Cool Band Alert - Coral Grief

Bummer in the summer

Welcome to Bandcamp Notes, a free music discovery newsletter published by Bandcamp.

Playlist of the week: “Fuzzy’s Fresh Fuzz” by Fuzzy Cracklins—owner of The Swamp Records—featuring a smorgasbord of new sludgy, scuzzy rock releases.

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Name: Coral Grief
From: Seattle, WA
RIYL: Alvvays, Frankie Rose, The Beths, Wolf Alice, Beach Fossils, Hazel English, Fazerdaze, Panchiko
The Gist: Dream pop for depressive beachcombers and nostalgic souls

Pressing play on this Seattle dream pop band’s debut, you’d swear they were a bunch of European ex-pats. The shimmering guitars and hazy vocals on “Latitude” and “Starboard” evoke British bands like Stereolab and Seafeel, while the driving motorik percussion on “Mutual Wish” and “Avenue You” is straight from ’70s krautrock playbook. But the deeper you wade into the melancholic miasma, and the further you unpack the lyrics sheet, the more that Seattle sensibility—a balancing act between meditative and seething, vulnerable and volcanic—reveals itself. Vocalist and bassist Lena Farr-Morrissey’s lyrics skew surrealistic, but ultimately are sociopolitical, surveying a Seattle changed by over-development, housing shortages, and tech bro takeovers. That anti-establishment stance, when combined with the arrangements’ morose underpinnings, results in music that is grunge in spirit, but glimmering in form, the ultimate summer bummer soundtrack.

Air Between Us is out July 18 on Suicide Squeeze (Digital), Anxiety Blanket (Vinyl), and Den Tapes (Cassette). Pre-order it.

Dig this record and want more like it?

First off, follow Bandcamp Daily editor Mariana Timony if you haven’t already, as she’s constantly recommending hidden gems of the jangly, catchy variety. Keep the day trip vibes going strong with our map of New Psychedelia, go spelunking for rare shoegaze gems from all eras, and then zip over to Japan, where a tiny netlabel called Siren for Charlotte is redefining dream pop for a new generation. For more bands to watch from the Seattle DIY underground, check out this scene report by KEXP journalist Martin Douglas. And while we’re on the West Coast, why not take our California dream pop tour?

Listening Party Picks, July 17 - July 23rd

Come hang in the chat with artists celebrating their record release this week on Bandcamp.

July 17: Hamid Al-Saadi for Maqam Al-Iraq. RSVP.
July 17: Madeline Kenney for Kiss from the Balcony. RSVP.
July 17: bvdub for Unbreakable. RSVP.
July 17: KILN for Lemon Borealis. RSVP.
July 18: Maya Songbird for Space Cadet Bachelorette. RSVP.
July 20: Farhot for RAQS. RSVP.
July 20: KRAKHOUSE for Bastards of Prog. RSVP.
July 22: Teen Daze for Four More Years (15th anniversary listening party). RSVP.
July 22: Johnny Socko for Oh, I Do Hope It’s Roast Beef! (30th anniversary listening party). RSVP.
July 23: Autistici for Familiarity Folded. RSVP.

To see the full calendar, go here.