AA Loves – Holychild

From the sensuous Portishead-tinged “Watching Waiting” to the heavily sedated Passion Pit-esque “Diamonds On The Rebound” to the exuberantly wholesome earnestness of “Best Friends”(think Freelance Whales), Holychild is pure guiltless fun.

Cool and abstract enough with multiple rhythm changes and heavily syncopated beats for young hepcats, but winsome enough for moms with lyrics like “I have the best friends,” expect Holychild to be played on every car commercial, Microsoft ad, or Jamba Juice in a year or two. I mean that in the most positive way. Honestly, I’m trying hard to be sincere.

Anyways, listen below and judge for yourself and if you like what you hear head over to soundcloud to snag some free downloads. 

AA Loves - Monomen

Flashback to 2007, a time when New Wave/Post Punk ruled the airwaves – okay not really, but I’ve been trying to get my hands on Monomen’s LP for quite some time and I’m pleased to say that I finally secured a copy.

I haven’t been able to find much from these New Wave rockers from Norway other than their debut LP, which is a real shame because they really knew how to pump out some synth-laden dance floor bangers. Even though I’m only about 5 years late in posting this, in honor of putting a successful end to Monomen Quest 07, have a good listen to “Drum of Glass” and “Stand Still Jane Fonda.”

Enjoy.

 

AA Loves – Fitz and the Tantrums

I seriously can’t believe I haven’t heard Fitz and the Tantrums earlier. This is probably the best Blue-Eyed soul you’ve heard since Bobby Caldwell, which was so good the record company actually used Bobby Caldwell’s shadow on his album cover to hide the fact that he was white – no joke.

Anyways, check out the video for “Moneygrabber” and the live version of “Rich Girls” below – you will seriously be hashtag mind blown – yea that good.

On a sidenote, doesn’t Michael Fitzpatrick look a lot like David Bowie circa the 2002 tour.

AA Loves – Cruiser

Holy shit-snacks does Cruiser hit the spot!

Maybe it’s because I’ve got a fever (no, not the kind that can only be cured by a cowbell), but Cruiser is bringing enormous pleasure to my earballs with some seriously “beach-in” tunes – badumph ch! Yea, writing bad puns from my day job has finally breached the AA hull – oh boy.

Anyways, Cruiser is a dude from Philly that makes insanely bright and catchy guitar-driven indie pop that’s perfect for a never ending summer with lyrics like “I don’t need to leave if you don’t need to sleep” and “Don’t want to go home now.”

Listen to “The Fritz” and “Don’t Go Alone” below and head over to bandcamp where you can score the killer self-titled EP, which is produced by Jeremy Park who also brought us Youth Lagoon.

  The Fritz by CruiserCruiser

  Don't Go Alone by CruiserCruiser

AA Loves – Devin

Crank up your speakers because some serious brimstone is about to come spewing forth.

Think Fuzzy New York aughts punk – a la the Strokes, raw spitfire a la the Flat Duo Jets, and plenty of surf-drenched attitude a la X, Devin is pure earth-shattering, orgasmic ear sex – I just can’t believe it took me this long to have a love affair.

Devin’s brand of in-your-face rockabilly tinted garage punk harkens back to the early days of rebellious rock and roll – think if Chuck Berry and Joe Strummer had a musical baby.

Have a gander at the music video for “Masochist” and “You’re Mine” below and be sure to grab a copy of the killer debut EP You’re Mine which is out via FrenchKiss Records.

AA Loves - Talk Fine

Just some pretty pretty pop – sugary sweet sixties inspired Indie pop to be exact – courtesy of Brooklyn-based Talk Fine for today. Think Todd Rundgren pop genius meets Squeeze.

More please!

AA Loves - The Fearless Vampire Killers

The Fearless Vampire Killers – I mean with a name like that, how can they not be fun?

These Melbourne-based indie rockers are from another era – the 60s to be more specific -- no, not literally, but sonically speaking. Dripping in retro psychedelic-twinged surf rock with a dose of blues rock, The Fearless Vampire Killers sound like the Beach Boys if experimented heavily with acid and psyachedlic music or if the Velvet Underground played Beach Boy covers.

Watch the video for “For You & Me," which features an MC5 “Kick Out The Jams”-esque guitar riff.


The Fearless Vampire Killers 'For You & Me' from Timothy Melville on Vimeo.

AA Loves - The Growl

Photo credit

I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s the water, but Australia has been pumping out amazing blues rock bands like nobody’s business. The latest in this steady procession is The Growl.

Steeped in voodoo and darky mystery, this quartet from down under does not mess around. Their simmering brand of soul-drenched blues rock conjures up images of hazy smoke-filled rooms sweltering with the heat of Southern humidity and serves as the perfect backdrop for tales filled with mystery, black magic, and murder.

Listen to “3,6,9” and “With the Sharp End of a Trowel” below.

AA Loves - McComy

McComy aka Chris McComas will take your ears on vacation with his gorgeous guitar-driven dream pop.

Light, breezy, and relaxing as hell, McComy feels like an ice cold six pack on a sweltering summer day.

Head over to bandcamp, where you can snag your free download of his latest EP.

AA Loves - ALPINE

It’s Friday and I can think of few other things more fitting to share than the smile-inducing ALPINE for today.

Think Phoenix with its contagious good times meets of Montreal with their surreal, out of this world antics, but with a dark minimal edge and you get ALPINE. Be prepared because lush layers, gorgeous harmonies, and catchy as hell rhythms will collide with your ear drums.

Check out the videos to “Hands” and “Villages” below, which are both visually arresting as hell.

AA Loves - Fun Guns

I can’t get enough of Fun Guns’ hard charging lo-fi rock. Oozing with old school rock and surf punk influences, Fun Guns channels the best of the Cramps, The Stooges, and X.

Listen to “Too Drunk To Drive” and “Hold Your Horses” below and be sure to head over to bandcamp to score a few of their killer albums.

AA Loves - Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes

With a name like Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes you know you’re in for a real treat, and the Rackettes do not disappoint.

Mixing in ol’ fashion 60’s pop, Motown soul, and boogie woogie blues, Clairy Browne is a fun sexy time personified. On tracks like “Lean Lanky Daddy” and “Champagne,” four part harmonies and backing vocals sing out with plenty of sass and sex appeal over mean bluesy bass lines and swingin’ rhythms. Meanwhile their live shows are a riot with plenty of double claps and choreographed dance moves to transport you to another world.

Check out “Baby Caught The Bus” and “Lean Lanky Daddy” below and be sure to grab their fantastic debut LP Baby Caught The Bus available via bandcamp.

AA Loves: Such Hounds

Pour yourself a nice glass of fallin’ down whiskey because Such Hounds is in the building today.

These Brooklyn indie folk rockers sound like they just crawled out of the Dust Bowl covered in misfortune, bourbon, and hard luck. With a sound resembling Deer Tick, their bitter sweet melodies smell of moonshine, stale beer, and nostalgia.

Warbling lyrics like “We laugh until we fall apart,” “I wonder why you left me on the side of the road to die all alone,” and “Time can never fix the things I’ve done even if I’ve done nothing wrong at all,” Such Hounds will instinctively make you reach for a cold one.

Stream their debut EP below or head over to Bandcamp to download your free copy.

AA Loves: Lily and the Parlour Tricks

Be forewarned because you may not survive Lily and the Parlour Tricks’ gorgeous sound. Like the sultry southern sirens of O Brother Where Art Thou?, they will draw you in with their gorgeous three-part harmonies and deadly sex appeal only to turn one of your friends into a frog.

Okay not really, but you get the point – their sound is dangerously seductive. Drawing on a wide range of influences, Lily and the Parlour Tricks blend raucous old timey saloon jangles with the sugary sweetness of 1950s pop, the devilish cunning of a snake oil salesman, and a bit of Motown soul to create one of the most mesmerizing sounds I’ve heard in a long time.

Watch below as they fight off the brutal rhythms of a German nightclub with their sexy sound.

AA Loves - Filthy Boy

With two band members going by the name of Morrissey, these saucy south Londoners more than live up to their namesake.

Putting a riotously hilarious spin on tragedy, Filthy Boy details with lucid clarity humanity’s worst transgressions primarily in regards to the opposite sex. Dark, yet with a massive dose of cheeky irony, this lot will have you rolling on the floor despite the gloomy subject matter.

For instance, on “Waiting On the Doorstep” in a deep a deep baritone reminiscent of Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand they croon, “You’re looking pretty through the window magnificently kneeling between those men/I can’t help but think your lips are so soft as you get up off your knees and wipe your chin.”

Stream “Waiting On the Doorstep” along with a few other choice selections, or head over to their bandcamp to score some free downloads.

AA Loves – King Krule

Evidence the world is cruel place – the fact that Archie Marshall, the seventeen year old behind King Krule (formerly Zoo Kid), is far more talented than you will ever be at a far younger age.

Evidence God exists – the fact that Archie Marshall makes insanely good jams like “Out Getting Ribs” that punch you in the chest and leave you emotionally winded. Oh God, the mind shattering conundrum!

Just listening to him discuss his influences makes me want to bury my head in shame. 

“A lot of the guitar lines are influenced by New York No Wave, but the chords are always influenced by Chet Baker songs. And Django Reinhardt! My favorite guitarist. Then there’s a few MCs that are actually quite good, like Leaf Dog. Also I’m quite fond of Josef K too.”

I mean what frickin seventeen year old talks like that! He didn’t even mention the heavy doses of Gil Scott-Heron, Nujabes, and The Roots oozing from his tracks.

Watch “Out Getting Ribs” and “The Noose of Jah City,” and then think about what the fuck you’re doing with your life and where all that time went.

AA Loves – Alabama Shakes

With a sound straight from 50s Detroit, Alabama Shakes will immediately transport you to another era.

Far from being just another throwback band calling upon the ghosts of Motown past, the Shakes are the real thing. In the same way that Raphael Saadiq and Amy Winehouse (RIP) channel the soul fire of Lady Ella, David Ruffin, Aretha Franklin, and Smokey Robinson, Brittany Howard is a rare gem that can wail with the best of them.

On “Hold On" and "I Found You" listen as the raw passion purrs from Howard’s throat as she soars smoothly over the doo wop bass line and bright guitars.

Grab their self-titled debut EP available on bandcamp now, and be sure to keep an eye on them as they are quickly becoming indie darlings with the likes of Alex Turner raving about them.



 

AA Loves: Jesus Les Filles

 

Mixing 60s French pop a la France Gall with good ol’ garage rock, Jesus Les Filles is the perfect soundtrack for those fun and sexy times in your life.

Grinding guitars, pounding drums, and colossal rhythms are a jarring but not unpleasant juxtaposition to the bouncy melodies that sound like they’re from a Serge Gainsbourg duet.

Listen to “Le Dernier Album de Beck” and “A Demain” below taken from the French-Canadian band’s split EP.

AA Loves: Tashaki Miyaki

Like Best Coast or Jenny and Johnny, Tashaki Miyaki epitomizes the sun-drenched, surf-rock sound of Southern California that’s so popular of late, but what puts them over the top are their dark atmospherics and sultry vocals.

Far dreamier than their musical peers, Tashaki Miyaki fills their tracks with an alluring mystique and a gentle sway that is reminiscent of bands far more mature.

Listen to the silky smooth “Something Is Better Than Nothin” as well as their amazing cover of the Everly Brothers' “All I have to Do is Dream."

Their debut EP is out October 31 on The Sounds of Sweet Nothing, but you can pre-order your copy now via bandcamp.

AA Loves - The Naked Hearts

I’m rather late for The Naked Hearts wagon, but I suppose it’s better to be a bit late than never.

Consisting of Amy Cooper on guitars and vocals and Noah Wheeler on drums, this Brooklyn duo will have you rocking out, thinking quiet introspective thoughts, making out, and searching for your true love simultaneously. That is to say, they’re a bit of mixed bag when it comes to pinpointing their style, but regardless their stripped down indie-rock/folk sound will keep you coming back for more.

Listen to “Pillow Song“ and “Dark Shade” below.

  Naked Hearts - Dark Shade by popgunbooking