In The Pharmacy #82 – July 2015

Posted on July 14, 2015 by nickpeters

Fourteen new tracks from the US, Australia and Sweden. New music from Palehound, Blank Realm, Diet Cig, Wavves x Cloud Nothings, PWR BTTM, Beach House (pictured), La Luz, Pleasure Leftists, Goat, Dirty Ghosts, Ducktails, Datura 4, Ecstatic Vision and Jack J.

Palehound ‘Molly’
ITP favourite Palehound (aka Ellen Kempner) returns with the first track from her debut album Dry Food (Exploding in Sound Records, August 14). Nineties influenced indie rock. This was supposed to feature in ITP #81 but I somehow managed to upload old track ‘Drooler’ in error [*facepalm*].
[Palehound]

Blank Realm ‘River of Longing’
Brisbane band return with their catchiest and poppiest outing to date. Of course, this is the sort of guitar heavy, psych and Krautrock tinged lo-fi pop that claims The Clean as the apex of the art form (as do we all). Taken from the follow up to last year’s Grassed Inn, Illegals in Heaven (Bedroom Suck / Fire Records, September 4) .
[Blank Realm]

Diet Cig ‘Sleep Talk’
After their excellent Over Easy cassette (see ITP #70 and #71), the New Paltz duo return with more charming indiepop. This is a track from their forthcoming 7” (September 18, Father Daughter / Art Is Hard).
[Diet Cig]

Wavves x Cloud Nothings ‘Come Down’
Let’s face it, this collaboration could have gone either way, but the resultant album No Life for Me is more than good and features this pearl amongst its nine tracks. Out now digitally through Bandcamp and due on vinyl in Sepetmber
[Wavves x Cloud Nothings]

PWR BTTM ‘Ugly Cherries’
Another duo with a a release due on Father/Daughter on September 18. “It’s a confrontation: an attempt to unpack my own queerness with humor and self care,” says guitar-and-vocalist half Ben Hopkins. Features a tasty stadium-prog guitar riff.
[PWR BTTM]

Beach House ‘Sparks’
From the forthcoming album Depression Cherry (Sub Pop, August 28), the follow up to 2012’s Bloom.
[Beach House]

La Luz ‘Don’t Wanna Be Anywhere’
Last featured here with ‘Big Big Blood’ and ‘Sure as Spring’ from their 2013 album It’s Alive, here’s another lovely slice of dreamy surfpop from the Seattle band. Taken from their forthcoming album Weirdo Shrine (August 7, Hardly Art).
[La Luz]

Pleasure Leftists ‘You You’
Cleveland, OH post-punk’s with a goth indebted number, the first track to be taken from their forthcoming The Woods of Heaven album (August 21, Deranged Records).
[Pleasure Leftists]

Goat ‘It’s Time For Fun’
This is the first new material since the masked Swedish psych rockers released their somewhat underwhelming second album last year. It’s definitely a cut above most of the tracks on Commune, restrained, mysterious and slightly spooky.
[Goat]

Dirty Ghosts ‘Cataract’
Title track of the San Francisco band’s new EP (out July 24 on Burger Records). Indie rock with post punk sensibilities and garage rock aesthetics.
[Dirty Ghosts]

Ducktails ‘Church’
Following on from ‘Into the Sky’ (ITP #81) here’s another track from Matt Mondanile’s (Real Estate) latest album as Ducktails, St Catherine. On this woozy dreampop track he shares vocals with Julia Holter.
[Ducktails]

Datura 4 ‘Another Planet’ 
Psych rock boogie with a nod to ‘Spirit’ in the Sky from Fremantle band featuring former members of The Stems, You Am I / New Christs and The Drones. From their debut album Demon Blues (out now on Alive Records).
[Datura 4]

Ecstatic Vision ‘Astral Plane Pt 2’
Heavy psych with some horns worthy of Fun House-era Stooges. Taken from the album Sonic Praise (out now on Relapse Records).
[Ecstatic Vision]

Jack J ‘Thirstin’’
As much summery funk soul jam as it is a house track this is from the Vancouver musician and member of the Mood Hut crew (out now on Future Times).
[Jack J]

In The Pharmacy #81 – Late June 2015

Posted on June 27, 2015 by nickpeters

Sixteen new tracks from the US, UK, Canada, Sweden, Chile and Spain. Indie rock, freak-folk, post-hardcore, garage punk, dreampop, post-punk, electronic pop, psych rock. New music from Low (Alan Sparhawk pictured), Wolf Alice, Ducktails, Weaves, jj, White Reaper, Desaparecidos, Shannon and the Clams, mewithoutYou, Palehound, Grave Babies, Widowspeak, Ancient Sky, The Holydrug Couple, Haberman, and Meg Baird.

Low ‘No Comprende’ 
Low release the first track from their forthcoming eleventh album Ones and Sixes (September 11, Sub Pop). Although they have long outgrown the slow-core tag of their earliest records, the pace here is unhurried and power is conveyed through minimalism.
[Low]

Wolf Alice ‘Lisbon’
One of many highlights from the London band’s long awaited debut album My Love Is Cool (out now, Dirty Hit)
[Wolf Alice]

Ducktails ‘Into the Sky’
Last featured here back in September 2013 with ‘Honey Tiger Eye’ (ITP #42) Ducktails return with a new album St Catherine (July 24, Domino).
[Ducktails]

Weaves ‘Tick’ 
Toronto band play catchy indie rock with singing guitars.
[Weaves]

jj ‘Truce’
The Swedish experimental pop duo return with their first new music since last year’s third album V.
[jj]

White Reaper ‘Pills’
Louisvile, KY garage band with another taste of their debut album White Reaper Does It Again (July 17, Polyvinyl).
[White Reaper]

Desaparecidos ‘The Left is Right’
After a 13 year hiatus, Conor Oberst’s punk band return with their second album, the follow up to Read English / Speak Spanish. All those years of focussing on Bright Eyes haven’t dulled his righteous anger and the new record, Payola, bears the influence of “70s/’80s punk & hardcore like T.S.O.L. and Cro-Mags; early ’80s power-pop, the Vapors and Tommy Tutone”.
[Desaparecidos]

Shannon and the Clams ‘Corvette’
A band in love with 50s and 60s vintage forms of rock and roll return with an album fueled by break ups. This is a downbeat number, a million miles away from their last appearance here ‘Mama’ (ITP #54), but just as compelling.
[Shannon and the Clams]

mewithoutYou ‘Lilac Queen’
Post-hardcore types with a crafty track from their rather special Revelation-inspired Pale Horses album.
[mewithoutYou]

Palehound ‘Molly’
ITP favourite Palehound (aka Ellen Kempner and friends) return with the first track from debut album Dry Food (Exploding in Sound Records, August 14). (Bugger. Appear to have accidentally re-used ‘Drooler’ rather than the new song ‘Molly’. Follow the link to hear the newer song.)
[Palehound]

Grave Babies ‘Something Awful’
Seattle goth-influenced types return with a more brooding take on new wave and a bass sound indebted to The Cure. Taken from their forthcoming Holograpic Violence album (Hardly Art, July 24)
[Grave Babies]

Widowspeak ‘Girls’
Brooklyn dreampop duo return with a languorous shuffle taken from their forthcoming album All Yours (September 4, Captured Tracks).
[Widowspeak]

Ancient Sky ‘Garbage Brain’ 
Brooklyn droney psych rock band with a track from their new album Mosaic (out now, Wharf Cat Records).
[Ancient Sky]

The Holydrug Couple ‘Concorde’
Suitably agreeable, instrumental dreampop from the Sacred Bones signed Chilean duo.
[The Holydrug Couple]

Haberman ‘Vida Muerte Vida De Un Mirlo’ 
Buenos Aires-born, Barcelona based guitarist Fernando Moresi-Haberman is a guitarist ingrained in open tunings and the finger picking style of John Fahey and those that have followed him. This is a demo from the artist newly signed to FatCat.
[Haberman]

Meg Baird ‘Back to You’
Stunning freak-folk from the former Espers-mainstay. This is taken from her third solo album Don’t Weigh Down the Light, the follow up to the wonderful Seasons on Earth (both albums through Drag City).
[Meg Baird]

In The Pharmacy #80 – June 2015

Posted on June 13, 2015 by nickpeters

Sixteen new tunes to make you swoon. New music from the US, UK, Sweden, Norway and Australia. Tracks from Novella, Royal Headache, Saskwatch, Moonbabies, Deradoorian (pictured), J Fernandez, Christopher Owens, Dommengang, Roman à Clef, The Backhomes, The Last Hurrah!, Mates of State, White Reaper, Titus Andronicus, The Cairo Gang, Eternal Summers.

Novella ‘Two Ships’
Having slowly expanded from a trio to a five piece, the London-via-Brighton band have finally released their debut album Land (out now on Synderling). Psychedelic dreampop with shoegaze leanings and motorik grooves.
[Novella]

Christopher Owens ‘Me Oh My’
Former Girls frontman releases his third and best solo album Chrissybabyforever, channels his idol Lawrence from Felt on this stand out track.
[Christopher Owens]

Royal Headache ‘High’ 
Best band in Sydney? Very possibly. This is the title track from the follow up to their brilliant 2011 debut, due out on (What’s Your Rupture? August 21).
[Royal Headache]

Deradoorian ‘A Beautiful Woman’ 
Art pop from the former Dirty Projectors bassist/vocalist Angel Deradoorian’s forthcoming solo album The Expanding Flower Planet (August 21, Anticon).
[Deradoorian]

Dommengang ‘Everybody’s Boogie’
Pacific north west psych-scenesters with the title track of their debut album (out now Thrill Jockey). Flanged guitars and driving rhythmns, get heavier, faster and more motorik as just beofre the vocals kick in and the jams get kicked out.
[Dommengang]

Saskwatch ‘Down the Stairs’ 
Melbourne soul collective with an untypically jangle pop number from their new album Sorry I Let it Come Between Us (out now, Northside Records / Remote Control), the follow up their excellent 2014 album Nosedive.
[Saskwatch]

Roman à Clef ‘Abandonware’ 
Jen Goma and Ryan Newmyer of A Sunny Day in Glasgow and Kurt Feldman of Ice Choir with the title track of their debut album. Lush indiepop with a hint of shoegaze.
[Roman à Clef]

The Backhomes ‘The Chase’
Sun-drenched, reverb-heavy psych pop from Victoria, Canada duo’s new album Tidalwave (out now, via Bandcamp).
[The Backhomes]

White Reaper ‘Sheila’ 
Louisvile, KY band with hooky garage rock number from their debut album White Reaper Does It Again (July 17, Polyvinyl)
[White Reaper]

Titus Andronicus ‘Stranded (I’m On My Own)’
Following on from the frenetic ‘Dimed Out’ (ITP #78) this is a more melodic punk number from the band’s forthcoming The Most Lamentable Tragedy 93 minute long concept album (Merge, July 28).
[Titus Andronicus]

Eternal Summers ‘Come Alive’ 
Virginia dreampop trio (and ITP multiple veterans) return with another track from their new album Gold and Stone (out now).
[Eternal Summers]

Mates of State ‘Staring Contest’
Catchy electronic art pop from the husband and wife duo’s latest EP, You’re Going to Make It (June 16, Barsuk).
[Mates of State]

J Fernandez ‘Read My Mind’ 
Chicago bedroom-pop experimentalist plays some lovely warm retro indie with a fuzzy guitar solo. Taken from his new Many Levels of Laughter album (out now on Joyful Noise).
[J Fernandez] https://www.facebook.com/jfernandezsongs

The Cairo Gang ‘Be What You Are’
Retro psych-pop, the second single from the Chicago band’s forthcoming LP, Goes Missing (out June 23rd on God?).
[The Cairo Gang]

Moonbabies ‘Pink Heart Mother’
From the Swedish duo’s fourth album Wizards on the Beach – their first in over seven years and well worth the wait. Sophisticated, electronic tinged, shoegaze and chamber pop influenced dream pop.
[Moonbabies]

The Last Hurrah! ‘Fairweather Friend’
Country psych / freak folk from Norway’s HP Gundersen featuring the beautiful vocals of Maesa Pullman. Taken from their album Mudflowers (out now, Rune Grammofon.
[The Last Hurrah!]

In The Pharmacy #79 – Late May 2015

Posted on May 31, 2015 by nickpeters

In The Pharmacy #78 – May 2015

Posted on May 9, 2015 by nickpeters

Nineteen new tunes from the US, Australia, Sweden, Norway, the UK, and Canada. Indie pop, experimental pop, electronic pop, psych pop, garage punk, shoegaze, dreampop etc. New music from Django Django, Best Coast, Sharon Van Etten, Pale Honey (pictured), Titus Andronicus, Tame Impala, Future Islands, Power, Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld, The Lovely Eggs, Alessia Cara, Vexx, Misun, Jenny Hval, Cheena, Empress Of, Chelsea Wolfe, Joanna Gruesome, Valet.

The Lovely Eggs ‘Ordinary People Unite’ 
Lancashire spousal pop from Holly Ross and David Blackwell, taken from their new album This Is Our Nowhere (out now).
[The Lovely Eggs]

Django Django ‘Giant’ 
Opening track from the band’s new album Born Under Saturn, psych tinged, groove-centric, electronic indie pop.
[Django Django]

Best Coast ‘In My Eyes’
Best Coast’s second album was terrible, but they followed it up with the fantastic Fade Away EP. Their new album California Nights builds on that momentum and all the horrible affectations and weaknesses of The Only Place have been blasted away and replaced with surf pop songs of superior quality and catchiness.
[Best Coast]

Pale Honey ‘Fish’
Gothenburg duo of Tuva Lodmark and Nelly Daltrey play guitar and drums indie pop with retro flourishes. This is taken from their rather excellent eponymous debut album (out now).
[Pale Honey]

Titus Andronicus ‘Dimed Out’
Killer punk tune about turning it up to 10: “I turned it up to four I couldn’t feel it / I turned it to five it wasn’t real yet / turning it up to six wouldn’t reveal it / seven was secret / eight was reaching / nine was decent but I really liked it when it dimed out!” taken from the New Jersey band’s forthcoming The Most Lamentable Tragedy 93-minutes-long concept album (Merge, July 28).
[Titus Andronicus]

Tame Impala ‘Eventually’
Another new track from the eagerly awaited third album Currents. Smooth, soulful psych pop with filthy fuzzed out bass.
[Tame Impala]

Future Islands ‘The Chase’ 
First new material since last year’s breakthrough Singles album follows in the same footsteps. Soulful synthpop (available digitally now and on 7” vinyl June 30).
[Future Islands]

Power ‘Slimy’s Chains’ 
Melbourne heavy rock garage punk. Taken from the forthcoming Electric Glitter Boogie EP (Cool Death Records).
[Power]

Sharon Van Etten ‘I Don’t Want to Let You Down’ 
Title track from SVE’s new EP.
[Sharon Van Etten]

Colin Stetson / Sarah Neufeld ‘Won’t Be a Thing to Become’ 
Post rock meets modern classical with hints of Radiohead from the horn and violin players’ excellent collaborative album (out now, Constellation).
[Colin Stetson / Sarah Neufeld]

Alessia Cara ‘Here’ 
Maybe much of the appeal of this track is down to familiarity – it basically consists of the same Isaac Hayes ‘Ike’s Rap II’ sample that Tricky and Portishead used over 20 years ago for their ‘Hell Is Round the Corner’ / ‘Glory Box’ tracks respectively. But the the 18 year old Ontario born Def Jam signed artist sing-raps over the top about having a shit time at a party with no little charm.
[Alessia Cara]

Vexx ‘Black White’ 
Olympia, WA punks fronted by Maryjane Dunphe, taken from their new four track 7”, Give and Take (available as a name-your-price download from their bandcamp page).
[Vexx]

Misun ‘After Me’
Laidback electropop, with great vocals and lovely, fuzzy guitar that kicks in at the three minute mark. Taken from the DC band’s Feel Better EP (out May 29).
[Misun]

Jenny Hval ‘Heaven’
Another stand out track from the Norwegian experimental pop artist’s Apocalypse, Girl album (out June 9 on Sacred Bones).
[Jenny Hval]

Cheena ‘Did I Tell You Last Night’
Another Sacred Bones signed artist. Five guys raised in NYC’s underground punk scene getting together to stretch their wings on something less shouty and more melodic and coming up with something mid-70s post-glam-proto-punk in sound and feel.
[Cheena]

Empress Of ‘Water Water’ 
Brooklyn-based electronic pop artist Lorely Rodriguez, first featured here two years ago with ‘Hat Trick’ and ‘Tristeza’ (ITP #28 & #30) returns with the first track from her debut album (tbc, on Terrible / XL).
[Empress Of]

Chelsea Wolfe ‘Iron Moon’ 
Last featured here with her King Dude collaboration ‘Be Free’ (Feb 2014, ITP #51), the LA doom / drone / folk singer songwriter returns with the first track from her forthcoming fourth album Abyss (Sargent House, August 7).
[Chelsea Wolfe]

Joanna Gruesome ‘I Don’t Wanna Relax’
Another slice of MBV-indebted noise pop from the Cardiff-based band’s excellent forthcoming second album Peanut Butter (Fortuna Pop! / Slumberland / Turnstile, May 11).
[Joanna Gruesome]

Valet ‘Nature’
Shoegaze / dreampop title track from the solo project of Portland experimentalist Honey Owens (out May 25, Kranky).
[Valet]

In The Pharmacy #77 – Late April 2015

Posted on April 24, 2015 by nickpeters

Twenty-one new tracks. Indie rock, indiepop, post-punk, psych pop, experimental pop, electronic pop, folk and punk.

Milky Wimpshake ‘Heterosexuality Is A Construct’
From the punk indie-pop lifers’ excellent Encore, Un Effort! album. Classic, scratchy, melodic, political.
[Milky Wimpshake]

Black Honey ‘Spinning Wheel’
Rumbling retro Spaghetti Western indie pop from the slightly mysterious outift born from the ashes of Brighton noise pop hopefuls Kill Moon.
[Black Honey]

Unknown Mortal Orchestra ‘Can’t Keep Checking My Phone’
Following on from the title track back in February (ITP #72) here’s another stand-out groove from the Portland band led by ex-pat Kiwi Ruban Nielson.
[Unknown Mortal Orchestra]

Built to Spill ‘Living Zoo’
Indie rock veteran Doug Martsch continues to combine great melodies with some winding, expressive guitar playing that is half J Masics, half Isaac Brock. This is from the band’s first new album in six years (and one of their best), Untethered Moon.
[Built to Spill]

Jacco Gardener ‘Find Yourself’
First featured here back in 2012 with ‘The Ballad of Little Jane’ (ITP#23), this is the title track from the dutch baroque psych pop dude’s forthcoming second album (Polyvinyl / Full Time Hobby / Excelsior, May 4), the follow up to the charming Cabinet of Curiosities (2013).
[Jacco Gardener]

Jenny Hval ‘Sabbath’
Norwegian experimental singer songwriter Jenny Hval returns with a half spoken / half sung stunner taken from her forthcoming Apocalypse Girl album (Sacred Bones, June 9)
[Jenny Hval]

Moon King ‘Apocalypse’
Toronto shoegaze duo with a track from their second album Secret Life (out now, Last Gang).
[Moon King]

Speedy Ortiz ‘Swell Content’
Short and snappy number from the 90s-indebted band’s new album Foil Deer (Carpark, out now).
[Speedy Orttiz]

U.S. Girls ‘Damn That Valley’
First featured here with ‘Jack’ back in August 2012 (ITP #16). After three self released albums and one on FatCat, Meghan Remy (who is U.S. Girls) makes her debut single for 4AD ahead of a full album later this year.
[U.S. Girls]

Miniboone ‘Basic Song’
From the New York art rock / power pop band’s second album Bad Sports (out now, Ernest Jennings Record Company).
[Miniboone]

Girlpool ‘Before the World Was Big’
Title track from the ITP favourites’ debut album (Wichita, June 1).
[Girlpool]

Passion Pit ‘My Brother Taught Me How to Swim’
Maximalist electronic pop from Michael Angelakos’ third album Kindred (out now).
[Passion Pit]

Courtney Barnett ‘Close Watch’
John Cale cover version. The b-side from CB’s Record Store Day 12” ‘Kim’s Caravan’.
[Courtney Barnett]

Downtown Boys ‘Monstro’
Providence, RI punk/ post-punk punks with a track taken from their Full Communism album (Don Giovani, May 4). Expect music that addresses “the prison-industrial complex, racism, queerphobia, capitalism, fascism, boredom, and all things people use to try to close our minds, eyes and hearts.”
[Downtown Boys]

Eternal Summers ‘Together or Alone’
First track to surface from the Roanoke, VA jangle pop band’s Gold and Stone album (Kanine, June 2).
[Eternal Summers]

Broken Water ‘Love and Poverty’
Olympia, WA band with a unique blend of grunge, shoegaze and 80s indie rock aesthetics. This is taken from their forthcoming album Wrought (Night People Records, out now)
[Broken Water]

No Joy ‘Moon in My Mouth’
Traces of woozy shoegaze,from the Montreal band’s forthcoming third album, More Faithful (Mexican Summer, June 9).
[No Joy]

Institute ‘Perpetual Ebb’
Texan punks with a post-punk bent, from their forthcoming Sacred Bones debut, Catharsis (out June 9).
[Institute]

Torres ‘The Harshest Light’
This track first appeared in a different form on a 2014 Record Store Day 7”, the structure remain similar, but the song has a more forceful presence, as if it was the work of a more confident artist.
[Torres]

Bill Fay ‘The Geese Are Flying Westward’
The north London singer songwriter, who waited 40 years between his second and third album, opens his fourth with this beautiful rumination on the path not travelled.
[Bill Fay]

Father John Misty ‘I Loved You, Honeybee’
A different version of ‘I Love You, Honeybear’ taken from the 2015 Record Store Day heart-shaped 7”.
[Father John Misty]

In The Pharmacy #76 – April 2015

Posted on April 10, 2015 by nickpeters

Eighteen new tunes from My Morning Jacket, Houndstooth, The Mountain Goats, Big Deal (pictured), Girls Names, Hot Chip, The Go! Team, Oddisee, Drenge, Tunde Adebimpe, The Lilac Time, East India Youth, Circa Waves, Psychic Reality, Bully, Upset, Rose Windows, and This Is The Kit.

My Morning Jacket ‘Believe (Nobody Knows)’
Suitably epic opening track from the band’s forthcoming seventh album The Waterfall (Capitol, May 4) their first since 2011’s Circuital.
[My Morning Jacket]

Houndstooth ‘Bliss Boat’
Motorik drumbeat and loose guitar lines drive this opener from the Portland band’s second album No News From Home.
[Houndstooth]

The Mountain Goats ‘Foreign Object’
Another standout track from the wrestling themed Beat The Champ album. An incongruously jaunty tune with lyrics of graphic violence, “one of these days my legs will snap like twigs, if you can’t beat them make ‘em bleed like pigs”.
[The Mountain Goats]

Oddisee ‘That’s Love’ 
Funky 70s soul underpins this hip hop track taken from the Maryland artist’s forthcoming The Good Fight album (May 5, Mello Music).
[Oddisee]

The Go! Team ‘Til We Do It Together’
A bonus track on the Japanese version of The Scene Between and due for release as a very limited edition Record Store Day release, this features Tweens’ Bridget Battle on vocals.
[The Go! Team]

Drenge ‘We Can Do What We Want’ 
The Loveless brothers expand to a three-piece for a handful of tracks on their second album Undertow (out now).
[Drenge]

Upset ‘Glass Ceiling’
LA garage punkers fronted by Ali Koehler (formerly of Vivian Girls / Best Coast) and featuring Hole’s Patty Schemel on drums. Previously featured here back in October 2013 with the track from their debut album She’s Gone (ITP #44), ‘Glass Ceiling’ is taken from the ’76 EP (out now, Lauren Records).
[Upset]

Big Deal ‘Veronica’
First taste of the dreampop duo’s third album (title and release date tbc).
[Big Deal]

Tunde Adebimpe ‘Speedline Miracle Masterpiece’ [feat Sal P and Sinkane]
Grand Theft Auto inspired tune from the TV On The Radio vocalist and friends, taken from the forthcoming GTA V tie-in The Alchemist and Oh No Present: Welcome to Los Santos (April 14).
[Tunde Adebimpe]

Bully ‘Trying’
Another track from Alicia Bognanno-fronted band’s forthcoming debut album.
[Bully]

The Lilac Time ‘A Cat On the Long Wave’
Baroque closing track from No Sad Songs, The Lilac Time’s first new album in eight years.
[The Lilac Time]

Circa Waves ‘T-Shirt Weather’
In your face summer pop from the Liverpool fourpiece’s debut album Young Chasers (out now).
[Circa Waves]

Hot Chip ‘Need You Now’
House-y number from the forthcoming Why Make Sense? album (Domino, May 18). Built around a sample from Sinnamon’s 1983 post-disco hit ‘I Need You Now’.
[Hot Chip]

Psychic Reality ‘Island’
Suitably tropical lo-fi electronic pop from Brooklynite Leyna Noel’s Chassis album (May 5, Not Not Fun) the follow up to 2011’s Vibrant New Age. Feature’s a lyrical nod to Madonna’s ‘Holiday’.
[Psychic Reality]

East India Youth ‘Beaming White’ 
Newly signed to XL, this is taken from the Bournemouth musician’s Culture of Volume album (out now), the follow up to last year’s debut Total Strife Forever.
[East India Youth]

Girls Names ‘Zero Triptych’ 
The apostrophe eschewing gothy post-punk Belfast band return with a new 11 minute epic that nods to OMD, Joy Division, The Cure and Krautrock.
[Girls Names]

Rose Windows ‘Hirami’
It’s never a good sign when a band announce their split prior to releasing their new album. Add to that the underwhelming nature of the ‘Glory, Glory’ the first track to surface. But, while their eponymous second album, doesn’t reach the spacey heights of their excellent debut The Sun Dogs, there are some understated gems, including this one.
[Rose Windows]

This is the Kit ‘Misunderstanding’ 
Haunting folk pop taken from the Bristol band’s Aaron Dessner-produced third album Bashed Out.
[This Is the Kit]

In The Pharmacy #75 – Late March 2015

Posted on March 28, 2015 by nickpeters

Sixteen great tracks, two weeks worth of the best new music from the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden.

Torres ‘Sprinter’
Title track from Mackenzie Scott’s second album (May, Partisan). While Scott has always had her own style, there’s a touch of early PJ Harvey to it, perhaps because the New York via Georgia and Tennessee singer songwriter recorded the album in the west country with Rob Ellis produced and playing drums (there’s also some guitar from Portishead’s Adrian Utley).

[Torres]

Young Guv ‘Ripe 4 Luv’
Title track from the power pop side project of Fucked Up guitarist Ben Cook. All hooks and harmonies and ringing Cars guitar lines.
[Young Guv]

Courtney Barnett ‘Dead Fox’
The most Australian song on a very Australian album, with references to the Hume Highway, the Holbrook bypass, roadkill possums and kangaroos, culling sharks and the general taking-your-life-in-your-hands nature of sharing the roads with Australian drivers.
[Courtney Barnett]

The Go! Team ‘Reason Left to Destroy’
One of the many excellent tracks from the new album The Scene Between. This one closes the album and has the spirit of a pop My Bloody Valentine, with vocals from two (relatively) unknown US artists Doreen Kirchner (of Vinyl Tigers) and Emily Reo (of Foxes in Fiction).
[The Go! Team]

Chic featuring Nile Rogers
The first new Chic music since Chic-ism in 1992, based around an old, recently rediscovered Chic demo for a song called ‘Love Someone Today’ and features the work of sadly departed Chic members Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson.
This is classic, seamless Chic groove with Nile Rodgers inimitable guitar style.
[Nile Rodgers]

Eskimeaux ‘Broken Necks’
Taken from O.K., the latest release from prolific bandcamp releaser and genre hopper Gabrielle Smith, “beat-driven and poetic bedroom pop”.
[Eskimeaux]

Girlpool ‘Ideal World’
First taste of the duo’s debut album Before The World Was Big (Wichita, June 1) is hypnotic in its restrained minimalism, compared to the garage punk we’ve come to love from this duo. There’s a nice, scuzzy guitar solo at the end so we don’t forget who we’re dealing with here.
[Girlpool]

Pill ‘Misty Eyed Porno Reader’
Brooklyn band with post-punk skronk!
[Pill]

Yumi Zouma ‘Second Wave’
Lush sophisticated pop from NZ, previously featured here with
[Yumi Zouma]

Au.Ra ‘Morning’
Shoegaze meets dreampop from the London-based Sydney duo which features Tim Jenkins of much-missed one-album-wonders Parades. This is taken from their debut album, Jane’s Lament (out now on Felte).
[Au.Ra]

Hop Along ‘Waitress’
Philly indie rock band fronted by the remarkably-voiced Frances Quinlan. This is from their forthcoming second album, Painted Shut (May 4, Saddle Creek).
[Hop Along]

Mas Ysa ‘Look Up’
New York-based Montreal musician Thomas Arsenault with layered, smart electronic pop. Hints of a smoother Future Islands meets a balearic, chilled out M83.
[Mas Ysa]

Mini Mansions ‘Honey, I’m Home’
Electronic pop from QOTSA bass player’s side project. Taken from their second album The Great Pretenders (out now).
[Mini Mansions]

Jeff Zagers ‘Neighbours Knock’
Jeff Zagers has recorded music in a number of different (usually electronic) styles. This is one of his most melodically straightforward and accessible tunes, taken from his Still / Alive album, out now on Wharf Cat (though it originally appeared in a different form on a 2010 cassette only release).
[Jeff Zagers]

Death and Vanilla ‘Necessary Distortions’
Swedish band who have a love not only for Broadcast, but also for all those sounds that influenced the much missed Birmingham band – sixties sci-fi soundtracks, The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, and The United States Of America”.
[Death and Vanilla]

Wand ‘Melted Rope’
Fuzzy stoner psych from the Ty Segall / Mikal Cronin affiliated LA band’s Golem album (out now, In The Red).
[Wand]

In The Pharmacy #74 – March 2015

Posted on March 13, 2015 by nickpeters

Warpaint ‘I’ll Start Believing’
Unlike the leisurely paced seven-plus minutes of new single ‘No Way Out’, this b-side starts with a communal scream and clocks in at under 180 seconds. It’s all sinuous guitar lines, fuzzed bass and Stella Mozgawa’s urgent drumming. These two tracks are the“first in a series of new songs being released this year” and hopefully a sign of a new period of prolificness for the band who have previously released (brilliant) records at a snail’s pace.
[Warpaint]

Tame Impala ‘Let It Happen’
Speaking of seven-plus minute tunes, this is the first new track from Kevin Parker since 2010’s Lonerism. An electronics-heavy psych number, with the strings kicking in around the four minute mark and it’s not until after the six minute mark where we hear something that is recognizably a guitar. Download it for free over on the Tame Impala site.
[Tame Impala]

The Mountain Goats ‘Heel Turn 2 (edit)’
Second track to be released from the loosely wrestling themed album Beat the Champ (April, Merge) only whets our appetite to hear the whole thing. The full length version of this song has a beautiful instrumental piano coda that’s as long as the narrative part.
[The Mountain Goats]

Bully ‘I Remember’
First featured here with ‘Milkman’ back in November (ITP #67) this tracks is taken from the Nashville based band’s forthcoming as yet untitled album.
[Bully]

Chromatics ‘I Can Never be Myself When You’re Around’
Johnny Jewel and co. return with more 80s indebted electronic pop. This is taken from delayed forthcoming album Dear Tommy, the follow up to 2012’s Kill For Love.
[Chromatics]

Colleen ‘Captain of None’
Colleen (aka French multi-instrumentalist Cecile Schott) utilises her voice and the 15th century baroque intrument viola da gamba to create something hypnotic, haunting and contemporary. This is the closing title track from her forthcoming album on Thrill Jockey (April 7).
[Colleen]

Radical Dads ‘Slammer’
From the Brooklyn band’s third album,  Taken from the indie rock band’s Cassette Brain EP.
[Radical Dads]

My Morning Jacket ‘Big Decisions’
Taken from Waterfall (ATO, May 4) their first album since 2011’s Circuital. A big stadium filling number driven by Jim James’s vocals and Patrick Hallahan’s drumming, over slide guitar, horns and piano.
[My Morning Jacket]

Evans The Death ‘Expect Delays’
Title track from from the London based indiepop band’s second album (out now on Fortuna Pop! / Slumberland).
[Evans The Death]

Modest Mouse ‘Coyotes’
The other end of the MM spectrum to ‘Lampshades on Fire’ (ITP#73). A waltz-time number from the band’s rather bloody excellent Stranger to Ourselves album.
[Modest Mouse]

Chastity Belt ‘Joke’
Second digital single from Chastity Belt’s second album Time To Go Home (out March 24 on Hardly Art) the highlight is the outro where the band cut loose on the guitars for two and a half minutes.
[Chastity Belt]

Dick Diver ‘Leftovers’
Melbourne, Florida is one of the best albums of 2015 so far and likely to stay that way. It’s one fault? That there are only a couple of tracks that features Steph Hughes on lead vocals. With mournful horns and slide guitar, this one is a real beaut.
[Dick Diver]

Slutever ‘Maggot’
LA garage pop duo of Nicole Snyder and Rachel Gagliardi teamed up with buddies Girlpool for a split cassette last year (though they’ve been releasing stuff through Bandcamp since 2010). This is taken from their new Almost Famous cassette.
[Slutever]

Speedy Ortiz ‘The Graduates’
Lessons learned from the Stephen Malkmus school of songwriting on this second track to appear from the band’s forthcoming album Foil Deer (April 21, Carpark). One of their best songs so far, I reckon.
[Speedy Ortiz]

Sufjan Stevens ‘Death With Dignity’
Openning track from the forthcoming Carrie and Lowell (Asthmatic Kitty, March 31).
[Sufjan Stevens]

Westkust ‘Swirl’
Gothenburg shoegazers who in Hugo Randulv and Gustav Andersson share a couple of members with Makthaverskan (ITP #72). This is taken from their forthcoming album Last Forever (available via their Bandcamp page).
[Westkust]

BRAIDS ‘Taste’
Raphaelle Standell-Preston has featured here a couple of times, firstly with her other project Blue Hawaii and then with ‘In Kind’, the closing track from BRAIDS last album Flourish//Perish. This may not have the quirky edge of that latter track, but it’s a winning slice of 21st Century pop, that takes its influence from the late 20th Century (a bit of drum n’ bass, a bit of trip hop, a bit of Radiohead), but it’s Standell-Preston’s vocals that are the star here.
[BRAIDS]

Soko [featuring Aerial Pink] ‘Lovetrap’
French musician / actress Stephanie Sokolinski (aka Soko) is well known to Australian audiences for her 2007 hit ‘I’ll Kill Her’. Here she teams ups with buddy Ariel Pink for some super smooth 70s-influenced electronic pop. Taken from Soko’s forthcoming My Dreams Dictate My Reality album.
[Soko]

Jenny Hval ‘The Battle is Over’
Previously featured here with ‘Mephisto in the Water’ and her cover of Paul Simon’s ‘The Cool Cool River’, the Norwegian experimentalist returns with this intriguing track from her forthcoming Apocalypse, Girl album (Scared Bones, June).
[Jenny Hval]

Lower Dens ‘Your Heart Still Beating’
Motorik centrepiece of forthcoming third long player Escape From Evil, features some nice Fripp-like guitar in the middle (March 31, Ribbon Music).
[Lower Dens]

In The Pharmacy #73 – Late February 2015

Posted on March 3, 2015 by nickpeters

Two weeks of the best new tracks. New music from the US, UK, Australia, Belgium, France and Canada. Tunes from Modest Mouse, Dick Diver, Best Coast, Death Cab For Cutie, Django Django, Sufjan Stevens, Calexico, Passion Pit, Surfer Blood, Fred Thomas, The Weather Station, Trust Fund, Broken Water, Cabane, Le Volume Courbe, Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld.

Modest Mouse ‘Lampshades on Fire’ 
So far, four tracks have surfaced from the forthcoming album Strangers to Ourselves (the band’s first new album since 2007’s We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank). This one is my current favourite, with its jittery post-punk-funk-scratch-meets-reggae rhythms and Isaac Brocks’ distinctive wired, but weirdly mellifluous yelped vocals.
[Modest Mouse]

Django Django ‘First Light’
It’s been just over three years since the Scottish electronic neo-psychedelicists released their debut album, but this is worth the wait, up their with that record’s highlights. Taken from Born Under Saturn (out May 4, Because Music).
[Django Django]

Dick Diver ‘Waste the Alphabet’
Second track to surface from the Melbourne band’s forthcoming third album Melbourne, Florida (March 6, Chapter Music / Trouble in Mind). Like ‘Tearing the Posters Down’ (ITP #72) it feels like the jangle has been turned up to 11, and while they have previously been singled out for wearing the influence of The Go-Betweens, this one has elements that sounds like the early work of those other antipodeans, The Church.
[Dick Diver]

Best Coast ‘California Nights’
I wasn’t a fan of the of Best Coast’s second album The Only Place, but they won me back over with the superior songs and fuzzy pop of the excellent Fade Away EP. This title track from their forthcoming third album finds them getting lost (in a good way) in a more dreampop meets shoegaze sound. It’s a better fit than the cheesy 80s FM n’ country stylings of the last album and seems a more logical progression from the lo-fi garage surf pop of their earliest records. The album is out May 5.
[Best Coast]

Death Cab For Cutie ‘No Room in Frame’
Second track from the band’s forthcoming Kintsugi, their last album to be recorded with guitarist Chris Walla before his amicable departure. Like ‘Black Sun’ (ITP #71) this suggests that the it will be a far better record than the somewhat underwhelming Codes and Keys (2011).
[Death Cab for Cutie]

The Weather Station ‘What It Is, Way It Could Be’
Last featured back in February 2013 (ITP #27) with ‘Mule in the Flowers’, The Weather Station is the work of Torontonian singer songwriter Tamara Linderman (Aussies might know her as Tamara Hope, star of early naughties Melbourne-set fantasy show Guinevere Jones). It’s gentle and beautiful folk music with a touch of Joni Mitchell in both vocal phrasing and styling.
[The Weather Station]

Trust Fund ‘Essay to Write’
This is about as 80s lo-fi indie as it gets in 2015. The stand out track from the band’s (rather good) debut album No One’s Coming For Us, following on from their also rather good split EP with Joanna Gruesome.
[Trust Fund]

Calexico featuring Ben Bridwell ‘Falling from the Sky’
The Calexico back catalogue is a rich and wonderful thing. Here they utilise Band of Horses’ Ben Bridwell for the first taste of their forthcoming Edge of The Sun album (Anti-, April 14), the follow up to 2012’s wonderful Algiers.
[Calexico]

Broken Water ‘High-Lo’
Olympia, WA band with a unique blend of grunge, shoegaze and 80s indie rock aesthetics. This is taken from their forthcoming album Wrought (Night People Records, March 24)
[Broken Water]

Cabane ‘Sangokaku’
Big Sufjan Stevens influence on this track from Belgian musician Thomas Jean Henri with aid from Bonnie Prince Billy, Kate Stables, Caroline Gabard and Sean O‘Hagan.
[Cabane]

Passion Pit ‘Where The Sky Hangs’
Super-slick pop from Michael Angelakos and co.’s forthcoming Kindred, the follow up to 2012’s Gossamer.
[Passion Pit]

Surfer Blood ‘Grand Inquisitor’ 
Intriguing new tune from the Florida band’s new 1000 Palms (May 12, Joyful Noise) follow up to Pythons (2012).
[Surfer Blood]

Fred Thomas ‘Cops Don’t Care Pt II’
Another track from the Saturday Looks Good To Me frontman’s forthcoming solo album All Are Saved (Polyvinyl), this one features Radiator Hospital’s Sam Cook-Parrott.
[Fred Thomas]

Le Volume Courbe ‘The House’
It’s been ten years since French London-based ex-pat Charlotte Marionneau released her debut (and so far, only) album as Le Volume Courbe. Now she’s back, this time with a single which once again enlists the help of Kevin Shields (also Martin Duffy and John Parish).
[Le Volume Courbe]

Sufjan Stevens ‘No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross’
This track from his first proper album since Age of Adz (2010) finds Sufjan Stevens return to the style of the quieter moments of Illinois for the forthcoming Carrie and Lowell (Asthmatic Kitty, March 31).
[Sufjan Stevens]

Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld ‘The Sun Roars into View’
Arcade Fire violinist Sarah Neifeld teams up with fellow instrumentalist Colin Stetson for an album of minimal violin and horn music that, if this track is anything to go by, promises to appeal to fans of the more esoteric end of post-rock. Never were the way she was is due out on Constellation, April 28.
[Sarah Neufeld]