Screaming Females - All at Once

All at Once boasts Screaming Females' sharpest and catchiest songwriting in a long time.

Screaming Females – “Skeleton”

A bracing B-side from the forthcoming deluxe edition of Rose Mountain, last year's full-length effort by indie punk outfit Screaming Females.

Screaming Females - Rose Mountain

NJ indie rock outfit Screaming Females is celebrating their 10th year as a band, and they're celebrating with one of their more accessible, catchy records to date.

Screaming Females - "Wishing Well"

New Jersey indie rockers Screaming Females have a new "EP"--it's kind of a single, really--out via Don Giovanni Recs titled "Wishing Well." Rather than delivering their usual deluge of shrill screams and wild guitar licks, the band is toning things down to deliver a pretty sweet tune. You could probably show your grandmamma this one, and then you could ease her into "Boyfriend."

I'm loving some of the lyrics frontwoman Marissa Paternoster is bringing to the track, too. With the line about all of her "change going to hell," this ranks as one of her most clever choruses yet. While I haven't loved much of what the Scremales have been doing lately, this track is bringing them back on my good side.

Screaming Females- "Expire"

New Jersey indie rockers Screaming Females are gearing up to release their new album, Ugly, on April 3rd, and they just dropped a new track from it. "Expire" is a gritty garage stomper with a classic 70s post-punk bite, replete with jittery lead guitar in the verses and basement-filling drums. It's not completely foreign territory for the Screamales, but it does present something of a departure from the straight up college rock sound of their earlier work. Plus, even though Steve Albini's approach as a producer is notoriously hands-off, there is something to be said for the production on this track. As gritty and punk as it sounds, "Expire" still boasts an excellent mix, in which all the instruments come through loud, clean, and clear.

However, the best part of the song are frontwoman Marissa Paternoster's vocals. She yelps and shrieks like an animal on this track, calling to mind post-punk legends like Siouxsie Sioux with her tremolo-riddled wail. More than anything, she sounds like she's having fun, and as a listener, I am too. Ugly is available for pre-order now from Don Giovanni Records.

/via/

FRIDAY ROUNDUP! ‡ MP3s

1. Screaming Females- I Don't Mind It Jersey's "Scremales," whether you like 'em or not, have hammered out a distinct niche in the world of rock. Strong female vocals, wailing guitars, and post-punk sensibilities make their songs rough and immediate. This track is from their forthcoming album Castle Talk, which is slated for release on Sept. 14th via Don Giovanni Recs.

2. The Walkmen- Lisbon The Walkmen have been on a serious roll. Moving from A Hundred Miles Off to You & Me was impressive, and the Brooklyn bunch will surely shoot to awe this time around, too. The bright horns and passionate vocals make "Lisbon" an exciting taste of the forthcoming Stranded.

3. The Sword- Tres Brujas This August, the Sword will be entering third album territory with Warp Riders. The band sounds a little less heavy than they were on Gods of the Earth. The thick guitars are still present, but there's not much doom to this band's sound here. Instead, the Sword have swapped that direction out for something much more ready to rock. If it weren't for the new studio sound, this thing could have had me guessing it was from decades ago.

4. Fishing- OOOO Playful beats from Australia on this one. It's what might happen if you forced J Dilla and Madlib to collab on a soundtrack for the board game Candy Land. Look for releases from this project later this year via Double Denim.

5. Lost Boy- Fast Burn If I had my old blog up, I'd link to an old post I wrote about this guy back when he messaged my YouTube account months ago. My first impressions were, well, the only way anyone could react to fuzzed out punk tunes with falsetto vocals. The production and performances are tight, though. Here's to Lost Boy: May you never be found! Figuratively, of course.

7. School of Seven Bells- Windstorm This trio's 2008 release Alpinisms didn't wow me like I wanted it to, but this track from their latest LP has certainly caught my ear. A lot clearer and straightforward than the shoegazed sounds I recall from their earlier efforts. School's latest album is Disconnect from Desire, and it's out now via Ghostly International.

8. Sharon Van Etten- Love More Here's another act I hit up on the old blog. She's a singer-songwriter an upcoming album titled Epic. That should earn it some expectations. Considering "Love More" is on it, I think the album is off to a good start. Sharon's voice is her strongest attribute. It's hard not to hang on every gentle move it makes across the mix. The slow build this song embarks on makes it a real tear-jerker, too. TND TIP: SLEEP SOUNDLY.

Mondates: 07/05 ‡ INFO

Screaming Females- Castle Talk 9/14 via Don Giovanni Non-Album MP3: Screaming Females- "I Do"

School of Seven Bells- Disconnect From Desire 7/13 via Ghostly International Stream: ENTIRE ALBUM

Nite Jewel- Am I Real? 7/20 via Gloriette MP3: Nite Jewel- "Falling Far"

Chromeo- "Don't Turn the Lights On" Single Out now MP3: Chromeo- "Don't Turn The Light's On"

The Books- The Way Out 07/20 via Temporary Residence Limited MP3s: The Books- "A Cold Freezin' Night" The Books- "Beautiful People"