The season of the album is upon us! There’s fewer singles this time around, but we’ve found some incredible albums and EPs that’ve come out this week. We hope that this Bark List will be your gateway into something new, something that you’ll love. Many of these bands are also playing live shows now (check out our event calendar for Only Good Gigs [tm]), so if you go, make sure you take a mask and don’t be a weirdo.
Our special picks this week are Lumot’s Weaver, the new Chousand track “Nothing Makes Sense”, and the double LP from Welkin Descent (Onward Strain / Rapture in the Fields of Gray).
Check out this Bark List’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. I know that tracking down songs on Bandcamp can be a pain in the ass, so if you discover new music on Spotify, consider throwing your playlists into this tool to quickly track down the Bandcamp page of these artists: https://hypem.com/merch-table/ .
You can follow us on instagram and twitter for more music during the week.
Albums + EPS:
Arms Like Roses – Past Midnight
Super secret surprise EP! Arms Like Roses released their debut EP Get Some Sleep back in April, and just this week they followed that up with this new trio of tracks: a b-side (“Summer Song”, our favorite of the bunch), a cover (“Hum” originally by Tigers Jaw), and a re-recorded song (“Wallflower”). What a nice little treat! We recommend spinning it between the hours 1AM and 3AM, while you wait on their upcoming debut LP that they just finished tracking at Silver Bullet Studios.
Cosmic Zero – No Future? / Yeah, Ok, Thanks
Two albums in one week! Well, one official album (No Future?) and one collection of demos and outtakes (Yeah, OK, Thanks). Cosmic Zero is a one-man-band, who claims to be “indie rock” but includes garage rock, glam, emo, and punk. And if you’re thinking “wait, that sounds like you’re describing earlier Car Seat Headrest”, then you’re kinda right! It’s great!
Lumot – Weaver
Shyanne Horner is back with new music! Her first album (under the band name SHY), Former, was listed as one of the greatest albums of the year by Hartford Courant, deservedly so. The band name change comes with a stylistic change too, as her music is a little darker, a little heavier, and a good bit louder. We love this record and plan to right more about it on this site sooooon.
Merrill Beach – I Stopped Singing
Every Merrill Beach release is a surprise. It’s like my momma said: “Merrill Beach is like a box of chocolate.” Will Hayden Nork’s newest music be a structureless experiment in noise? A glam-infused dance track? Or will it be like I Stopped Singing? The new EP is a stripped-back, lo-fi collection of quiet acoustic songs. It’s exactly the kind of thing you weren’t expecting from the drummer of Moxie Pocket.
Nick Grunerud / Underwear – Politics for President/Mayor
Nick Grunerud (AKA Underwear) released a covid-related musical last year. This year’s musical is all about American politics! As you might expect from Grunerud, it’s absurd, fun, and full of surprises. Making use of loops and samples, Grunerud infuses this bizarre satire with acapella R&B.
Ugliest Americans – QUIRKsand
This album whips ass! Ugliest Americans’ debut album QUIRKsand is loud, weird, and catchy. Oh and it’s also kinda proggy? No matter what you’re looking for, you’ll find something here to like. Our favorite track (so far) is the album version of “Alone Again” and the blistering opener “Expectations”.
Welkin Descent – Onward Strain / Rapture in the Fields of Gray
Firstname Lastname Records dropped this feast of black metal: two wicked, scalding albums. Written and performed by Cole Olson (who has also released ambient music as Watershield and plays guitar in Fat Beth), Onward and Rapture are massive, ambitious records. We’re still making our way through both, but we love the way that Olson plays with twisting jagged and beautiful lines of sound into one thick gordian knot (like “Melting an Abyssal Frost”).
Singles:
Dawson Goodrich – “Outta Here”
Good news and bad news! The good news is that Dawson Goodrich (fka Bye Forever!) has a new song out this week! The bad news is that according to their instagram, this might be their last for a while. “Outta Here” is lo-fi, choppy, and very cool. And if you’ve already checked it out, have you already dipped into the February-released See You in Hell?
Chousand – “Nothing Makes Sense”
Chousand have been asking “what if Bruce Springsteen chugged Narragansetts at a skate park?” A huge surprise! Chousand released the amazing Gary last year, right before the pandemic stole its thunder. With Sunday’s release of “Nothing Makes Sense” and accompanying video (see below), the band also announced that their new EP Maybe I’ll See You Later will be out tomorrow (Thursday). I know right? Nothing makes sense. Especially the ending of Game of Thrones.
Candle Opera – “Mirror Pools (Bathed in Light)”
We don’t have enough prog rock on our site, so we are so excited to share this track with you! Candle Opera is a new band from Southwest CT, and “Mirror Pools” is their debut track. Record with Mick Connolly at Red Room Studios, where they record on analog tape, “Mirror Pools” is a great throwback to the psychedelia of the late 60s and the headiness of King Crimson. We love how this song is structured, hiding a freakout jam in its middle stretch.
Figurine – “Left Hand (Goldwoman Remix)”
Have you already listened to Figurine’s excellent record, Worthy? Regardless of your answer, you should check out the newly remixed “Left Hand”, courtesy of Goldwoman. The new mix adds percussion, bass synth, and even more atmosphere than the original.
Galactic Static – “Fresh Cut and Bessie”
It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Galactic Static! Their last single was back in 2019 (“Worry Lines”), with a full LP back in 2017 (self-titled). “Fresh Cut & Bessie” is listed as “a song about friendship”, but it’s also about getting older, maturing into yourself, and sharing that with someone. But more importantly, the song rocks.
Indigaux – “Thetic Freestyle”
One of our favorite artists / personalities / people, Indigaux (fka Dyme 203) dropped this freestyle on their soundcloud page recently. They’ve been performing a lot this summer (including tomorrow at Stella Blues in NHV), so if you’ve happened to miss one of their shows, you can keep up with them on soundcloud for now. Can you name a more beautiful ending to a song than “I’m a universal sinner and a motherfuckin’ heathen”?
Meggie – “Tell Me Summer Never Ends”
Meggie (aka Meggie The Songwriter) squeezes in a late-summer anthem with “Tell Me Summer Never Ends”. In a recent instagram post, Meggie explains that the concept of summer is usually a period of huge self-exploration and growth, so you can think of the song not just as a “ahhh I really don’t want to go back to classes”, but as “ahhh I don’t want to stop exploring and growing!”
Mighty Tortuga – “Lights Out”
Last month, Mighty Tortuga released their updated (and improved) version of iconic 90s jam “She’s So High”. Now they’ve already got a new original song for all you hungry hatchlings. Yes, that is what we call Mighty Tortuga superfans such as myself: the hatchlings. They had a promotion where you could listen to the song early by playing Mario Kart on their website, but that shit was so hard. I had to wait until it came out on streaming services like all the other hatchlings.
Sketch tha Cataclysm – “Prompts (feat. SB the Moor)”
OK just listen to these credits: a song by Sketch tha Cataclysm (!), produced by Mandy Moorehol (!), mixed by Sketch and Skobie Won (!), mastered by Sam Carlson at Sans Serif (!), and featuring bars by SB the Moor (!). Are yall serious?? The song rules, and this is an all-star line-up. Sketch’s verses could not better, and Mandy Moorehol’s sax clips are exactly my kinda shit.
T-Bars – “Don’t Play (feat. Vellz)”
Before it came out, T-Bars posted to his instagram: “Sorry 4 the wait”. Man, if all of your songs are gonna be this good, you don’t want to apologize, lol. This track is dense with wordplay, so let yourself keep it on repeat for a minute or nine.
Zaaqqara – “Jigglypuff (Jonpar Remix)”
Sometimes remixes just add drums or speed up a song. Sometimes they completely reframe the song entirely. Jonpar’s remix of “Jigglypuff” (one of our favorite tracks of 2020) completely shifts the song from a smoldering, sparse track into a glitched out cyberpunk song. Both versions are great!
Music Videos:
The Brazen Youth – “Hometown (Acoustic)”
Hey congratulations to The Brazen Youth for recently signing with Sub-Pop Publishing! Check out this live video of “Hometown”, their most recent single. But do it today, like right now, before they release their new song tomorrow. Oh, you didn’t think “Hometown” could get any better / warmer? THINK AGAIN BUD.
Chousand – “Nothing Makes Sense”
Chousand releases a video of them dancing in jumpsuits? Natural is healing, yall. Check in on Chousand soon (i.e., right now) before their EP comes out tomorrow!
Mighty Tortuga – “Lights Out” (Lyric Video)
A cool lyric-focused visualization of Big Turtle’s newest song!
Two Minutes to Late Night – “Hold the Line” (Toto Cover)
Emily Lee on the keys makes this amazing cover of “Hold the Line”. This is a supergroup, with members from Testament, In Flames, and Protest the Hero, but let’s be honest any band with a member from Snake Oil makes it a supergroup! If you haven’t checked out the Two Minutes to Late Night show / patreon / podcast, you’re missing out!
