Strange Passage "A Folded Sky" will fully release in November on Meritorio Records (Spain). After listening to "Hunter's Fancy", the only track currently available, I kind of assumed the band was British. The trebly guitar recalls Glasgow or C86 and the melodies remind me a bit of The Smiths or maybe Northern Portrait.
Nope. Strange Passage are from Somerville, Massachusetts (a bit west of Boston). The band has been making music for nearly a decade - all of it sounds good. The Bandcamp page for the new release mentions that comparisons have been made to Felt, The Feelies and The Church. I would add the jangle of R.E.M. and the drive of Smokescreens.
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Meritorio Records (Spain) might be the most international label we mention here. I mean, they support a lot of Australian music (Wurld Series, Stephen's Shore) but have begun to branch out with bands like semi trucks and Rural France (and Smokescreens).
semi trucks (Los Angeles) sound like a cross between The Jesus and Mary Chain, Galaxie 500, and The Pastels.
As mentioned earlier, this is released by Meritorio Records (Madrid, Spain).
Plenty of bands over the years have used the Clean as a template. But how many of them have gotten an actual member of the Clean to produce their record? Thatâs right, Los Angelesâ Smokescreens drafted none other than David Kilgour to man the boards for A Strange Dream, their new-ish long-player. Itâs a winning team-up, and sounds generally as youâd expect â that classic strum-chime-jangle guitar, perfectly catchy chord progressions and winsome vocals. Itâs a Flying Nun-style feast (though the album actually kicks off with a riff nicked from the Go-Betweens. Close enough?). Totally nice, totally breezy.Â
Stop taking pics of Gs homes!! Iâve seen some of her homes and cars!!! But then you have the nerve to come here and accuse others!!! Stop passing those pics around and sending minions to show them to me!!!! I know what you want. Iâm not an idiot. Havenât you learned anything after all these years?! WHO IS DISPRESPECTING WHO?!!!! I BET ITâS THE SAME PEOPLE WHO PASSED AROUND THE KIDSâ IG ACCOUNTS (or are those fake and you were trying to use them as a smokescreen????)
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Smokescreens, out of LA, have the jangle-y, sunshine-through-clouds wistfulness of C86 down. Their debut album, out last year, was scrappier and scratchier. This one kicks up a ruckus, but also soothes and swoons in decidedly less lo-fi style.
After a few shifts in line-up, founders Chris Rosi and Corey Cunningham now both play guitar, one striking the Townshend-ish power chords while the other jangles fetchingly around them. Jenny Moffett picks up where Cunningham left off on bass, mostly rumbling in support, but occasionally, as on âJolly Janeâ joining drummer Brice Bradley in a bristly rhythm section vamp. Some cuts are brasher than others, but even when the instrumentals sting, the vocals are sweet and tightly harmonized.
As with most jangle pop, a haze of nostalgia hangs thick around the melodies. The title cut snaps and clatters, a wasp-stung bon bon a la Nick Lowe that wonders whatever happened to everything. âWaiting for the Summerâ has an almost palpable sense of distance from the muscle carâd, windows down, Copper Tone smelling beach holiday it calls up. Itâs not sad exactly, with its fuzz guitar flourishes and hand-clapped intervals, but not entirely hedonistic either. The main appeal to the songwriter seems to be that summer âreminds me of when I was young.â Â
Smokescreens echo the fizzily disconsolate pop songs of 1980s NZ lo-fi. That is, âBuddyâ sounds especially like the Bats, scrabbly âUsed to Yesterdayâ has a Verlaines-ish cast and the spare, percussive hooks of âThe Lost Songâ evoke the Clean. Thereâs a good bit of Teenage Fan Club, too, in the muscle-y guitar licks and euphoric choruses, especially in late-album show stopper âFalling Down.â Â This kind of music is all deeply unfashionable at the moment, of course, and Smokescreens are probably not going to win over many converts. But itâs a damn fine summer record, even so.
Iâve bought nearly everything Corey Cunningham has made - Smokescreens, Terry Malts, Magic Bullets and Business of Dreams. The first BOD album was a more synthy/80â˛s pop sound - great.
This still has the synth, but the bass and the melodies are more reminiscent of some of The Batsâ best work (Paul Keanâs basswork comes to mind). Anytime I throw down a Bats or Chills comparison, please consider it the highest compliment. The Slumberland page mentions Grant McLennan (The Go-Betweens) as well.
Slumberland will be releasing this next Friday (2/1). Corey Cunningham is a California (all over, but I think regularly in the Bay Area) based musician.
