“I went to the club because I wished to dance deliberately, to front only the essential whips and nae naes of life, and see if I could not learn what Silento had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that no one had at all.”
–Henry David Thoreau’s great-great-great grandson, Swaggy Lil Havoc B.B.
Watch as Reverb writers trundle out of the gaping maw of new releases and empty our catch of the week onto your doorstep.
While you’re here, check out some local talent on Steal This Track. Last week, we featured
Mallrat, “For Real”
Sixteen-year-old Aussie latest track is evidence of what’s so great about capital-P Pop music. Scaling three piano chords, a fool-proof rhythm and an impulse-aisle full of glinting aesthetic snaps and synths, Mallrat sings from the blank space of the teenage psyche: “Time’s not a thing / so roll down the window and we can just sing.” That’s the exact frame of mind a good pop song is supposed to put you in — one that came all to easy in those high school summers when you “didn’t even wanna die once this week.” “For Real” is a song of and about that feeling, one that’s disposable, and valuable because of that.
–Dylan Owens, editor
Eros and the Eschaton, “The Way I Feel Tonight”
This Denver act sounds like a slightly different band from song to song, taking cues as it does from the best indie rock, shoegaze and post-punk of the last three decades. The shape-shifting abates a bit on this big-guitar rocker (from new album “Weight of Matter”) as the band goes balls-out in its pursuit of cockeyed melodic bliss. Showers of sparks rain down as serrated guitars scrape against silvery bass and thundering drums, making a commanding argument for the band as the lovechild of Sonic Youth, The Breeders and Mogwai.
plays the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center on Aug. 5.
–John Wenzel, contributor and Reverb elder statesman
Shura, “Kidz ‘N’ Stuff”
exploded onto the British electropop scene two years ago with “Touch,” a soothing track packed with synths and breathy vocals, so it’s insanely gratifying to finally see her debut album, “Nothing’s Real.”
“Kidz ‘N’ Stuff” tackles the unexpectedness of a breakup and lingers regretfully just long enough to strike a chord in you. But its upbeat, sweeping melodies will have you playing this over and over again, even if you’re not wallowing in a puddle of self-pity over losing a significant other.
–Bethany Ao, contributor
FAQ:
I’ve already heard this song. Buzz off, they’re new to us.
Can you guarantee that I will like these songs? Yes.
But these songs aren’t even good. Try again next week. In the meantime, go .
Is that a real quote up there? Almost definitely not.
Is there a comprehensive playlist of every song you’ve featured as a best song?
