Prolific oddball, mythical imagineer, the cryptic Lennon of Wolf Parade, and overall grandiose thinker, Spencer Krug has more than explored the dragon-slaying folklore-corners of his overactive mind with Sunset Rubdown. So much that another outlet emerged last year in one 20 minute marimba track under the name Moonface. Recorded in his snow-ed in Montreal home, Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped, sports plenty of solo Krug-ian nuances (profound wordplay, character development), which at this point listeners have either loved or left, applied to slightly more ordinary/human concepts.
Over the past decade Fruit Bats have stayed a reliable if under-appreciated staple to the Sup Pop roster. Central creative force Eric Johnson can hit a smooth falsetto while staying unassumingly seated in folksier moments, and his songwriting can be as imaginative and heartfelt as Jeff Tweedy‘s. Yet that sound has often landed the band in a nice, familiar but far from revolutionary territory (in the sense that we have to unfairly measure them against labelmates like The Shins and now Fleet Foxes). Now Tripper is a step into refreshing directions—a swirling harp here, a synth layer there. They’re on a dreamy kick, and it suites them well.
The experimental post-rock outfit from Milwaukee, who’s name entered a lot more Google searches after their Volcano Choir project with Justin Vernon, is back with more extended jams of the precise nature. GIVING is their 6th LP, and very much what fans would expect from the unapologetic non-pop titans. Song titles have always been triggers for these guys, and the four at play here (“Lawn”, “Vorm”, and their plural versions) clue into a concept that multiple space-outs might reveal.
Coming off the self-released and buzzed about Ghosts Emerging LP last year, Vancouver’s Mode Moderne have pushed the Joy Division gone goth-pop tones further with a 7 inch on Light Organ Records. “Real Goths” gets dark and sentimental while “Undiscovered Country” puts echoed handclaps and Smiths-like guitar riffs to a more upbeat swing. It’s a nice balance, and a sample of good things to come.
With 90s alt indebted acts like Yuck riding the return to guitars, and a reunited Pavement having just toured the world, this well deserved and well executed reissue of Archers of Loaf’s landmark debut from the golden age of indie rock couldn’t have come at a better time. Along with the release comes the Vs. the Greatest of All Time EP and a collection of early songs: a must for die-hard fans and current trend-hoppers alike.