Look, we know we throw a lot of new music at you. We also know that not everyone who comes to this site has the time to be as involved with or informed about the local scene as maybe they’d like to be. So for those casual readers who either can’t or have no interest in keeping up with the parade of artists we try to cover, who may not know the difference between Bitter and Biters, we have created our TRIPLE THREAT feature. The premise is simple: Our writers will put their heads together and come up with three tracks that grabbed our attention over the past week. Then we tell you why the songs are great and worth listening to. That’s it. Maybe some weeks we’ll have a guest commentator come in and share their favorites, but the format will always remain the same: three songs, some words, and we out. Enjoy.
Credit: Amber Felix
Sequoyah Murray – “Penalties of Love”
From the upcoming EP, Penalties of Love
If you’ve been looking online for the sweet, sweet synth-pop ballads of Sequoyah Murray in the past year, you’ve likely thrown your hands up in despair. Turns out, when the soulful singer-songwriter wiped his entire discography from SoundCloud and Bandcamp, he was making moves—and now, at last, Murray’s dynamic voice will finally ring out from a nationwide platform on his first label-bound EP. That said, it’s good to hear “Penalties of Love” again; this opening shot could leave a somber first impression for the outside world, but Murray still shows off plenty of his best charms here. Organic touches like a low whistle and crisp drums breathe life into the cold synths, while Murray croons to the cathedral rafters about the heat left in an old flame. Here’s hoping that outsiders will harmonize with Murray when Thrill Jockey rolls out the EP in May—his peaceful spirit still has greater joys yet for the audience that opens their ears and minds. – Lee Adcock
Penalties of Love is out May 3 via Thrill Jockey. Pre-orders are available here.
More Info
Bandcamp: sequoyahmurray.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @sequoyahmurray
Instagram: @sequoyahmurray
SoundCloud: @sequoyahmurray
Twitter: @quoy_boi
Mattiel – “Keep the Change”
From the upcoming LP, Satis Factory
You can read a lot into the new Mattiel single. Questions and notions of time and change. Of dreams, expectations, and heart attacks. “Just what did I get myself into?” she asks in the opening line as the track charges forward with bouncy intensity. It’s a question she must have asked herself many times before—both in her role as an artist and a musician—as she encountered ideas and opportunities that seemed too big to tame, but chased them down anyway. So perhaps it’s no mystery “Keep the Change” flies by with some of the retro rock and soul that defined her debut swapped out for a bigger, more polished, and contemporary sound. It’s still rooted in rock and roll, of course—in surging guitars and massive hooks—but it’s clear that Mattiel’s world is expanding rapidly, and with it so is her vision. – Guillermo Castro
Satis Factory is out June 14. Pre-orders are available here.
Mattiel will perform on Sat. May 18 at the Masquerade. Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is $10. All ages.
More Info
Web: mattiel.com
Bandcamp: mattiel.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @mattielmusic
Instagram: @mattielbrown
Twitter: @MattielBrown
Paladin – “Shoot for the Sun”
From the upcoming LP, Ascension
Paladin is finally getting their dues after dropping a killer demo in 2017. Their new track “Shoot for the Sun” is the first single from their upcoming LP on Prosthetic Records, and it absolutely rips. The old-school thrash gallop crashes up against final boss battle shredding while Taylor Washington slugs his way to the top with overpowering, tactile vocals. This is one of the most straightforward tracks on Ascension, which drops May 17, but even through it’s catchy as hell, there’s still plenty of detail to unpack beneath the thrashy exterior. – Russell Rockwell
Ascension is out May 17. Pre-orders are available here.
Paladin will celebrate the release of Ascension on Sat., May 11 at 529 alongside Theocracy, Double Ferrari, and Moonshield. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $10. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: paladinatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @paladinatl
Instagram: @paladin_band