(Cover art by Maddison Spall ) We haven't heard from Minneapolis shoegazers Marmalade in a while. Other than a re-release of the fantastic "Hollow Head" off a 2018 Bandcamp-only split with Climi , it's been over a year-and-a-half since the quartet has released new music. Fortunately, I'm thrilled to announce that that changes today with "Speak." In case you didn't guess from the word "acoustic" in the song title, this is a different sound palette for Marmalade. Glorious tidal waves of guitar tone have been replaced with washed-out acoustic melodicism. The production ("Speak" was recorded by the band's Jonah Hansen and mixed with Theo Galetka) transfers as much of Marmalade's typical vibe onto the song as it can. Even with the haunted demon baby vocal manipulation during the intro, "Speak" is a sparkling gem of dreaminess. A majority of the track is instrumental, which works perfectly for the simple, double guita...

Marmalade - "Hollow Head" (self-released) Ah, the elusive Bandcamp-exclusive release. An increasingly rare yet undying breed, usually reserved for niche reissues and mysterious European metal records. Or 2018's split between Marmalade and Climi. Technically, "Hollow Head" came out then as the second of Marmalade's two contributions to the split. But now it's on ~streaming services~ so why not give it some extra love?  To use Roddie's choice phrase, the track is "tone city." Resplendent chords mesmerize the listener, helping them circle the drain of their own mind. It mirrors the questioning lyric, "I don't know / where it all goes." While your head is left reeling and emptied, you may lose track of where you're headed. Marmalade's gorgeous songwriting will be your lighthouse, bursting through the haze and leading you home. It's unclear why Marmalade picked now to put "Hollow Head" up on streami...

New year, new column! Not really. I just figured I should probably actually start my columns again. If 2019 is anything like 2018, it will be the worst   there will be a lot of great local music! Since we're only three days in, I'm going to cover some music from the tail-end of 2018 that I missed out on at first. I can only hope and pray that my motivation lasts long enough to achieve my lifelong dream of having a modicum of consistency in my publishing schedule. Various Artists -  Brace Cove Presents (Vol. 1)   This tasty compilation EP came out a few weeks before the year's end and features some of the best lo-fi indie rock/punk bands in the Twin Cities. niiice. kick off the release with the heavy, downtrodden "Sweaty Hands." Chugging guitars motor along beneath cheeky vocals, then a guttural scream of "BUT WE'RE NOT GETTING BETTER" breaks everything off. The mixture of sweet lyricism and vicarious screams encapsulates the emotions of th...