In The Pharmacy #108 – Late September 2016

Twenty-five new tracks from the US, UK, Sweden, Norway, Australia and New Zealand. New music from Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam Batmanglij, Honeyblood, Kings of Leon, The Radio Dept., Warpaint, Grandaddy, Beach Slang, Warehouse, The Men, Black Honey, Devendra Banhart, Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions (pictured), Beck, Dirty Projectors, Jordan Rakei, Jenny Hval, FEHM, Local Natives, Haley Bonar, Nots, 
Hi-Tec Emotions, 
The Holiday Crowd, 
Wolf People, and Okkervil River.

Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam ‘In A Black Out’
On the back of his solo album Black Hours and collaborations with his former The Walkmen bandmate Paul Maroon, Hamilton Leithauser teams up with former Vampire Weekend multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij. This is the first of two tracks this episode taken from the album I Had A Dream That You Were Mine (out now).
[Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam]

Honeyblood ‘Sea Hearts’
From the Scottish noisepop duo’s forthcoming second album Babes Never Die, their first since Cat Myers replaced Shona McVicar (November 4, FatCat).
[Honeyblood]

Kings of Leon ‘Waste A Moment’
Love ‘em or hate them, it can’t be denied that Kings of Leon struggled to follow up their ubiquitous 2008 album Only By the Night. Come Around Sundown and Mechanical Bull seemed like the work of a band who had run out of steam. These guys really need to come back with a great album, and this track is a great start. From the album Walls (14, October).
[Kings of Leon]

The Radio Dept. ‘Swedish Guns’
Another track from Running Out of Love, the first album in five years for the Swedish dreampop band (Labrador, October21)
[The Radio Dept.]

Warpaint ‘White Out’
One of my favourite artists of recent years, the LA band served up a massive disappointment with the first track from new album Heads Up, ‘New Song’. It sounded like a bad remix of a good song. Thankfully, it is, by several orders of magnitude, the worst song on the album. This is the opening track and plays to all the band’s strengths: sinuous bass line, skittering drum beats, yearning vocals and a post punk sensibility to the angular guitars and keyboards.
[Warpaint]

Grandaddy ‘Way We Won’t’
First new material in 10 years from Modesto’s finest. A new album is due next year on Danger Mouse’s 30th Century Records label. This is classic stuff and stronger than anything on 2006’s Just Like The Fambly Cat.
[Grandaddy]

Beach Slang ‘Future Mixtape For The Art Kids’
From the Philly angst-punks’ new album A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings (out now, Polyvinyl / Big Scary Monsters / Cooking Vinyl).
[Beach Slang]

Warehouse ‘Super Low’
Title track from the gravel-voiced-Elaine Edenfield-fronted Atlanta alt punks’ second album (September 30, Bayonet).
[Warehouse]

The Men ‘Lion’s Den’
Brooklyn punks dial up the garage for their sixth album Devil Music, the first on their own label, We Are The Men Records (November 11).
[The Men]

Black Honey ‘Hello Today’
Black Honey continue to move in a more polished direction while still managing to retain much of the charm of their earlier tracks.
[Black Honey]

Devendra Banhart ‘Middle Names’
Lead track from Banhart’s ninth (and excellent) new album Ape in Pink Marble (out now).
[Devendra Banhart]

Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions Feat. Kurt Vile ‘Let Me Get There’
The dreampop queen meets the slacker king for a marriage made in heaven, the vocals complement each other and KV’s guitar sounds like a stoned Television covering the intro to ‘Band on the Run’.
[Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions]

Beck ‘Wow’
Beck goes old school for the first track from his forthcoming album (tentatively due out in October).
[Beck]

Dirty Projectors ‘Keep Your Name’
First track in a while from David Longstreth (here accompanied by Mauro Refosco and Tyondai Braxton). A break-up ballad (presumed to be about former longterm partner and erstwhile bandmember Amber Coffman) where he goes from confusion to a mea culpa to a cutting slight of the other’s pursuit of fame over art.
[Dirty Projectors]

Jordan Rakei ‘Midnight Mischief [Tom Misch Remix]’
Remix of the lead track from the London-based Kiwi’s debut album Cloak (out now), this take’s the r n’ b number and makes it more electronic and throws in a nice chill guitar solo.
[Jordan Rakei]

Jenny Hval ‘Period Piece’
From the Adult Swim singles club and the Norwegian experimentalist’s new album Blood Bitch (September 30, Sacred Bones).
[Jenny Hval]

FEHM ‘Nullify’
Gothy post-punk from Leeds. Taken from their forthcoming Circadian Life EP (Art is Hard, 25 November)
[FEHM]

Local Natives ‘Dark Days’
The inimitable vocals of Nina Persson features on this track from the band’s third album Sunlit Youth (out now).
[Local Natives]

Haley Bonar ‘Called You Queen’
Another stand out track from Bonar’s latest album Impossible Dream (out now, GNDWIRE)
[Haley Bonar]

Nots ‘New Structures’

From the Memphis noisepunks second album Cosmetic (out now, Heavenly).
[Nots]


Hi-Tec Emotions ‘Look Around’
Like ITP faves Stina Tester and Cinta Masters, Melbourne’s Hi-Tec Emotions are part of the Listen Records family. A label set up to promote and support Australian female and LGBTQIA artists.
[Hi-Tec Emotions]


The Holiday Crowd ‘Anything Anything’
Old school indie pop with hints of the Go-Betweens and C86 with a lovely piece of jangle pop from their forthcoming, self-titled second album (Shelflife, October 21).
[The Holiday Crowd]


Wolf People ‘Ninth Night’
It’s been a great year for heavy space rock (Besnard Lakes, Black Mountain, Heron Oblivion). This is from the UK band’s forthcoming RUINS album (November 11, Jagjaguwar).
[Wolf People]


Okkervil River ‘Frontman in Heaven’
Another great track from Away (out now, Jagjaguwar).
[Okkervil River]

Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam ‘The Morning Stars’
Second track this episode taken from the album ‘I Had A Dream That You Were Mine’ (out now).
[Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam]

In The Pharmacy #107 – September 2016

Songs inspired by fate, sisterhood, sex, love, death, drugs, weather, fire, childhood, World War II battleships, Jay Reatard and Yugoslavian anti-fascist resistance slogans. Seventeen new tracks from Sweden, the US, Australia, Canada, Spain and the UK. New music from The Radio Dept., Cherry Glazerr (pictured), Gold Class, Haley Bonar, Local Natives, Sat Nite Duets, Happy Diving, Look Park, Savoy Motel, Wilco, Mild High Club, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Papa M, The Parrots, Katy Goodman and Great Morgan, The Wedding Present, and Okkervil River.

The Radio Dept. ‘Sloboda Narodu’

Five years on from Clinging to a Scheme, the Swedish dreampop band return with their fourth album Running Out of Love (Labrador, October 21).
[The Radio Dept.]

Cherry Glazerr ‘Told You I’d Be With The Guys’
After hitting a high with their ‘Had 10 Dollaz’ 7” (Suicide Squeeze) Cherry Glazerr return, with the guitars ramped up, a new line up and now signed to Secretly Canadian.
[Cherry Glazerr]

Gold Class ‘Kids on Fire’
Melbourne post-punkers (and one of the best live bands around at the moment) with a new track, their first since their split single with Mere Women.
[Gold Class]

Haley Bonar ‘Kismet Kill’
“I was impossible, when I was beautiful”. From Bonar’s latest album Impossible Dream (out now, GNDWIRE).
[Haley Bonar]

Local Natives ‘Coins’
After an amazing debut and an underwhelming follow up, Local Natives return with new album Sunlit Youth. Not as joyously infectious as Gorilla Manor, but more focussed and with stronger hooks than Hummingbird.
[Local Natives]

Sat Nite Duets ‘Attached to the Lamp’
Another track from the Milwaukee indie rock band’s debut album Air Guitar (September 16). This one appears to be ruminating on the inequities of being in band, traveling across the country to “play to the soundman and the other band“. Features the line “We’ve got Bob and the Band/ we’ve got Spooky and Dan/ and we’ve got ourselves a motherfuckin’ rock & roll band”.
[Sat Nite Duets]

Happy Diving ‘Don’t Be Afraid of Love’
Some excellent nineties-influenced fuzzy wigged out guitar from the Oakland, CA band’s second album Electric Soul Unity (out now, Topshelf).
[Happy Diving]

Look Park ‘Breezy’
Classic pop that lives up to its title from former-Fountains-of-Wayne-frontman Chris Collingwood’s new band.
[Look Park]

Savoy Motel ‘Sorry People’
“A song based on the late Jay Reatard’s skewed philosophy of never apologizing for anything, even though I remember him telling me he was sorry about countless crazy things in the past.” From the Nashville skewed garage pop band’s forthcoming debut album (What’s Your Rupture?, October 21).
[Savoy Motel]

Wilco ‘If I Ever Was A Child’
Stripped down and understated track from the band’s stripped down and understated new album Schmilco.
[Wilco]

Mild High Club ‘Homage’
Psych pop from the LA band’s new album Skiptracing (out now, Stones Throw).
[Mild High Club]

Cymbals Eat Guitars ‘Have a Heart’
From the Staten Island indie rock band’s fourth album Pretty Years (Barsuk, September 16)
[Cymbals Eat Guitars]

Papa M ‘Walking on Coronado’
Post-rock kingpin David Pajo returns in his Papa M guise with this lovely instrumental.
[Papa M]

The Parrots ‘Letas Do It Again’

Madrid garage band with a track from their album Los Niños Sin Miedo (out now, Heavenly)
[The Parrots]

Katy Goodman and Greta Morgan ‘Sex Beat’
Buddies Goodman (La Sera/Vivian Girls) and Morgan (The Hush Sound / Springtime Carnivore) previously recorded one track together as Books of Love back in 2013 (ITP #33). Now they have got back together under their own names to record a collection of punk and new wave covers in a dreampop style (Take It, It’s Yours, out now). It doesn’t always work, but when it does as on this Gun Club classic (and on covers of The Replacements, Bad Brains, Blondie, The Wipers and Misfits) it’s a treat.
[Katy Goodman and Greta Morgan]

The Wedding Present ‘Marblehead’
Dream-like number from the band’s Going, Going Gone album (which features more typically Weddoes-like tunes, as well).
[The Wedding Present]

Okkervil River ‘Comes Indiana Through the Smoke’
From the new Okkervil River album Away (out now, ATO) This song is about the death of Will Sheff’s grandfather, Sheff imagines the battleship Indiana (that his grandfather served on during World War II) returning to take him away.
[Okkervil River]

In The Pharmacy #106 – August 2016

Twenty five new tracks from the US, UK, Norway, Denmark, and Australia. Indie rock, psych pop, indie folk, experimental pop etc. New music from Wild Beasts, Okkervil River, Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam (pictured), Morgan Delt, Of Montreal, Sad13, The Raveonttes, Flock of Dimes, Cheena, Exploded View, Tanukichan, Jenny Hval, Bon Iver, Honey Radar, Fond Han, LVL UP, Mass Gothic, Ian Sweet, Kyle Craft, The Laurels, Stove, PWR BTTM, The Tindales, Hockey Dad, and Weyes Blood.

In The Pharmacy #105 – Late July 2016

Fifteen new tracks from the UK, US, Australia and Canada. New music from Honeyblood, Dinosaur Jr, Dent May, Trevor Sensor, Angel Olsen, Manuela, Morgan Delt, Flock of Dimes (Jenn Wasner pcitured), Ryley Walker, Preoccupations, Drugdealer feat. Weyes Blood, Julia Jacklin, LVL UP, and Poster

In The Pharmacy #104 – July 2016

New music from the US, UK and Sweden. Post-punk, art rock, indie folk, southern rock, electronic pop, garage rock, indie rock, experimental pop, dream pop. New tracks from Bueno, Warehouse, Ryley Walker, Drive By Truckers, Misun, The Mystery Lights, Local Natives, Lully, Johnny Foreigner, Cheena, Nite Jewel, Sat. Nite Duets, Cass McCombs, Tuskha (pictured), and The Amazing.

Bueno ‘Eye On The Cards’
Staten Island band channel post punk and 70s art rock on this track from their forthcoming album Illuminate Your Room (August 19 Babe City / Exploding In Sound).
[Bueno]

Warehouse ‘Reservoir’
Atlanta band with a track from their forthcoming second album Super Low (Bayonet Records, September 30).
[Warehouse]

Ryley Walker ‘The Roundabout’
Saw Ryley Walker twice when he was over in Australia back in January. Don’t think he played anything from Primrose Green, but he did play a bunch of unreleased stuff which sounded great. This track in particular stood out, so glad it’s going to be on the new record Golden Sings That Have Been Sung (August 19, Dead Oceans).
[Ryley Walker]

Misun ‘Pride’
Rave-pop from LA-via-DC outfit fronted by Misun Wojcik.
[Misun]

The Mystery Lights ‘Too Many Girls’
New York garage rock band signed to Daptone’s new rock imprint Wick. Taken from the album Follow Me Home (out now).
[The Mystery Lights]

Local Natives ‘Fountain of Youth’
Taken from forthcoming third album Sunlit Youth (September 9).
[Local Natives]

Lully ’Slow D’s’
Irresistible experimental pop from mysterious UK artist.
[Lully]

Johnny Foreigner ‘Cliffjumper’
Self-aware Birmingham band that “blew [our] chance of being famous 8 years ago” prove they’ve still got it on new album Mono No Aware (out now, Alcopop).
[Johnny Foreigner]

Cheena ‘Stupor’
From the NYC band’s Spend The Night With… album (August 5, Sacred Bones)
[Cheena]

Nite Jewel ‘Boo Hoo’
From the LA electronic pop artist’s third album Liquid Cool (out now, Gloriette).
[Nite Jewel]

Sat. Nite Duets ‘TAFKA Salieri’
Milwaukee indie rockers with a track from their Air Guitar album (Father/Daughter, September 16)
[Sat. Nite Duets]

Cass McCombs ‘Run Sister Run’
Reggae-tinged number from McCombs’ ninth album Mangy Love (Anti-, August 26).
[Cass McCombs]

Tuskha ‘The Shine’
Phil Moore of Bowerbirds with a track from the debut of his electronic side/solo project.
[Tuskha]

The Amazing ‘Floating’

Dreampop from Sweden.
[The Amazing]

In The Pharmacy #103 – Late June 2016

Fourteen new tracks from the US, Australia, Spain, UK, Canada and the Netherlands. New music from Mikey Erg, Margaret Glaspy, Miss Destiny, Weaves, Minor Victories, Big Deal, Xenia Rubinos (pictured), Fawnn, Band of Horses, Terry, Mourn, Amber Arcade, Wye Oak, and Casket Girls.

Mikey Erg ‘Comme Si About Me’
New Jersey pop punk mainstay with the lead track from his debut solo album Tentative Decisions on Don Giovani (out now).
[Mikey Erg]

Margaret Glaspy ‘No Matter Who’
New York-based singer songwriter with a great warm-and-dirty guitar sound on a track from her excellent new album Emotions and Math (ATO).
[Margaret Glaspy]

Miss Destiny ‘Killers’

Melbourne hard garage rockers follow up their 2014 Hozac single ‘The One’ (ITP #62) with the title track from their forthcoming debut Killers (R.I.P. Society, July12).
[Miss Destiny]

Weaves ‘Shithole’
Another great track from the Toronto band’s self-titled debut (out now, Kanine / Memphis Industries / Buzz Records).
[Weaves]

Minor Victories ‘Cogs’

Indie rock supergroup featuring Rachel Goswell (Slowdive), Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai) and Justin Lockey (Editors) really could go either way, but their debut album plays to all their strengths and is a joy. This track features Goswell on vocals.
[Minor Victories]

Big Deal ‘Saccharine’
Melodic and melancholy noise pop from the Anglo-American band’s third album Say Yes (out now), their first for FatCat since leaving Mute.
[Big Deal]

Xenia Rubinos ‘Don’t Wanna Be’
Jazz, soul and hip hop influences combine on this track from Rubinos’s second album of experimental pop Black Terry Cat (out now, Anti-). Like a less angular St Vincent.
[Xenia Rubinos]

Fawnn ‘Shadow Love‘
Ferndale, Michigan melodic indie band whose members have done time in a variety of Great Lakes area luminaries.
[Fawnn]

Band of Horses ‘Throw My Mess’
Band of Horses latest album Why Are You OK seems to explore the tensions between domesticity and rock and roll. Some people appear to think this doesn’t make for good art. Some people can go fuck themselves.
[Band of Horses]

Terry ‘8 Girls’
Lead track from the Melbourne super-garage band’s second EP (out now, Aarght!)
[Terry]

Mourn ‘Evil Dead’
The young Barcelona post-punk influenced band follow up last year’s impressive debut with a new album HA, HA, HE. (out now, Captured Tracks).
[Mourn]

Amber Arcades ‘Perpetuum Mobile’
Dutch musician Annelotte de Graff makes indiepop in the classic style. The cheao pre-set bossa nova rhythm, twanging guitars, chromatic shifts on the keyboards and de Graff’s breathy vocals combine to evoke the kind of Les Bicyclettes de Belsize 1960s that those early Saint Etienne records were so in love with. No surprise then, that her debut album Fading Lines (out now) has been released by Heavenly.
[Amber Arcades]

Wye Oak ‘If You Should See’
The aptly titled Tween is a collection of outtakes from the Baltimore duo’s work between their guitar-period high-water mark Civilian and the more electronic-focussed Shriek. This
[Wye Oak]

Casket Girls ‘Beyond A Shadow’
Ryan Graveface and the Greene sisters return with more electronic dreampop, following up the understated but undeniable charms of 2014’s True Love Kills The Fairytale. This is taken from their third album The Night Machines (out now, Graveface).
[Casket Girls]

In The Pharmacy #100 – May 2016

25 new tunes from the US, Australia, UK, Canada and Denmark. New music from The Gotobeds, Band of Horses, Femme, HANNAHBAND (pictured), Gabriella Cohen, Greater Pyrenees, Twin Peaks, Bear Hands, Low Lux, Trevor Sensor, Britta Phillips, Woods, King Khan, Wild Belle, Attic Abasement, Baby In Vain, Honey Radar, Stina Tester & Cinta Masters, Free Time, Big Deal, Solids, Lisa Prank, Local Natives, Cellars, and Free Cake For Every Creature.

The Gotobeds ‘Brash Not Rash’
More catchy indie punk rock from the Pittsburgh band’s forthcoming album
BLOOD // SUGAR // SECS // TRAFFIC (Sub Pop, June 10)
[The Gotobeds]

Band of Horses ‘Casual Party’
First track taken from the band’s forthcoming fifth album Why Are You OK (produced by Jason Little and mixed by David Fridmann and out in June).
[Band of Horses]

Femme ‘Fever Boy’
Femme (aka UK musician Laura Bettinson) with irresistible pop from her debut album Debutante (out now).
[Femme]

HANNAHBAND ‘Terrified Of Everything’
Sydney DIY punk duo with a track from their excellent third album Quitting Will Improve Your Health (out now, BlackWire Records).
[HANNAHBAND]

Gabriella Cohen ‘Feelin’ Fine’
Melbourne-based frontwoman of The Furrs with a track from her garage / surf / psych pop solo album Full Disclousre and No Details (out now).
[Gabriella Cohen]

Greater Pyrenees ‘Noise (Near Miss)’
Sean Kirkpatrick (formerly of Mississippi’s Colour Revolt) with a track from his eponymous album as Greater Pyrenees (out now, Procrastinate! Music Traitors).
[Greater Pyrenees]

Twin Peaks ‘Holding Roses’
Laidback jangling garage soul / blues number from the young Chicago band’s forthcoming Down in Heaven album (May 13, Grand Jury).
[Twin Peaks]

Bear Hands ‘2AM’
From the Brooklyn band’s third album, You’ll Pay For This (out now, Spensive Sounds).
[Bear Hands]

Low Lux ‘Girls’
Sydney duo of Daisy Dowd (formaerly of Bridezilla) and Alister Hill take on this Royal Headache number, slow it down and give it an electronic makeover. You’ll hear the influence of Massive Attack (and maybe Band of Horses ‘Funeral’ in the guitar).
[Low Lux]

Trevor Sensor ‘Judas Said to Be A Man’
Following on from last month’s debut EP Texas Girls and Jesus Christ, the Illinois indie folkie prepares to drop this new single (Jagjaguwar, May 27).
[Trevor Sensor]

Britta Phillips ‘Million Dollar Doll’
Luna / Dean & Britta bassist with another track from her long-awaited debut solo album Luck or Magic (out now).
[Britta Phillips]

Woods ‘Know Your Minute’
Hot on the heels of excellent new album City Sun Eater in the River of Light (out now, Woodsist) comes this track from a tour-only 7”.
[Woods]

King Khan ‘Children of the World
Garage punk from a new the 7-inch single, out June 3 on Merge.
[King Khan]

Wild Belle ‘Dreamland’
Title track of the Chicago sibling duo’s second album, out now.
[Wild Belle]

Attic Abasement ‘Neon Trim’
Another track from the lo-fi Rochester, NY band’s first album in six years Dream News (May 27, Father/Daughter Records).
[Attic Abasement]

Baby In Vain ‘The Urge’
Stoner-grunge from the Danish three-piece’s For The Kids EP (out now, Partisan Records).
[Baby In Vain]

Honey Radar ‘Fort Wayne Mermaids’
Taken from the lo-fi Philly band’s second album Blank Cartoon (What’s Your Rupture?, May 5).
[Honey Radar]

Stina Tester & Cinta Masters ‘Mystery’

Lo-fi garage psych from the Melbourne pair’s excellent Awake and Dreaming album (out now, Listen Records).
[Stina Tester & Cinta Masters]

Free Time ‘Blue Pillow’
NYC lo-fi janglers with a track from their In Search of Free Time album (out now, Underwater Peoples / Bedroom Suck.
[Free Time]

Big Deal ‘Avalanche’
Another track from the band’s forthcoming third album Say Yes (Fat Cat, 17 June).
[Big Deal]

Solids ‘Blank Stare’
Montreal band with a track from their new EP Else (out now, Topshelf / Dine Alone), “a melancholic deconstruction of the ’90s slacker ethos explored on their first LP”, which is hard to argue with.
[Solids]

Lisa Prank ‘Luv Is Dumb’
Lisa Prank, aka Seattle-via-Denver-based singer guitarist Robin Edwards and her Roland 505 drum machine with another track from her Adult Teen album (June 24, Father/Daughter / Miscreant).
[Lisa Prank] https://www.facebook.com/lisaprankmusic

Local Natives ‘Past Lives’
After Local Natives impressive debut Gorilla Manor (2009), they hit the sophomore slump with its unexceptional follow up Hummingbird (2013). This is their first new song in three years and, although their has been no mention of a new album yet, this doesn’t have the feel of a stand alone single.
[Local Natives]

Cellars ‘Do You Miss Me?’
Cellars AKA LA based synthpop musician Allene Norton with a track from her Ariel pink-produced Phases album (Manifesto, out now).
[Cellars]

Free Cake For Every Creature ‘All You Gotta Be at 23 Is Yourself’
A track from the Philadelphia-based lo-fi indie pop outfit’s latest album, Talking Quietly of Anything With You (out now, Double Double Whammy).
[Free Cake For Every Creature]

In The Pharmacy #98 – April 2016

Thirty-five new tracks from Denmark, USA, Australia, Canada and the UK. Over two hours of great tunes from The Raveonettes (pictured), Violent Soho, Tacocat, Woods, Kevin Morby, Yeasayer, Julia Jacklin, White Denim, Parquet Courts, Damien Jurado, The Thermals, The Goon Sax, Case / Lang / Veirs, Kyle Craft, Horror My Friend, Autolux, Black Honey, Keeps, Xenia Rubinos, The Gotobeds, Bleached, Gold Class, Moonface and Siinai, A Giant Dog, Lisa Prank, Winterpills, Gorgeous Bully, Mere Women, Psychic Ills featuring Hope Sandoval, Plush, Mhairi, Marissa Nadler, Deardarkhead, Black Mountain, and Stars.

The Raveonettes ‘Excuses’
The latest from the Danish band’s Rave Sound of The Month series, written and recorded in 24 hours after they failed to get the mechanical licence for their planned cover version in time.
[The Raveonettes]

Violent Soho ‘Blanket’
Formerly based in the US and signed to Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace label, Violent Soho relocated back to Australia five years ago and it seems to agree with them. Killer performances at this year’s Laneway Festival, tours that sell out in minutes and the current #1 album in Australia with Waco.
[Violent Soho]

Tacocat ‘Dana Katherine Scully’
From the title (Lost Time, out now, Hardly Art) on down, X-files references abound on the third album from the Seattle surf punks. This opening track is merely the most overt, a tribute to the more reason-led half of the the paranormal searching duo.
[Tacocat]

Woods ‘I See In The Dark’
Mournful horns, afro-funk, and west coast psychedelia meet on the first taste of the band’s forthcoming ninth album Sun City Eater in the River of Light (April 8, Woodsist). Can’t wait to hear the rest of it.
[Woods]

Kevin Morby ‘Dorothy’
Former Woods and sometimes Babies man Kevin Morby follows up 2014’s excellent Still Life with another track from his album Singing Saw (April 15, Dead Oceans).
[Kevin Morby]

Yeasayer ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’
Another stand out track from the forthcoming Yeasayer album, Amen & Goodbye. There’s a lot going on here, led and held together by the bass and percussion, there’s various synths, horns and woodwind coming in and out plus cameos from guitar and piano and a wordless vocal refrain (April 8th)
[Yeasayer]

Julia Jacklin ‘Pool Party’
It often seems that Sydney is awash with mediocre singer songwriters, so it’s always great when someone with talent comes along. Immediately prior to causing a buzz at SxSW (and weathering what could easily be crushing comparison’s to Angel Olsen), the Blue Mountains artist slipped this song out, and it’s a corker.
[Julia Jacklin]

White Denim ‘Had 2 Know (Personal)’
From the garage/blues rock band’s new album Stiff (out now, Downtown Records).
[White Denim]

Parquet Courts ‘Human Performance’
After the unnecessary, tuneless dirge of the last year’s Monastic Living EP (why?), Parquet Courts return with a proper record, of which this is the charming slacker fuzz title track.
[Parquet Courts]

Damien Jurado ‘QACHINA’
The mystic journey of discovery trilogy that started with Maroqopa (2012) and continued with Brothers and Sisters of The Eternal Son (201$) ends with Visions of Us on the Land, Jurado’s 12th (!) album (out now, Secretly Canadian). Proof that 21st Century Cosmic American music doesn’t need to sound like bad country.
[Damien Jurado]

The Goon Sax ‘Target’
Urbane indie pop trio from Brisbane-band which features Robert Forster’s son Louis, but who have enough talent of their own that people like me will probably stop mentioning the connection in about 20 years. From their excellent debut, Up To Anything (Chapter Music, out now).
[The Goon Sax]

The Thermals ‘Thinking of You’
With albums on Sub Pop, Kill Rock Stars and Saddle Creek, this Portland band are indie rock lifers. Hard to believe it’s a decade since their excellent The Body, The Blood, The Machine, which in itself was bookended by two other great albums (2004’s Fuckin’ A and 2009’s Now We Can See). Now they are back with their best album in 10 years, We Disappear (Saddle Creek, out now). Even on an album where tracks only break the three-minute mark twice, this one is a lesson in post-pop punk brevity.
[The Thermals]

Case / Lang / Veirs ‘Best Kept Secret’
Following on from the Neko-led ‘Atomic Number’, here’s a catchy Laura Veirs sung number from the forthcoming collaborative album from Neko Case, KD Lang and Laura Veirs (June 17, Ant- / Epitaph).
[Case / Lang / Veirs]

Kyle Craft ‘Eye of A Hurricane’
Another track from the Portland, OR via Louisiana musician’s forthcoming debut album Dolls of Highland (Sub Pop, April 29).
[Kyle Craft]

Horror My Friend ‘Easy Going’
Taken from their debut Stay In, Do Nothing that came out a couple of months back (Poison City), but worth flagging up now as the band have just completed their album launch tour here in Australia.
[Horror My Friend]

Autolux ‘Becker’
One album every six years is a bit slack, but Pussy’s Dead, the third effort from the Los Angeles shoegaze / krautrock / space rock trio has been worth the wait, upping the electronics.
[Autolux]

Black Honey ‘All My Pride’
First track from the Brighton-based retro indie pop band’s forthcoming Headspin EP (29 April).
[Black Honey]

Keeps ‘Let It Fall (Keeping Time)’
From the Nashville dreampop band’s debut album Brief Spirit (out now, Old Flame Records).
[Keeps]

Xenia Rubinos ‘Lonely Lover’
Smooth and smokey stuff from Rubinos’ forthcoming second album Black Terry Cat (June 3, Anti-), the follow up to 2013’s Magic Trix.
[Xenia Rubinos]

The Gotobeds ‘Real Maths / Too Much’
Catchy indie punk rock from the Pittsburgh band’s forthcoming album
BLOOD // SUGAR // SECS // TRAFFIC‘ (Sub Pop, June 10).
[The Gotobeds]

Bleached ‘Chemical Air’
LA based sisters Jen and Jessica Clavin delivered one of 2013’s best albums with Ride Your Heart their Shangri-Las-meets-garage-pop debut as Bleached (they’d previously played together in Mika Miko). The follow up finds the Clavins bringing bassist Micayla Grace into the songwriting and recording with veteran producer Joe Chiccarelli, who cut is teeth with Frank Zappa and has recordied everyone from Poco to Spoon to My Morning Jacket and the Front Bottoms. This second preview track from Welcome the Worms is driven by simple girl-group inspired rhythm, fuzz guitar and a topped by the vocal melody and the repeated hook of “I’ve been giving in, in to giving up, up to nothing but trying to kill time / you’ve been missing now, out on everything, everything is passing you by” (out now, Dead Oceans).
[Bleached]

Gold Class ‘Standing At The Fault Line’
Melbourne gothy post-punksters follow up their excellent debut album with this track, one side of a split single with Sydney-side kindred spirits Mere Women.
[Gold Class]

Moonface and Siinai ‘Risto’s Riff’
Spencer Krug of the recently re-activated Wolf Parade returns with the third of his collboaration with Finnish band Siinai, My Best Human Face (Jagjaguwar, June 3).
This is the first track to surface, featuring Krug’s inimitable vocal style, heavily sustained guitar riff and driving beat.
[Moonface and Siinai]

A Giant Dog ‘Get With You and Get High’
Houston band enlist fellow Texan Bitt Daniel on this out of character slow number taken from their forthcoming third album, Pile (Merge, 6 May).
[A Giant Dog]

Lisa Prank ‘Starting Again’
Lisa Prank, aka Seattle-via-Dnver-based singer guitarist Robin Edwards and her Roland 505 drum machine with the first single from her Adult Teen album (June 24, Father/Daughter / Miscreant).
[Lisa Prank]

Winterpills ‘Freeze Your Light’
Northampton, MA indie folksters follow up their low key covers record Echolalia (2014) with their fifth album proper, Love Songs (Signature Sound, out now), from which this is one of many highlights.
[Winterpills]

Gorgeous Bully ’Beaucoup’
Nineties-indebted minimal indie rock from the Manchester band. One side of a split 7” with Something Anorak (May 27, Art Is Hard).
[Gorgeous Bully]

Mere Women ‘Numb’
The other side of the split single with Gold Class, more post-puk vibes, but harder-edged and less forgiving.
[Mere Women]

Psychic Ills featuring Hope Sandoval ‘I Dont Mind’
New York duo enlist Hope Sandoval just to underline the debt this desert-blues number owes to Mazzy Star.
[Psychic Ills]

Plush ‘Please Don’t Let Me Go’
This San Franciscan band who have never heard of Google (time to pick another name, dudes!) deal in lo-fi sob rock, of which this is a rather lovely slice.
[Plush]

Mhairi ‘Crystalline’
Smokey trip-hop influenced electronic noir pop from 20 year old Bournemouth musician.
[Mhairi]

Marissa Nadler ‘All The Colors of The Dark’
Massachusetts gothic folk singer songwriter follows up 2014’s wonderful July with a new album Strangers (Sacred Bones / Bella Union, May 20th). This is the second track to be featured here after last month’s ‘Janie in Love’.
[Marissa Nadler]

Deardarkhead ‘Falling Upward’
New Jersey’s veteran post-punk influenced shoegazers who parted ways with their vocalist in 2009 have found a renewed focus since they now deal exclusively in instrumental music. This is from their rather excellent Strange Weather EP (out now, Saint Marie Records).
[Deardarkhead]

Black Mountain ‘Space To Bakersfield’
Epic space rock closer from the Canadian band’s new IV album (out now, Jagjaguwar).
[Black Mountain]

Stars ‘Wonderful Life’
Lovely Amy Milan-fronted tribute to the late Colin Vearncombe as part of Stars monthly cover series.
[Stars]