Six Records CMM Wants You To Know

Kim Gordon "Murdered Out" Single (Matador)

Backed by a thunderous bass line and undeniably dangerous appeal, Kim Gordon's debut solo single is an infectious barn burner that harnesses a spirit that is primal and raw. Gordon says "When I moved back to LA, I noticed more and more cars painted with black matte spray, tinted windows, blackened logos, and black wheels. This was something I had occasionally seen in the past, part of lowrider car culture. A reclaiming of a corporate symbol of American success, The Car, from an outsider’s point of view. A statement-making rejection of the shiny brand new look, the idea of a new start, the promise of power, and the freedom on the open road. Like an option on a voting ballot, "none of the above.” The tracks hypnotic beat comes courtesy of Warpaint's Stella Mozgawa and guides you through the wash of relentless noise and audio experimentation that flourishes behind Gordon's draw dropping vocal attack. "Murdered Out' is absolutely crushing and certainly one of my favorite tracks of the year

Klute "Loser" E.P. (klutebanda.bandcamp.com)

A brilliant dose of power pop/punk rock out of Ferrol, Spain that brings to mind the likes of The Replacements, The Parasites and Jawbreaker. The driving spirit of "Loser" sets things off with it's straight forward beat, melodic hooks and catchy vocal cadence giving it all the makings of an anthem. "If You" is another guitar based rocker, full of big riffs but with a more melancholy feel while "Sick To The Bone" harnesses a nice balance of grit and rock n roll swagger that will have you singing along in no time. The quick pace of "1998" rounds out the E.P. in fine form and leaves me wanting more. This band is for real!!! Get into it!!!

Lime Forest "Like Liquid" LP (limeforest.bandcamp.com)

Lime Forest is the brainchild of Urbana, Illinois musician Rick Sniegowski. His debut album is an incredible collection of psychedelic fueled indie rock fittingly titled "Like Liquid". Opening number "Over And Over" lifts you up from the very beginning as it's shuffling beat and rolling bass line lay the foundation for an infectious blend of colorful guitar tones and captivating vocals. The comforting feel of "Black Sheep (Unread)" mixes in ambient dynamics alongside the bands blend of stellar songwriting and top notch musicianship, while tracks like "Fires" and "One More Year' channel the likes of Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips with a slight touch of 70's glam rock flair. "Do You" is a truly beautiful example of cleverly executed indie pop with it's catchy melodies and hook filled chorus. The acoustic based "Melancholy Mermaids" closes out the album like a cinematic setting sun that leaves things feeling optimistic and warm. A remarkable record from beginning to end!!!

Luminist S/T E.P. (luminist.bandcamp.com)

Led by the soothing voice and guitar work of founding member Ross Gallagher, Brooklyn based Luminist deliver well on their S/T debut E.P. "Pirouette" has a feel good vibe to it as it's light breezy approach is very inviting and it's swinging beat and delicate tones offer a cozy appeal. The laid back style of "Infinitely" creates a moving mood that radiates with passion as it's simple structure and dynamic vocal range are nothing short of stellar. The dark spirit of "Drearing" really caps things off in grand fashion. It's spectacular arrangement and mysterious feel make it down right haunting at times. It's also got some of the most inspiring vocals you will hear anywhere as Gallagher really takes his performance to the next level with every word he sings. A promising effort that will hopefully be followed by more music for years to come.

Massolit "Western Flyer" E.P. (massolit.bandcamp.com)

Loving this heartfelt E.P. from Montreal indie rock unit Massolit. Things start out with the inspiring sounds of "Fabergé" which begins with a grayish mood that brightens quickly into an uplifting blast of intricate guitar driven rock that radiates with beautiful energy. "Faraday" is a delicate number with rich arrangements and features some impressive percussion sounds and captivating tones, while "Western Flyer" is a brilliantly crafted instrumental. The phenominal range of "Blank On Blank" bring things to a climatic end as the band take their world of atmospheric guitars to the next level. It's an astonishingly gorgeous track full of underlying grit and menace. A most excellent E.P. from one of my favorite new bands.

The Psychic Ferns S/T E.P. (thepsychicferns.bandcamp.com)

Los Angels based band The Psychic Ferns debut E.P. is a crushing blast of fuzz fueled guitar wizardry and hypnotic vocals that delivers from beginning to end. "Orca" gets things going with a flourishing swell of backwards guitars that give way to a swinging groove supplied by the bands top notch rhythm section. "Knew New" is backed by a chunky riff, pounding percussion and a heavy space rock presence while "Astral Ground​/​/​Re​-​Emerge" is a freight train of cosmic sludge and doom. The highly technical style of "Far Out Trout" blends classic rock tones with a variety of dirge like runs and shows off the bands remarkable musicianship at it's best. The lighter flair of "Null Time" offers a more psych pop approach before the hard hitting groove of "Watermouth" leaves you lying in the dust once again. A well executed first effort sure to punish your speakers with doomed out, riff rock bliss.

Six Records CMM Wants You To Know

Baby! "Sunny, F.L." (babysongs.bandcamp.com)

Baby! is the brainchild of Orlando musician Kaley Honeycutt. Her debut album "Sunny F.L." is a brilliant collection of delightful indie pop songs featuring Honeycutt on vocals and guitar and producer Riley Corcoran handling the bass and drum duties. The vibrant yet laid back feel of "Weather Girl" starts things off in fine form and features a bright uplifting guitar lead that meshes well with Honeycutt's beautiful vocal delivery. "I'm Sorry" has a duskier, grainier attitude to it, that's matched with a swinging beat and cinematic feel that works incredibly well while the colorful spirit of "Still There" shows off the organic feel that grows throughout the album. When asked about her process for writing songs Honeycutt says "My song writing process is definitely very emotional and spontaneous. I use music to work through things. And I like to keep the original version of the song. I don't do a lot of lyric revisions or any revisions really. I just add. Because I think songs come out in their truest form as I'm writing them. While I'm genuinely experiencing feeling or emotion." "Sunny F.L." projects a feeling of fun and peacefulness as well as a positive sense of power and confidence on each and every track. One of the best albums of 2016.

Bat For Lashes "Sunday Love" Single (batforlashes.com)

Natasha Khan AKA Bat For Lashes has accomplished quite a bit over the last decade. Today marks the release of her fourth full length "The Bride" which is a concept album following the story of a woman, whose fiancé dies in a car crash on the way to their wedding. The albums latest single "Sunday Love" moves with a bright enigmatic glow as a wave of surging synths loom over a vibrant beat. Khan's powerful voice is truly exquisite throughout the piece, creating a beautiful sonic landscape full of passion and grace. It sweeps you into a euphoric, phantasmagorical universe that leaves you asking for more. Highly recommended.

Dear Friend S/T LP (dearfriendphilly.bandcamp.com)

What I enjoy most about Dear Friend is their ability to blend a mixture of underground sounds together to create their own brand of left of center rock n roll. The Philly based band are always on point be it the speedy, hyper sounds of "Patient With Me" or the more discordant vibe of tracks like "The Sun" and "Want You To Stay". They have a knack for making powerful songs that sprinkle in just the right amount of atmosphere and flair at just the right times. Some moments the guitars and drums move together in relentless fashion before switching back to a more delicate tone that makes for some pretty incredible dynamics throughout the record. I think "Wake Up" might be my favorite track as it's reverb drenched vocals and unique structure are second to none. An excellent debut from one of my favorite new bands.

Friars S/T E.P. (soundcloud.com/friars-1)

A fun feel good E.P. by Friars from the fine city of Utrecht. "Good Old Times" mixes a banging surf/punk spirit with indie pop tendencies and is highlighted by some incredibly intricate guitar work while "Fear It All" is full of head bobbing hooks and "wooo hooo" backing vocals making it one of the most uplifting songs I've heard in a long while. "Hard Times" is more laid back as it's jangling chord progression and matter of fact vocal attack work well. The super charged sounds of "Chemistry" close out this E.P. in fine form with yet another surf tinged garage rocker, backed by an infectious beat and blistering guitar leads. A top notch record from beginning to end worthy of setting on repeat.

Old Bean "Creatures" LP (oldbeaneire.bandcamp.com)

Hailing from Galway, Ireland Old Bean offer up a promising new album that's packed with catchy guitar hooks and impressive vocal harmonies. The songs have that cagey bass driven alterna-rock feel that makes me think of The Pixes and Nada Surf. Opening number "Gone" brings a ton of power to the plate with it's driving riff and pounding drums while the vocals sound like a pulsating ray of sunshine peaking through the sky on a cloudy day. "Lunatic" starts off quick and features a twinge of modern pop punk flavor that works well with its bouncy, melodic sections while tracks like "Bipolar" and "Smile" are both uplifting anthems full of grit and melody. "Cabin Fever" shows off a slightly darker side of the band as this song is more down tempo and melancholy and makes for a nice change of pace before the charged up sounds of "Milot" tear through your speakers. Overall "Creatures" is a fun action packed album that feels like it was made for Summer.

The Gluts "That's Me" Single (thegluts.org)

Milan Italy's The Gluts latest single "That's Me" is a brutal blast of screaming guitars, haunting vocals and galloping drums that harnesses a vibe that is down right primal. As the track moves it builds up more and more intensity until it hits a peak level of frantic mayhem. The songs petrifying video, directed by Jacopo Farina and Sterven Jønger is inspired by the work of classic Italian horror film directors like Dario Argento and Mario Bava and it really takes the songs hypnotic feel to an even more terrifying level. There's literally no holding back here as The Gluts deliver a devastating fury of pure sonic mayhem that is hypnotic, relentless and bold. A+

Six Records CMM Wants You To Know

Daytime Cleaners S/T E.P. (daytimecleaners.bandcamp.com)

Excellent debut from this Bethlehem P.A. based jangle pop unit. Simple song structures accompanied by catchy vocal melodies give these songs a heavy does of lovable charm. The guitars in stand out numbers like "Sleep Debt" and "Limerence" remind me of old favorites like Ultra Cindy and Velocity Girl while "Traces" is more reflective of late 70's indie rockers The Clean. The engineering work of Matt Molchany (Shards Studios) adds an extra layer of icing to the cake as the production reflects the bands personality in fine form. A stellar effort from beginning to end.

Fugleflugten "Ensom Galakse" Single (soundcloud.com/fugleflugten)

Denmark's Fugleflugten have just released this truly beautiful single. "Ensom Galakse" brings layers of ethereal guitars and futuristic keyboards to create a swirling mix of post punk energy reminiscent of The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen and Sigur Ros. The underlying melodies and pop hooks that flow throughout this piece are simply breathtaking while it's crawling rhythm and haunting vocals play at your soul. A welcoming blast of sonic bliss.

The Red Shift "Belly Ache" Single (redshiftcin.bandcamp.com)

I've been happily blasting these guys debut E.P. for months and this new single "Belly Ache" is even more amazing. You can call it pop punk, you can call it indie rock but really what you get here is a stripped down rock n roll number that's as aching to Buddy Holly as it is essential punk bands of the 90's like Jawbreaker and J Church. It's charming, it's powerful and word on the streets is these guys have a full length coming this Fall. Get into it.

This Blinding Light "Mercury" Single (thisblindinglight.bandcamp.com)

Drenched in reverb and fuzz This Blinding Light take you on a rich hypnotic trip on "Mercury" the first single from their new album "Seven Feathers". The enticing vocal delivery that opens the track draws you in building up to an infectious rhythm fueled by pulsating guitars and powerfully organic drumming. It's a psychedelic mind bender that fans of bands like Spaceman 3, Ride and Loop are sure to enjoy. A fabulous effort from these Seattle based shoegazers.

Today Junior "Leaving Easy" Single (todayjunior.bandcamp.com)

Another top notch single here from Today Junior. "Leaving Easy" is catchy as hell, uplifting and certain to elevate your day in the most positive way. Backed by galloping drums and a captivating guitar sound that channels the best of Mascis and Santiago while adding it's own brand of indie rock snarl to the mix. Stay tuned for a new album in the months to come.

We Are Scientists "Buckle" Single (wearescientists.com)

My favorite track from the bands new album "Helter Seltzer". I'm especially fond of the way the vocal cadence moves alongside the undeniable hook that is sure to have you singing along by the second chorus. The blistering guitar solo adds a nice touch and it looks like these guys had a fun time making the video too. "We've always made overtures toward being a pop band, but we've generally had the inclination to obscure those pop leanings in grit and chaos — to screw them up with fuzzed-out tones and raucous performances," says guitarist and vocalist Keith Murray. Another great one from one of America's best bands.