New Music Monday – 12/19/16

by  • 

.For this penultimate

For this penultimate New Music Monday of 2016, the hissing lawns team recommends the new work from:

  • The Tarantula Waltz
  • Saw Black
  • Iron Reagan
  • At The Drive In
  • Foxygen
  • Car Seat Headrest

Enjoy!

The Tarantula Waltz
Stockholm, Sweden
“The strive, the strive, the strive”

Markus Svensson, aka The Tarantula Waltz has released a stunning new video/song with his fellow countryman Kristian Matsson, aka The Tallest Man on Earth who plays guitar on the track. It’s a bleak love letter to the planet. The video, shot in Iceland over three weeks, literally shows the planet melting but we’re hit with images so beautiful that it’s impossible to want to do anything other than continue to strive. TW will release his new album Blue As In Bliss in February 2017. – Kayne

.
Saw Black
Richmond, Virginia
“Rosie’s Comin Home”

Saw Black is a new project from Justin Black, an RVA art handler, producer and owner of Crystal Pistol Records. There’s lots of Neil Young in his voice- it has a windswept, road weariness which grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let go. He’ll release his debut album on February 10th on his own label with support from Spacebomb Records (home to Matthew E. White and Natalie Prass). If you’re still in an end of the year funk like I am, this is a great song to curl up with. – Kayne

.
Iron Reagan
Richmond, Virginia
“A Dying World”

Crossover thrash/punk-metal badasses Iron Reagan have unleashed new fury on the world with a fresh single off the forthcoming third studio album “Crossover Ministry” on the unholy Relapse Records. Carrying on the best traditions of thrash metal with their own punk/metal infusion, Iron Reagan is loud, obtrusive, zero-fucks rock ’n’ roll. And, as I and others at hissing lawns can confirm, they put on a pretty rad live show. Crossover Ministry is due out in February of 2017. Personally, besides the music itself, I throughly enjoy this band’s mockery of hardcore christianity. No one does it better. Here’s an infomercial for the new album in that spirit. – Joshua

.
At The Drive In
El Paso, Texas
“Governed By Contagions”

Mars Volta has always been one of my favorite bands. But, I’ll pretty much listen to any music Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, a.k.a. Frank Zappa Jr., is involved in, although I am partial to his full bands. This dude writes a lot of music. He released seven LPs in 2010, part of 26 total solo albums. It was pretty rad to hear about the At The DriveIn’s reunion earlier this year. While this project shares a handful of musical similarities with Mars Volta, it is most certainly its own music. And like Mars Volta, it is in its own genre. This is the first release from At The Drive-In since 2000’s “Relationship of Command.” Make more Omar, make more. Especially, if it sounds like this single. – Joshua

.
Foxygen
Westlake Village, California
“America”

Baroque-pop, gospel-infused, soul/rock duo Foxygen is carrying on their particular torch of oddities with a new single, “America.” Backed by a monster of an orchestra the new single opens with a Christmas melody straight from a TV musical, and then with a Beatles-esque escapade, it dips into a jovial symphonic deluge with heavily, probably sarcastic, nationalism. This shit is weird, orchestral, beautiful, Baroque, and jazzy. I love it all and hope you do too – Joshua

.
Car Seat Headrest
Seattle, WA
Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales (v.2) from appearance on Jimmy Fallon

A reworked version of possibly my favorite song from definitely my favorite album of the year. Additional lyrics, new structure, 2 1/2 minutes shorter than the album version, it still works, a testament to Will Toledo’s seemingly endless talent. A studio version of this has been released, but only seems to be on Spotify and Apple Music, it’s well worth tracking it down if you use either of those services. – Tom