Pleasure that everyone is slowly being let out of the cages around the world. It’s been a weird journey for a lot, surreal to a great extend in some cases. One thing it seems to have been is a creative opportunity that you could have made the most os. It feels like this is the case for Jr. Joy. This chaotic and what at times feel halfway schizophrenic seems a proper ode to the emotional rollercoasters a lot have been through the past year.

Here’s to hoping that we’ll all finally be let out into the sunshine once more. And if you ever need a reminder of what a ride it all was, this work of art is readily available.

You an also find it on our playlist on spotift, right here: 

Bathe Alone - Calm Down

https://soundcloud.com/bathealone/calm-down

I really loved the Antisocialites record by Alvvays that came out in 2017, it seemed to revive some Mazzy Star vibes that had been lost for a while. Now it’s on to see which artists can bring this forward.

Loves Me / Loves Me Not

> spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0cgvx8cRMUii4ZSNkdennc?si=bbd6ZeZJS62UyL9aUbsqbg

Bleach Day - bbs in the Grass

https://soundcloud.com/af-tapes/bbs-in-the-grass/s-mgUBS

Smooth mornings, sunlight through the curtains, someone made you breakfast, it’s sitting there, coffee fresh and hot. There’s a little purple flower in a tiny porcelain vase once long ago used for sauce at fancy dinner-parties, but this isn’t fancy, its friday morning and you’ve got no plans at all. Just go see where it’s going to take you. We send some love your way for the ride and so does Bleach Day. This definitely is the perfect soundtrack for such a morning and day <3 can’t wait what’s to come.

Anto Dust - Last (That I Saw You)

https://soundcloud.com/antodust/last-that-i-saw-you

Some really nice Alvvays kind of aesthetics happening on this tune from UK act Anto Dust. One thing that’s interesting is that they somehow sound almost Swedish? There’s some qualities that a lot of Swedish indie bands seems to have and it sounds like Anto Dust modeled some of that into some sort of British sound meets Alvvays’ish concoction. I’m very interested in where this can go

The Great Dictators - Play Dead Together

https://soundcloud.com/the-great-dictators/play-dead-together/s-H7bKs

Solid “heavy” slacker vibes out of Copenhagen on this one from The Great Dictators. It’s funny, this tune seems very radio friendly but still manages to retain it’s indie credibility very well. Lead singer sounds like he’s got a lot more songs to nail before he settles down anywhere, I hope I’ll be lucky to hear some of those pass my way. Until then, you can enjoy this gem that was released not long ago.  Worth nothing on this is the nod to Pixies at the beginning of the tune, I’m sure most of you noticed.

nashita. - sunlight

https://soundcloud.com/nashita-k/sunlight

More pleasant, easy-listening lofi coming out of Australia these days. It might not be hitting any radio-stations, but it should be playing out of every speaker of teenagers bedrooms in the bush. This tune isn’t trying to impress anyone, also does it not need to, its just there if you’d like to enjoy it - and I think you should.

Red Giant Mirage - Killer Whale

https://soundcloud.com/brayden-willmott/2-killer-whale

It’s like a lofi road-trip with half of the Beatles and a drunk Tame Impala crew in the back of the van and everyone’s jammin’. I like that it’s not trying to be too massive or aiming for perfection. The lofi aesthetics fits this tune very very well and I’d love to put this on a cassette tape and pop it in an old pickup-truck and just go buy weird shit all day and then go to the beach to watch the sun set.

Dirty Nice - Love Team

I’m pretty sure that if David Bowie were born closer to this time, this is the kind of early tracks he would be making with things like Logic and Ableton Live available instead of a cassette deck. There’s some wonderful homemade lofi aesthetics present on this production that just sits really really nice. Experimental but keeping the melodies and not leaving anyone behind. I’m interested in what else will be coming out from this act.

Tromsø Complex - Glory Days 

https://soundcloud.com/user-997496440/glory-days/s-Q4BdN

This is a pretty interesting take on lofi alternative “pop” - can I even call it pop? it might be that the melodies are trying to pull you that way, but there’s enough indie aesthetics to keep it grounded. There’s a buildup that keeps adding layers to the tune, I think my favourite is the beginnings when its more scattered and minimalistic, however the ending does climax pretty well! Thank you TC for the Glory Days!

Allegheny Drive - Ungrounded

https://soundcloud.com/alleghenydrive/ungrounded

Loves Me / Loves Me Not

New Years approaching, time for one last 2019 share, we hope you’ll enjoy <3

We also started adding the tracks from our LMLMN posts in a spotify playlist for further enjoyment, you can find it here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0cgvx8cRMUii4ZSNkdennc?si=iHduei6CQI6Fgtt6qfEKGQ

Onwards>>

Safari - Are’s Daughter + Spoken

https://soundcloud.com/bandsafari/ares-daughter

Safari were spending so much time in the bush that they forgot to let us know they released a bunch of lovely tunes 2 months back - much luck however, we’re gonna cover 2 of the tunes for your pleasure this time!

The first one ‘Are’s Daughter’ is personally one of my favourite tunes in some time as it connects a nice big array of solid influences and manages to somehow pack them all into a solid 4min package. It’s lofi, it’s certain diy, there’s some dorky The Frogs vibes that merges into the lofi slackery early Built to Spill which then goes full Pixies aka ‘Break My Body’ from Surfer Rosa - I’m fucking loving the screams around the 2 min part. It’s just a beautiful chill, noise and quite pleasant 4 min of your time, I’d recommend going twice.

https://soundcloud.com/bandsafari/spoken

‘Spoken’ is the second track we got sent off of the ‘Draw’ release from earlier this year. It’s a little less ‘full on’ than Are’s Daughter, but still quite a pleasant company. The vocal melodies show one of the major strengths of ‘Safari’, it’s kept really simple, often repetitive but the melodies keep it all floating extremely well - and then I have to say - that their singer has the same tone as Black Francis is just an amazing plus - for someone who still loves to go back an listen to Surfer Rosa, Trompe Le Monde, Doolittle and other old Pixies albums, this gives me hope that there’s new blood coming! I look forward to what the time will bring for Safari if they end up in the right hands.

Yaehsun - Show Me How You Love

https://soundcloud.com/user-282851032/show-me-how-to-love

Like a soothing bedroom version of early Tame Impala, Yaehsun gets away with copying all the nice things of TI without coming across as a silly ripoff - many have gone that way and never delivered - It’s not the case here. It’s damn smooth and I would be very inclined to put this tune on a sunday chill playlist - something I would most likely never do with a Tame Impala track. I look very much forward to seeing what else will come from this outfit! 

Mouthbreather - Modern Girl

This is about as “folky” as it gets for us, but it’s not really folk - it’s got way too much of something else that I’m not quite sure how to pin down. Somehow I feel like I’m hearing this mix of Oasis and the National, but I’m not sure - I am sure though that that’s only a good thing. Lyrics tells a pretty straight ahead and nice story, the video has some really nice cartoon-parts that was a pleasure to spend time with. It’s a pretty simple song but I have a feeling that a lot of work and love went into this, it’s definitely worth a listen and a watch, just to take a quiet breather while everyones passing by around you in highspeed. You don’t always need to go fast, remember to enjoy the things and people around you <3

I, Doris - Just Some Doris

https://soundcloud.com/user-60096052/just-some-doris-1/s-kR6sc

Oh another home-run from Britain before they exit EU, if anything I hope that the whole thing will bring a ton of great music built on anger and frustration. This lovely little tune by Doris is rather comical, not in the annoying way of course, it’s more dorky - Dorky Doris, fuck I’d love to have a friend who called herself that. Now I love dorky, although naming yourself dorky is probably more ballsy than dorky, anyhow enough of this - the tune is cosy, you’ll enjoy it! I for one hope I get to see I, Doris live sometime! 

Pink Soup - Epiphany

https://pinksoup.bandcamp.com/track/epiphany

Loads of lofi bedroom-electro vibes in this sleepy slacker tune from Pink Soup, it’s a perfect soundtrack for a delirious sunday stroll to the local grocery store still halfway gone from last nights escapades. I have absolutely no idea what’s really being sung about, but it doesn’t matter, I feel whats going on and thats exactly what the track’s supposed to do - switch your mind off and just let go for a little while, we’ll be okay, this boat is gonna dock on the other side somewhere.

The Oxen - Glass Pastures

https://soundcloud.com/theoxen/glass-pastures

Damn perfect tune for getting completely lost - this track makes me want to get a garden, somewhere I can just lie down on grass and have butterflies and bumblebees flying around above my head. I’m going to need some sunflowers too - I can already see them swaying in tune to this song with the wind, it’s going to be fucking magical!

The tune evolves beautifully also - it’s smooth sailing with the change-up of a c-part where it gets a bit more rocky, but you’ll be back - it’s like a pretty nice guided audio-meditation - letting you ride their magical rollercoaster safely back to the docking bay. I’d love to try some of the other rides in this delicious theme park <3

Royal Target - By My Side

https://soundcloud.com/smiths1967/by-my-side

This tune reminds me of the first albums by bands like Beat Happening and the Vaselines. There’s some sort of “puppy like” thing about songs on those albums as there is with this tune by Royal Target. It’s kinda tumbling ahead in the most charming of ways. This song gets some extra vibe by the thick german “english” accent, it just really works. 

I know from conversation that the tune itself holds enormous meaning to the artist and is quite personal, which is always a nice thing to know that something was created with a lot of emotion - that’s why songs like this works out, you don’t to drown in technical skills or have equipment more expensive than your house, you just need integrity and emotion. I hope 2020 will bring plenty of more songs down this road.

Modesta - Ode to the Peculiar

https://open.spotify.com/track/2KrbjD9t31ZpBKUocd7M5c

This is about as ‘poppy’ as it gets for us, but it’s so damn good this here. It’s like cutting hot butter with a sharp knife or watching someone squeeze silly putty in slow motion, I mean come one - that stuff is trance-like! Why do you think ASMR is so popular these days - I'm pretty sure Modesta is the true link between music and asmr. You should give it a try, it will make your day better, promise!

Take care everyone and have a good new years.