New Tunes Reviews, August 20: Laura Veirs, Crocodiles, Kurt Braunohler, Superchunk, and more

Laura Veirs released an album called Warp & Weft this week.  As a fellow glasses-wearing-girl, I always appreciate her smart lyrics and old-worldy style.  There is something very retro about the way she sings and constructs songs.  This is another strong album from her. It has a lot of heart and takes her normal sound a step further with more complicated instruments.  It is a great follow-up to 2011's Tumble Bee, an album full of originals and a bunch of folk song covers many of us (or just me) grew up with.  

Crocodiles are a San Diego-based band, often mentioned in the same breath as Dum Dum Girls and Wavves.  On their latest album, Crimes and Passions, the melodies are catchy and there are elements of both rocking distortion and breezy harmonies.  I especially enjoyed the two opening tracks, "Marquis De Sade" and "I Like It In the Dark," as well. The last track, "Un Chant D'amour," is definitely a stand-out.  It takes the listener out of the noise-pop aesthetic into a new tone of quiet guitars and muted vocals.  It is one of the strongest outro sounds I've heard in recent memory. 

On the comedy front, Kurt Braunohler called How Do I Land? Having seen Braunohler perform two New Years in a row (and being a fan of Bunk), I was looking forward to this release.  Spotify only previewed 6 tracks. Out of that small sample (& my previous experience with his stand-up), I believe he is a comedian to watch. I recommend "Three Fun Things" and "Chat Pack." 

The new Braids album, Flourish // Perish, is no doubt a buzzy release, but the psychedelic electro-indie scene is over-saturated with similar releases that I think I'll just stick to last year's Grimes' release. 

No Age is an experimental-punk band on Sub Pop. Their new release, An Object, is gritty. It reminds me of earlier releases by Japandriods, but a little less accessible.  The grit-punk genre never appealed to me much, but its an album worth a listen if you are into that. 

I Hate Music, the new album from Superchunk, is very good.  It is an impressive release from this consistently great band and features some of the catchiest songs of the year. "Overflows" and "What Can We Do" are reminiscent of Portastaic songs.  Other songs "Me and You and Jackie Mittoo," "Trees of Barcelona," "Your Theme," and "FOH" are upbeat songs. Overall, I highly recommend it. It will be stuck in your head for days.

(Editor's Note: We are planning a post that will highlight bands who started in the same era as Superchunk - like Guided By Voices and Yo La Tengo - and are currently releasing some of noteworthy material).