Dren McDonald’s New LP Is “Touching And Worthwhile,” Writes Buffablog
Dren McDonald‘s new album Vox Pterous, writes Buffablog, “features minimalist, morphing arrangements. Dedicated to lost friends, McDonald succeeds in creating something from nothing, with the result being an exemplary effort that sits at the intersection of contemporary classical and mood music… for fans of Steve Reich, Ed O’Brien, and Meredith Monk. McDonald’s lyrical and instrumental messages are touching and […]
The Arts STL Supports foamboy’s Warm Disco
According to The Arts STL, foamboy‘s STUPID HOT is a hit. Katy Ohsiek “has a winning, warm voice,” and Wil Bakula‘s production has “sunny Seventies synth vibes that are a little Daft Punk, a little Giorgio Moroder, and a little Everything But The Girl.” The review contends that “there’s nary a weak track to be found, but the best tracks to these ears […]
Spectrum Culture Praises The Refinement Of Fruit Bats’ New LP
With the singer’s vocals to the fore and a breeziness to the tunes,” Spectrum Culture writes about the new Fruit Bats album, “The Landfill takes captures the personal and immediate nature of the work. Even so, it never sounds tossed-off; the sort of refinement fans would expect from Eric D. Johnson persists… The Landfill feels like the marker of a new era. […]
The Pitch KC Features Independent Project Records
The Pitch KC writes, “California record label Independent Project Records has been quietly releasing some of the best records in alternative music for nearly five decades. Founded in 1980 by Bruce Licher, the albums IPR puts out are known just as much for their distinctive letterpress jackets and sleeves as they are for the iconic music pressed to the […]
Plastic Mag Breaks Down Dren McDonald’s New Album
According to Plastic Mag, Dren McDonald‘s “patient, intricate approach now reaches an exciting new chapter with his brand new record titled Vox Pterous, released through the Appearing Records imprint. With this new release, Dren revisits the instrumental origins of his acclaimed 2023 album Pterous, opening those carefully layered compositions to an exceptional group of vocalists. In doing so, he transforms music […]
Beats Per Minute Finds Plenty To Enjoy On foamboy’s New LP
foamboy‘s STUPID HOT, writes Beats Per Minute, has “plenty to enjoy, either as angsty pop jams or background beats for a pool party… Even if you’re feeling downtrodden like [singer Katy] Ohsiek, we’re all in this together, so you may as well dance along with foamboy to the slow heath death of the Earth.” The album – an “club-ready, […]
Fruit Bats Play WNRN
Fruit Bats recently performed live live at In Your Ear Studios in Richmond, VA for WNRN 88.5 Richmond. The band played several songs from new LP The Landfill, which is at radio now from Merge Records. They sound so fresh on the title track, here, alongside the full archive of live Fruit Bats performances on NPR. Those can keep you […]
KEXP Gets STUPID HOT With foamboy
Seattle’s KEXP writes, “The third full-length from Portland duo foamboy is an infectious set of shimmering indie pop inflected with doses of jungle, jazz, and R&B. Featuring bright synths, bouncy basslines, Katy Ohsiek’s transfixing vocals, and Wil Bakula’s playful production, STUPID HOT is the perfect soundtrack to get folks moving and grooving through the summer.” Read more here, and get the album […]
Fruit Bats Take The Line of Best Fit To “The Landfill”
Earlier this year, The Line of Best Fit shared Fruit Bats‘ video for “The Landfill,” the title track of the band’s new LP that’s at radio now via Merge Records. He says, “This is my sixth video with the great Adam Willis, AKA Brother Willis. Another in our long line of collabs which are often funny with cold opens and strange […]
Lydsanity Gets Introspective With Pluralone
Lyndsanity explains, “Josh Klinghoffer may be best known for as the guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers from 2007 to 2019, but he is also singularly known as the one-man band Pluralone… He’s been on a major creative tear since exiting the Peppers six years ago — touring and/or recording with Pearl Jam, Elton John and Brandi Carlile, Redd […]
New Music From Dren McDonald
Dren McDonald is a San Francisco Bay Area composer, producer, and musician whose work spans video games, film, theme parks, and immersive media. After founding Vaccination Records in the 1990s and releasing music with several Bay Area bands, he transitioned into scoring for interactive media, accumulating an extensive catalog of game credits. Beyond his work in interactive media, […]
Nightswimming Highly Recommends foamboy’s “Propulsive” Sound
Nightswimming “highly recommends” STUPID HOT, the new LP from foamboy. “Portland duo Katy Ohsiek and Wil Bakula,” they write, “combine forces to weave a dreamy, propulsive work, full of danceable electro-beats and synthesizer hooks, as eclectic as it is electric. The first listen of this album was a revelation, and every subsequent listen has revealed something new. It’s atmospheric and breezy, […]
Pluralone Rants And Raves With Chorus.fm
Pluralone’s “Ranting and Raving,” from his new album A Drop In The Ocean, premiered on Chorus.fm earlier this year along with an interview. About the song, he says, “I often write at myself and hope the meaning can be somewhat universal. It’s also a pretty common thing for me to switch perspectives within a song. I hope it’s not […]
Fruit Bats’ Eric D. Johnson Shares What He’s Making
What Am I Making has an interview with Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats, whose new album The Landfill “is a sprawling, shimmering example of the creative wave that Johnson and his band are riding at the moment. [In the interview,] Eric and I discussed the evolution from the early work with Califone through to the present day, and some of […]
Rose’s Pawn Shop Hits The Road
Rose’s Pawn Shop is at radio now with new LP American Seams, which No Depression describes as “timeless and enduring.” The bluegrass heroes are perpetual road warriors, which is why they have shows schedules through the beginning of the fall. See Rose’s Pawn Show live: 7/30 – Ventura, CA – Ventura County Fair 8/2 – Reno, NV – Reno […]
New Music From GULFF
Analog-at-heart electronic duo GULFF‘s new single, “neighbo(u)r,” is built from the soundscapes of late capitalism. Tod Lippy‘s altered vocals, Owain Kelly‘s pulsating beats, and the band’s signature “digital field recordings” of found sounds scraped from the myriad soundscapes of late capitalism blend seamlessly and energetically in this mesmerizing dance track, the third single from GULFF’s forthcoming self-titled album, […]
Azalia Snail Does Her “Defense Duty”
Azalia Snail has issued another music video from her new album Gentle Mental, which is at radio now and available on cassette via Cloud Recordings. “Defense Duty” is an ethereal track featuring pensive, Spaghetti Western-inspired guitars, and its Snail-directed video features geometric patterns and lightning bolts. Enjoy it here.
BPM Finds Foamboy Increasingly Likeable
BPM writes, “Portland duo foamboy are back with another new single to add to a recent string of increasingly likeable tracks. ‘Self Improvement’ has producer Wil Bakula laying out a rubbery and infectious bass line while vocalist Katy Ohsiek muses over the idea of the best version of themselves. It’s bright and pastel-coloured…” Check it out here. The song is featured on the […]
Off The Record Sees Fruit Bats In Toronto
“From the first song” of a Fruit Bats concert, writes Off The Record Press, “the crowd is in constant motion, swaying and dancing along as friends share excited giggles in the back of the room and partners pull each other close throughout the crowd… The Landfill was inspired by Johnson’s Midwestern upbringing, and a Fruit Bats show has just as […]
Pluralone Shares Thoughts and Words with Thoughts Words Action
“Few musicians balance the demands of stadium-sized rock with the spirit of an underground experimentalist as fluently as Josh Klinghoffer,” writes Thoughts Words Action. “Between his current roles with Pearl Jam and Jane’s Addiction and his decade-long tenure with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Klinghoffer has remained one of the most prolific and versatile multi-instrumentalists in the game.” The site has an interview […]
