Now Hear This: #009 – Coach Party, HallowBoysDance, Alien Gothic, Diamond Day

Now Hear This! This week’s undetected offerings include the fierce punk of Coach Party, the low-slung, glossy R&B/hip-hop of HallowBoysDance, the cosmic medieval music of Alien Gothic, and the jangly dream-pop of Diamond Day.

We’ll bring you a new post each week, songs from which will regularly be added to our accompanying “Now Hear This” Spotify playlist.

Coach Party – “Parasite”

Hailing from the Isle of Wight, Coach Party releases their new single/music video, “Parasite,” a feral punk track from their upcoming debut long player, KILLJOY, slated to drop on September 8.

According to drummer Guy Page,

“Everyone has those people in their lives that they’ll do anything to avoid. If you don’t, you might be one of those people, and this song is for you: the parasite in human form, whose sole purpose on this earth is to drain the energy, creativity, and enthusiasm of generous people. When you see their name flash up on your phone, you genuinely consider eating it. As what is arguably our most heavy track on KILLJOY, the pace and sonics are a direct reflection of how irritating and soul-destroying these parasites are. Take our advice: starve them of your good vibes, and eventually they’ll move on.”

Jess Eastwood’s fulminating, Medusa-like vocals imbue the lyrics with scorching tones, reflecting a sonic aura of lethality.

“I’d do most anything I could / Not to see you / You / Waste my own time if it meant / I didn’t see you / You.”

HallowBoysDance – “Superficial”

Dublin, Ireland-based singer-songwriter HallowBoysDance recently released his first single of 2023, entitled “Superficial.”

Talking about “Superficial,” HallowBoysDance says that the song is:

“…an anthem about searching and lusting over physical love, only realising the love you now desire has become a false paradise. Tarnished with doubt and untrue intentions, you begin to learn that there is no love in the city.”

Rife with dreamy, smooth tones, “Superficial” rides a trap-lite rhythm topped by shimmering colors and sumptuous, wistful vocals.

Alien Gothic – “Shine The Lights”

Alien Gothic, the gothic-electronica project of Denver’s Ryan Policky and Andy Uhrmacher, released “Shine The Lights,” a track lifted from their forthcoming debut album, High and Dry, set to drop on August 18.

Policky explains the album:

“It’s a symphony of alien sounds and favorite mellotron moments. It soars like a massive whale, while being pulled down into tight rhythms and mechanical goth patterns. A complete experiment that formed a lot of our overall sound… cosmic goth as we like to call it.”

Produced, recorded, and mixed by Policky and Uhrmacher, “Shine The Lights” drips with mysterious, eerie textures and hazy yet strident sonic insignia, giving listeners the feeling of descending into the ninth circle of Dante’s Hell.

Diamond Day – “Fiction Feel”

Based in Montreal, Quebec, indie/dream pop duo Diamond Day released their single, “Fiction Feel,” not long ago.

Musicians on the track include Béatrix Méthé (vocals, keyboards), Quinn Bachand (vocals, guitars, bass, percussion, synthesizer, drum programming), and Oli Bernatchez (live drums). Together, they fuse platinum guitars, a rumbling, resonant rhythm, and delicate vocals into a delicious, vibrant song.

With her buoyant, sailplaning voice, Méthé imbues the lyrics with charming, happy-go-lucky elegance.

“Pardon careful secrecy / Fiction feel inside me / Pardon my reality / Fiction oozing out of me.”