MaySuns
Coloso (EP) (Matcatcher Music)
After snagging a Best Rock Album statuette at the Washington Area Music Awards for 2022’s The Oldlight, the band Hanoi Ragmen announced it would be renaming. In an Instagram post last fall, the MaySuns announced that its new name reflects “the identity of the band [it’s] turning into.”
In May, the MaySuns released the EP Coloso. Riding on surf rock and modular electronic synths, the six-member alt-rock group from Alexandria generates a kaleidoscope of sound powered by Max Powell (rhythmic guitar), Beck Moniz (bass), Gabriel Harr (vocals), Nathan Argust (drums), Shaan Shuster (keyboard), and Kostia Howard (saxophone). Howard commands a showstopping solo in “Salamander,” with ambient vocals and a swooning guitar wailing along. “Cannonball Man” showcases the group’s raw edge and vulnerable sensibilities with a personal message as Harr sings, “I outstayed my welcome / outlived my soul.” (Released 5/15) baffinrecords.com/collections/maysuns
Strange Boutique
Let The Lonely Heart Sing (Boutique Things)
Much like the mystic cicada depicted on the cover of the group’s first record in 31 years, Strange Boutique has been resurrected. The songs on Let The Lonely Heart Sing reinforce the band’s mark on the Washington, D.C., underground punk scene in the 1980s. The dark, ethereal music of Daniel Ingram (drums), Steve Willett (bass guitar), Dennis Kane (guitar), and Monica Richards (vocals) comes together in haunting reminiscence for a band that’s still grieving the 2017 tragic loss of original guitarist Fred “Freak” Smith.
“Radium Kiss,” with its melancholic grace, warps lyrically as Richards sings, “And the clock ticks on, ticks on” over and over. “Twelve Chimes” takes an upbeat and intimate tone, with, yes, chiming guitar chords that invoke other bands of the ’80s, like Cocteau Twins and Lush. The somber emotion in Richards’ melodies—and the captivating guitar solos—muddles any joy in the record. This is intentional as the band members commiserate over the unsolved stabbing of Smith, whose violent death at 55 propelled Richards and Willet to reignite their passion. Smith is remembered as having helped pave the way for African American punk performers in a predominantly white scene. In 2010 he told NPR, “Strange Boutique was and always will be the best band [he had] ever been in.” (Released 6/10) strangeboutiquedc.com
Shagg Carpet
Hurting Other People (Produced by M.E.C. RECS, Sockhead Records)
A Richmond band with Charlottesville roots, Shagg Carpet offered a fresh take on post-punk in three singles, “Domestic Thought Experiment,” “Beach Body,” and “Luck Stat,” leading up to the full release of Hurting Other People. The band formed in 2022 when high school friends Lou Sellers (guitar), Austyn Nowell (keys), Riandell Tugas (bass), and Brett Harris (drums) discovered lead vocalist and lyricist Rook Romanov lounging in a park (it was the bunny mask that sealed the deal). The flamboyant accessory remains a staple of Romanov’s stage appearance at bars and sweaty basements. With a 15-song tracklist running 45 minutes, the new LP is equally playful and cheeky, with song titles like “Digital Fruitcakes” and “XXX Erotic.” The opening track, “Sleeping with Fish,” takes the listener on an absurd trip to a new-wave beach bash. Romanov guides the narrative in sprechgesang vocals: Think Fred Schneider of The B-52’s—“We’re all going down to the beach to have a real big party / holograms and special effects, we’re throwing a virtual party”—before an instrumental meltdown. Other Richmond musicians get credit on the album, including Jack Sample (vocals) from Tentative Decisions, plus Sam Colaccino (trumpet, trombone), and Rinatt Montoya (guitar), who adds jazz elements to songs like “City of Dogs” and “Deepsea Disco.” (Release date 7/24) shaggcarpet.bandcamp.com
