Emily Zemier
RCRD LBL BLOGGER
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Number of Blog Posts: 368 Emily Zemier's My RCRD LBL Profile
PREMIERE: Happy People – Dance For Fools
New Jersey indie rock group Happy People really doesn't sound as peppy as their name might suggest. The band, which appears to be influenced by groups like My Bloody Valentine and Broken Social Scene, crafts pensive, layered numbers that are best described as moody. “Dance For Fools” is a fuzzy, surging number that you can likely see them perform live at their upcoming CMJ shows.
DOWNLOAD: Hunter Valentine - Gates Of Hell
Rock group Hunter Valentine will release of their third album, Collide & Conquer, on October 23 via Megaforce/Sony. The LP, produced by Greig Nori (Iggy Pop, Sum 41), follows the band’s 2010 album Lessons From The Late Night. “Gates of Hell” comes off the new release, and it's a bursting power-pop number that recalls bands like The Distillers and Tsunami Bomb.
DOWNLOAD: Letting Up Despite Great Faults - Bulletproof Girl
Dream-pop band Letting Up Despite Great Faults will release a new album, Untogether, next week. The group, led by frontman Mike Lee, who recently relocated from Los Angeles to Austin, crafts lush electronic pop numbers that will surely catch the attention of M83 and Blonde Redhead fans. “Bulletproof Girl” is a layered, ethereal track that balances a soaring melody with a moody, shoegaze-ready sensibility.
PREMIERE: Joshua James - Queen Of The City
Utah singer/songwriter Joshua James will release his third album, From The Top Of Willamette Mountain, on November 6. Produced by Richard Swift and recorded in Oregon, "Queen Of The City” comes off the new album. It's an evocative acoustic guitar number that feels like a kindred spirit to Neil Young and Ryan Adams.
DOWNLOAD: Golden Void - The Curve
Bay Area group Golden Void will release its debut album on November 13 via Thrill Jockey. The LP, which was recorded with Phil Manley at Lucky Cat Studios in San Francisco, was primarily tracked live – and it shows. “The Curve" surges, pulling together blues rock twang and straight up AC/DC style riffs. Rock out at your desk this morning.
DOWNLOAD: Neomythics - Phoenix
Musicians Matt Montgomery and Gregory Howe have been songwriting and producing for other artists for years, mostly focusing on those signed to Howe’s San Francisco-based label Wide Hive. The pair recently formed Neomythics as their own musical outlet and released an album, New Corporate Resistance. “Phoenix” is surging rock number infused with clouded shoegazey tones. It’s certainly a key piece of evidence in support of producers getting out from behind the mixing board.
DOWNLOAD: The Birthday Massacre - Down
Toronto group The Birthday Massacre released its first album, Nothing And Nowhere, in 2000, creating a dark, moody brand of synth-pop that feels like it has ties to the industrial sounds of artists like Marilyn Manson. Now, the band will release its fifth album, Hide And Seek, on October 9 via Metropolis Records. “Down” is an ethereal pop song that morphs into something heavier and grittier as the chorus emerges.
DOWNLOAD: The Epilogues - Hunting Season
(Photo: Randall Paetzold)
Denver band The Epilogues crafts dramatic rock songs that fall somewhere in between Manchester Orchestra and Silversun Pickups. The group, which will release a new effort, Cinematics, on November 6 via Greater Than Collective, draws together revving guitars, surging vocal melodies and cinematic layers of sound. “Hunting Season” is the album’s first single – a heaving, evocative rock number with moody, emotional resonance.
DOWNLOAD: Hopewell - The King & The Canary
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(Photo: Alexandra Marvar)
Brooklyn rock band Hopewell has been releasing albums for well over a decade, and now the group has offered-up a new one, Another Music. The album follows the group’s 2010 live album Hopewell Live Volume 1 and perpetuates their signature spacey psych-rock aesthetic. “The King & The Canary” is a swoopy mid-tempo number that marries prancing instrumentation with a fuzzed-out melody and singer Jason Russo’s high-pitched croon.
STREAM: The Amity Affliction - I Heart HC
In case you need something a little heavier in your musical life this week, The Amity Affliction’s new effort, Chasing Ghosts, comes out via Roadrunner. A follow-up to the Australian group’s last album Youngbloods, the LP was produced by Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Blessthefall, Incubus) and has already gone to No. 1 in the band’s home country. “I Heart HC” is an aggressive number that balances surging melody with hard-hitting metal pummel.
