motel void

The best tracks that have come our way in the past week or so and that we highly recommend listening to…

Rabbit Fire – Orbit

Last time, we ended in Denmark with the Skyggekat project—and now we’re starting in Scandinavia again, this time in Sweden, where the brand-new band Rabbit Fire has just released their debut EP, Orbit.

Honestly, from the first few notes, I would’ve guessed they were from Philadelphia or maybe Los Angeles, but Rabbit Fire actually hail from Malmö. Their sound brings to mind the pleasantly simple and atmosphere-driven music of artists like Orchid Mantis, or flatsound – artists who focus more on mood than on intricate melodies.

And that mood? It’s the feeling of a warm summer day where you’re kind of bored, kind of waiting for the evening show at the club next door – or maybe just hanging out at someone’s place, or getting ready for a hike to a nearby lake with your friends. As I listen, I can’t help but picture scenes from my favorite film, Falcon Lake.

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Tan Cologne – In Resin

Now we return to the U.S. Tan Cologne is the duo of Lauren Green and Marissa Macias, based in Northern New Mexico. And this is a huge surprise – in the best way. Over a year ago, their track Baja caught my attention, but In Resin is something else entirely: a masterpiece that brings together everything I love about these genres.

The production is gorgeous – nothing sticks out, everything sits exactly where it should, and it carries the spirit of the best dream pop, reminiscent of Galaxie 500. If I ever released music again, I’d want it to sound something like this – but achieving that would take a serious amount of time and effort, and even then, I might not come close haha.

Tan Cologne sound genuinely unique, which is a rare thing in this genre. I’m listening to the track for the third time now, boarding a train for an eight-hour ride, and ready to play their entire album Unknown Beyond in my headphones.

Read an interview with Tan Cologne here.

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Telyscopes – Ballad of the Egg Moon

And we’re staying in the U.S. for this one. Telyscopes is an artist from Philadelphia, and this track comes from the album An Egg Moon in April (released, appropriately, in April). Ballad of the Egg Moon is an exploration of gender and queer relationships, told through the aesthetic lens of folk and Americana. Subtle nods to the works of Tim Buckley and Federico García Lorca are delicately woven into the songwriting and lyrics.

An Egg Moon in April is a well-crafted indie record, full of interesting production choices, with an undercurrent of melancholy and sadness – yet overall, it radiates a kind of quiet optimism.

As a longtime fan of Tim Buckley, I was especially drawn to the track Look at the Fool, a title that references one of Buckley’s later albums. The verses are incredibly catchy – I could listen to them on repeat!