The Academic - Mixtape 2003

In my car there's a CD
A mixtape of 2003
A better time for both of us
With skinny jeans and roll-ups
We look back at our time shared
Yeah it's all gone and well who cares?
But I do and I tell you
It's a comeback for now

Looking back on those days
You and your mistakes
Me and my mixtapes
Nothing's gonna change the way I feel

It's Irish bands all weekend on TMIS! Young indie rockers, The Academic, classmates and brothers from Mullingar (80km west of Dublin), will happily steal your French fries and your airwaves if you give them half a chance. They caught some great gigs touring around the UK before and since their EP came out last year, including opening for the Pixies, and here we have their first new song since. Bonus: a fun genre-bended cover performed live. 

RIYL: Castlecomer, COIN, Early Hours, Delorentos, Knox Hamilton

Upcoming Shows

Japandroids - Near To The Wild Heart Of Life

It was last call at my local
And I stalled saying goodbye
So the girl behind the bar came over
And she took me aside
She kissed me like a chorus, said
“Give 'em hell for us
The last drink of the night, last night in town
Baby, this one is on the house

I was pretty excited when I heard earlier this week we'd have some new Japandroids coming soon, and now it's here! Celebrat(ion)! Rock! It's terrific and showcases much of what make Japandroids a great band. Celebration Rock was probably my favorite release of 2012 and you can hear a lot of that in "Near To The Wild Heart Of Life". It's got the classic sonic noise-rock sound so prevalent in their previous work, with even a bit more clarity and polish, and it works really well. It's a bit "Summer of '69" in the chorus, but even that's something I felt a bit on many of the best tracks from Celebration Rock. Here though it might come across even more clearly, which initially threw me, but quickly grew on me. Can't wait for the new album.

RIYL: Cloud Nothings, Cymbals Eat Guitars, The Thermals, JEFF The Brotherhood, Wavves

Mercury Girls - All That Heaven Allows

indecipherable lyrics

Charming, fizzy, newcomer indiepop band, Mercury Girls, is made up of three boys (one from Austin!) and one girl, their emotive lead vocalist. They played The Crocodile in Seattle last night - sorry not to spread the word in time to our peeps there. Check out below for more tour dates/locations. Word from a couple concert reviewers is they are better than those they open for, so get to the show early.

RIYL: Pity Sex, Whale Tooth, Best Coast, Dum Dum Girls

Upcoming Shows

DREAMERS - Wolves (You Got Me)

All the other ones never made it this far
They all were dust when they saw what you are
Still I chase you down to the place you hide
Will I make it out, make it out alive?

You got me brainwashed, you got me so lost
You got me fucked up like you
You got me drugged up, you got me undone
Falling in love like you do
And if you lie down with wolves
You learn to howl
You got me brainwashed, you got me so lost
You got me fucked up like you

Dreamers is a band on the verge, I think. Before even releasing their first full length LP (This Album Does Not Exist came out August 26th), they had already opened for some pretty big and really well-matched bands which lead to write-ups in Rolling Stone, Spin, and a smattering of online publications. They've just wrapped up touring with The Mowgli's only to resume touring this month as the headliner. But, word is that they still hang out at their own merch table and frequently tweet back at their fans. So check 'em out soon if you want in on that kind of intimate interaction with a band, before they start getting mobbed. 

RIYL: Bear Hands, Walk the Moon, The Griswolds, Grouplove, Struts, Atlas Genius, The Moth & The Flame, Kings of Leon

Upcoming Shows

Honeyblood - Babes Never Die

Strike the match that set me alight
You can watch my fire burn bright
'cause babes never die

Honeyblood's new album Babes Never Die came out this past Friday and it's stellar. They've continued to get better and better, and this new one is a killer follow up to their 2014 self-titled release, which we featured here a few months ago.

The first single, bearing the same title as the album, sets the stage nicely. It's great. It opens very Placebo-esqu and quickly and smoothly shifts into the noise-pop earworm sound that's so strong on their older work. Things heat up a bit with "Ready for the Magic", a faster, heavier, rockier song and then the catchy as hell "Sea Hearts". And it keeps going.

RIYL: Placebo, Hinds, PJ Harvey, Courtney Barnett, Slingshot Dakota, The Breeders, Eisley

Upcoming Shows