Out today: Cheetahs, Teen Mom, Umberta, Challenger, and more
Every Tuesday is album release day (as well as video games, movies, etc.), but on a day so far from the weekend, it's a good feeling to wake up to some brand, spankin' new music.
Cheetahs - Sans EP (Wichita)
With output akin to Dinosaur Jr., Superchunk, and early 90s indie rock and post-punk (and a touch of grunge), Wichita's newly signed (and hard to web-search) Cheetahs releases its debut EP today, which, in a nutshell, rawks pretty darn hard.Stream it here.
Umberto - Night Has a Thousand Screams (Rock Action)
Originally released only in Europe, Umberto's Night Has a Thousand Screams managed to make its way over to the US to expose us to the oddities of real experimental electronic. Sometimes you'll hear a beat, but most of the time, through completely arrhythmic arrangements of lo-fi synth pads and leads, you've gotta dig deeper than the pop and start thinking about the music, mannng.
Challenger - The World Is Too Much For Me (Self-release)
Challenger definitely does the whole "80s" thing, with the semi-vintage synths, heavily chorused guitars, and the general ambiance associated with the decade's heavy output of synth pop. But, hushed vocals and strides in the alt. dance world make these catchy kids a boogie-inducing force to be reckoned with.Stream it here.
Scott & Charlene's Wedding - Para Vista Social Club (Critical Heights)
Originally self-released on limited vinyl pressings, with dozens of different album covers to choose from, Australian-gone-New Yorker solo artist Craig Dermody (AKA Scott & Charlene's Wedding) is finally releasing his debut to the public. It's a record rooted in classic psychedelia and garage, running low in the production, and high in emotion.Stream it here.
Teen Mom - Mean Tom (Analog Edition)
Washington D.C. fuzz pop trio Teen Mom take twee and distort the beans out of it, providing a oft-tiresome genre with a good dose of balance between delicacy and power-chord driven brashness. Mean Tom is the band's first full-length, and the title seems like it was probably a shoe-in, from the start.Stream it here.