It's getting a bit hectic and busy in the Ear Coffee camp, but we will gladly sacrifice sleep in order to bring some cool local tunes to all 1.4 million of our fans! I am definitely going to regret this decision later, but it's worth it!
shrimp olympics - hot meal
Fortunately, these Olympics happen more than once every four years. Shrimp Olympics is the delightfully lo-fi recording project of Minneapolis' Austin Lombardo, with hot meal being his second album in as many years. Each song is a contained work of noodly psychedelia, with washed-out synths, punchy guitars, and obtuse lyrics. "king billy (narrative)" sounds like if Animal Collective had recorded parts of "Sung Tongs" while not on acid. "gretchen" is a bizarrely existential tune about the narrator's girlfriend's step-mom. Overall, the project is a quirky and fun collection of 60s pop-inspired tunes.
Victor Shores - You'll Get Better At It EP
I would imagine you'd want ear plugs at a Victor Shores show. You'll Get Better At It is the fuzziest and second heaviest (I listened to doom metal the other day) thing I've had the pleasure of hearing this week. The mixture of No Age-esque garage pop and emo vocals provides a unique and satisfying take on a fairly stale genre. If you've ever wanted to hear what the Ty Segall Band would sound like if they were fronted by a pop-punk singer, then this is the record for you.
Oftener - or more often EP
The songs on Oftener's second EP are simple. Tracks like "glassy" and "ok maybe" reveal the strong Real Estate/DIIV/dreamy indie rock from the 2010s influences. The harmonies that show on occasion are straight-up beautiful. Songwriting-wise, the band have crafted several dreamy tunes that wouldn't sound out of place at a festival in 2011. Oftener shows great promise here, and I'm excited for an ambitious debut sometime in the future.
Sal's Paradise - "Kai's Song"
"Kai's Song" is only the third release from St. Paul quintet Sal's Paradise, but the band sounds fully formed. The dreamy guitar and understated keys intersect like wavelengths at a traffic stop. Samuel Ketcham's vocals firmly place the song in the present, even as the rest of the band tries to drag it back in time. The sugar sweet vitality of the song truly lives up to the summer atmosphere.
New Locals - "Dreams"
The title track from New Locals' debut album is really trying to live up to its name. The codeine tempo and on-the-nose lyrics are a bit topically obvious, but it all blends fairly well. Once the second half of the song crashes through into your subconscious, the band's energy provides a transcendent (albeit brief) trip into a cerulean dream of your own design. The return of the introductory guitar riff during the outro is a nice touch that fits symbolically with the song. It bookends a pleasantly trippy excursion into the mind.
Atomic Cafe - Further EP
I don't think that Atomic Cafe necessarily intended to base their sound off their band name, but it works surprisingly well. The single "Apollo," released as a teaser in March, sounds like it is being performed by the in-house band of a tea shop on Saturn. The rollicking guitar lick on subsequent track "Couscous" anchors the orbit of the ridiculously catchy melody. If I had been standing up when listening to the song, the key change towards the end would have knocked me over. This is a fantastic song, and a highlight on the EP. The drugged-out atmosphere continues through to the sleep-ridden title track. Aggressively arpeggiating guitar leads fill your ears as you try to sleep away your diminishing high.
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