XTC's Colin Moulding wants it bad

COLIN MOULDING - “Want It Bad (the pep talks and playing fields of Old England)” (Burning Shed)
XTC ‘s Colin Moulding has announced his second solo release, a 3-track CD coming in September. “Want It Bad (the pep talks and playing fields of Old England” is the title track, available now as a surrealistic video. As might be expected, Moulding infuses the track with a stately elegance, veddy veddy British but redolent of music halls and churches more than sports arenas. The lush but quiet arrangement suggests a hymn more than an anthem, even though - as the title suggests- the song’s basically a pep talk (“I believe we can do it, but we gotta just do it… we gotta want it bad”) Fans of XTC will not be disappointed, nor will anyone seeking to enjoy a few moments of refined musical discourse.

WINE LIPS - “If You Don’t Know” (Stomp Records)
There’s a lot of Ween in Ontario’s Wine Lips, what with the wacked-out vocals and a potent mix of garage-rock clobber and psychedelic fuzz. Clearly, the band’s having fun, even if there is a kind of desperate urgency to the track, which finds them adrift in adulthood, unsure of whom to trust or what’s coming next. “Can’t help but feel I’m drifting / Been a long long while since 16 / Growing up or maybe shifting.” It’s that moment when it hits you that you’re not a kid anymore but life’s going to keep throwing shit at you so you better learn how to duck. A harbinger of a full-length LP, TV Dinner, coming August 28, “If You Don’t Know” shows why over the last decade, Wine Lips have become local heroes in Ontario. They may be too weird to get much further, but then again, I said that about Ween once too. Underneath the chaos, there’s with a rhythm section that keeps everything moving with precision and propulsion, and some flashy guitar chops to appease the Guitar Hero crowd. This is a band I’m glad I discovered. The album should be a trip.

crash the party - “Cold Feet” (Mom + Pop Records)
Drew Ellis Singletary, AKA crash the party, was inspired to write this song after conversing with several married friends at a party about their choice to wed. Not for me, thought the singer/songwriter, who hails from Wigham, Georgia. While the choice to eschew capital letters might suggest emo or at least indie, crash the party plays by-the-numbers Modern Country, replete with the obligatory a capella bridge, a hazy filter on the vocal, quiet verse/loud chorus dynamics, enthusiastic backup singers, and go-oh-oh-oh hook. A surefire anthem for bros not ready to tie the knot, “Cold Feet” won’t have to crash the party, it’ll fit right in to the radio ready pap coming out of Nashville.

Utopia PKWY - “Sleep in Moving Colors” (Self-released)
Utopia PKWY is the new project from John Beckmann, the venerable, shape-shifting frontman of the art-damaged Mortal Prophets. While that project delved into dark and moody atmospherics, Utopia PKWY uses a brighter palette - tinkling synth notes, forefronted melodic bass, and lush layers of melody. Beckmann cedes vocal duties to Tanner McGraw, with Lawson Mars on backing vocals, for an effect that’s dreamy and suggestive. “I sleep in moving colors,” McGraw coos, describing an out of body experience that might either be astral projection or dream, but profound and enlightening nonetheless. For dream-pop aficionados, there’s much to savor here, from subtle shifts in dynamics to the ethereal soundscapes that float through the track.

OH LOUISE - “Do You Lie To Everyone?” (Self-released)
”Do you lie to everyone desperate to love you? / I lie to everyone,
I don’t know why.” Not a bad opening line, especially coming from a 19-year old college student. Olive Siegel grew up in Los Angeles, transplanted to rural Maine, and is studying in Vermont; she clearly knows how to write a song. The lyrics here constitute both conversation and confession, accompanied by a deep, rich melody and a voice that impresses, confident and mellifluous. Siegel accompanies herself on piano, but it’s Nat Smith’s cello and mellotron that provide the track with its somber grace and gossamer elegance. This isn’t timid bedroom pop with lyrics cribbed from a scribbled bedside diary; Oh Louise arrives a fully-formed artist whose craft and talent will bear watching. Siegel will be releasing Everything On High, her debut album, on August 21.