"Producer Cole Koch has unveiled his debut single “Lockdown NYC”, which fuses a party-ready palette with distorted instrumentation to create an apocalyptic dance song." Read more at The Line of Best Fit

Debut album, Native Speaker, from Montreal based BRAIDS marks its 10 year anniversary with limited edition canary yellow and spring green deluxe vinyl packaging available now for preorder and in stores July 9th, 2021. With the release of Native Speaker in January 2011, BRAIDS quickly became one of Canada’s bands to watch.  Mixing pop, electronic and indie music together with Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s distinctive voice, their unique blend earned them heaps of praise: “Promising and fast-rising group brings a sense of drama and lust and elliptical, unexpected arrangements to indie rock.” - PITCHFORK “Pairs glimmering, pastoral post-rock with foul-mouthed lyrics" - SPIN  “Takes […]

Today Kip Berman, singer / songwriter of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, announces his debut solo album as The Natvral. The album, Tethers, is due on April 2 on Kanine Records, and you can pre-order it on baby blue vinyl and stream Why Don't You Come Out Anymore? today. You can read about it at: Pitchfork Brooklyn Vegan “the album is pretty far from the sound of TPOBPAH, owing more to Dylan than My Bloody Valentine.” Raven Sings the Blues “First single balances a classic rock sway with the ragged sighs of Oasis, the grandiosity of Hurricane #1, […]

Under the Radar shares new video for Hoorsees "Get Tired," which will be on all streaming sites Friday. "With a scruffy slacker demeanor coupled with emotive, heart-on-their-sleeve writing, the band perfectly encapsulates young adult boredom and frustration." Read more at Under the Radar

Happy Album Release Day to Pearl Charles! Here's what people are saying about "Magic Mirror": “An album suited to Saturday nights and Sunday mornings”  Shindig “Magic Mirror is like a compendium of American music from the 1960s on, combining razor-sharp lyrics, confidding, crystalline vocals and nodds to classic country rock and soft pop, with results that are ensnaring and betwitching” The Sunday Times "Modern day reflections on disco euphoria and Canyon contemplation" Uncut Magazine “An impressive and mature album with a freewheeling sense of optimism”  The Independent **** “A blissful journey of cosmic country, disco and poppy psych rock that dances its way into […]

Pearl Charles new video for album opener Only For Tonight is streaming in full over at DIY Mag which says "An exciting glimpse at what her forthcoming record has in store". Magic Mirror is out Friday! “A shimmering discoball anthem worthy of peak Abba” Uncut Magazine on Only For Tonight "Charles’ musical escapism is a welcome break" Music Week “Pearl Charles makes timeless pop-rock songs that are deeply indebted to classic records from the '70s: think Elton John, Randy Newman, Joni Mitchell, and EmmyLou Harris.” Vice "Think Linda Ronstadt meets ABBA"  Highway Queens  

Kip says: I wanted to share a new take on an old song of mine that still means a lot to me. “Ramona” was originally a b-side to the “Young Adult Friction” 7”, but despite it’s obscurity, it was a song I performed countless times unaccompanied at PAINS shows as an encore. Perhaps The Natvral is in some ways an encore - and like many PAINS encores, not prompted by rapturous applause or perfunctory showmanship  - but simply a desire to keep making music. More to come from The Natvral in 2021.

We don't know exactly what to say about the dumpster fire that was 2020. We started off the year with the wonderful, whimsical and emotional debut from Honey Cutt that was released right as sh*t got real, or March, which is why you might have missed Coasting, and why we highly recommend giving it a spin here. Then, we pushed everything down the schedule, including two releases by Surfer Blood, who was "celebrating" the 10 year anniversary of their debut, Astro Coast and set to release their 5th studio album, Carefree Theatre.  Shelving several months worth of tour dates, did not stop Surfer Blood from […]