Hey gang! It’s been a pretty jammed weekend for yours truly with day job obligations, but I’ve managed to have some fun on the side: Father’s Day brunch with the fam, a quick BBQ on the beach, watching the Jays claw their way out of the hole they so quickly dug for themselves last month (four game sweep of Texas what what), and copping some of BC’s best brews (Dawn Patrol and Old Jalopy). All the time spent working from home has meant I’ve been able to catch up on tunes, both for today’s post and for the next couple of weeks. Alex wasn’t fooling when he said that last week’s tracks were all killers, and the range and strength of the tunes we’ve got for today are picking up right where those left off. We’re definitely in the midst of an insanely hectic release schedule right now, with the next couple of weeks of writing pretty much bricked up. We’re busy, but we don’t mind that when it means we’re listening to great stuff!

Surveillance, “Rise (Preview Mix)”
The talented and droll Tom Shear of Assemblage 23 has begun work on a new side project, which’ll apparently “explore a darker, edgier, harder sound” than A23 or his more broad-ranging Nerve Filter project. It definitely sounds a bit beefier than A23, and while we had fun hearing Shear consolidate A23’s sound last year, it’ll be cool to see where Surveillance goes (still has plenty of the melodic builds we love in Shear’s work). There’s also an Indiegogo campaign on the go if you want to nab an advance copy of the LP or some other goodies.

Fostercare, “Parallax (B Edit)”
One of our favourite young producers is cleaning out the closet and turning the page. Fostercare’s just released a mammoth “entire back catalog” comp on Bandcamp. If you’re late to the party, grab that haul, then check our discussion of his excellent Altered Creature LP, then check his new mixtape of outtakes and demos released in anticipation of the Sirens & Sleep Vol. 1 LP. Whatever you want to call Fostercare’s mix of acid/witch/rave/EBM styles, he is on absolute fire right now. Check this slightly more manic and high-end heavy redo of the already murderous “Parallax”.

The Legendary Pink Dots, “A Star Is Born”
The idea of an ageless institution like the Pink Dots getting distro from the likes of Metro is interesting. As is perhaps befitting of their psych pedigree, they’ve always been a live band first and foremost to me; that’s not to say that I don’t listen to their LPs at home, I just wait for them to come through town every couple of years, and then I buy the three or four albums that they’ve released since the last time Edward and the Silverman carried me off to Xanadu (we still miss you, Nils!). Having the chance to suss the latest well in advance of their show here in Van in the middle of September should be interesting. The slower and arguably darker shift their music has taken in the past few years is in full force here; watch this space for a full review of The Gethsemane Option in a week or two.

The Present Moment, “Even In Danger”
Looks like an outtake from Scott Milton’s Loyal To A Fault, one of our fave records of 2011 has just surfaced on a comp released by Death Disco, Berlin’s celebrated post-punk/cold wave party. This tinkly tune has a nice bass bounce underneath its leads, and definitely showscases Milton’s love for Vince Clark.

Gnome & Spybey, “Toward The Pole”
It’s possible that my write-up of the third release from Dead Voices On Air mastermind Mark Spybey and Tony D’Oporto might have gotten lost in the shuffle of yr daily internetting. If that’s the case, permit me to direct your attention to this vid done for one of its tracks, created by none other than Michael Morton, AKA Displacer and head of the new Crime League imprint which released what’s been one of 2013’s most understated yet pretty records.

Gnome & Spybey – Toward the Pole from Crime League on Vimeo.