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Sunday, August 6, 2017

Discoverer 156: new indie findings

August is a month of recoveries, so today is the turn of our discoverer series. And we do so with three stunning proposals (look for some of them at the end of the year lists) with some of the latest bands that have gotten us excited. Indiepop all over!

Eyelids. Supergroup alert, supergroup alert! This collective (the regular cast is a quintet) hails from Portland, Oregon and includes current and former members of (take a deep breath, this is ridiculously stunning) Robert Pollard's bands as well as Guided By Voices, Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks, The Decemberists, Elliott Smith, Sam Coomes of Quasi, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Loch Lomond, Damien Jurado and even Peter Buck solo adventures! Main songwriters John Moen and Chris Slusarenko started "making waves" in 2014, but the first, proper release of the combo arrived in 2016 with the 7" 'Seagulls Into Submission'. It was followed by the debut album '854' a month later, plus the 'Eyelids' 12"EP. And now, after another EP, it's time to celebrate the arrival of sophomore LP 'or'. What can I say? You hear Flying Nun, Paisley Underground, Big Star, Teenage Fanclub, an Athens band that might be familiar to you (guess who produces the record)... If you are a little familiar with this Blog you should know this is not just another discovery. THIS IS A MUST!!!

Hideout. Based in Manhattan, NY, singer-songwriter Gabriel Rodriguez, alongside drummer Cory Stier, who is based in San Diego, began his recording & just for fun project on the road, as the two longtime friends are part of Cults (happily back after what can qualify as a hiatus, by the way) live band, tracking the tracks that would become debut album 'Rookie', out via Thrill Me Records in November 2014, there and there, as the tour kept going. Now, in this 2017, Rodriguez has come out with his sophomore release, mostly cooked at home and again with the help of Stier, 'So Many Hoops/So Little Time' is due out February 3rd 2017 via Small Plates Records. A rich second take of unabashed, very diverse (from jangle-pop to glam-rock) and emotionally charged (heavy stuff inside, dealing with a tough loss) indiepop tunes. It might have been hiding, but we have found a pop master craftsman here...  

Rat Fancy. And we end in Los Angeles, CA, to meet this trio of effervescent twee punk. Formed just a year ago when Diana Barraza (a former Sweater Girls) and Gregory Johnson recorded some tracks in their bedroom. The duo quickly recruited friend Gavin Glidewell and the completed band was ready to debut live at at 2017´s SXSW. Songs have been surfacing online during the year, but since late May the group has its proper debut release, the EP 'Suck a Lemon', out via our dear friends at Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records. A small yet very promising collection of six indiepop tunes, with enough sugar and catchiness to knock you out immediately, but also an edge, a sharpness, and a sourness (very apt title) that endures and demands for more soon. Check them out! 

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