As you have come to expect with Friday Night Five, I feature five new releases, often from emerging artists. I won’t lie. This week I was distracted early on with Iggy Pop, who is now touring for his Post Pop Depression Tour, so it’s been hard to focus. This week I have a blend of newer and more established artists and, as always, I am so excited about each of these bands. Let’s give it a whirl.
Winter 1982 is a duo out of Birmingham England that creates a soulful, shimmering and sometimes bleak alternative folk. Comprised of Phil Barber (vocals, guitar) and Luke Phillips (piano, bass), their music is their escape from their mundane 9 to 5 existence. Their music comes from a place of self-awareness, confrontational honesty and ironically, hope. It’s haunting, gorgeous and emotionally palpable. You will feel this music in every fiber of your being. Songs featured include: ‘Worry,” “Friend,” and the stunningly beautiful “Sometimes.”
Autolux is a band that has been around for over fifteen years. They are not the most prolific in terms of releasing new music, they frequently tour and have acquired a solid fanbase because of it. Members include Eugene Goreshter (lead vocals/bass), Greg Edwards (guitar/vocals) and Carla Azar (drums/vocals). Last week they released their third album, Pussy’s Dead. If you are familiar with the work of Autolux, you know their sound is fairly eclectic and expansive, drawing inspiration from both post punk and krautrock. They are often compared to bands such as Can, Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. This album includes all the great things we have come to expect from Autolux including spacey piano ballads, gorgeous harmonies, and fuzzy, funky guitars. Songs featured include: “Change My Head,” “Brainwasher,” and “Soft Scene.”
Vissuda is a group out of Chicago that I discovered over the winter when Diversion Records released their Winter Sampler and included their track, “The Day You Were.” Sweeping and ambient, their sound is a somber, spacey and eloquent. With fuzzy guitars, gorgeous melodies and dissonant sounds, they create a sonic space that melts your soul. Tracks featured include: “The Day You Were,” “The Urge,” and “Drone Oncet.”
Whispering Sons is a band that I featured a few months back when they released their album in December 2015. They create a huge walls of dark, ethereal, edgey sounds using ringing guitars and pulsing bass lines that are framed with sweeping synth lines and frenetic drum beats. Their sound is so modern and yet pays homage to those post punk bands we loved from 35 years ago. Tracks features include: “Wall,” “White Marble,” and “Tidal Wave.”
Paisley Reich is a psychedelic indie pop band on the Lady Sometimes label. Based in Rome, they create luscious tracks with fuzzy reverb and delay. Their love for cheap pedal effects, indie from the 80s and 90s were their main influences for starting their band. Tracks featured include “Dazed,” “Control,” and “Slow Things Down.”
That’s it for this week’s edition of the Friday Night Five. Be sure to tune in to Strawberry Tongue Radio at 19:00, 21:00 and 23:00 EDT to hear selected tracks from each of these bands and be sure to visit their websites for more information about their latest work and to purchase their tracks. Also, be sure to listen to Strawberry Tongue Radio to hear our unique playlist featuring current and classic artists playing post punk, new wave, indie, electronic and experimental music.