Weekly Roundup: August 8th
Featuring Inclination, The Darling Fire, Hierophant, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
LIES – “Summer Somewhere”
Following the release of their two-track Echoes b/w Blemishes single earlier this year, LIES have returned with another wistful banger. On “Summer Somewhere,” the duo of cousins and American Football members Mike Kinsella and Nate Kinsella combine lush orchestral soundscapes with a pulsating rhythmic undercurrent. According to Nate, “‘Summer Somewhere’ is about longing for fulfilment and the sense that there's always something better further afield than home.” Watch the hypnotic video for “Summer Somewhere” below:
Inclination – Unaltered Perspective
Louisville heavy hitters Inclination have finally announced their upcoming full-length debut. Unaltered Perspective (out October 21st through Pure Noise Records) keeps the quintet’s 90s metallic hardcore bite firmly intact with incisive lyrical barbs from vocalist Tyler Short and fierce riffage courtesy of guitarists Peter Katter and Isaac Hale (Knocked Loose, XweaponX). The album also features guest vocals from Tom Sheehan (Indecision), Ryan Savitski (One Step Closer), and Russell Bussey (Magnitude), so it’s definitely going to be one for the X’d up moshers. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Spotify).
Korine – “Mt. Airy”
I’ve been hanging out for Philly synthpop duo Korine to release new music since they dropped their “Sunshine” single early last year. It took some time, but the duo, consisting of Morgy Ramone and Trey Frye, are finally back with “Mt. Airy”: an effervescent slice of indie postpunk nostalgia, drawing heavily on swirling new wave melodies and warbling synth lines. It’s a dead-set banger, and the duo are also expected to announce their upcoming full-length later this year. Fingers crossed. I, for one, can't wait. Listen to “Mt. Airy” here.
Hierophant – Death Siege
My last interaction with Italian metallers Hierophant was through the release of their bludgeoning 2014 effort Peste, and I recall that record being a furious concoction of grind-inflected d-beat and death metal with a real dark streak. In the six years since their 2016 follow-up, Mass Grave, things appear to have changed significantly with notable member shuffles, and the quartet have now evolved into a different chimeric beast. Death Siege, out August 26th through Season of Mist, promises to be a scorching blast of raw, blackened fury with a lyrical vexation for war, hatred, annihilation, and the cold, unflinching gaze of the endless void. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Dazy – “Rollercoaster Ride”
I last featured Richmond alt-rocker James Goodson aka Dazy back in March for the song “Pressure Cooker,” his fuzzed-out collab with L.A. hardcore collective Militarie Gun. Turns out Goodson is still on that 90s summer vibe, and the release of his latest two-track single Rollercoaster Ride b/w Peel is the proof. The former is a bright slice of blink-and-you'll-miss-it power pop, while the latter is a little more stretched out and weird but still catchy as hell. Listen to “Rollercoaster Ride” here.
The Darling Fire – Distortions
Every now and again, I’m blown away by finding an established act that I’m as-yet unfamiliar with, and post-hardcore outfit The Darling Fire are a perfect example of this phenomenon. On paper, the quintet are right up my alley: Featuring members of Shai Hulud, Further Seems Forever, Rocking Horse Winner, and As Friends Rust, the Florida group’s upcoming record Distortions (out August 16th through Iodine Recordings) was also recorded with Jay Maas (Defeater, Title Fight, Bane). And sonically, they sound absolutely divine. Picture Hopesfall, Deftones, and My Bloody Valentine birthing some heavenly lovechild and raising it to adulthood with unceasing affection. God, I need this record. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Holding Absence – “Coffin”
Wales quartet Holding Absence have been steadily gathering hype for some time now. While I’ve known ‘of’ them for months, the release of their latest single, “Coffin”, finally got me to bite. And man, this is just great. Like, really, really great. The piano and ambient textures add a beautiful dimension to the band’s otherwise straight-forward and catchy alt-rock tunes, and I’m keen to see how they contrast with Aussie nu-core bruisers Alpha Wolf on their upcoming split EP, The Lost & The Longing (out August 15th via SharpTone Records/Greyscale Records). Watch the moving video for “Coffin” below:
Spark – Supernova
Throwing things back to the heyday of DC’s Revolution summer, the new record from German outfit Spark promises to be a shining light for contemporary melodic hardcore. On Supernova (out October 14th through Sunday Drive Records/Control Records), the group’s influences clearly ran the gamut of late 90s to early 00s sounds, with fist-pumping acts like Carry On, Have Heart, and Turning Point as noticeable emotional touchstones. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
King Stingray – S/T
When listening to new Australian music, it’s easy to forget that 90% of our recorded output springs from the urban hubs of the capital cities. And while that’s hardly surprising at the level of resourcing and population demographics, it does make the stuff that falls outside this zone far more dynamic and interesting. Hailing from the Northern Territory and Queensland, with a mix of Yolŋu (Aboriginal people of northeast Arnhem Land) and balanda (non-Indigenous) musicians, Yirrkala quintet King Stingray trade in a fun and breezy style of carefree surf-rock with diverse instrumentation and catchy guitar-driven hooks.
The opening seconds of King Stingray, the group's self-titled debut album, set the tone for the blissful 35 minutes that follow. “Lupa” kicks off the record with a breezy rhythm as the distinct aural timbre of a yidaki (didgeridoo) drones away mystically in the distance. On singles like “Let’s Go” and “Get Me Out,” frontman Yirrnga Yunupingu’s vocals drift and soar with ease. As a Gumatj clan songman, whose name translates to “place of stingray,” Yunupingu is the nephew of Dr. M. Yunupingu, and it’s evident that King Stingray’s sonic profile is one that deeply reveres the legendary Yothu Yindi frontman’s memory.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify