DAWNS – “Cool”: I’m told this band mixes post rock and groove. Not sure about the post rock part, though this song is definitely. Have a dance party in the Rockies to this song, at midsummer. I think that setting would capture the vibe. The hook is subtle yet assertive. The song ends too soon!

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/261935287″  /]

Skunkmello – “Slaughterhouse Blues”: Would it be accurate to call this swamp rock? I hope so, because the only environment suitable for this song would be somewhere in the woods in the deep south. Well, not the only environment, but maybe the best one. I never thought I’d be thinking of Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and The Decemberists within the same song, but here we are. The band has an album called Hot Chicken (I wonder if it comes with mac and cheese) that’s out June 10th.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/244893232″ /]

Private Victories – “Baby Love”: Old time songwriting paired with a modern lo-fi recording brings an interesting juxtaposition. The topical direction of the song is rather straightforward and common – lost love. I use the term “familiar yet fresh” a lot on this blog but I haven’t heard this expressed in quite this manner before. I’m curious to see what else this moniker of Grant Carey is able to do.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/259057285″  /]

EMAY – “Israfil (angel’s trumpet)” – Every artist has something they want to say, no matter how inconsequential the lyrics may seem. In the case of EMAY, the rapper explores some out of the box methods of navigating life’s philosophies – showbiz, religion, family. The song is a journey that meaders amongst a glitchy, almost downtempo electronica fabric. In regard to the meaning of the song, Emay explains “Israfil in traditional Islam is the angel that will blow his horn in order to signify the beginning of the day of resurrection,” and later raps that he shouldn’t be called an “atheist or a theist” – so we definitely shouldn’t jump to conclusions about the spirituality of the voice of this song.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/263220483″ /]

PKEW PKEW PKEW – “Asshole Pandemic”: The Toronto punkers hold no punches in this fun yet kinda over the top song. The band will be hitting the road with Pup and Rozwell Kid later this year so that vouches for their credibility in my book. The song is vulgar, but I find myself more amused than offended. Plus, what is more punk than being offensive in a song? The band’s self titled record is out June 10th on Royal Mountain Records

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/234564678″  /]

Them Guns – “Horoscope”: The new wave vibes continue with my exploration of this intriguing find from SXSW. This time, though the vocals don’t fit this comparison, my mind wanders in the direction of Duran Duran. The synth melodies are probably my favorite and most infectious part of the track. Vocalist Navarone Garibaldi explains “This song is kind of about the spiritually ‘kooky’ girls – the ones that want to read your horoscope before they decide if they will give you any of their time.” Now that I think about it, I do detect a little bit of sarcasm in this song.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1FGkzrgCMU[/youtube]