Song list:

Options – Waiting
2nd Grade – Favorite Song
Alexander – Going to Sleep
Ryan Van Gonten – Fabrique
Haunted Continents – What Were You Born For?
Weakened Friends – Blue Again
Shybaby – Lazy Hazy
Frankie Valet – April
Primo! – You’ve Got a Million
Hypoluxo – Kentucky Smooth
Basement Revolver – Knocking
Dead Painters – Output
HALEY – Infinite Pleasure Part 2
Doe – Heated
Ing – Dust
Benjamin Shaw – Terrible Feelings!
internet boy crush – ghost friend
lowly loverboi – Dumb Phone
Dead Tooth – Liars
Kin Hana – You
Bodega – The Truth is Not Punishment
The Cordial Sins – Not Enough
Indoor Cats – Fun 2
Upstairs – Trust the Process
Sabriel’s Orb – Holding
John Atkinson – Bakwaves // Rye
Fanclub – Leaves
The Chairman Dances – Acme Parking Garage
Con Davison – Talk
Ivy Dye – Diminish
Elizabeth Owens – I Long
The Last Bison – Don’t Look Away
Our Fastest Typist – It’s Nice Outside, but My Head is Killing Me

You can find all of our monthly round-up posts here, and our complete array of mixtapes here.

The post September 2018 Roundup appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Now Ivy Dye are back with a brand new EP, Diminish, their first on 1212 Records. The release sees something of re-calibration of their sound, with Adams refocusing his attention and aims when writing. The previous releases, he felt, were too keyed in to outside influences. Diminish is his attempt to reclaim the Ivy Dye aesthetic, returning to the sort of music that truly speaks to the band rather than second guessing the audience or leaning on other sources.

The change is evident from opener ‘Soften’, the polished and soar of previous releases swapped out for more of a slacker rock vibe, the drums and guitars swirling in languid layers before coalescing into rhythm for the chorus. The polish and energy are still present, and the finale of the song still rises into an uplifting squall, though the overall sound is altogether more personal and human.

Lead single ‘Skin Your Knees’ pushes further in this direction, the tempo slowing to a wistful crawl before rising into the refrain, the hazy feedback and Adams’ vocals lending a nostalgic edge somewhere between dark and cathartic. ‘Savaged Minds’ follows this trend, a moody, chugging track of disaffected emotion, before the title track emerges from the murk with its sparkling brilliance. The song is a fitting close, the insistent tempo dropping only to exaggerate the next crescendo, and Adams’ vocals again highlighting his ability to craft singalong refrains that sacrifice none of the emotion.

We’re lucky enough to be able to share a stream of the album a few days early, so be sure to make the most of the opportunity and listen below.

The post Ivy Dye – Diminish appeared first on Various Small Flames.