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

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Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes - Lullaby

Sleep, where have you gone?
It's been months now
And I'm coming undone
I keep being woken
By screams and tears
Sheer fucking terror
Ringing out in my ears

I've thought about featuring Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes a few times recently, as I think their 2015 release Blossom is really interesting and seems to pop up my rotation quite often. Lucky me! They've got some solid new stuff that's finally given me the impetus to get on with the sharing.

Frank Carter hails from the UK and was the singer for hardcore punk outfit Gallows until he was replaced by Alexisonfire's Wade Macneil. Which, and I have no idea about the details, was probably a great move for him. Let go the screamo!  

You can still very much hear those punk influences with The Rattlesnakes. But there is much more here and it's good. Really good.

I first caught wind of them with their industrial-tactic hit "Devil Inside of Me" (off Blossom) which reminded me of early 90's acts like Ministry and Nitzer Ebb. 

I think that comparison holds, but there is some level of cleverness that comes out in the lyrics and arrangement that makes them stand out. And then there is the polish and quality production, which I think really works.

This is very evident in their newest work. At the time of this writing, they've got two new singles out, "Snake Eyes" and today's TMIS "Lullaby". They're both terrific examples of well-executed genre blending that results in a sum greater than the parts. Their new album, Modern Ruin, comes out in January 2017.

BONUS TRACK - here's the video for "Snake Syes".

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CRX - Broken Bones

Get it before
It goes to waste
Lick on my knife
And honor the taste
Taking my time
Running in place
Leaving the house
Was a mistake

Nick Valenci, lead guitarist for The Strokes, has a new side project, CRX. Their debut album, New Skin, dropped today and it's solid. It has a clean, straight ahead and classic rock sound. Think a bit Cheap Trick, a bit The Cars and a bit The Strokes. Who, by the way, clearly have a solid individual game with Albert Hammond, Jr's stuff being stellar as well.

New skin was produced by Josh Homme, and you can hear his influence on most of the tracks. Good, good stuff.

Oh, and, AWESOME, the word on the street is our very own Donald J. Trump is going to produce The Strokes' next album.

RIYL: The Cars, The Strokes, Cheap Trick and Queens of The Stone Age

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Mainland - Permission Slip

I'm pissed, I'm stripped
Of all my faith in everyone I miss
You talk, big talk
Like your so right and I'm so wrong
But I don't need no permission slip
I don't need no kiss on the lips
I'm doing fine, doing my time
Buying wine and drinkin' all alone at night

California grown Mainland mix a fun and carefree west coast attitude with polished yet gritty east coast heart, style and vibe. Their body of work, as far as I can tell anyway, is limited but very promising. They've got a couple of EPs out, and a few recent singles, which I expect means an album is on the way.

Today's Most Important, "Permission Slip" is a catchy indie rock anthem that brings a terrific "oooh weee oooh" hook to skippy dance beats. If that doesn't do it for you there are other options. Try "Beggars," a polished, sophisticated groove matched with an anthemic hook or "Outcast" for a nice, well-executed and upbeat indie pop cut.

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Day Wave - Drag

And I know that I still hang around
And I bring you down
And I'm just like that
You say that I'm too hard to find
And I don't make time
And I'm just like that

Hold me back
I don't wanna be a drag
It'll just make you mad
Turn me around
I don't wanna make a sound

I have always loved New Order, such a unique sound they have been able to carry from Joy Division days through the 80s, 90s, 00's to today. So of course I super dig Jackson Phillips, aka Day Wave, with his dreamy, low-fi sound and ability to perfectly cover one of his main inspiration bands (bonus track). 

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