Listen: Shiny New Toys from Pesky, Day Wave, Color Palette and Mackintosh Braun

There's a Tofu Asada Burrito that is currently burning my esophagus. What are some songs that are also currently burning my esophagus? Check them:

"Keep Me" by Pesky is chock full of the nihilism and ennui that make shoegaze and grunge so fabulous. Yea, if nihilism and ennui are things that kids do to pass time on the playground. I say this because Pesky consists of seven members all under the age of 13. Yep, we are talking twelve, eleven and even a ten year old. And to think at that age I was still having my mom cut the crusts off of my asada tofu. To me, the best part of this track is that it survives the gimmickiness of it all. "Keep Me" would be a fabulously catchy track if it was performed by 30 year olds. The fact that it is a group of tweens that crafted it, makes it fifty times more sweeter (or in the case of this tofu, more limier). The band recently signed to Fierce Panda and their debut EP, Smells Like Tween Spirit, will be hitting the racks shortly.

Only a group of Pesky! kids could keep Day Wave from taking the lede. Jackson Philips is back with the final track from his new, five song, EP called Headcase. The final single just so happens to be the one for which the EP is titled. "Headcase," the song, is very similar to Headcase, the EP. The track has the same dreamy texture floating above a lo-fi, cassette deck, backbone as the previous four singles. "Headcase's" lyrics come across as upbeat because of the way Jackson delivers them. But listening to them you can't help but detect some sadness hanging around (I mean "Bury me alive" is not upbeat in anyway). Inside the world of burritos, "Headcase" fills the same niche as the chipotle onions. Even though the spiciness of the chipotles are front and center, there is still a lingering aftertaste of onion sadness long after the spice has faded. Outside of the world of food, I'd compare "Headcase" to the Florida summer weather. While the majority of the day is hot and sunny, every afternoon the storm clouds roll in and drop a bit of sadness on the whole party. Currently, we are being buried alive by the rain. Fifteen minutes from now, different story.



Every so often I'm not quick enough on the draw to stop Soundcloud from moving into another song. And every so often of those times (is that every so often of every so often?) I'll find a song that grabs me and won't let go. Color Palette's "Heartless" is one of those songs. I was finishing my thoughts on Day Wave and, wouldn't you know it, on comes this lively tune that has a punch of darkness to it. This darkness isn't so much melancholy or depression or sadness, like in Day Wave's track, but I feel it's more weariness. The line "I'm too tired to fight" seems to play into this idea. Sometimes people beat us down so much that when they come around there's this shadow that gets cast over our interactions. Not wanting to start sh*t, you just let them get away with whatever because you're "too tired to fight." Musically, Baeble compared the track to Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart." I think that's an appropriate take for this track.



So Mackintosh Braun just released an album less than a month ago. By my calculations we shouldn't hear from them for a good two or three more months right? RIGHT? Wrong. They are back with a brand new single, not on the album, called "Give Me Fire." The track features the vocals of Carah Faye Charnow from Shiny Toy Guns. The press release suggests that it is a nice summery track but I don't look at it that way. Summer, at least down here in Tampa, is way to f***ing hot for this song. To me, "Give Me Fire" fits better in the dark cold nights of October. It's the type of track you want to snuggle up to because you know it won't let the cold seep in. Damn, does that mean I have to keep listening to this track for the next couple months? Yessir. In that case, I'm glad it's as fun and catchy as it is.