I was thinking this week about how long music can last. Years later, you can turn to an old, familiar song — maybe it was one made by your favorite band, or maybe it was one made by someone you know — and that song can make you feel something. Maybe it makes you feel the same way you felt when you heard it for the first time, but maybe it takes on a new meaning for you now that you are in a different part of your life. Whatever the case may be, if you are making music: thank you. Anyways, that was just on my mind as we talk about this new crop of CT musics. These songs are new for now, but we want them to be our old companions years from now. 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 heart-strengthening self-titled album by Good Memory Ghost, the new debut EP from Moxie Pocket, Chicken Scratch Love Letter, and the new Laura Wolf song “Cross Your Mind”.
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:
Bullitt Club – When the Winds Come
It always breaks your heart when you read Bandcamp liner notes in the past tense: “Bullitt Club was Matt, Jake, and Tim.” While this might be the final music we hear from Bullitt Club (members of Dead Uncles and Worn Leather), it’s a must-listen for anyone who likes the scuzzy punk sound of NG2BC. You know exactly what I mean. The EP is kinda like if The Hold Steady didn’t worship Dylan so dang much!
Funnybone Records – Liminal Space
An incredible compilation 28 tracks, mostly of CT artists, to benefit a group of more-than-worthy non-profit organizations. Organized by Hartford’s Funnybone Records, is packed to the brim with great finds: a Them Airs remix, a new song by Nova One, the first track from Carey (fka Namesake) since the project’s name changed, a Queen Moo track, and so much more. Tomorrow, we’ll be featuring this compilation in full with a rundown of each track.
Good Memory Ghost – Good Memory Ghost
Sweetly soulful! Indie rock / emo that has all the strange, warm feelings of holding an old childhood photograph you barely remember. Was that you, or was that someone else? Is there a difference? As the singles previewed, the vocal pairing of Justin Bellucci and Helene Brunæs are simply the best. The record is quite dynamic, with several ups and downs in each song – not just emotionally, but musically, which is quite a treat.
Heart Shaped Lakes – Demo 2021
The official unofficial debut of Heart Shaped Lakes, featuring members from Goldflame / He Was A Carpenter She Was An Artist. If you like your pop punk with fat fucking guitar riffs and catchy melodies you would sing along with in front of your cat, then you’ll love Heart Shaped Lakes. There are only two songs here, but the band has been busy working on new music, and I wouldn’t be too surprised if we saw some new HSL before 2022…
Jeffrey Thunders – Drunk Tank
Jeffrey Thunders has made music in New Haven’s The Ratz and The Lost Riots, so if you’ve had a brush with those punks, you know what you’re in for. While Drunk Tank carries Thunders’ own name, it’s still a full band effort, as these songs were recorded live and frenetically at Bonehead Studio (hi Tom!). Pretty much all of these songs are less than two minutes long, so if you need a quick slap in the face between customers at work, Drunk Tank will get you there.
Moxie Pocket – Chicken Scratch Love Letter
As sweet and cheery as a bag of nails and mayonnaise. Moxie Pocket’s debut is jagged, sharp, and tumultuous, and still so much fun. Post-punk by way of anarchy – who else would have a funky disco bass line in a noise-rock-sludgey song like “Chicken Scratch Love Letter”?
Nate Trier – Hard to be the Bard (OST)
I’m a big fan of hyperspecific music projects. Hard to be the Bard is a soundtrack record for a Dungeons & Dragons book of the same name. As you might expect from that description, the album has shades of dungeon synth, but the mood varies wildly depending on the track (which are meant to accompany various locations and story beats). The album is so much fun in all its fantasy-inspired synthesizer glory.
Tracey Gardens – Hardly Anymore
In their newest release, Tracey Gardens deconstructs their sound into three sweet singles. And in these three singles, you get a glimpse of the key ingredients of Tracey Gardens: britpop (“Believe I Tried”), Beach House-adjacent dream pop (“Ask Me Anything”), and stripped back indie (“Hardly Anymore”).
Tunnel Vision – Sign On
Tunnel Vision is the new project from Fisher Thompson and Tom Laim, but it’s described as an artistic collective, production team, and independent record label. Their first album, SIGN ON, is a swirling, creative mix of hip-hop, R&B, pop, and electronica. Much like the definition of Tunnel Vision itself, the music of SIGN ON carries no borders with it.
Singles:
BRIYO – “Fendi Fit”
If you listen closely, you’ll hear about 80 different influences on BRIYO’s sound here, ranging from Japanese traditional music, 8-bit video game sounds, hip-hop percussion, and more. Our only complaint is that it’s only two minutes long!
Colebert – “It All Comes Back Around”
Cole Crawford’s is perfect for autumn! Somehow it is loose but crisp, tight but comfortable. Colebert’s album Fall Into Place just came out this past January, so we weren’t expecting new tunes so soon. But, as a song off that same album protests: “Why should [we] have to wait?”
Grizzlor – “I Don’t Like You”
The opening track from Grizzlor’s album Hammer of Life is “I Don’t Like You”, and if you’ve ever listened to the band, that statement is kinda implicit in their sound. Noisy, abrasive, and harsh, Grizzlor have never been interested in appealing to people by buttering them up. But this new song along with the previous singles “Talking to Yourself” and “Tinnitus” make Hammer of Life an early contender for Grizzlor’s best record yet.
Josie’s Ring – “Spill Your Guts”
We’re always thrilled when a band releases a second single that is somehow even better than their debut. So it goes for the new Josie’s Ring single, “Spill Your Guts”, which is as pleasant and beautiful as a Connecticut sunrise. Come on, I’m allowed to get corny on main. But as much as I found this song is be beautiful, the lyrics tell a slightly different story, told via Mike Held and Autumn Eliza’s beautiful harmonies. Also, it’s fun to consider that this song was recorded and mixed by the guy that recorded + mixed the new Refectory album. The two sound… only slightly different.
Laura Wolf – “Cross Your Mind”
This single came with the announcement of a three-song EP, Artifacts, that’ll be released in November. If you’ve kept up with Laura’s demos and patreon previews since the pandemic, some of the sounds on “Cross Your Mind” will sound wonderfully familiar. This song feels like I’m pouring a sweet and chilly nectar straight into my ears.
Rushing Spring – “Totally Not Clickbait”
With every new Rushing Spring song comes a new earworm that will crawl around your brain for the next few weeks. This song feels like running through the rain next to the freeway. And as the band asks themselves “Is it a good day to be alive? Cause I just want to be all right.” You already know the answer as they ask: yes! Maybe not now, but it will be.
Sargasso – “Good Graces”
The fourth and final single from the upcoming album, As It Surfaces to Meet Me! And hey, if you listen closely, you’ll hear that album title as a lyric in the song, causing you to have one of those epiphany moments of “hey, there it is!” The song is a beautiful, and oh jeez how I love the minor shift on the “graces” part of the chorus. Wistful, humane, and awash with beautiful piano, synths, and a playful bass line. The full album comes out on September 24th, and you will not want to sleep on it.
The Buttondowns – “Back from the Dead”
Old-school rock-n-roll for people who want a song you can immediately sing along with.
Music Videos:
Burnhole – “Under My Skin”
Earlier this year, Burnhole released their album DUMY, and “Under My Skin” is one of the best tracks from the (excellent) record. Burnhole is also one half of Untold Joys with Violet Falkowski.
The Refectory – “Noise Machine”
Beloved angular hardcore band The Refectory are back not just with a new song, not just with a new video, but with a whole dang album on the way. Check out this performance video of “Noise Machine” (the first half of the album’s title track) before the album comes out later this week.
Rushing Spring – “Totally Not Clickbait”
The music video for Rushing Springs’ brand newest song (see above!)
Tunnel Vision – “Run This Up”
This music video was released shortly before SIGN ON came out to preview its lead single, “Run This Up.”
