There is no way to describe the anticipation that built up before Harper's Jar released their debut record. The band had already left an incredible mark on the Twin Cities DIY/DIT community with the Paperhouse that could be felt everywhere. Almost every conversation about local music over the last few months has somehow pointed to  Thank You Ancestor Finger . I was even invited to attend a show by another band on the bill just so I could see what they described as "one of the best bands in Minneapolis." That band, of course, was Harper's Jar. Like everyone else, I'd listened to Harper's Jar debut EP Ode to a Luna Moth  and was instantly transfixed with the band's blend of brooding '80s alt-rock and the cutting side of '90s grunge. When the record's first single "Dandy Golden Blue" dropped last November, I was beyond excited to see what was to come next.  With all that momentum behind them, the trio of Devin Ware, Alex Dunn, ...

Normally, you expect a Harper's Jar song to tear you apart. The band's new single "when you're without me" makes you never want to be apart. Scorched earth guitars and howling passion are substituted with dedication, yearning, and pure beauty. "when you're without me" has my favorite chord progression of the year. From the song's first second, the interplay of guitar and bass dances an elegant ballet, in spiritual sync but moving soloistically. The vocals are delicate and melodious; they invoke an undying love with tender words. The chorus is screamed from a place of control, out of the need to rise above the white noise of existence and to assert true affection. Harper's Jar is a consoling friend, a kind lover, a burst of light through the dark clouds bearing down from above. Any dissonance is resolved with simmering peace. Whether that peace comes immediately or not doesn't matter — it's guaranteed. "when you're wit...

Noted cow band Harper's Jar has been one of the Twin Cities' most revered and most mysterious bands of the last few years. Despite all the (deserved) attention, they still haven't released a full-length record. That is about to change. Today, we're happy to (sort of) premiere the second single off the debut record from Harper's Jar. "home is a roach motel" keeps things mostly within their wheelhouse, but fortunately, that is one of the best wheelhouses known to man. In an interview with Radio K, the band said that this song is the one that they're most proud of, and it shows. While the overall palette may be similar, it subtly reinvents the expectations fans/listeners may have built up over years of relentless gig-attendance. It lives up to the more colorful, more flavorful sonic universe the band promised. This sounds like a song that will inspire the next generation of DIY punks to start their own bands and flourish in their own realms of nois...

Late last year, a video of Double Grave frontman Jeremy Warden playing solo with a bass guitar popped up on social media . That performance turned out to be the quiet debut of Warden's solo project, Animal Actor. Coming from the world of sludgy pop-grunge riffage, Warden's debut of the new project felt like a fresh take on the typical singer-songwriter genre. The song, with its distorted bass and monstrous sound, still felt intimate and sincere. Earlier this week, Animal Actor dropped the first single off of a forthcoming debut record, Not Enough . The single is extremely bare, with only a driving bass and Warden's voice. In just over two minutes, Warden sings about feelings of inadequacy and passivity. Accompanying the song is an animated loop made by Wishbone Zoe 's Sara Kochanski. Animal Actor's debut will be released through Jeremy's label, Heavy Meadow Records , later this year. Animal Actor will be on tour during the first half of September. Yo...

Brilliant Beast - "uncontested divorce (with children)" (Future Fictions) It's always a bit tragic when we here at Ear Coffee find a great new band that is either broken up or on the verge of doing so. Brilliant Beast falls under the latter. At least they're going out with a bang. They have a final EP coming out on August 16, Pageant Fatigue , and this is one of its songs. "uncontested divorce (with children)" is a signifier that the band is never going to leave the maelstrom of noise they've cultivated over their lifetime, especially on 2017 EP Jelly . They won't die, they'll sink into the depths instead. It recalls the obvious predecessor of My Bloody Valentine while adventuring out into the sonic territories of contemporary bands like Nothing and event Alcest. The dual vocals of Hannah and Jordan Porter rattle and hum over the storm, like a tiny fishing boat at the eye of a storm. They survive for as long as they can before rain swallows t...

Dom Winterbauer - Crash (self-released) Sometimes it feels like the Minneapolis scene consists of ten people playing in two dozen bands with different lineups. At least that's the feeling I get from Dom Winterbauer's second solo record. The Minneapolis polymath released two albums this year under their own name, in addition to playing bass in Miloe  and The Argument (who just released their own full-length). Both solo albums have stretched into Real Estate-esque dreaminess. Crash  condenses the Winterbauer's sonic styling into a more focused release (debut Blue Fish  was almost twice as long). Each moment luxuriates it its cloudy textures and looseness. Slowly is the fastest way to find direction. There's hardly any differentiation from song to song, creating a consistent river of wistful and hazy pop. With only a few exceptions, Winterbauer played every instrument, wrote every song, sings (almost) every vocal, and recorded/mastered the entire album.  Live ba...

Miyha - "Sommers / Summer" Heavy Meadow Records has been on a hot streak lately. Smelkin Ernesto with Cambios , Sass' recently announced Chew Toy , and now Miyha. The Madison, WI quartet operate on the more light-hearted side of indie with their new song "Sommers/Summer." The track is the first taste of their forthcoming debut, World's Biggest Crush . "Sommers/Summer" kicks off with a rigid pounding, leading listeners to expect a heavier tune. Miyha fakes us out by instead settling into a shambling indie rock groove. What ensues is a pointed kiss-off. The song is full of tired disdain and the delightful feeling of knowing that you're right. Each line brings a new reason to ignore the song's entitled, avoidant subject. The lyrics convert complicated emotions into short, effective mantras and lingering, relatable questions. Subverting expectations is the name of the game. The quartet's instrumental work does well in its job o...

The Minneapolis quartet Sass have announced they have signed to Heavy Meadow Records. Along with the news, the band also announced their debut album titled Chew Toy  which will follow up Sass' 2017 EP Wet Paint.  The self-titled first single from Chew Toy  has garnered national attention since it was premier by The Grey Estates . "Chew Toy" works perfectly as a flag bearer for the band's off-kilter pop influenced grunge sound. The track grows slowly from an understated intro to a monolith of fuzzed out guitars and biting lyrics. This song feels like it is almost going to burst at the seems. The b-side to "Chew Toy" is the aptly named, and equally tense, "Spoiled by Rotten." Both tracks fit together to spark emotions that are almost exclusively associated with people who are absolute dick heads. This upcoming release from Sass will be the sixth record put out by Heavy Meadow since their inception. My hope is that Chew Toy 's success wi...