million-dollar-smile energy in my life, ASAP. Check your vibe now with the single’s block party video below:
Narrowcast – Phenomena
Transit were such a big part of my early 2010s musical journey, so I was stoked to hear that vocalist Joe Boynton has paired up with Mat Morin of Aviator for their new spacey, alt-rock project Narrowcast. The duo’s debut three-track EP, Phenomena, is out now through Head2Wall Records and it’s just gorgeous. Highly recommended for fans of Turnover, Nothing, shoegaze, and generally feeling warm and fuzzy all over. Stream the full EP here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Listen to all these tracks and more on the TPD 2021 VIBING playlist, updated weekly.
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
Mouthbreather – I’m Sorry Mr. Salesman
You know that one scene in The Matrix, right after Neo chooses his pills and all the silver shit starts washing over him as he screams but it just pours into his mouth and down his throat, suffocating him before discombobulating everything into digital nothingness and the sound of a buffering 56k modem drop-kicked into a black hole? That’s what I’m Sorry Mr. Salesman sounds like. Kind of.
Except Morpheus looks like Jigsaw for some reason and when Neo wakes up, he’s not in Baudrillard’s “Desert of the Real” but some bombed-out, libidinal Lynchian netherworld thoroughly disconnected from human reality, time and space.
If all of that sounds like too much, what I’m really trying to convey here is that Mouthbreather’s debut album is super fucking heavy and really intense. It’s essentially a panic attack on record, with your brain firing off rounds of metalcore and mathcore and grindcore and all the other -cores because it’s on edge and all the wires are crossed and nothing makes sense anymore.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
Links to some of my other published work across the Web. Take a look, share if you feel like it, and help a brother out.