New Music Monday – 4/17/17

Another week, another post with new music that hissing lawns contributors are listening to this week. Check out the new work from:

*Gracie and Rachel
*STACE
*Guided By Voices
*Christian Fitness
*Round Eye
*PWR BTTM
*Hiccup
*Gorillaz

Gracie and Rachel
Brooklyn, New York
“Only a Child”

This duo’s “Gucci Gucci” cover at Stopover 2017 buzzed online and beyond—a gentleman in line for coffee the next morning raved about it and their performance. Gracie and Rachel, a piano and violin duo, loop, pitch shift, and harmonize to build layers of resonance and percussion. Stark song structures, minor melodies and exquisite baroque-like harmonies are their ticket. They’ve got it. “Only a Child” is the first single from their self-titled debut album due out June 23. – Josephine

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STACE
Savannah, Georgia
“Evergreen” from Unraveling

A story of pluck, luck, ingenuity, and genuine personality – STACE met her producer and management team while performing on the streets of Savannah. They teamed up and recorded an album over the course of two years. If Evanescence, Kelly Clarkson, and Celine Dion incite passion in your heart, STACE is the frenzy you need in your veins. Debut album, Unraveling, out June 2017. – Josephine

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Guided By Voices
Dayton, Ohio
“5 Degrees on the Inside”” from August by Cake out now on Rockathon Records

August by Cake is Robert Pollard’s 100th album release. Read that again…100th! The man has probably forgotten more brilliant riffs and melodies than most artists create in their career. Yet another new GBV lineup on this one and it’s unsurprisingly jammed with 1:30 to 3 minute gems. Pollard is a damn underappreciated national treasure. – tom

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Christian Fitness
Cardiff, Wales, UK
“Bees Mode” from an upcoming album

I finally got the jump on Tom when it comes to a Andrew Falkous release! That said, it’s not hard to see why we both love every project the man is a part of with such intensity. Gritty bass lines, hooky guitar riffs, nonsensical/borderline “train of thought” lyrics. Yeah, I was hooked from the start and hopefully you are too. – Petee

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Round Eye
Shanghai, China
“Billy” off of their upcoming LP Monstervision

Any band that describes themselves as the “sexiest, hairiest and loudest band in China” is sure to immediately grab some attention. And that’s probably one of the least controversial things that Round Eye, a band of 5 white dudes living in China, have said over the course of their career. Combining sax-laden jazz influences with chaotic, Dead Kennedys-esque, ripping punk, the band has made quite a name for themselves with their raucous live shows. Their latest video, Billy, is sure to turn a few heads with it’s not so subtle political imagery. Uhh, I should probably throw in a slightly NSFW warning on this one too. – Petee

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PWR BTTM
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
“LOL” off of their upcoming release Pageant

It’s hard not to fall in love with PWR BTTM. Heartfelt, tender, and yet powerful as all get out, their latest video release, “LOL”, is one of the best indie ballads I’ve heard in a good long time. I really couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle as my heart simultaneously let out a little sigh at the lyric “When you are queer, you are always 19.” – Petee

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Hiccup
Brooklyn, NY
Imaginary Enemies out now on Father/Daughter Records

It’s not hard to see why Hiccup’s newest release might be making several “Album of the Year” lists already. With a pedigree that includes the band’s members having been part of projects like The Unlovables and The LLC (if you haven’t watch The Chris Gethard Show, please stop reading now and check it out!), the bands newest release combines the best parts of indie rock a-la The Thermals with everything people love about pop-punk bands like The Ergs! – Petee

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Gorillaz
Essex, England
“Let Me Out” feat. Mavis Staples & Pusha T from the album Humanz, out April 28th, 2017 on Warner Brothers Records

Gorillaz fans have been gleefully watching the band dole out 5 singles from their 20 track forthcoming album, Humanz, over the last month. The latest features Pusha T and Mavis Staples in a genre-busting musical romp turned political conversation between Mavis, Pusha T and 2-D: “Mama Mavis, oh Mama, they tried my patience/Obama is gone, who is left to save us?/So together we mourn, I’m praying for my neighbors/They say the devil’s at work and Trump is calling favors.” Gorillaz just announced the global Humanz tour (http://www.gorillaz.com/tour/) this morning, including a play in Atlanta on Wednesday, October 8th. Tickets go on sale Friday, April, 21st. Set your fictional universe cartoon clocks now! -Kayne