welcome back to The Bark List, a weekly feature rounding up a bunch of music from Connecticut songwriters and artists! this post is going up much later than usual because homedog lost his adobe subscription license, and i cut all of these videos with Premiere Pro. thanks adobe! there’s a lot of great music this week, and the total song count is more manageable than previous weeks, so i am expecting you to listen to every single song this week. 🙂
check out this week’s songs below, and as always, if you like what you hear: share it with a friend! and if you have the means, consider buying their music. spotify is nice and all, but unless you plan on streaming a song multiple hundred times, bandcamp is best. you can follow us on instagram and twitter for more music during the week.
mousequeen – “stalker bitch”
The long-awaited Mousequeen EP is here! “Stalker Bitch”, the first track on Mousequeen fuses together the futurist glitch pop sounds of tomorrow with the trip-hop vibes of the ’90s. The duo, Chelsea Leiper and Michael D, work so well together: D’s skittering and layered production with Leiper’s mischievous lyrics and melodies. It reminds of Ultraista, the fantastic (and underheard) Nigel Godrich project, so if you’ve ever craved that sound, here are three excellent tracks for ya.
similar kind – “too happy”
Even though “Maria” hasn’t yet left our heavy rotation, Similar Kind have a brand new single! This track is a bright and bubbly indie pop track with some of the most melancholy lyrics you’ll hear this month. And to be honest, that’s exactly what I want from Norwalk’s Best. Expect their new EP soon — you already know “Too Happy” and “Maria” are on it, so if you thought that their debut couldn’t be topped, you’ll be wrong.
luke ellingson – “smile”
Mr. Ellingson has a new album coming out next month, and if “Smile” and [first single] “Hospital Bed” are previews of what’s to come, it’ll be one of the best of the year. Noah Silvestry, who doubles as both a recording artist and a producer, brings both sides together, weaving a catchy, warm song with some stunning layers of sound. And if you think it sounds good now, be sure to pre-order it on vinyl!
justin holden – “face yourself now”
Last week, we speculated about what Justin Holden’s new EP would sound like, given the warm electronics of “Entertain the Broken Heart”. This Is Fun is a wild, maximalist EP, chock to the brim with inventive ideas. This opening track is one of our favorites, but be sure to explore all of This Is Fun, including the final track which features Jason Rule from Queen Moo.
j.e. duffy – “forever”
Hartford’s J.E. Duffy just released his new album Forever?! No, the question mark is part of the album title — I’m not incredulous that the album is out, because we’ve already featured two songs from it already! We want you to hear the title track now, It’s a slight stylistic break from some of the more Americana-tinged tracks, but it’s one of our favorite tracks on the album and gives me goosebumps.
street hockey – “from a memory”
Dream Hermit may be on an indefinite hiatus, but don’t worry, Max is still recording some of the best songs of his young career. “From a Memory” is the second Street Hockey song, and it captures the same vibes as Dream Hermit’s live shows, if you miss those!
sotolish – “tetrahedron”
Sotorious (from the Political Animals collective) and Delish have come together again to release their first new song since the stunning Medusa Glow record. This track, along with its eye-catching video, will stop you in your tracks. Does this mean that there might be a Medusa Glow pt. 2? God I hope so.
greta stroebel – “i am that / that i am”
Last week, we talked about how impressed we were with Greta Stroebel’s new record, Dancer in the Heart of France. Now, that record is live on spotify (for those of you that don’t use soundcloud), and we’re excited that it gives us the excuse to feature another Greta Strobez tune. This one, “I Am That / That I Am”, playfully includes some Buddhist mantras in its beautiful chorus.
tracey gardens – “underjoyed”
Always carries surprises, Tracey Garden’s new EP, Underjoyed, uses the late 80’s Britain scene as a playground for sounds. We are in love with this track, and think that you will be too!
new routines – “marion”
The debut album from New Routines! You think you love your momma? Did you write her a hella loud punk song for Mother’s Day? Yeah, I didn’t think so. New Routines did though.
dust hat – “whip it up”
Damn, people love New Haven’s Dust Hat. When I posted about them on social media, I got more comments/replies than most bands we normally gush over! We’re featuring a Dust Hat track here, “Whip It Up”, because the band’s EP just hit streaming services for the first time! You can still get it on Bandcamp (and you should!), but if you haven’t listened to the ‘Hat before, now you have zero excuses.
trell world – “yipee ki yay”
A new track from one of Waterbury’s most exciting and interesting emcees! Check out Trell’s repurposing of the famous John McClain phrase.
tha red baron – “rot”
Tha Red Baron, the baron from Bridgeport, has a new song out! Released on his birthday, “Rot” is a banger that finds a way to bridge Tha Red Baron’s current hip hop style with his hardcore past.
josh pavel – “chase the sun”
Josh Pavel has collaborated with many Connecticut artists, so even though he may have just moved out of the state, we’re calling his new EP, Collosus, a Connecticut album through-and-through. Take a listen to this beautiful, impressionistic track.
revamp – “only friend”
A brand new band that we don’t know much about, Revamp just released their EP on streaming services. If you like your fi lower than lo, you’ll dig these punk tunes.
