This Weeks Short Bursts :: Terry Malts, Cloud, + Winter

Northern California's chainsaw pop trio, Terry Malts have announced their hotly anticipated follow up to their 2012 year end list crashing debut LP, Killing Time. On September 10th the trio will release Nobody Realizes This Is Nowhere on the always superb Slumberland Records. The band has just issued the albums lead single, I Was Not There which finds The Malts discharging liberal doses of guitar fuzz and gigantic hooks. Nobody Knows This Is Nowhere was recorded at the trio's San Francisco practice space before being mastered by Monte Vallier at Ruminator Audio.

Nobody Knows This Is Nowhere
1. Two Faces
2. Human Race
3. Life's A Dream
4. I Was Not There
5. They're Feeding
6. Buy Buy Buy
7. No Tomorrow
8. Walking Without You
9. Well Adjusted
10. Comfortably Dumb
11. So Serious


London based Audio Antihero, a label that never seems to steer us wrong has seemingly done it again with their first stateside signing Cloud. The band is the brainchild of a mysterious character and one time Boston resident now living in Los Angeles. Cloud is steeped in bedroom pop but there's a hell of lot more going on the albums ramshackle and freewheeling lead single Mother Sea than your standard singer songwriter fare. The track features lush and layered instrumentation, screeching feedback, and biting lyrics.  Cloud will release the 11 track Comfort Songs on August 5th, in the meantime you can obtain Mother Sea for free over at the Audio Antihero Bandcamp page.


Boston's rising dream pop concern, Winter is collaboration between some notable local players, Samira Winter, Nolan Eley and Kyle Oppenheimer of Infinity Girl and Ana Karina DeCosta of Slowdim and 28 Degrees Taurus. They have just issued a new digital single, The View which has cemented itself as our go to song of the summer and follows up their excellent debut EP, Daydreaming. The track is an ideal soundtrack to a mid-summers day dream with layers upon layers of sonic haze, complimented by shimmering guitars, buoyant bass lines, and a gorgeous lead vocal from Nolan Eley. The last time we were this infatuated with a song it was the summer 1997 and Pavement had just released the Shady Lane single. If you need us we'll be shouting from our rooftop.



Photo Credit: Terry Malts Gina Clyne Photography

Today's Short Bursts :: Big Star + Paul Hawkins & The Awkward Silences

For their last performance as Big Star, Jody Stephens, Ken Stringfellow, and Jon Auer were joined by fans and friends that included founding Big Star member, the late Andy Hummel, R.E.M.'s Mike Mills, Sondre Lerche, and Superdrag fronter John Davis, to pay tribute to the life and music of Alex Chilton. Earlier this week Ardent Records issued the first recording from that evenings tribute, via a 7" featuring John Davis' handling vocals on 3 classics from #1 Record.

“The performances really tell the story of what happened and how we all felt about that evening at Memphis' Levitt Shell. The idea of trying to release the show in its entirety was overwhelming in the sense of time and effort needed for all performance clearances. So I thought, first artist first: John Davis was the first of many wonderful guest artists to join us on stage. He wailed on three songs: "In The Street," "Don't Lie To Me" and "When My Baby's Beside Me." These were just the right amount songs (and time) for an EP release. So with mastering engineer Larry Nix and Big Star's engineer, John Fry, and our Neumann cutting lathe all residing in the Ardent Studios building how could we not cut vinyl?
“We hope to release more of the show down the road. Thank you.”

-Jody Stephens

All 3 tracks are currently streaming at the Big Star Muxtape Page

Order the John Davis with Big Star 7" at Ardent Music.

We're going to stop asking how they do it and just be glad that London based Audio Antihero continues to release consistently arresting records one after the other. On July 31st the U.K. taste makers will continue that tradition when they deliver the fourth installment of The Career Suicide Series with The Wrong Life, an EP from the newest addition to their formidable roster, Paul Hawkins & The Awkward Silences. Check the two tracks embeded below. Johnny is a bit unsettling with dead pan vocals and guitar squalls used with great effect. Unmistakably British and as awkward as it is brilliant.


Pre-order The Wrong Life EP at Audio Antihero