BEL — Quando Brinca (2017)

Band: BEL
Album: Quando Brinca
Release Date: 03/27/2017
Listen and Purchase here: Bandcamp
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Opening with a squelching bass & keyboard groove drawn from the wells of Stevie Wonder, "Bem-Vindo" sets the tone for a gorgeous album of funky and spacious electro-pop from vocalist Bel Baroni. Across the eight tracks of Quando Brinca there's a clear effort to take popular, traditional forms and mutate them ever so slightly, whether by choice of instrumentation or disrupting expected repetitions in favor of a brief solo or gentle dissolution.

And when that last keyboard lick fades into oblivion, get ready to hit replay.

AnimalJam (2018)

Post hardcore blended with the heart of pop-punk and prog rock sensibilities is where Texas based AnimalJAm’s debut release can be found lurking.

I understand there is a bit of this type of music going on these days (in the vein of Dance Gavin Dance, Hail The Sun ect) but where these groups opt often for technicality and raw power, AnimalJam keep things memorable with excellent guitar interplay and a varied vocal approach that goes down smooth.

It’s a perfectly concise release that doesn’t over stay its welcome at 5 tracks. I have to say as well this is pretty well produced and highlights some of the more anthemic moments.

Acid Priest — Drop Out (2018)

Band: Acid Priest
Album: Drop Out
Release Date: 6/05/2018
Listen and Purchase here: Bandcamp
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Clocking in at a crisp ~18 minutes, Drop Out hits high note after high note with its potent brew of chunky riffs, blasts of thrash, and a dash of Kyuss-loving harmony. Sometimes words just get in the way of understanding, so pack a bowl, take a hit, and queue this shit up.

(For that little bit extra, maximize your vibe and start reading Abbadon's epic comic, Kill Six Billion Demons.)

Dags! — Flaws & Gestures (2018)

Band: Dags!
Album: Flaws & Gestures
Release Date: 6.22.2018
Listen and Purchase here: Bandcamp
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I'm a little rusty when it comes to writing this sort of thing, so bear with me.

Dags! is a band I had no awareness of an hour ago, so whatever their history may or may not be, I haven't got a fucking clue. But this album gripped me immediately: a concise collection of earnest, emotive, and confident songs that blend elements of UK Maths (e.g. TTNG, Enemies, etc...) with those of some of my favorite "post-Indie" American groups of the past decade (shit like Hawks & Oxen and Piles & Piles).

Production is crisp and clear, with a great live air that suggests this was a well-practiced band ripping through their tunes in a small room together. The vocals are tuneful and tasteful, captured raw and on the verge of cracking, as they navigate a labyrinth of anxiety and curses. Instrumentation is dense but never burdened by virtuosity, focused more on rhythmic interplay and texture, rather than the discursive knots of guitar found in many of their forebears.

THIS IS THAT GOOD SHIT.

By the looks of things, they operate out of Italy (presumably they're Italian?) and are about to start a tour, so if you like what you hear make sure to hit up a show.