# Best New Releases, Week of May 8th – Here We Go Magic, P.S. I Love You, Virals, The Cribs, Heavy Cream, Royal Headaches

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2012/05/best-new-releases-week-of-may-8th-here-we-go-magic-p-s-i-love-you-virals-the-cribs-heavy-cream-royal-headaches/
- Published: 2012-05-12T04:51:23-04:00
- Author: Max Hammer

As we throttle towards summer, the pile-up of great summer tracks (to be included
in the upcoming Summer Mixes series) expands ever more. Add to that new singles 
from **Here We Go Magic** and **P.S. I Love You** especially. We already posted 
a review of P.S. I Love You as the Album of the Week with a number of tracks.

One song that will be a single for upcoming summer playlists will be the undeniable“
How Do I Know” off of Here We Go Magic’s newest album, _A Different Ship_. HWGM 
is one of our favorite nerdy indie pop masters of recent years. The double-shot 
single, “Make Up Your Mind,” is such a different sound for the band that we’re not
sure what to think. It has an 80’s new wave style, complete with high octane electronic
keyboard notes and a forward-charging beat that remind us of soundtracks of movies
from the 1980s, like _Ferris Bueller’s Day Off_. The album itself has mixed reviews
online, but we’re digging it.

“How Do I Know” – **Here We Go Magic** from _A Different Ship_

“Make Up Your Mind” – **Here We Go Magic** from _A Different Ship_

Although we are digging _A Different Ship_, our [Album of the Week](https://indierockcafe.com/2012/05/album-of-the-week-ps-i-love-yous-death-dreams-puts-the-duo-in-the-midst-of-the-2012-rock-revival/)
has to go to PS I Love You’s sophomore release, _Death Dreams_. Read the full [review and listen to tracks](https://indierockcafe.com/2012/05/album-of-the-week-ps-i-love-yous-death-dreams-puts-the-duo-in-the-midst-of-the-2012-rock-revival/)
from the album.

“Bloody Mary” – **Silversun Pickups** from _Neck of the Woods_ on Dangerbird Records

Track from CauseEqualsTime.com

![virals](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/51CBQ1D1cbL._SS500_.jpg)

#### Virals Rises Out of the Ashes of the Band Lovvers

**Virals** is a new music project from **Shaun Hencher**, the frontman of Dionysian
punks, **Lovvers**. Following the break up of Lovvers, Virals offers a new beginning
and see’s Shaun predominately writing, playing and recording on his own. With that
new beginning comes a fresh approach to songwriting that takes cues from the sunshine
vibe of certain American states yet retaining a suitably English feel.

Beginning as a studio-only project in late 2010, Hencher began with the main aim
to craft songs that stick in the head but don’t take themselves too seriously. To
date he’s stockpiled a collection of twenty-plus songs, and is only now starting
to make these songs available with a series of well-planned releases.

Opening with “Coming Up With The Sun,” a glorious shot of wide-eyed she-loves-me/
she-loves-me-not powerpop, Virals offer up an EP that’s as infectious as the band
name would suggest. Recalling the classic productions of Nick Lowe, Bob Mould’s 
Sugar or even The Go Gos, sharing the same earworm qualities and wreckless abandon.
But let’s start off first with the sweet track, “Gloria.”

[“Gloria”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Gloria.mp3) – **Virals**
from 

![thecribsalbum](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/51pGgnUwGNL._SS500_.
jpg)

#### The Cribs, Heavy Cream Deliver Back-to-Back Punk Rock Singles

These next two new singles were almost made to be played back-to-back. First up,
one of the U.K.’s finest brother bands of the past decade, **The Cribs**, return
with more of their straight-forward punk/garage rock on the lead single, “Chi Town”
from their fifth studio album. It’s the trio’s first album since 2009’s _Ignore 
The Ignorant_, which peaked at No. 8 on the U.K. charts and earned them a Silver
Certificate for the album, _In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull_.

Add the new-to-us band, **Heavy Cream**, to the list of awesome girl fronted garage/
punk rock bands that have been popping up all over the place in recent years. The
single, “John Johnny,” is an infectious, lo-fi, punk rocker track that reminds us
a little bit of My Thrill Kill Cult’s “Devil Bunnies.” It also sounds like a track
that would be considered if there were ever to be an alternative soundtrack to Pulp
Fiction – a playlist which we actually plan to publish this summer – we enjoy making
alternative (or Part II or Part III) soundtrack playlists for movies, especially**
Quentin Tarantino** movies, like _Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs_ and _Kill Bill._

“Chi Town” – **The Cribs** from _In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull(Bonus Edition)_
on Witchita Recordings

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Gaslight Anthem, Purity Ring, Young Moon, Grassfight

“John Johnny” – **Heavy Cream** from _Super Treatment_ on Infinity Cat

⌊royalheadache⌉⌊royalheadache⌉ **Royal Headache** have emerged as **Australia**’
s foremost new soul rebels. After a youth spent earning their stripes in the punk
and hardcore scene, Royal Headache came together in 2008 over a mutual love of the
urgency and melody associated with the classic sounds of 60’s mod and 70s punk and
power pop. They craft tight, irresistible, R&B-inflected punk songs, and hone a 
universal message of redemption through passion. Pure of heart and immune to pretension,
Royal Headache released their self-titled debut in the U.S. this week. They play
youth-energy rock at its most vindicating and motivating.

**Wisconsin** musician **S. Carey** is best known as music director, drummer (one
of two drummers) and supporting vocalist of the immensely popular indie folk band**
Bon Iver**. But on his debut EP, _Hoyas_, he explores a different territory. The
lead single below, “Two Angles” delivers a hauntingly electronica/dub-step track
combined with an interesting infusion of trumpet runs.

[“Down the Lane”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/B2%20down%20the%20lane.mp3)–**
Royal Headache** from_ __Royal Headache_ on What’s Your Rupture?

“Two Angles” – **S. Carey** from  _Hoyas_ EP

![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/1328908924-danabuoy.jpg&sa=X&ei
=Lk2uT-WzBsWdiQLp2MzgAw&ved=0CAkQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNG0kYlJFof30Y4BZXSuhX7G6jeSpw)

#### New Singles from Freshly Dropped Albums by Orpheum Bell and Sean Bones

The new single from **Dana Buoy** is one we just happened upon. The name was somewhat
familiar, and without checking it out further first, we just fired up the single
from his/her new album and a minute into it realized it’s a pretty good track in
its own way, for a certain moment. It has aspects that range from celebratory to
shimmery, even soaring, with high-pitched guitar notes, robustly upbeat drums, choruses
and synths.

Related Post:  Best New Music Releases, Week of Nov. 6th - Dirty Projectors, Califone,
Joshua James, Barbarian, Melody's Echo Chamber

This is a good song for a summer playlist because it just sounds like a song fit
to play at the beach, at an outdoor barbecue, driving on a blazing day with windows
down or while your biking on a trail. Some songs just create an imagery, and “Call
To Be” does that. And with an album title of Summer Bodies it’s even more enticing
to eventually get around to listening to it. Turns out, Dana Buoy is simply the 
solo moniker of **Akron/Family** percussionist **Dana Janssen**. Sweet.

“Call To Be” – **Dana Buoy** from _Summer Bodies_ on Lefse Records

Next, it sounds like **Tom Waits** has met up with the **Squirrel Nut Zippers** 
on the track “Poor Laetitia,” from the band **Orpheum Bell**; the song overall has
such a convincingly old fashion bluesy jazz style that it would fit nicely on the
soundtrack to _Chicago_. Shifting into a completely different gear, the new single
from Sean Bones, “Here Now,” which is followed by the dark dubstep electro dance
track, “Kaiyo Maru” by Led Er Est.

“Poor Laetitia” – **Orpheum Bell** from _The Other Sister’s Home_ (self-released)

“Here Now”– **Sean Bones** from _Buzzards Boy_ (self-released)

“Kaiyo Maru” – **Led Er Est** from _The Diver_ on Sacred Bones Records

#### Popular Austin Band, _Saints of Valory_, Drop Sophomore Album

The next band, **Saints of Valory**, released their sophomore album this week. The
title track, the first single, “Kids,” definitely got our attention. The lead singer
exhibits a wide vocal range with similarities to **Chris Martin**. The track winds
and turns through verses of mellow rock story-telling backed by a strong drum beat,
bass and synths that slowly build to grand, almost epic, choruses and shimmering
guitar riffs. The song is a wonderful composition with hi-fi recording quality that
makes it seems likely for FM radio, and especially college radio.

Less than six months after relocating to **Austin** – after an inspired visit to
SXSW in 2010 – the band placed in the top ten in six categories of the _Austin Chronicle_‘
s **2011 Music Awards**. Saints of Valory sound is less indie and more mainstream
leaning, which would explain why they’ve been featured on _Billboard_.

“Kids” – **Saints of Valory** from _Kids_

#### Raleigh Band Drift Wood Miracle and The Driftwood Singers

**Drift Wood Miracle** is a **Raleigh** unsigned indie rock band Indie. In 2010,
the band was formed organically between friends **Alex Phillips** and **Bryan Diver**,
and soon they had an 11-song debut album, _Today or Yesterday_. The duo have now
released a follow-up EP this week, _Cuidade_. They formed a band to play live gigs
in North Carolina.

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Brian Jonestown Massacre, Sea of Bees, Spinto Band

Their influences include Manchester Orchestra, James Vincent McMorrow, Brand New,
Danny Malone, Timbre, Sigur Ros, Brand New, and Kevin Devine. “Cabin in the Snow”
is the track that we actually picked over another song they are offering up as a
single, “Call My Name,” because the former is more representative of the promise
we hear in the duo’s folk pop/rock sound. Diver’s voice sounds like another singer
that we just can’t put our finger on.

“Call My Name” – **Drift Wood Miracle** from _Cuidadé_

Cabin In The Snow – **Drift Wood Miracle** from _Cuidadé_

The next band, **The Driftwood Singers**, mix folk sounds and gospel style singing
in their longing tale, “I Don’t Live Here Anymore.” It’s a bit coincidental that
this week’s Best New Releases includes two bands with the not too common word “driftwood”
in their name, so it made sense to group them together.

“I Don’t Live Here Anymore” – ** The Driftwood Singers** from _I Don’t Live Here
Anymore_

 Life-long friends growing up in **Philadelphia**, the band **Cheers Elephant**
were once called **Instant Breakfast**, but after high school they went their separate
ways for a year or so, but decided to get back together as a band, and renamed themselves
Cheers Elephant, after a circus elephant in **Coney Island**, who reportedly only
drank beer.

They soon started gaining some traction as a serious band with their mix of rootsy
and psychedelic rock, mixed with aspects of folk and even a bit of pop. We like 
the edgy guitar solo on “Falling Out.” The band’s second track, “Doin’ It Right,”
is much different – energetic, upbeat, mysterious and somehow almost danceable. 
In fact, the first few seconds of the track sound almost exactly like the intro 
to the **Kings of Convenience** stellar track, “Toxic Girl.”

“Falling Out” – **Cheers Elephant ** from _Like Wind Blows Fire_

“Doin’ It Right” – **Cheers Elephant** from _Like Wind Blows Fire_

#### Soundcloud Tracks: Animal Kingdom, Bigg Jus, and Fela Kuti

The following is a collection of Soundcloud only tracks, which are placed at the
end of the playlist so that the all of the other 16 songs above will stream altogether(
wish one exception on the second track from Virals) uninterrupted. Out of time to
say much about these next three tracks other than we included them because some 
people are bond to dig one or more of them.

Animal Kingdom – Strange Attractor from The Looking Away on Boombox / Mom + Pop

Bigg Jus – Black Roses from Machines That Make Civilzation Fun on Mush Records

Fela Kuti – Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense from on Live In Detroit, 1986 on Knitting
Factory Records