# Best New Music Releases, Week of July 2nd –  A Grave With No Name, The Fall, Zomby, The Garifuna Collective,  TRAAMS

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2013/07/best-new-music-releases-july-2-2013-agwnn-the-fall-zomby/
- Published: 2013-07-08T23:05:38-04:00
- Author: Max Hammer

We’re back from the **Fourth of July** holiday and there is much to catch up on.
Firstly, last week’s collection of new album releases – the first set of new releases
for the second half of 2013. (We’ll be posting this week’s new indie releases in
the next few days). Historically, record labels hold back many releases during a
week that has a major holiday, especially one as busy as The Fourth of July. Because
it is also the height of the summer season, many people, even the most ardent music
enthusiasts among us, are naturally extra busy with the Fourth of July holiday and
other summertime activities like outdoor recreation, vacations, and most importantly
last week, celebrating American independence with red, white and blue fireworks,
parties, concerts, barbecues, and parades.

That said, there are still releases from last week that you should know about and
that run the gamut from must-have releases to new-to-us artists that are just beginning
to get the recognition they deserve. Some of you may be aware that we usually do
not bother including releases that we don’t recommend. Why waste precious time reviewing
something we don’t enjoy when there is already so much amazing music to post? The
love of music is a never-ending tale of new discoveries, especially with the musical
universe ever-expanding.

The lead for the week in review goes to the new album, _Whirlpool_, from U.K. shoegaze
band **A Grave With No Name** and the tantalizing single, “Aurora.” The single is
comprised of a driving beat, rumbling bass, sharp but infrequent guitar riffs, grinding
synths and hushed vocals. It’s this signature sound that has feed the band’s popularity
since their 2010 debut, _Mountain Debris_, and which has resulted in a dedicated
network of fans in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe. In fact, A Grave With No Name 
are regularly cited when music geeks are referring to the shoegaze, or ‘nu-gaze’,
revival of recent years. Other bands that fit the bill include **The xx, Banjo or
Freakout, Atlas Sound** and **The Big Pink**, to name just a few of the more popular
artists of the genre.

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Club, Suede, Fol Chin, Boy + Kite

Drawing from influences such as **The Microphones**, **My Bloody Valentine** and**
Guided By Voices**, AGWNN’s sophomore album has been warmly welcomed by fans, bloggers
and critics. Founder of AGWNN, **Alexander Shields**, wrote on the band’s official
Facebook page that AGWNN “mine their own distinctive vein of haunted, freaked art
rock, tracing delicate fissures in the emotional radiography of loss and longing
to spellbinding effect.” It’s hard to disagree with that after listening to _Whirlpool_,
and the band’s previous releases, all of which are available to stream via [A Grave With No Name’s Spotify](http://open.spotify.com/artist/3B2MgN4v4ffu8pLgXHnvdt‎)
profile.

“Aurora” – **A Grave With No Name **from _Whirlpool _on Lefse Records

![TheFall-ReMit-cover](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/TheFall-
ReMit-cover.jpg "TheFall-ReMit-cover")

#### England’s Legendary Post-Punk Band The Fall Celebrate A Remarkable Milestone

The album release that stands out the most aside from AGWNN is the latest LP release
from **The Fall** – the legendary post-punk rockers’ 30th album release – _Re-Mit_.
It’s a solid return to form considering the band’s 29th release, 2011’s _Ersatz 
GB_, was not as highly regarded, which even the band ‘s frontman, **Mark Smith**,
acknowledged was “not very good.” _Re-Mit_‘s lead single is the mini rock drama 
track, “Hittite Man.” The perfect follow-up to **The Fall** is a new gritty R&B 
single, “Dirt In The Ground,” from **Portland** indie rock band, **The Builders 
and The Butchers** (“one day soon/you’ll be the dirt in the ground”), a band that
IRC originally tagged as a ‘band to watch’ back in 2010.

Singer/songwriter and musician **Grant Olney**‘s new album, _Hypnosis for Happiness_,
features the mellow acoustic single, “Not From Body,” that, like so many songs in
all forms of music, is ultimately about love. With this release, Olney has established
himself as a songwriter worthy of the praise he has been receiving recently. Changing
things up quite a bit is the next single, “Around The Block,” from **Pretty Lights**‘
self-released album, _A Color Map of the Sun_, is a compelling track that has a 
strong foundation of R&B mixed with funk and then infused with elements of hip-hop
and injections of rock, not the least with predictably accomplished guest vocals
by **Talib Kweli**.  There are so many moving parts and styles wrapped up in this
one song that it’s almost impossible to categorize it. That said, Pretty Lights,
have built their following on never falling prey to mediocrity.

Related Post:  Best New Music Releases, Week of May 21st - Daft Punk, The National,
Dirty Beaches, Man or Astro-Man, Attic Lights

“Hittite Man”** – ****The Fall **from _Re-Mit _ on Cherry Red

 “Dirt in the Ground” – **The Builders and the Butchers **from _Western Medicine
_on Badman Records

“Not From Body” – **Grant Olney** from _Hypnosis for Happiness_ (self-released)

“Around The Block” – **Pretty Lights **with **Talib Kweli** from _A Color Map of
the Sun_ (self-released)

![The Garifuna Collective Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me](https://indierockcafe.
com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/The-Garifuna-Collective-Black-Birds-Are-Dancing-Over-
Me.jpg "The Garifuna Collective Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me")

#### Beginning Of A New Era: The Garifuna Collective from Belize

**Danny Michael** fills the gap left by the late **Andy Palacio** on the latest 
album from the **Belize**-based institution, **The Garifuna Collective**. Instrumentally,
the band continues to explore and expand, combining African-influenced beats, hypnotic
chants and much more, via the Soundcloud album samples in the stream from _Blackbirds
Are Dancing Over Me_ – one of two new works released by the band this week.  The
second is the new release,  _Ayo_, featuring the worldly single, “Ubou,” aka, “the
world.” Fans of The Garifuna Collective should be encouraged that the remaining 
band members have not forgot Palacio’s contribution, but they are also moving forward
to continue the work that they say Palacio would have wanted them to.

 “Blackbirds Are Dancing Over Me”** – ****Danny Michel with The Garifuna Collective**
from _Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me _on Stonetree / Cumbancha

 “Ubóu (The World)” – **The Garifuna Collective** from _Ayó_ on Stonetree / Cumbancha

![zomby](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/zomby-500x385.jpg "
zomby")

#### New Works from Brit Artists Zomby and TRAAMS

Other albums of interest from last week’s batch of new releases include the third
album from British producer **Zomby** whose new LP, _With Love,_ is trodden in dark,
textured soundscapes driven by heavy beats, ominous synths, and a blend of genres
that include hip-hop, drum ‘n’ bass, dubstep and rock. Following right behind are
fellow Brits known as **TRAAMS**‘ and their newest album that includes the terrific
single, “Low.” The single represents the **Chichester** trio’s ability to break 
out of the box and create melodic hooks where guitars fall silent and drums prevail
and interweaving peaks and valleys of volume and distortion controls to give the
track a unique garage rock sound that sets them a bit apart from their peers.

Related Post:  No. 1 Songs for January 2013 - Pere Ubu, The Capsules, Gliss and 
Lost Animal

“With Love”** – ****Zomby **from _With Love _on 4AD

“Low” – **TRAAMS** from _Ladders_ EP on FatCat Records

![toxicavenger](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/toxicavenger.
jpg "toxicavenger")

#### Fresh Releases from The Toxic Avengers and Shortcircles

To close out our review of last week’s releases are the lead singles from new albums
by **The Toxic Avengers** and **Shortcircles**. The former artist’s single is available
only as a .WAV file, and will still play in any supported browser. These tracks 
placement at the end of this review is in no way reflective of their individual 
achievements; in fact, the quick listens we’ve had to other songs on both artists’
albums indicate that there could be a number of tracks that were released as singles,
which is almost always a sign that the albums are worth further listening. Who needs
television when there is so much great music to listen to.

“Romance & Cigarettes” – **The Toxic Avenger** from _Romance & Cigarettes_ EP on
Roy Music

“All I Can Be For You” – **Shortcircles** from _Between Waves_ on Plug Research 
Music