For this week’s roundup of new music that our contributors are listening to:
- Mutual Jerk
- Rancid
- Blondie
- The Coathangers
- Bruiser Queen
- Eddie Kesler & 3/4 Time
- Slowdive
- At The Drive In
Enjoy!
Mutual Jerk
Atlanta, GA
7″ out now on State Laughter Records
The Atlanta punk scene seems to be incredibly fertile currently, band after band, release after release. Angry, sung/spoken lyrics spit over fairly spare punk instrumentation, you can listen to the entire 7″ in the time it would take you to google the bands I would compare them to, so just hit play. – tom
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Rancid
Berkeley, California
“Ghost of a Chance” from Trouble Maker out June 9 on Epitaph Records.
Holy Shit, have you seen Tim Armstrong’s beard??? The music? Oh, it’s definitely Rancid, and thankfully the video is subtitled, as the beard hasn’t magically made “Tim Timebomb”s vocals any clearer. – tom
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Blondie
NY, NY
“Long Time” off of Pollinator, out now on BMG
I don’t know a damn thing about this album, but saw some trusted friends saying it was good. Blondie….in 2017? Not embarrassing would be acceptable, but damned if what I’ve listened to isn’t flat out pretty damn good. Weird. Check it out. Seriously. – tom
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The Coathangers
Atlanta,GA
Captain’s Dead out now on Suicide Squeeze Records
It’s a bit surreal to think that there were days when you could rely on seeing The Coathangers slaying the stage at least every other weekend in Atlanta. The garage-punk quartet have come a long way since their early days, developing a style that’s more polished than ever while still keeping the grit and fun that’s been a staple since their genesis. And with the release of their newest EP, it’s not hard to see why their keeping busy with one of the busiest national and international touring schedules around. – Petee
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Bruiser Queen
St. Louis, MO
“Have Fun” off of the upcoming Heavy High
Bruiser Queen have been on my radar ever since a stellar performance at Savannah Stopover a few years back that had me hooked from the get-go. Hooky, pop-rock riffs combined with a tinge of punk rock and 60’s pop aesthetics come together in a great way in their new single that’s sure to have you dancing in your seat. – Petee
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Eddie Kesler & 3/4 Time
Atlanta, Georgia
“Spanish Girl”
Eddie Kesler of Georgia Mountain Stringband has just released his long-awaited solo album called Wingman. No need for a ‘review’ per se, just check out this heartfelt music & experience it for yourself. The full-length recording can be found on all of the usual sites for purchase and/or streaming, but I chose to post just one of my favorites on hissing lawns. Proceeds from the sale of Eddie’s new album will benefit the American Heart Association in his father’s name. That means that not only you get quality country-ish Americana music, but also can feel good about supporting a great cause. Win-win in my book, and great songwriting to boot…. – Jon
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Slowdive
Reading, England
Slowdive
After 22 years, Slowdive has followed up 1996’s Pygmalion with a new, self-titled, album. All the shoe-gaze glory of the early days is on full display in the new album. Simple rhythms flooded by loads of reverb, delay, and distortion, all burying the vocals just below a watery surface.This is a gorgeous album. It’s a beautiful wall of sound. It’s shoe-gaze at its best. This is probably going to end up as one of my favorite albums this year. — Joshua
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At The Drive In
El-Paso, Texas
in-ter a-li-a
The new At The Drive In album — yet another post-long-hiatus-reunion-album — is scattered, disjointed, yet strangely cohesive. Pretty much like an At The Drive-In album. Mars Volta will probably always be my favorite Omar Rodriquez-Lopez/Cedric Bixler project. But, At The Drive-In is loads of fun, just a different kind of fun. The new stuff is trademarked by the post-punk band’s unpredictable rhythmic pulls and punches, relentless speed, stream-of-conscience lyrics, and killer riffs. At some point, years ago, I sort of accepted Rodriguez-Lopez’s projects as works of art, more in the line of epic poems, or avant grade compositions. This album is as daring and different as it is beautiful. Another reviewer phrased it pretty well, “Fugazi on Adderall.” Yep. — Joshua