Posted on November 16th, 2023
Pile recently announced their new EP, Hot Air Balloon, due out January 5th from Exploding In Sound Records, and today they're back with one more early single from the release--the captivating "Only For A Reminder."
The five song Hot Air Balloon was recorded during the sessions of Pile's acclaimed 2023 full-length, All Fiction, and functions as a companion to that album. But these aren't simply extra songs from the All Fiction sessions, these are essential Pile tracks that pack a serious punch, as indicated by previous singles "Scaling Walls" and "The Birds Attacked My Hot Air Balloon" (which drew attention from the likes of NPR, Stereogum, Paste Magazine, BrooklynVegan, and more).
"Only A Reminder" leans into the adventurous streak that's always powered Pile's music, unfolding around a haunting synth line and vocalist/guitarist agile melodies. The track crests with a squall of cutting guitars and bass then settles on a beautifully sparse outro that highlights Pile's unending drive to push their sound into new territory.
Maguire discussed the new song, saying:
"'Only For A Reminder' is a song about punishment, judgment, and betrayal from a force once thought of as benevolent or at worst, benign."
The release of All Fiction felt like the start of a new chapter for Pile, leaning into the band's keen sense of atmosphere and experimentation to create some of their most ambitious work to date. The album's sessions were especially productive and luckily for the listener, these other recordings are set to see the light of day via the Hot Air Balloon EP. After sixteen years as a band, Pile are still making visceral and essential music, and if Hot Air Balloon is any indication, the band are doing more than keeping up the pace--they're just getting started with some of the boldest and most compelling songs of their career.
Pile have also announced an upcoming full band performance in Somerville, MA, as well as a run of Rick Maguire solo shows. See full itinerary below.
Upcoming Shows:
11/28/23 Somerville MA - Crystal Ballroom w/ Ovlov, Disco Doom, & Rong
12/05/23 Kittery ME - Buoy Gallery w/ Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band *
12/19/23 Troy NY - No Fun *
12/20/23 Ithaca NY - Angry Mom Records *
12/21/23 Pittsburgh PA - Bottle Rocket *
12/22/23 Louisville KY - Camp Social Club *
12/23/23 Nashville TN - DRKMTTR *
12/27/23 Memphis TN - HI Tone cafe *
12/28/23 Oklahoma City OK - Resonant Head *
12/29/23 Dallas TX - Club Dada *
12/30/23 Austin TX - Mohawk (Indoors) *
01/02/24 Houston TX - Bohemeo's *
01/03/24 New Orleans LA - Gasa Gasa *
01/05/24 Chattanooga TN - Woodshop *
01/06/24 Asheville NC - Different Wrld *
01/07/24 Raleigh NC - Kings *
01/08/24 Washington DC - Pie Shop *
01/09/24 Philadelphia PA - Johnny Brendas *
01/10/24 New York NY - The Broadway *
01/11/24 Boston MA - Rockwell *
* Rick Maguire solo shows
Posted on November 2nd, 2023
Last year, the esoteric Swiss band Disco Doom released their first new album in eight years, Mt. Surreal. Today, they’re back with a two-song single, “Tuesday” and “Comet,” ahead of some North American tour dates that will see them playing with fellow Exploding In Sound brethren like Pile, Ovlov, Editrix, and more. The new songs are characteristically great, the former more wiry and sparse and the latter an expansive fuzzing chug. Check out both below.
Posted on October 3rd, 2023
[as seen on Stereogum]
Last year, Mister Goblin — the long-running project of Two Inch Astronaut frontman Sam — released a new album, Bunny. Today, he’s back with a new single, “Kentucky Kingdom,” a downtrodden one about feeling underprepared: “Haven’t really worked for shit in my whole life/ Hoping that it’s not too late to learn to/ Because I haven’t done much of anything.”
“I’ve had some version of ‘Kentucky Kingdom’ written for a while but it’s enough of an outlier that it didn’t really seem to fit on Bunny or my upcoming record,” he shared in a statement, continuing:
I’ve written some schmaltzy stuff before, but this one is pretty deep in the teen soap opera soundtrack zone. The song is essentially about the experience of having a really nice time while wondering whether you’ve earned it. Kentucky Kingdom is a theme park in Louisville and there are a few references to specific rides in the song, but I’ve never actually been there. I did go to Kings Island over the summer in Ohio, but Kentucky Kingdom just has more of a ring to it.
This is not the first or even the second Mister Goblin song named after a theme park. See also “Six Flags America” and “Holiday World.” Listen to “Kentucky Kingdom” below.
Posted on September 25th, 2023
[as seen on Stereogum]
We’re just a few days away from the release of God Is Luck, the new album from Philadelphia indie rock experimenters Bad History Month. We’ve already posted the album’s title track and “Touch The Riff.” Now, with the album set to land on Friday, they’ve shared one last early single.
The new track “Winter Window” is a dazed meditation that shows Bad History Month’s process at work. Sean Sprecher sings about a moment of peace and gratitude over acoustic-guitar and drum sounds that have been chopped up and pasted together, creating a sense of disorienting serenity. Check it out below.
Posted on September 21st, 2023
Pile have announced a new EP, Hot Air Balloon, due out January 5th from Exploding In Sound Records. To mark the occasion, the band have shared its exhilarating quasi track "The Birds Attacked My Hot Air Ballon."
Earlier this month Pile shared a tantilizing new single "Scaling Walls" and today they've revealed that it's part of their upcoming Hot Air Balloon EP. The five song release was recorded during the sessions of the band's acclaimed 2023 full-length, All Fiction, and functions as a companion to that album. These aren't simply extra songs from the All Fiction sessions, these are essential Pile tracks that pack a serious punch, as indicated by "The Birds Attacked My Hot Air Balloon." The track lulls the listener in with gentle instrumentation and vocalist/guitarist Rick Maguire's agile voice, then builds into the kind of sonic catharsis that makes Pile such a special band.
Watch the "The Birds Attacked My Hot Air Balloon" music video:
Maguire discussed the new song, saying:
"It started off as just an image that felt related to the music (floating peacefully through the air), but it naturally turned into a story of that peace being interrupted by fear and navel-gazing. I usually use songwriting as a way to look for and work through whatever might need to process, and that's how this one shook out."
The release of All Fiction felt like the start of a new chapter for Pile, leaning into the band's keen sense of atmosphere and experimentation to create some of their most ambitious work to date. The album's sessions were especially productive and luckily for the listener, these other recordings are set to see the light of day via the Hot Air Balloon EP. After sixteen years as a band, Pile are still making visceral and essential music, and if Hot Air Balloon is any indication, the band are doing more than keeping up the pace--they're just getting started with some of the boldest and most captivating songs of their career.
