Name: Sprints - Drones by Nice Swan Records
Duration: 2 min 55 s
Description: RELEASED VIA NICE SWAN RECORDS ON OCTOBER 9TH 2020

Chemistry

Los Angeles' Smokescreens are a group of friends who bonded through a love for New Zealand's Flying Nun label, as well as shared inspirations such as The Velvet Underground, The Go-Betweens, The Television Personalities and of course indie pop of all flavors. Their self-titled debut was released to wide acclaim in 2017, and was quickly followed-up with the excellent "Used To Yesterday" in 2018.

Since then they've toured a bit, written a bunch and made some great friends along the way. One new friend and fan is David Kilgour from legendary New Zealand band The Clean, who came to LA to produce Smokescreens' new record "A Strange Dream." Recorded with trusted engineer Kyle Mullarky, this terrific album exhibits a band at the very height of their powers, combining their collective talents into a potent set of songs that's been superbly captured by the team of Kilgour and Mullarky.

From the jaunty pop of opener "Fork In The Road" to the rocking "Streets of Despair" and the dreamy "On and On" this is a record that clearly shows a band that knows it's way around a timeless guitar riff and aching pop melody. Gorgeous ballads like "Nighttime Skies" and "I Love Only You" add a new depth to Smokescreens' sound, and the cover of Scrotum Poles' DIY classic "Pick The Cats Eyes Out" is perfect, and perfectly fun. Add in an evocative cover painting from Mr. Kilgour and you have a record looks as good as it sounds, and will prove to be compulsive listening for any savvy pop fan.

A Strange Dream

Smokescreens - Working Title

First single from the new album 'Snapshot' released on all formats on Oct 2nd.
The album was produced by Ben Hillier ( doves, elbow, Nadine Shah)
Pre Order / Pre Save 
: https://orcd.co/snapshot_thealbum

Juanita Stein     SNAPSHOT

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6:41 Sapien

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Jolene

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RELEASED VIA NICE SWAN RECORDS ON OCTOBER 9TH 2020

Sprints - Drones

Following on from 2016's "Ocean Blue" EP and 2018's "September Love" LP, Stockholm's Stephen's Shore are back with a brand new EP entitled "Brisbane Radio".

The lead single is "Brisbane Radio", ”a streets of Stockholm popsong".

Pre-order the limited 7" EP or digital. Link in Bio.

Stephen's Shore - Brisbane Radio

"Brooklyn's Russian Baths released their debut album back in 2019. A year later, they've returned to album standout "Responder" for an entirely new "Night" version of the song. Where the original is a dark, driving rock song, the new take is haunted, twinkling like the midnight sky, with skittering drums, melancholy piano and an open road's worth of atmosphere." ~ BrooklynVegan

Striving to control others (emotions, desire, behaviors) corrupts. This seems like a chronic symptom of the worst in masculinity.

A responder talks back, but does it listen? Not equipped with the tools to be vulnerable, one voice denies reality, refuses to connect, exerts more control, idolizing restraint ("the way I held every face card") and admonishing its counterpart ("you way you scolded me"). With denial (to self and other), all's bound to collapse. Both know it will happen. Neither wants it.

I guess it's also an exploration of the big 80s breakup love ballads of the Patty Smyth featuring Don Henley variation, but the dark sexual politics of the heartbreak are more explicit. This is the night version.

I was listening to a lot of the xx and Sinead O'Connor when we wrote it and when re-recording it, I was listening to PJ Harvey almost exclusively. I wonder if this bleeds into the atmosphere.
credits
released February 5, 2021
Russian Baths are Jess Rees & Luke Koz

Keys ~ Jade Shames
Drums ~ Daniel Gallardo

Mixed by James Frazee

Sprints - Drones

Nice Swan Records

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