New Music Musings

Another week has flown by, and I’d like to welcome you to my latest look at developments on the new music front. All tracks are on albums that came out yesterday (March 22).

Velcros/Starting Now

Velcros are a rock band from Leipzig, Germany. Their Bandcamp page describes the trio’s music as “a fusion of Tom Petty’s undeniable charisma and the raw, unfiltered energy reminiscent of the punk bands such as The Hives or The Wipers.” In July 2023, Velcros released their debut EP Spit Takes. Starting Now is the catchy opener of the group’s first full-length album Strange News From the Vault. The music and lyrics are written and performed by Fabian Bremer, Nicolai Hildebrandt and Manuel Markstein.

Barely Civil/Not Fine

Barely Civil are an American indie rock band from Wisconsin. They formed in 2012 and are influenced by Emo groups like Modern Baseball and Sorority Noise. Their AllMusic bio notes the group released their debut EP Year of the Dog in 2016. Barely Civil are Connor Erickson (vocals, guitar), Alex Larsen (guitar), Eric Doucette (bass, vocals) and Isaac Marquardt (drums). Off their third and latest album I’d Say I’m Not Fine, here’s Not Fine. I’d say it’s not bad!

Waxahatchee/Bored

Waxahatchee is a music project of indie folk and indie rock singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield. Crutchfield formed Waxahatchee in 2012 after the break-up of pop punk band P.S. Eliot she had co-founded in 2007. Starting with 2012’s American Weekend, six albums have appeared to date under the Waxahatchee moniker including the latest, Tigers Blood. Here’s country-flavored Bored, which first appeared as the second upfront single on February 13.

Charlie Parr/Bear Head Lake

Charlie Parr is a rootsy blues and folk singer-songwriter from Minnesota. Since his July 2002 debut Criminals and Sinners, Parr has released more than 15 additional albums. His influences include Charlie Patton, Bukka White, Reverend Gary Davis, Dave Van Ronk, Mississippi John Hurt and “Spider” John Koerner. From his new album Little Sun, here’s Bear Head Lake. And, yes, there are vocals. They start at around 2:23 minutes into the track after a pretty acoustic music intro.

Van Houten/Never Did Come Back

Van Houten are an English psychedelic pop group from Leeds. From their Soundcloud profile: Van Houten’s core is based on life long friendship, an inability to exist without each other, and an obsession with creating a sonic mixing pot of intimate lo-fi rock + cavernous Shoegaze. Their sound envelops the listener, combining upbeat pop melodies and hooks with downbeat lyrics one minute, before full introspection and aural catharsis the next. Off their debut album The Tallest Room, which took seven years to make, here’s Never Did Come Back.

Adrianne Lenker/Free Treasure

Wrapping up this post is new music by indie folk singer-songwriter Adrianne Lenker. Lenker is also the lead vocalist, guitarist and main songwriter of indie folk band Big Thief she co-founded in 2015 with Buck Meek (guitar, backing vocals). Lenker wrote her first song as an eight-year-old and released her solo debut album Stages of the Sun in January 2014 when she was only 14. She attended Berklee College of Music on a scholarship provided by Susan Tedeschi of the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Lenker’s sixth and latest album is titled Bright Future. Here’s Free Treasure, which like all other songs on the album was written by Lenker. She sounds great!

Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; Velcros Bandcamp page; Van Houten Soundcloud page; YouTube; Spotify