The Psychedelephants
Future Loves Past
The spacepop of Future Loves Past has inspired an ardent following in hometowns both new and old. In October, the band released Hold On Tight, an EP that adheres to the same dreamy effervescent pop sound that threads their many releases together. Opening with the title track, Future Loves Past creates a cheery, dance-able atmosphere at their shows that carries through their albums. Hold on Tight is no different. By “Runners”- the second track – you’ll be in full sway if not actually plotting a choreography routine across your living room. Keep that in mind when listening in the confines of an automobile: this EP leads to dancing. Listen to (and purchase) the album here. “Sacrifice” is my favorite song from the EP but, in truth, the whole recording fits together almost seamlessly, so picking a favorite seems inappropriately divisive. Listen to Hold on Tight here and consider making the purchase. With all their driving back and forth between Cali and AZ, we owe them some gas money.
Abuelo
The Flagstaff duo known as Abuelo creates compelling instrumental math rock. Now, before you skip ahead to the end of this post, I feel I must point out that this is the type of music that shows jazz as the true precursor of rock. Progressive, dynamic, and definitely worth checking out, especially for all you musicians out there. Sure, you might craft a nifty hook now and again, but do you have what it takes to strip all that away until all that remains is your true worth? A Good Day for Abuelo carries the listener from beginning to end on a musical journey that excites as it unfolds. No boring instrumentals here. Listen to A Good Day for Abuelo here.