EXCLUSIVE STREAMING PREMIERE: The Beremy Jets | Careless.

We have been talking up The Beremy Jets' forthcoming debut album for weeks (read our album review and interview), so we're especially thrilled to premiere Careless exclusively two days before the album drops! Careless is a beautifully executed record that will no doubt be topping "best of" lists at years' end. We've been spinning it nonstop! 

Stream Careless in it's glorious entirety below and buy your own copy here. The album officially comes out on Friday, July 27 via Somewherecold Records and is available in digital and CD formats. Enjoy!

INTERVIEW: Paul Saarnak of The Beremy Jets.

Sweden-based The Beremy Jets is the solo project of Paul Saarnak. The project hit our radar in 2016 with the debut of an impressive EP entitled Alchemy Attack. An equally excellent EP followed in 2017, and TBJ officially became a buzz band for us. We’ve been looking forward to debut LP Careless all year and the release date is nearly upon us – it comes out July 27. Our very own Elizabeth Klisiewicz recently reviewed the album, which you can read here. We’ve played our promo copy nonstop and make no mistake – it’s one of the best albums of the year.

How and when was The Beremy Jets formed?
I have been writing music for many years for the bands I have been a part of. It has always been such a joy to be able to work on an idea and bring it to life with my fellow band mates. A big part of what brings me joy is when you take others’ ideas and transform the song into a final version, which might be quite different from what I envisioned from the start, almost always for the better. A couple of years ago I started toying with the idea of releasing something on my own, I wanted to see if I would be able to do it all – write the songs, record them, produce them, sing, all of that.

So in 2016 I felt I had a couple of songs that sounded really good and wanted to release them online. Now I suddenly needed a formal band name, and that is pretty difficult to figure out! But playing with words, The Beremy Jets came up as a tribute to the late great actor Jeremy Brett. A little bit corny, but it sounded cool, and I don’t want to take myself too seriously anyway. I released the EP Alchemy Attack on Bandcamp, Spotify etc., and everything has continued on from there.

Can you tell us about the new album, Careless? How long did you work on it, and how does it differ from your first 2 EPs (sonically or otherwise)?
After releasing my second EP Backup Friend in early 2017, Jason Lamoreaux from Somewherecold Records contacted me and we really hit it off. He released the two EP on a limited run cassette (which is seriously cool and I believe there are a few copies left), and then we started talking about releasing an album. I started working on it somewhere around late spring 2017, got up to speed during the autumn of 2017, and then struggling to finish it all the way up until the release of the first video “Waves of Wonder”. They always say the last 10% is 90% of a project, and for me that was very true!

The songs do not differ too much from the EPs. My writing process is the same and I feel my ideas have been pretty set for a number of years – not to say I don’t evolve or don’t want to, but I have a pretty firm grasp of what I want to do at the moment at least. But what was very different here is that I thought about the album as a whole, not just a bunch of songs thrown together. From childhood, I always loved the idea of having a side A and a side B on a record, and that was something I really thought about when putting the record together.

I learned quite a lot from recording the EPs and that has both helped me and in ways hindered me when recording the album – the more you know about something the more you realize how much you DON’T know about said subject. In many ways I felt more out of my depths recording the album, funnily enough. But that is part of the fun, to learn new things. I hope it sounds sonically better than the EPs, I think it does at least.

WTSH #129 is now streaming on Mixcloud!

TONIGHT! WTSH on DKFM. Stream it live at 10pm E/9pm C.

TONIGHT on WTSH: expect tasty sonic bits by Vallens, Tennis System, Pure Ghost, Sustains, Holy Forrest, HUNDREDTH, Resounding NO, Timelost, A Shoreline Dream, Vintage Flowers, HEAVEN + MORE! 

Stream it live 

10pm E/9pm C/7pm P 

decayfm.com or via the app! 

Stay tuned in for the Somewherecold Radio show @ 12am E/11pm C!

WTSH Official Video Premiere: Useless Cities | A Little Too Obtuse directed by Deborah Espect.

Photo by Ingrid van den Berg

Useless Cities – “A Little Too Obtuse”

Music Video Debut from Director Deborah Espect

London quartet Useless Cities’ new single, “A Little Too Obtuse,” is a mournful meditation on the ways alienation can creep into intimacy and threaten relationships. The track deftly integrates post-punk and goth-era as well as shoegaze influences, immediately creating a powerful atmosphere of both melancholy and hope. Useless Cities formed in London in 2016, have since released two EPs and three singles, and may be familiar to many of our readers by way of DKFM Shoegaze Radio.

While the video for "A Little Too Obtuse" has made it to a few corners of the web in recent days, we're honored that director Deborah Espect contacted When the Sun Hits for the official premiere. The smoothly executed and emotionally powerful clip is a relatively complex piece that tracks parallel threads while making use of contrasting atmospheres and multiple environments. Impressively, the film represents Deborah's first foray into the music video form. Based in Brighton, UK, Deborah writes and produces as well as directs; her recent short films and web series have been shown at over thirty international film festivals, including Cannes. A huge shoegaze, goth and post-rock fan, Deborah is keen to make more music videos. If you are a band in need of a video director, she invites you to get in touch at debespect@gmail.com.

Useless Cities has two upcoming London shows, the Amersham Arms on July 13th and the George Tavern on July 25th, 2018. The project is currently in studio recording new tracks for autumn release.

Photo by Helena Korner

WTSH #128 is now streaming on Mixcloud!

ALBUM REVIEW: The Beremy Jets | Careless. Reviewed by Elizabeth Klisiewicz.

The Beremy Jets - Careless (Somewherecold Records)

Release date: July 27, 2018

Upon listening to the dense, layered grooves of this debut full length from Malmö, Sweden’s The Beremy Jets, it is difficult to believe it was created by only one guy, a singing drummer named Paul Saarnak (LKWRM, Slowmotion Club) with help from Anne Saarnak and Jason Lamoreaux (Somewherecold label head and host of the Somewhere Cold Radio Hour on DKFM). Paul has released two previous EPS stuffed with winning tunes, and Careless is no exception to this rule! Just witness the glorious premiere single, “Waves of Wonder” for an inkling of what to expect in the grooves (vinyl or otherwise) of this record.

Opening track “Be Happy” not only traffics in joy, it demands the listener step up and join the celebration! Gigantic melodic hooks come crashing around you as shimmering sonic waves assault you gently. Just beautiful! And the guitar on this is massive, carving out an expansive soundspace for itself. “Good Times” immediately reminds me of Swervedriver (never a bad thing!) and as this stellar tune lifts off, you’ll swear Adam Franklin is on board. 

“No Am No” takes a lighter approach and puts Paul’s gentle voice in the forefront. I envision myself in a boat on a slow-moving river with toes dipped in the water, and this song playing as the perfect summer soundtrack. “My Team Lost Again” is a graceful slow burn, chiming guitars making lots of space for Paul’s voice. The song eventually meanders into walls of feedback as it winds to a close. “Daily Internal Monologue” is short and possibly destined to be a single, a spacey wonder of a tune with droning instrumental passages.

Paul has a real ear for melody, as witnessed again and again on this release. “Proud-button” jacks up the energy into high gear (in case you were lulled into a daydream by the previous songs) and has help on vocals from Anne. In fact, I am reminded of Dinosaur Jr for some reason! And when the bridge comes around, watch out! It’s a killer wave of sound headed your way. Very cool! “Shut Up Forever” includes guest vocals from Jason and is simply beautiful. I prefer the softer passages, but it’s all great. I can only imagine how this would sound live, but I am guessing it would blow the doors off and incinerate everyone. 

The aforementioned “Waves of Wonder” is the perfect choice for the first single, and it gets me every time with the Swervedriveresque hook at its heart. I just love the way it builds up to a magnificent peak. And finally, we have “Thanks, Future Client” as the album’s coda, and I hear glimmers of The Verve in its sinuous sound motes. It is bright, shining, and the majesty of pure shoegaze (with a side of psych) is in full display. In short, this is a great debut from a super talented artist. Highly recommended.

ALBUM REVIEW: Soft Science | Maps. Reviewed by Elizabeth Klisiewicz.

Soft Science - Maps (Test Pattern Records)

The Sacramento based Soft Science is garnering some well-deserved attention on Maps, their third full length. People in the know were already familiar with this great dream pop band, but that scope is widening with this excellent new release. Nobody will be crying sell out when their ears are treated to the glistening shimmer of these enchanting tunes, every one of them a potential single!

The record careens open with the dynamic thrust of “Undone”, a winning tune for sure. I love the keyboard line that overarches the shining waves of guitar and enhances singer Katie Haley’s dulcet tones. “Breaking” hearkens back to vintage indie pop from the late 80s, only with a modern spin. Utterly delightful!

“Diverging” is a firm favorite of mine, bursting with multicolored musical facets and serving up a magical confection. Massive hooks and Katie’s lovely voice are the icing on this sonic cake. “There” is another great tune, and hints of Lush flit through the mix. Layer upon layer of beautiful noise are sure to win even the most jaded listener!

“Apart” is more pensive and its cadence reminds me of classic British folk rock. The quieter backdrop works to highlight the singular talents in this group. Everyone rules here! The opening chords of the marvelous “Sooner” remind me of none other than 90s stalwarts, Single Gun Theory. I am sure everyone hears something different, but this is how it struck me. Like a fizzing music bomb, this one immediately douses you with its shining beats. And man, it has the best sing along chorus.

“Know” takes on a bit of gazey sheen, with what sounds like a chorus effect on the guitar. It will have you dancing and bobbing your head as you listen, unless you are made of stone! “Still” hits it out of the park, while the majestic “Enough” pulls back the reins a bit and could easily slot in nicely next to Slowdive on your playlist. The album’s coda is the short “Slip” and it ends far too soon. In summary, this is one of the best albums you’re likely to hear this year, and if you haven’t already picked it up, remedy that situation immediately. Highly recommended.

VIDEO PREMIERE: Meringue | Weird Blues.

Portland, Oregon trio Meringue showed up late last year with “Silly Girl”, a Television Personalities cover, followed immediately by debut EP Heavy Lime, available digitally and on cassette. “Weird Blues” is the kick-off track for Meringue’s upcoming split cassette EP with The Wild Body, due for release August 5th, 2018. Meringue includes Kelly Dawson and Elaina Tardif sharing vocal, guitar, and bass duties, with Bryan Robertson on drums. Elaina and Bryan may be familiar from WTSH-beloved Portland quintet Tender Age, whose debut full-length Becoming Real Forever drops July 9th.

The brand new video for “Weird Blues” features a wizard in a dark dive bar whose tarot readings effect events in a nearby laundromat. The seventies vibe in the lyrics and video reflect Kelly’s inspiration by the story of Donna Manson, one of serial killer Ted Bundy’s victims.