It’s spring, Loser City HQ is surrounded by pollen and squirrels, but here’s the music that helped us survive allergies and acorn ambushes this month.
A Greek trio with a knack for hooks and an ever changing sound, Baby Guru are an intriguing mixture of organ-driven garage rock and New Wave rhythms perfect for a late night drive.
2. Triptides “Colors” (Indiana)
Though they hail from the Midwest, Triptides sound like a long lost relic from the San Francisco psychedelic scene, from the shimmery guitars and ample fuzz to the spacy vocals.
3. Protomartyr “Ain’t So Simple” (Detroit)
Protomartyr made a big splash at SXSW this year, thanks to some incredible shows at Beerland and elsewhere. On record, their sound is full of dueling guitars, stomping rhythms and sardonic vocals, a brilliant combination of proto and post-punk.
4. Jeffertitti’s Nile “No One” (LA)
Despite a goofy aesthetic and a tongue in cheek take on band bios and labeling, Jefferitti’s Nile are a group to take seriously thanks to a sound that merges the full on fuzzy attack of garage acts like FIDLAR with the hallucinogenic groove of the new psych sound the Black Angels helped kick off.
5. Ray Frazier & the Shades of Madness “I Who Have Nothing” (LA)
An unjustly forgotten soul legend, Ray Frazier and his Shades of Madness have long been sought out by hardcore vinyl hunters for the rarity of their releases, but like a hard R&B take on Death, Frazier’s music is finally get some long overdue attention.
6. Bleeding Rainbow “Tell Me” (Philadelphia)
Yet another great new band emerging from the wilds of Philadelphia, Bleeding Rainbow are a heavily rhythmic blend of power pop and punk.
7. Perfect Color Combination “Merked (ft. Graves33)” (Canada)
A mysterious production duo from Canada, Perfect Color Combination have a dark aesthetic that fits in with Company Flow as much as it fits in with Blue Sky Black Death. This track features Seattle emcee Graves33, who is playing a Loser City show at Beerland on May 1st.
8. Videoing “The Fence” (Austin)
Videoing may be new, but their freshly released EP Treasure House is already making waves thanks to lo-fi, aggro take on electro-pop.
9. Principles of Geometry “Videostore (ft. Alessi Brothers)” (France)
Paired with the legendary ’70s/’80s duo the Alessi Brothers, French production twosome Principles of Geometry have morphed into a fascinating, glitched out take on the intimate electro-pop of ’00s groups like Junior Boys and Hot Chip.
10. Jazz Spastiks “Delicious (ft. Count Bass D)” (UK)
The UK-based production team Jazz Spastiks are eager to take hip-hop back to the jazzier sample-based heyday of Native Tongues, and they’ve teamed up with similarly minded emcees like Count Bass D to craft an album of impeccably cool tracks.
11. Blackstone Rangers “Frozen Echo” (Dallas)
Cinematic and haunting, Blackstone Rangers pair well with equally label-wary trendsetter acts like Cut Copy, with heaps of atmosphere to augment their enchanting melodies and rhythms.
12. Odonis Odonis “Highnote” (Toronto)
We reviewed Odonis Odonis’ new album here, but really, you need to hurry up and check them out already. They’re fucking great.
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