Now Playing at TGE: September 2018
Now Playing at TGE is a collection of short reviews regarding some of the releases we can't get enough of.
words: Kayla Carmicheal, Gordon Phillips, Lauren Rearick and Luke Jankle
Headspace - Mint Green
If you’re looking for a late summer/early fall release that’s short and sweet, I’ll recommend you mine: Headspace by Mint Green. When I lived in Boston I found myself obsessed with their indie rock pop sound. The vibes are just right for a chill EP. I can’t stop listening to the smooth electric guitars and mellow, relatable lyricism. There’s a Paramore-esque nostalgia laced in Mint Green’s sound that I love—all while being a current classic in their own right. // words: KC
"I Wish I Was the One Who Sent You to Jail" - Absinthe Father
This song is like if Harmony Woods, while floating in a sensory deprivation tank, suddenly realized all people are inherently evil. The dark, saturated instrumentation is a flattering backdrop for the absolutely harrowing lyrics--don't go wandering into this record without properly preparing yourself. Come on, the song title alone should have been a warning. Stacked vocal harmonies float over cavernous electric guitar shifts and an ominous, pulsating bass note undertow. There's a whole LP of this stuff, too. // words: GP
"Easy" - Hovvdy
Well, the best band on the planet is back again. After blessing the world with Cranberry, Hovvdy saunters (since that's totally how they'd move, right?) on back with a new 7" on Saddle Creek Records. This song sounds like it could be particularly written with an eye toward live performance. The drums are clear-cut and the electric guitars are distorted, but all the Hovvdy hallmarks are still on full display. Minimalist, yet somehow undeniably infectious vocal melodies paired with understated instrumental accompaniment remind listeners exactly what makes this band so special, time and time again. // words: GP
Rare Energy - Guilt Mountain
Guilt Mountain puts the messiest and most challenging of feelings to beautiful song on their Rare Energy EP. Its an exploration in emotion, from the blown out, feedback fueled hopes to do better found in opener "Fever," to a track of slowed down, soft confessions that recognize a period of growing pains, Rare Energy beautiful captures those moments in life when all we can do is try. Led by the defiant tenderness of vocalist Kate Larson, Guilt Mountain strikes an emotional blow with this release, presenting their whole heart to you in a little under 15-minutes.
10 Songs That Happened When You Left Me With My Stupid Heart - Darwin Deez
The latest LP from Brooklyn indie darling Darwin Deez, 10 Songs That Happened When You Left Me With My Stupid Heart, may not deliver on most concise title, but the compact nature of each song is beautifully condensed into catchy little tunes perfect for heartbreak and dance breaks. Darwin Deez has always evolved to find new and experimental ways to sing about breakups and flings. His analogies range from awkward run-ins at the elliptical machine to cosmic gravitational pulls. This release is just the latest exploration into what a meandering heart can take until it bursts. // words: LJ