With such a wide stretch of places you could dive into what’s new out here in music land, it can sometimes be a little bit daunting to find your place of entry! Let us here at Novaphonic be your stewards in at least a few small ways, with this latest round of 3 Songs You Have To Hear:
“Cellophane Girls” by 2nd Grade
We certainly have our share of power-pop devotees in this area (thanks in part to a particularly prolific band in Dayton history), and if you’re one of those, might I turn your attention to (guide you, perhaps) to Philadelphia’s 2nd Grade. With a few records on the books already and now freshly signed to fellow Philly institution Lame-O Records, the band’s latest “Cellophane Girls” is another excellent distillation of succinct, direct songwriting that heads right for the pleasure center. 2nd Grade already have shown their bona fides in mining those precious little song nuggets that get stuck in your brain, and they show no signs of slowing down this year.
“Blood In The Grass” by Sour Widows
If you’re a fan of any kinds of current-day “gaze-y” and adjacent sounds then you’re maybe already keeping eyes and ears on the Julia’s War label, a fine place for the best and brightest in that scene today. Keeping up the new-label-signee trend, the Bay Area’s Sour Widows have now joined the Julia’s War roster with an album on the way called Sigil (with Jay Som behind the boards on production duties). Sour Widows are a little less hazy than some of their labelmates, which is definitely not a bad thing – in that way, their dual vocal harmonies can shine through a little clearer, like they do on their latest single “Blood In The Grass”. This nature-forward friendship ode to Babehoven’s Maya Bon is an enticing taste of what’s to come from Sour Widows this fall.
“Sounds We Cannot Hear” by Protomartyr
One of the Midwest’s finest grittier rock exports returns this year, with the latest from Detroit stalwarts Protomartyr, Hotel Usona, due this September. “Sounds We Cannot Hear” shifts between pummeling drive and more expansive zones, with horns joining the fray this time around, serving as grand buttress to vocalist Joe Casey’s commanding baritone. All your Protomartyr hallmarks are in classic form (wry turns of phrase, compelling, dire sonics from the band), and with a fascinating video as an added bonus, forecasts are looking like a needed heavy rain from the Motor City is due this fall.
Get the latest 3 Songs You Have To Hear and more delivered directly to your inbox in The Countdown, our biweekly music newsletter.
