HAVIN’ THEIR DAY: Athens band Everyday Dogs has been out there for the past few years doing the daily work of making a name for itself. They’ve done pretty well building a steady fan base and have proven willing to play wherever they can get booked. They’ve come a long way since their 2018 debut EP, which saw them kind of scrambling around finding their sound. Now, they operate dependably in that arena-level sound that has its roots in pop punk. Last week they released a new single named “Sidewalk Smasher” that’s among the most aggressive music they’ve ever done. It opens with a riff not unlike a distant relative to Budgie’s “Crash Course In Brain Surgery,” and the whole track unwinds via a pretty straightforward, no-frills arrangement. That is, until the final minute or so, when they let loose the big rock guitar solos. I dunno. This didn’t, like, blow my mind wide open or anything, but it was cool to be able to dig into an enjoyable local band making its way in our scene outside the prescribed townie cultural structure. Find this on Spotify, and find out more via facebook.com/everydaydogsband.
TRIPLE THREAT: Do you have nearly three hours to spare, ever, really? Well, if you do, and you’re down for—depending on your tastes—total punishment of being thrown into your particular briar patch, then curl up this season with Ixian’s new triple CD release Folding Space. Across the three discs, listeners will experience a pretty wide swath of creator Daniel Shroyer’s (Mandible Rider, Shadebeast) particular musical roadmap. Loosely speaking, disc one is the loudest and most metal oriented, disc two is more along the lines of quieter experimentation with an ear for discreet electronic manipulations, and disc three is a solid hour of oscillating ambient noise. Personally, I would recommend listening to each disc as a whole, as they work very well as individual units. Noted guests here include Ian Hemerlein (Kwazymoto, Saint Syzygy), Joel Hatstat (High Jump Media, Cinemechanica), and Ihlyatt/J Anderssen. Find, stream and order this over at ixian.bandcamp.com.
OH ‘DEED HE DO: Singer and acoustic songwriter Patrick Barry recently released the spectacularly lovely album In Bone, and it’s been one of the best surprise listens to cross my desk all year. Barry sings in a rich and sturdy baritone that occasionally stretches its limits and is the perfect accompaniment to his gentle and intricate guitar work. This is one of those records that demands pause and commands attention. While not necessarily living in a direct lineage, Barry’s work appears well informed by Bert Jansch, John Fahey, the more minimal tracks from Fairport Convention and the less flowery arrangements of John Renbourn. Specific highlights here are opening song “Things Change” and “Roman Roads,” each of which is an instrumental, as well as “Song For Howard” and “Milkbox Parade.” Find this on Spotify as soon as you can.
GRAWK AND ROLL OVER: Athens band The Grawks has made decently serviceable pop punk for several years, and the band’s new EP Not Pretty continues this tradition. It’s been almost four and a half years since the band released any new music, so it was a surprise to see this released. Super noticeable on this release, as opposed to their others, is the distinct Marc Bolan-style vibrato in the vocals. This is especially notable on “20 Megatons.” Musically speaking, everything circles around the major rock and roll chords and cooks right along. Find this over at thegrawks.bandcamp.com.
MAKE YOUR DECISION: Pre-orders are now being taken for the new album by Elijah Johnston, Day Off. Three tracks are currently available for preview (“Greatest Hits,” “Molly Haskell” and “Swimming Pool”). I think the best of these three is “Swimming Pool,” which makes ready use of the loudness of a full band arrangement while still marinating Johnston’s tunefulness and steadiness. The arrangement is packed to the gills with multiple rock touchstones that mercifully blend just right. Find these over at elijahjohnston.bandcamp.com.
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