The dog days of summer are here–good thing there’s a certain hound to help carry the tunes, plus new pop and rock tracks from notable names. Here’s the best new music for your mid-July Friday.
Palehound – Eye On The Bat
If you’ve got 29 minutes and 12 seconds to devote to music today, listen to the newest journey from Palehound. It’s got “Good Sex” and a “Head Like Soup.”
From the jump Eye On The Bat kicks off with Palehound’s lyrical quips:
“On your birthday last year / I secretly put on a corset, and / Hid it under a bathrobe to secretly surprise you,” they sing on “Good Sex,” setting the tone for another ‘nothing off-limits’ ride with shoegaze’s most notorious and joyful non-binary guitar player.
Eye On The Bat is also full of transitions that make it a better record than its hit singles would have even led a listener to believe.
“I don’t wanna see that other path / No I don’t want to see that other path,” they sing on the ending of “Independence Day” before transitioning into lead single “The Clutch” with the words “I didn’t wanna see that bloody hand on your stomach.” Seamless.
These transitions (which brought Palehound success on their debut record Dry Food) keep the songs and theme of the records lyrical content glued together–but the guitars keep them in their own worlds. “Independence Day” has acoustic-twang and “The Clutch” is filled with noise.
It’s perhaps the best Palehound record, it certainly feels the most complete. An upcoming string of fall tour dates in major cities could even land Palehound among artists of the year.
Stay tuned, and keep your Eye On The Bat.
Claud – Supermodels
When Phoebe Bridgers announced in 2020 that Claud was the first signee to her Saddest Factory Records, it brought quick attention and a fast jump to stardom for the now 24-year-old who was already in the driver’s seat of their own career. Festivals and tours with Bleachers and collabs with Clairo were just the beginning.
Claud now has a second LP, it’s sharper and poppier. Not to mention their voice sounds better and fuller than ever.
There’s something about this young star that shouts that they’re the top dawg of the moment. Maybe its the film camera they’re looking at on Supermodels cover art that exemplifies aesthetic. Or the coolness of their clothes.
Perhaps it’s that Claud has been ready to be the performer they want to be, outwardly, positively and queer. Even if the whole world isn’t. Here they come. Here they are. Now strike a pose.
A. Savage – “Thanksgiving Prayer”
You may not know who A. Savage is and that’s perhaps exactly what he wants you to know about him.
A. Savage should be best known as a singer and guitarist for Brooklyn rock group Parquet Courts. He’s also an artist who’s designed plenty of album covers, even getting a Grammy nomination for Best Album Packaging only to lose to David Bowie’s final record.
He has no social media and little online presence, well, until this week.
Savage released his first solo album Thawing Dawn on his own independent label, Dull Tools, in 2017. Now he’s on Rough Trade Records and they apparently made him get an Instagram just for promotion.
What does this have to do with “Thanksgiving Prayer?” Well, Savage, who you probably now may recognize, says he spent last Thanksgiving with a name you should recognize: John Parish. Savage said in a release that he was recording his new album and was at Parish’s home in the UK last Thanksgiving. Savage wrote the song feeling grateful he shared the holiday in Parish’s non-Thanksgiving celebrating English home and they recorded it the next day.
Now Savage is going on a fall headline tour (He recently opened for Cate Le Bon, you know her).
A Rough Trade rep for Savage just posted the music video for “Thanksgiving Prayer” to the Instagram (which Savage made sure to let people know he does not run).
And you thought A. Savage had little online presence? What do you even know about him?
Misterwives – Nosebleeds
Whether it’s by frontal lobe pressure from immediately rocking or some evangelical something–Nosebleeds brings a rush to the faces of fans from the getgo.
Yes, Misterwives’ furious fourth record taps into the new and pulls from their roots.
This is a group whose energy matches the vibes they set. Take sixth track “Trigger Pull” for example. Synths glow to start this song but then a punchy pop beat and pace from singer Mandy Lee appear before both combine forces on the chorus. It’s EVERYTHING. Fans are here for it, whether they’re in the front row or up in the Nosebleeds.
Which of these tracks from New Music Friday will you be adding to your favorite playlists today? Any we missed? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!
Subscribe to Beyond The Stage for more music news and exclusive interviews.
- New Music Friday – April 26, 2024 - April 26, 2024
- Zara Larrson announces ‘Venus’ 2024 North American Tour Dates - April 22, 2024
- New Music Friday – April 19, 2024 - April 19, 2024
