OE Monomania is a weekly playlist of songs that are currently stuck in our heads. The songs we can’t quit listening to. This week, 2-15-16, we are loving:
Avers – “Calling Out To You”
Richmond, VA’s Avers are working on the follow up to their great debut album, 2014’s Empty Light. While working on the new release, the band found they had some leftover tracks that they loved that didn’t quite fit the upcoming album. So in December they released the Wasted Tracks EP and allowed those tracks to see the light of day, a more chill side of Avers. On “Calling Out To You” the band proves their chill side is every bit as compelling as the louder, fuzzed out shoegaze side. – MG
Dream Boat + Hope For Agoldensummer – “From the Vine”
Athens folk duo Hope For Agoldensummer have a psych pop collective side project, Dream Boat, fronted by their own Page Campbell. A few days ago Hope For Agoldensummer posted this brand new home recording of Dream Boat’s “From The Vine”, with an accompanying video of the girls jumping on a frozen Lake Monona in Wisconsin the weekend before. With the lades jumping on the ice, they play an acoustic version with some hand clapping that just feels oh so right as the sisters dream of eating summer fruit. What is a song of being lost and falling far, the song just has a hopeful feel that warms the heart, knowing all will be fine. – MG
Fool’s Gold – “I’m In Love”
Fool’s Gold is an LA based collective that weaves together new wave, African rhythm and 80’s style pop dance music. “I’m In Love” combs itself trough 80’s style new wave with art pop appeal. Fool’s Gold released their second LP Flying Lessons (ORG Music), back in May of 2015 and “I’m In Love” was the first single off the release. The minute you hear the drums you can’t help but think this sounds like they picked up right where the Talking Heads left off with bits of Morrissey shoved in there. Who doesn’t love a little 80‘s style new wave? – LP
Nap Eyes – “Mixer”
Since the release of Nap Eyes sophomore album Thought Rock Fish Scale a few weeks ago, I haven’t been able to put this one down. The album opens with “Mixer” and immediately grabs me every time, and if it weren’t for such great follow on songs it’d be hard not to press repeat. Frontman Nigel Chapman has a very Lou Reed quality in his tone and delivery. Add in thoughtful lyrics that sucks you in to question your own life alongside the song, with a nice beat and rhythm, suddenly you find yourself deep in thought while singing right along. – MG
Peter Webb – “Little Sister”
Atlanta based musician Peter Webb is a member of esteemed bands such as Faun and a Pan Flute, a 9 piece experimental ensemble, and Hello Ocho. On his first solo release, Liminal Space, Webb shows off his skills as a singer songwriter while showing the influences of his other projects seeping through. On “Little Sister” Webb starts strumming, working into a slow jazz rhythm. Then Peter breaks in with an ethereal voice reflecting throughout the song before bringing in an organ and violin to piece together the beauty and atmosphere of the song. This is one of those debuts where as soon as you hear his voice and the songwriting comes to light, you automatically feel as though you are listening to that next brilliant songwriter on par with the Damien Jurado’s of today. – MG
She-Devils – “Where There’s No One”
Montreal’s She-Devils latest single off of their self titled debut EP, “Where There’s No One”, is a hypnotizing song where lead singer Audrey Ann hauntingly croons “I just need you to say please, no, don’t go away.” over an organ loop backed by Kyle Jukka’s layered electronics below a scratchy surface. The psychedelic ride the dream/french pop band takes you on with their debut EP only has me wanting more. – MG
The Wild Feathers – “Lonely Is A Lifetime”
Nashville’s The Wild Feathers just released the title track off of their forthcoming sophomore album, out March 11th via Warner Bros. Records. “Lonely Is A Lifetime” is a soft, gorgeous ballad with serious harmonies over a strumming acoustic guitar. Perfect for those post Valentine’s blues. – MG
Wildhoney – “Laura”
The Baltimore, Maryland shoegaze/dream pop band known as Wildhoney had a rather busy year in 2015. Not only did the band release their debut album Sleep Through in January of last year via Deranged Records, but released a second album Your Face Sideways (Topshelf Records) back in October. The band also made airwaves in October, when a mistake in some of the pressings of Lana Del Ray’s Born To Die LP featured Wildhoney’s shoegazed debut instead. I guess that could be one happy accident to gain a fan who wouldn’t have normally listened. The Baltimore natives alternatively play a guitar filled version of shoegaze that brings an 80’s and 90’s nostalgia to songs like “Laura” off their second release Your Face Sideways. I can’t wait to catch these guys at Savannah Stopover next month. – LP
Woods – “Sun City Creeps”
The first single from Woods latest album, City Sun Eater in the River of Light, out April 8th on WOODSIST RECORDS, finds the Brooklyn band further expanding the psychedelic folk as Jeremy Earl’s howling falsetto lifts it up. Woods have always been an amazing guitar band, and “Sun City Creeps” is no different as the band works it’s way up into a frenzy building over a killer groove, and once it hits, you can’t help but be entrapped by it as they tear into it. – MG
Tracks currently on Spotify all added together into one easy to listen playlist that’s updated weekly from this list, sticking at 30 songs max from the last few weeks:
This week’s contributors: Lisa Parish (LP); Mike Gerry (MG)
