GROOVE ART FEATURES
january
Sloen - For All the Days Gone
From the opening bars of “At the edge of reality” you know this album is going to take you on a journey. It has all the elements of beautiful story-telling post-rock: the atmospheric swells, the forlorn drone notes, the walls of bass and distortion, the intimate clean tones of layered guitar melodies that will tell you small secrets or yell boldly into a hurricane at different times. Fans of Mogwai, This will Destroy You, Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, or God is an Astronaut will highly enjoy Sloen’s take on post-rock.
Jeff Thomas - Evaporate
This is a very human album. The album feels acoustic and unplugged, even when it's full electric, because the emotion feels raw and unplugged. The real star of the whole album is Jeff’s voice, harmonies, and his words, they shine and radiate throughout with metaphors and confessions about hardship, growing up, diversity, moving on & maturing. The instrumentation is deftly used to add weight and nuance to the stories being told. The part of me that loves Bon Iver and Elliot Smith rejoiced at this album.
BK Fitz & Mannequin Shop - American Deceptionalism
This album has something to say, and your attention is required. Infused with surf punk and ska tendencies, or just good old fashion punk rock intensity, they underpin the songs meanings with singular melodic commotion. The whole album is a masterclass in juxtaposing systemic rage and disenfranchisement with catchy hooks and feel-good sensations. At different times, for different reasons the songs remind me of: Bad Religion, Op Ivy, Social distortion, NOFX, Rancid, Rise Against.
The Sleeping Cliffs - Business
Virginia post-rock wizard The Sleeping Cliffs is one of the most prolific, and most original, projects on our radar. Coming on the heels of two gorgeous EPs, Business is the first full-length since the mind-blowing 2024 release of The Dredges. The sound huge, cascading waves of guitar, synth, and percussion in a sonic orgy. The effect is at times beautiful and soothing, at times frantic and angsty, and all feels a terrifically apt soundtrack for our times. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and “Waltzing With Bears” stand out as clinics in saying a lot without the need for words.
Jon Hopper - The Green Fuse
Cheltenham, UK songwriter Jon Hopper released his debut album at the age of 55, putting the lie to any notion that it's ever too late to get started on an artistic career. The Green Fuse is an earnest, shimmering display of talents - Hopper's exceptional lyric sensibility is undergirded by an infectious production, full of crisp arrangements and memorable grooves. A radiant blend of 80's and 90's pop with lots of synths and a personality that's entirely unique - GAU readers who fell in love with Sidebanks should enjoy this record tremendously
Painter Fingers - Dear Presence
Texas songwriter Travis Charles Hagan has a deeply accessible vocal style, a killer ear for arrangement, and a talent for building memorable songs. He veers between massive hooks and a disaffected rap delivery, over airtight grooves and lush arrangements. Every track is single material, beautiful, catchy. Imagine John Frusciante and Steven Page got ahold of some beats from a TLC album, and then handed the results off to Jonathan Coulton with instructions to create a defiant-but-melancholy document of what it feels like to be a working American in the 2020s.