Amber Arcades–Fading Lines
Genre: Dream Pop, Jangle Pop
FFO: Pity Sex, Diiv, Mac DeMarco, Mazzy Star
Under the moniker Amber Arcades, Dutch musician Annelotte de Graaf welcomes listeners to her world with a solo LP filled to the brim with pristine, jangley riffs similar to the likes of Mac DeMarco and Zachary Cole Smith. Fading Lines is a record filled with confident, euphoric instrumentation combined with an enticing, pleasant vocal performance.
Candlemass-Death Thy Lover EP
Genre: Doom Metal
FFO: Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Pallbearer
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their landmark LP Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, legendary Swedish Doom outfit Candlemass releases four songs to appease old and new fans solidifing their status as “Lords of Doom”. Death Thy Lover is an EP centered in nostalgia that proves how well Candlemass has aged over the years whilst staying true to their roots and respective era.
Cough–Still They Pray
Genre: Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Stoner Rock
FFO: Conan, YOB, Pallbearer, Electric Wizard, Sleep
Still They Pray is a crushing new LP from Richmond, Virginia’s doom quartet Cough comfortably fitting the ranks of some of the most legendary acts of the genre such as Sleep or Candlemass.
What makes Cough stand out is their bold experimentation with various elements outside the genre. Blues and thrash riffage float gracefully hand-in-hand over the shrieking chaos and mucky pool of Doomy Sludge.
Fear of Men–Fall Forever
Genre: Dream Pop, Indie Pop
FFO: Purity Ring, Field Mouse, Waxahatchee
The sophomore LP from Brighton-based Dream Pop trio Fear of Men is a less guitar-driven album than their debut offering but still manages to generate a fitting backdrop for frontwoman Jessica Weiss’ charming vocal performance. The newfound electronic aesthetic combined with Weiss’ pipes may bring the lush sounds of Purity Ring to mind.
gates–Parallel Lives
Genre: Post Rock, Post Hardcore, Alternative Rock
FFO: Moving Mountains, Caspian, Thrice
New Jersey’s gates return for a sophomore effort signaling the perfected marriage of Post Rock and Alternative Rock. Parallel Lives takes on shorter song structure less reliant on builds up and generates 3-4 minute rock songs with beautifully atmospheric instrumentation along the lines of Caspian or Explosions in the Sky. Be sure to catch them open for Thrice this month!
Minor Victories–Minor Victories
Genre: Alternative Rock, Art Rock, Dream Pop, Post Punk, Shoegazing
FFO: Slowdive, Editors, Mogwai
What happens when you combine the trademarked dreamy vocals of Rachel Goswell (Slowdive, Mojave 3), the pristine post rock guitarwork of Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai), and the gloomy, post punk, electronic backings of Justin Lockey (Editors)?
There is no tension. There is no difficulty in digestion. The debut LP from Minor Victories is the perfectly centered meeting point from three artists with vastly different genre backgrounds.