The Faves Playlist - March 2023
This month we’ve got new music from Sad Girls Aquatics Club, trust blinks., hhharpies, benches, Soup! and more. Here are some of our favorites:
Hostels - Pavement
LA post-punk band Hostels have released their excellent self-titled debut EP. On “Pavement,” the group blends 90s alt-rock guitar leads updated with a post-punk edge. The 4-track release was produced by Zach Tuch (Touché Amoré, NVM). This is a band to watch!
2 Libras - Infected
Seattle duo 2 Libras have released their debut album World’s End. Influenced by cyberpunk, the 11-track release seeks to take on the impact of tech on humanity, questioning its ability to serve or destroy us. The synthpop track “Infected” is a genuine look at isolation and its impact on our mental health.
Egyptian Blue - Geisha
Brighton Egyptian Blue is back with their new single “Geisha.” The track’s jarring rhythm creates sonic anxiety that is equal parts art-rock and post-punk. The lyrics reflect the ease with which the joys of life can quickly turn into desolation. The band is will be playing some shows in the EU in April.
FIDLAR - On Drugs
LA garage / punk band FIDLAR has released their new EP That’s Life. On the track “On Drugs” the trio discusses their relationship with drugs, as they reject any sense of urgency to quit. The track weaves in the chorus and musical elements from the electronic duo Basement Jaxx song “Where’s Your Head At.”
Mark Docherty - Pay My Debt
Liverpool-based multi-instrumentalist & producer Mark Docherty has released his new single “Pay My Debt.” The track explores the constant pressure we feel as we navigate the rising costs of daily life. The 5/4 rhythm emulates our dread as the track continues to build up over three minutes with handclaps, pounding drums and a descending vocal line.
Night Tapes - Selene
After playing SXSW, indie dream pop band Night Tapes has released their new single “Selene” on Nettwerk Music. The track pulls from trip hop and electronic influences and explores the line between reality and illusion. The trio notes that the opening line was taken from a fortune cookie.
Gretel Hänlyn - King of Nothing
Gretel Hänlyn, the London songwriter & producer, has released her second EP Head of the Love Club. On “King of Nothing,” Hänlyn takes on the men worth making fun of. On the grunge alt-pop track, she sings, “you say you love women, but you only love your mother.”
5th PROJEKT - Autopilot Disengage
Toronto duo alt-rock 5th PROJEKT have released their new EP The Wolf. The EP, which begins with flight safety instructions, is a four track art-rock showpiece. On “Autopilot Disengage” they create a multi-layered dark, moody, almost goth sound. “The Pace” is a trippy eight minute song that takes ambient sounds, driving bass riffs and lovely vocals to create a track that skews toward Radiohead and Portishead territory.
Happy Science - Sour
The new EP Car Cash Cabaret by London’s Happy Science really packs a punch. Vocalist and songwriter Calum Connaughton exhibits the kind of natural energy that pushes us to the edge. The opening track “Sour” focuses on our struggle as we’re forced to work to the point of burnout in order to survive.
Urban Heat - Goodbye Horses
Austin post-punk band Urban Heat are back with new music! On their cover of the 1988 song “Goodbye Horses,” the trio pays homage to the mysterious Q Lazzarus. It’s as if Jonathan Hortsmann’s vocals were made for this cover.
Tanukichan - Escape
San Francisco artist Tanukichan is back with her new album GIZMO. Written during the lockdown, the album balances the themes of mental/physical restraint and freedom. The album’s opening track “Escape” is a bass-driven shoegaze banger. GIZMO was co-written, produced and performed by Tanukichan and Chaz Bear (Toro y Moi).
TTSSFU - growing older
On her new single “growing older,” Manchester-based TTSSFU gets sentimental as she processes the changes that come with time. This is the latest in a string of singles by the indie rock, shoegaze musician. The multi-instrumentalist also plays guitar in the post-punk band Duvet. TTSSFU is an artist to watch.
Rushkeys - Voyager
Lithuanian electronic producer Rushkeys has released his new EP Outlook. The track “Voyager” is a collage of sounds that explore the bounds of minimal electronic music. The track’s production, with layered electronic drums, synth keys and guitar riffs, is expansive and restrained at the same time. It conjures up infinite thoughts, while holding us in a dream-like state for three and a half minutes.
Slow Pulp - Cramps
Chicago-based Slow Pulp has released their new single “Cramps” on ANTI- Records. According to vocalist Emily Massey, the track deals with “searching for things you wish you had in other people and creating this character in your head that has all the physical and emotional attributes you feel that you are lacking.” The band is currently on tour with Death Cab for Cutie in the EU, then they’ll hit the US with the Pixies in May.
Whitelands - Setting Sun
UK shoegazers Whitelands are back with “Setting Sun.” The track is a comment on racism in the music industry and the racial divide that has been caused by police brutality in the US. The band has consistently put out stellar tracks and this one is no exception.
Maraschino - Kamikaze
The new single “Kamikaze” by LA pop artist Maraschino is a six-minute synth pop daydream. According to Maraschino, the song is “about embracing the duality of being one’s own greatest ally and worst enemy on what feels like an infinite quest for peace within the chaotic world we all share.” Maraschino’s full-length album Hollywood Piano is out on 3/3.
Meat in Space - Chromium Dioxide
“Chromium Dioxide” by Meat in Space is a fuzzed out, lo-fi track that explores our willingness to take anything at face value. The track, with its 90s grunge/alt-rock chorus, is a comment on our culture’s inability to do basic research, instead taking the first piece of evidence that supports our stance. Meat In Space is the solo project of SF Bay multi-instrumentalist Shawn Stedman.
Chicks On Speed - Uploading the Human
On the 80’s tinged futuristic electropop “Uploading the Human,” Chicks On Speed examines our move to the virtual world. The track is a comment on our violent attacks on nature, while at the same time we build machines to create and maintain the perfect versions of ourselves. The track, though, leads to the bigger question which is: is our species worth saving?
Crawling Vines - Out of a Dream
Crawling Vines has released the new EP Coconut. The track “Out of a Dream,” exists somewhere in between dream pop and alt-rock, often switching between the two worlds. Crawling Vines is the solo project of Chicago-based musician Jack Holston.
Body Type - Miss the World
The Australian four-piece band Body Type is back with their latest single “Miss the World.” The track is a rowdy three-minute take on capitalism, politics, and longing for better days. The track is off of the band’s upcoming album, Expired Candy, out on 6/2 on Poison City.
New music from Tiger La Flor, Night Rose, Hey Gorgeous, Don’t Get Lemon and Past Model.