Storefront Church Featuring Phoebe Bridgers • Words • 2022

Sparhawk said of his wife: “Hers was the voice of someone who is just singing, not trying to convince you of something. She was not singing to you. She was not singing to be noticed. Sometimes she didn’t even want to be seen. She just wanted to be.” Obituary 

Storefront Church is the project of Los Angeles–based artist Lukas Frank. He released his debut album, As We Pass, last year via Sargent House. In a statement about the Low cover, Frank wrote, “In the wake of Mimi’s passing, I’d like to dedicate this to her. Low’s music has been incredibly useful to me; it’s like an antidote to anxiety, with Mimi’s voice at the heart of it—relieving, cathartic, and honest.” PF

best of 2022 • Hurray for the Riff Raff • SAGA

http://www.hurrayfortheriffraff.com/

Before Alynda Segarra (she/they), who records under the moniker Hurray for the Riff Raff, went into the studio to record the mostly excellent Life on Earth, their eighth album, they had decided on a new plan of action. Instead of trying to save the world, they would try to save themselves.

Take it

They always want you to take it

Just close your eyes, baby, fake it

Burning inside-out

Shaking

Screaming hysterical, I get

Lost in an ocean of regret

Burning inside-out

Cold feet

I was a kid, I was lonely

Would've done anything only

To be by his side

I can't speak

I get to feel in my heartbeat

It's been a terrible news week

And I don't know how

Oh, I don't know how

But I, I don't want this to be

The saga of my life

The saga of my life

The saga of my, I

I just wanna be free

Get over it in time

Push it out of my mind

Cold feet

I was a kid, I was lonely

He pushed me down on the concrete

Oh, I can't speak

I get to feel in my heartbeat

I'll just make it through this week

And I'll get out alive

But I don't know how

Oh, I don't know how

And I, I don't want this to be

The saga of my life

The saga of my life

The saga of my, I

I just wanna be free

Get over it in time

Push it out of my mind

Nobody believed me

Nobody believed me

Nobody believed me

Nobody believed me

Oh, nobody believed me

Nobody believed

Oh, nobody believed me

Nobody believed me

best of 2022 • Courtney Barnett - Sunfair Sundown

https://courtneybarnett.com.au/

 “Sunfair Showdown” show Barnett’s strengths: riffs and toplines married to a wryness as chronic as a scowl.

Oh, what a day, and congrats on the keys to your place

You've escaped the rat race, as they say

Now you're settling in for the stay anyway

You got a blank slate to renovate

Take it all

Yeah, you reap what you sow and so it goes

What you put in the ground comes around

When you don't really know what you're missing at all

In a daze, I can picture you whittling away

With such care, with such patience and grace

And I smile when you say that you'll build me a table one day

Well, I'd be so grateful

Sometimes it's hard, getting lost, you say is a fine art

Put the map down and follow the stars

Shall we leave? Are you sure?

Let me grab my bag, we can sneak out through the side door

In the dark, are you scared?

Did you hear those dogs bark?

And do you ever wonder what sets you apart?

Shine the torch on the path, darling, please don't let go of my arm

When you sleep, are you warm? Can you feel my cold feet?

Are you good? Are you making ends meet?

At the end of the day, you're awake with your thoughts

And I don't want you to be alone

And I don't want you to be alone

Yeah, I don't want you to be alone

And I don't want you to be alone

LAVEDA • F*** • 2022

https://www.lavedaband.com

A windows down, wind-in-your-hair, late night drive-worthy track, “F***” sees Laveda perfecting their ansty and ethereal brand of dream-pop while tapping into the agitations and anxieties of young adulthood.

Blending chiffon shoegaze rhythms with propulsive ‘90s-tinged guitars and distant drums, the new cut builds gently to its shimmering conclusion like a college coming-of-age story that sees a disillusioned protagonist defeat their adversaries to come out on top. 

George Hennessey • Prisoner • 2022

With a glimmering guitar lick that Paul Weller or Noel Gallagher would have been proud to put their names to at the peak of their powers, the new single “Prisoner” is a psychedelic-tipped, Brit-Pop embodying joie de vivre. Finding nuance in nostalgia, the song is ultimately about escaping the constrictions of life through the music you love.

As George explains:

“"Prisoner" is about when luck isn’t on your side, and you feel like you're being held emotionally captive… your guitar and melody can be your only ways out.”

From its day-tripping lyrical wonderings, to its reality-crashing drum rolls, and its electrifying guitar solos, “Prisoner” is a record of fearless rock’n’roll escapism from an artist primed and ready to break into the big time.

Mike Legere • Memory Forming Clouds • 2022

“The final time I left no fanfare played me out, memory forming clouds”    The album was written about my profound feeling of loss. I felt like I needed to process the grief and loss I was experiencing; the feelings were so strong that I wanted to make something of them. Through the process of making the record, I also went through giant life changes and shifts, did a few years of therapy and found myself on the other side of this experience

Tom Rosenthal • To The Forager • 2022

Website

Charlie Clark • ‘No Big Deal’ • 2022

PRAISE FOR CHARLIE CLARK

“A superb piece of jangle pop classicism, it seems to reference everyone from The Byrds and Big Star through to Teenage Fanclub”
CLASH

“His recordings are full of beautiful, haunted melodies and stripped down plaintive acoustic beauty.”
JOHN ROBB, LOUDER THAN WAR

“Immense choruses and deep heartfelt lyrics that serve to tighten the throat and quicken the pulse. It is vital and organic music: guitar driven indie pop at its very best”
BACK SEAT MAFIA

Taken from his debut solo LP, ‘Late Night Drinking’ (available 25th November, only via Bandcamp), “No Big Deal” stands as one of the lighter-hearted moments on the album. Shrugging-off the sonic finesses to capture a livewire atmosphere and lackadaisical feel, the single was recorded in a deliberately relaxed session with regular collaborator and producer Jason Shaw (Cambodian Space Project). 

Your ex and I • For All the Loves • 2022

Website

Your Ex And I are a band in it for the right reasons. The Montreal-based rock group comprises five pals with very positive musical chemistry poised to explode on the scene with the debut single, “For All the Loves.”

That Old Quiet Lighthouse • Decade • 2022

“Like many of us, I had had all of my work disappear over-night, and in the midst of the despair and the uncertainty I had turned to the bittersweet comfort blanket of reminiscing over my last relationship.”, says TOQL frontman Ashley Garrod.

Lead singer/bassist Ashley Garrod channels the keen insight of Pinegrove’s lyricism, balancing from-the-heart melodies with passionately intricate bass lines. Gabe, as the rhythmically tight, emotive backbone of their alternative sound, sits comfortably beneath the expressive and varied textures crafted by guitarist James Cooke.

bulldog eyes • express • 2022

bulldogeyes.com

shiny happy records • So Much Fun • 2022

Labor of love since 2009.
Based In Tangerang, Indonesia

Motherhood • Shuttered Down • 2022

“sounds like Brian Wilson sipping cocktails with Ty Segall, as Chance The Rapper spits rhymes and holds court.” - Secret Meeting

“one of the most exciting and fiercely creative bands you’re bound to come across” - Grid City Magazine

“insatiable atmosphere, gritty, dynamic, and provocatively raw” - Circuit Sweet

"an off-kilter cross of punk, folk and rock" - Post-Trash

Jacklen Ro • "Made of Sugar"• 2022

"Instrumentally, 'Made of Sugar' lives up to its name, delivering candy-coated harmonies paired with chugging guitars and warm glowing melodies. The band’s talents with charming pop songcraft and plaintive melodicism are on full display here, building the track into a heartfelt confession tinged with driving instrumentation."
- Under the Radar

"The 11-track pick-me-upper that is 'Sunshine' is full of emotional high-fives. Beyond their penchant for sticky melodies, the duo wield their vocals, and especially their harmonies, in a euphoria that stops short (somehow) of sounding cloying. It’s cherub rock that is reminiscent of a straight-from-the-cradle Tegan and Sara."
- Buzzbands.LA

Wesley • Not Sure That Was Me • 2022

"Wesley once again conjures the restless unease and pastoral beauty of indie folk with his latest effort, 'Not Sure That Was Me.' Westley’s voice is the honeyed centerpoint within a chiming haze of winding melodies, a plaintive style that fits perfectly with the moonlit locale and easygoing charm of the track."
- Under the Radar

"An echoey aura of sound that creates a psychedelic whirl of imagination flutters through his work also touching musical cornerstones like Iron & Wine and Phosphorescent."
- Glide Magazine

"He performs with a languid grace, vocals coming smooth and easy as a cosy afternoon nap."
- Various Small Flames

"This track has a glorious lo-fi, psychedelic pop feel with fuzzed out riffs and beautiful powerpop-esque harmonies."
- SPILL Magazine

Micah P. Hinson • What Does It Matter Now • 2022

Website

“When I was half the man I am today, I left my hometown of Abilene, Texas for the first time and moved to Denton, TX to try this whole music thing on a different level,” explains Hinson. “Of course, upon arrival I realized that it wasn’t what I imagined - instead of playing shows and pushing a dream, I found myself working day-wage jobs, drinking probably too much, and was quite unfocused and confused by what surrounded me. During this time was when I turned this song out, recording it in my small apartment with my tailless cat, Pixie. To this day, I can’t quite recall if I had already written it in my hometown, or if it was a creation from those lonely Denton days of my youth. I do know that it captured a very lonely, sad, and painful time for me, struggling with the concept of whether losing love or gaining love is more painful.” 

Kit Major • I'm Bitter! • 2022

"If you had to place the sound of Vampire Saturday, it feels as if you traveled back to 2004, took everything on a suburban teen’s iPod, tossed it all into a blender, and reassembled it in 2022."
- Under The Radar

"If you’ve been looking for that next great artist that checks all of the boxes of awesomeness, look no further than Kit Major."
- CHORUS.FM

"If you like MUNA, you’re gonna dig Kit Major."
- The Alternative

"A grunge-pop jam that recalls the nostalgic modern rock theatrics of Chloe Moriondo and Olivia Rodrigo."
- Beats Per Minute

Darko the Super • I Need a Haircut Too (One for the Biz) • 2022

“Darko the Super is music, Darko the Super loves you,” says the Philadelphia artist. Darko the Super is one of the most prolificly consistent artists in music history. Not just in releasing thousands of tracks over the course of his career but the variety in which he creates. Each album providing insight into Darko’s psyche and sending the listener on a new experience and adventure every time one presses play on a brand new album. When coupled with the massive amount of collaborations and performances it’s even more evident that Darko the Super will be written in the annals of hiphop for the rest of time.

Fixtures • Jimmy Needs The Money • 2022

Fixtures are back! After our 2020 collaboration (Weak Automatic), we are happy to present a new Fixtures song from a coming album.

Fixtures is a 6 piece Brooklyn band. Combining elements of power pop, post punk, krautrock, and 90s indie, one review of their last EP, Weak Automatic, called them “an unholy collision of Television, Ramones, Dino Jr. and The B-52s” Oh yeah, and there’s horns.

Their first full length album, Hollywood Dog, is coming February 24th as a co-release from Spanish indie-pop stalwarts Bobo Integral and new Brooklyn label Naturally Records. The first single, “Jimmy Needs The Money”, is shaded darker than their past blasts of sunshine but will still have you whistling the fuzzed out lead guitar line. Is Noir Pop a thing?

RIP Mimi Parker • 2022

https://pitchfork.com/news/low-mimi-parker-has-died/

Trying to keep time

Closer than we like

Memories still lie

Tonight

Faces of the day

Pressed up to your spine

Blessings still to come

Tonight

Tonight

Precious things unsaid

As the night begins

Who will hang his head

Tonight

Tonight

Tonight…