Further Listening: Exploded View, Daisy Victoria, Cowtown, Mild High Club, Hoops, Lisa Mitchell, Sam Evian, Ronley Tepper & The Lipliners, Attic Abasement, Breathe Panel, STACEY, Lisa/Liza, Kite Base, Player Piano, Quinn, Cool Ghouls, Pill, EL VY, C Duncan and Finnmark.

5. Making A Cass For Medusa

Regular readers will remember back in May we shared Opposite House, the first track from the upcoming Cass McCombs album, Mangy Love. With the wait nearly over and Mangy Love out in just a few short weeks, this week Cass has shared the latest track from the album, Medusa’s Outhouse.

Almost proggy in places, Medusa’s Outhouse builds around soft pulses of bass, and gently unwinding slide guitars; there’s a touch of Lambchop or Sparklehorse about it, while Cass’ vocal, always capable of great beauty, has arguably never sounded so heartbreaking. Another intriguing example of the subtly evolving sound of Cass McCombs, even a decade into his recording career, you still feel the best is yet to come, and perhaps on Mangy Love he might be closer than ever to reaching his musical peak.

Mangy Love is out August 26th via Anti. Cass McCombs plays The Scala in November, click HERE for all upcoming tour dates.

4. Jump The Puck

Hockey Dad are the Wollongong duo of guitarist Zach Stephenson and drummer Billy Flemming. The pair have been making something of a name for themselves in their native Australia, their debut EP Dreamin’ resulted in national radio play, and sold out national tours. They’re now stepping out in the world at large with their debut LP, Boronia.

Like so much Australian music, Hockey Dad’s sound seems to represent their surroundings, sunny, jangling and never in a great rush to get anything done; new single, Jump The Gun, fits neatly into that sound. With the video released this week, Jump The Gun is a joyous blast of summer, a splatter of distorted guitar, steady snare heavy drum beats and a hooky chorus about how much fun everyone’s having. It might not be the most subtle thing in the world, but it sure is enjoyable!

Boronia is out August 12th via Farmer & The Owl/Believe (UK) and Kanine Records (US). Click HERE for all upcoming Hockey Dad shows (all US currently)

3. Earth Demons

Today marks the release of Earth Heart’s debut album, Homesick. This week they’ve marked the occasion by sharing a brand new track from it, Demons. Earth Heart formed back in 2013, when with a day to go before a solo show, singer Katie Coriander recruited drummer Matt Axten to perform with her. That spontaneity has always continued and manifests in the energetic and slightly chaotic thrills of their music.

Demons is, in many ways typical Earth Heart; unhinged staccato guitar riffs, ferocious almost primal drumming, and Katie’s howl of a vocal. It’s a track that doesn’t seem to stop for a breath, just proceeds with its aim of aurally pummelling the listener with the sheer ferocity of Earth Heart’s musical world. Upcoming album Homesick may mark their first foray into professional studios, but it seems to have enhanced rather than smoothed their edges, and they remain a thrillingly raw prospect well worth spending some time with.

Earth Heart self release their debut album, Homesick today. 

2. Check In With Slingshot Dakota

It is somewhat remarkable in the era of Youtube that, despite being a band for over ten years, Paycheck is the first video Slingshot Dakota have ever released. The track is lifted from the Bethlehem, Pensylvania duo’s most recent album Break. Paycheck is a lurching wall of fuzzy synths and steady rhythms, upon which sits singer Carly Comando’s, anxious, infectious vocal line. At times the song almost seems to dissolve into walls of sounds, but a hook is never far away to drag the track out of the musical fug.

When not releasing music as Slingshot Dakota, Carly & drummer Tom Patterson moonlight as printmakers, members of doom metal band Fog Cult and Emmy Award winning song writers. Perhaps it’s these eclectic careers that keep Slingshot’s music so fresh, spirited and energetic, and why they remain as fascinating an act as they ever have.

Break is available now via Topshelf Records.  Click HERE for all upcoming Slingshot Dakota tour dates.

1. A Queen Is BIRTHHed

BIRTHH is the new project from 19 year old Italian, Alice Bisi. Based out of the beautiful surrounds of Florence, Alice started writing folk songs in her early teens under the pseudonym Oh! Alice, but has since shifted into an altogether more interesting alter-ego, BIRTHH. The music of BIRTHH is inspired by apocalyptic dreams, a lack of inner peace, as well as a stormy adolescence, and it is these thoughts that inspires the title of her new single, The Queen Of Failureland.

The Queen Of Failureland is lifted from an upcoming album, Born In The Woods, which won’t see the light of day until the end of Autumn. The music of BIRTHH is born out of an attention for details and an incessant work ethic. This comes out on The Queen Of Failureland in the shape of skittering beats and sbwirling synthesisers, like Patrick Wolf before her, BIRTHH seems to have taken more traditional musical formats and twisted them into something shimmering, modern and uniquely beautiful.  A thrilling introduction; Alice may see herself as The Queen Of Failureland, but any more musical triumphs like this and failure will be the last thing coming BIRTHH’s way.

Born In The Wood is out October 28th via We Were Never Being Boring. BIRTHH has a handful of Italian dates, click HERE for details.