January is over, and it’s been a pretty great month for new music already. Some of these announcements and releases have us pretty hyped for what 2022 has in store. And, now that Bandcamp Fridays are starting up again, more money should go to independent artists throughout 2022, too.
Meanwhile, on our end, we’ve got some fun new stuff in store. We’ve got new writers (you’ll hear from them soon!) and are gearing up to start doing studio sessions again. We’re looking forward to expanding and being able to shine a spotlight on more musicians!
Anyways, on to the week’s round-up. Here’s some great stuff that came out in these final days of January.
ALBUMS
Extreme Witchcraft – Eels
We included one of the promotional singles for this album in an earlier roundup, and now the full album is finally here. The 14th Eels album is bouncy and fun throughout and features excellent production work from John Parish.
Mark Oliver Everett (aka E) co-produced the album and wrote all of the songs, and his songwriting skills are as strong as ever. This album is sure to please long-time fans, and it’ll serve as a solid entry point for newcomers, too.
W – Boris
Experimental rock legends Boris released their 27th(!) studio album this week. It serves as a companion piece to their 2020 album, NO, and together, the projects address the confusion and pain brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Boris has described the project as “a continuous circle of harshness and healing.“
Interestingly, guitarist Wata provides all of the vocals for this album. She sang on the group’s recent “Last Christmas” cover, which the band also released as a sort of commentary on COVID-19 (“We hope this Christmas will be the ‘Last Christmas’ of COVID-19”).
EPs
Planet EP – Squirrel Flower
Squirrel Flower released this ethereal EP this week, and the intimate production really emphasizes her powerful songwriting abilities. Ella Williams self-produced the album, and it sounds like she’s singing right to you while you hang out and share secrets at a sleepover.
Standouts on the EP are her cover of Björk’s “unravel” and the Planet (i) outtake “ruby at dawn.”
Monarchy – ALIGNS
NYC punk rockers ALIGNS need to be on your radar if they aren’t already. The band’s sound is a bombastic mix of prog, noise, and punk. Their latest EP addresses racism and colonization, and vocalist Jacques Barbot channels some Zack de la Rocha-esque vocals on “Reparations.”
Okay, so this EP actually released on January 6th, so we’re a little late to the party. But it’s fantastic, so – better late than never.
SINGLES
“Churchyard” – Ex-Vöid
The first single off of Ex-Vöid’s upcoming album, Bigger Than Before, is a short and sweet noise-pop ditty. You may recognize the vocals here, even if you haven’t heard Ex-Vöid before – the band was formed by Joanna Gruesome members Lan McArdle and Owen Williams. The new album is set to release March 25, 2022.
“Garden of our Neighbor” – Goon
This track starts off as lowkey lo-fi bliss and then surprises with a pulsating synth that builds throughout the runtime. Between that and the subtle ocean sounds, this is a real stand-out track that mixes comfort with discomfort – making it the perfect noise pop song. Look out for Goon’s upcoming self-released EP, Paint by Numbers, Vol. 1.
“Really Big Shrimp” – Carly Cosgrove
Philly-based emo rockers Carly Cosgrove released the second single off of their upcoming LP, See You in Chemistry. If you missed the first single, “Munck,” check the video out here. The melodies in these songs are infectious, and something tells me Carly Cosgrove’s first LP is going to knock it out of the park.
“i did a lot of really bad things in a past life so i was s.l.i.m.e.d” – kinda alright
We might be kinda biased since we’re based in Philly, but this city has such a great emo/punk scene. Another Philadelphia band, kinda alright, has put out this rambunctious new single. This song is a BLAST, just look at these lyrics: weird body weirder state of mind/not much I can do/I’m small and kinda cute/and I’ll fuck you up, BLECH!!!!
“Honey Understand” – NoSo
The final song in our weekly round-up is a pulsing, dark indie-pop track from NoSo. This sounds like something you would listen to with the top down while driving through the city at night. The twangy guitar, catchy chorus, and booming beat make for one great song.
Aaaaaaaaand now that January is wrapped up, we have a completed January 2022 playlist for you to check out. Give it a listen and be sure to let us know if we missed any great tracks this month.