Hints

Drawing inspiration from bands like Tears For Fears, The Church, and Orange Juice, it didn't take much for me to imagine what kind of sound the Brooklyn band Hints were trying to go for. What I wasn't expecting was how well they were going to go about it.  Hints, a four-man group, is pretty new to the scene, having just released their first single Vol. 1 on November 20th. Despite this, the band has already displayed a wonderful sense of craftsmanship; they sound confident and self-assured about the style they're trying to achieve, putting out two songs that are consistent in the jangly, bass-heavy, upbeat new wave genre that dominated the '80s.  The first track on the single, "Ritual", even includes a wonderfully constructed guitar solo that sets up "Built a Church" quite fashionably.  The great thing about Vol. 1, though, is that it's not a exact replica of what you would expect from the era they're indebted to.  Hints are not about the overdone synths, the cheesy dream effects, or the corny lyrics, for at the base of it all they're a fantastic rock band as well, extending a welcoming hand even to those who may be turned off from the '80s no matter what the cost.  Check out "Ritual" and "Built a Church" below, and then head over to their Bandcamp to snag a free download.  For more info you can jump on over to Twitter or have a visit to their homepage.  Enjoy!

Kal Marks

Whoa.  Talk about the beauty of strong, raw, build-and-release rock; the kind that drills into your head and doesn't offer any points of escape.  When it comes to tension instilled in a fuzzy psychedelic landscape, the Boston trio of Kal Marks know exactly what they're doing. Their newest EP, Piss of the Century, was released on July 19th to the beat of heavily distorted guitars, clamorous drumming, and confident songwriting. When listening to it, I can't help but feel like it's a statement, and it's hard not to when edgy guitar rhythms are piercing through the middle of the song.  This is just a focal point though, it's impossible not be engulfed in the syrupy sludge that surrounds a majority of the tracks.  In this sense, it's important to note that Piss of the Century is wonderfully complex, taking the listener through a series of different motions all in the same song.  This goes back to the idea of build-and-release, where certain sections speed up and slow down, become loud and then soft again, all at the stop of a dime.  And then there is "Born Again", the most sedated ballad on the whole thing, which is a simmering strum tune that offers a nice chance to breathe before "Piss of the Century" starts up the raucous again.  If you're in for the journey, you can access it on Bandcamp, and if you want to keep up to date you can do so on their homepage.  In the meantime, "My Guitar" and "Born Again" are available for stream below.