Hand Habits, the Solo Act Making Strikingly Complicit Love Songs

Mar 21, 2019

“Placeholder” is an impressive piece of craftsmanship, not only in its lyrics but in its sparkling production and masterly sense of melody—for such wistful songs, they have an uncanny ability to get stuck in your head.

Ohtis: How ‘Curve Of Earth’, eight darkly beautiful country songs about heroin, took 15 years to make

Mar 18, 2019

At a recent gig at London’s intimate Lexington venue, Ohtis singer-songwriter Sam Swinson made a gag that misfired: “I said something like, ‘This goes out for everyone that’s done heroin – don’t lie, I know you’re out there.’ I don’t know if it was really the crowd for it because nobody really responded.”

He admits: “Probably a lot of those people hadn’t done heroin.”

SXSW 2019: 30 Best Artists We Saw in Austin

Mar 18, 2019

Amyl & the Sniffers sound like Blondie deciding they’d be better off as a dirtbag bar band who dabbled in hardcore. It’s a combination that results in some glorious noise.

My Favorite Album: Amyl & the Sniffers' Amy Taylor

Mar 18, 2019

I really like a lot of different music so it’s hard to pick a favorite album. I’ve been listening to a lot of Minor Threat again and some Australian artists like NASHO and C.O.F.F.I.N., as well as Surfbort and Warthog from NYC. I don’t know, there’s so much good music, it makes my ears want to pop off my face.

SXSW Music Review: Amyl & the Sniffers

Mar 15, 2019

Equal parts AC/DC and Ramones, it’s the exact chainsaw hydromatic riffage that distinguished Rose Tattoo in its prime.

Zig Zags Barrel Down The Highway In Driving New Song "Fallout"

Mar 14, 2019

ZIG ZAGS Barrel Down The Highway In Driving New Song “Fallout”

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Announce New Album Fishing for Fishies

Mar 11, 2019

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have announced a new album. Fishing for Fishies is out April 26 via Flightless. It’s the first full-length from the Australian band since they released five albums in 2017.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard announce new album, Fishing for Fishies

Mar 11, 2019

Two years ago, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard took the world by storm with the release of five full-length albums. After having a chance to catch their breath, the prolific Australian rockers are back with their latest offering. It’s called Fishing For Fishies and due out on April 26th.

Song You Need to Know: Hand Habits, ‘pacify’

Mar 7, 2019

The third track on Hand Habits’ great new album, placeholder, comes on like a folk song, with Meg Duffy finger-picking soft solo acoustic patterns. The effect is peaceful, calming, with a hint of something else underneath the surface.

Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy Is Your Favorite Indie Rocker’s Favorite Guitarist

Mar 6, 2019

You can hear their nimble, swirling guitar tone on the War on Drugs’ A Deeper Understanding, Weyes Blood’s Front Row Seat to Earth, and most recently, William Tyler’s Goes West.

Mac DeMarco Announces New Album Here Comes the Cowboy, Shares Video for New Song “Nobody”

Mar 5, 2019

Mac DeMarco has announced a new album, Here Comes the Cowboy. It’s out May 10 and will mark the debut release on Mac’s Record Label. Mac has also shared the single “Nobody.”

Hear Mac DeMarco Preview New Album With Lonesome New Song ‘Nobody’

Mar 5, 2019

Mac DeMarco unveiled “Nobody,” a desolate track set to appear on his next album, Here Comes the Cowboy. It’s out May 10th via his own Mac’s Record Label. “Nobody” is stripped down and ambling: Built around prickly guitars and a steady clop of drums and bass. DeMarco sings, “There’s no turning back/To nobody/There’s no second chance/No third degree.”

Mac DeMarco – “Nobody” Video

Mar 5, 2019

“There’s no turning back to nobody,” Mac DeMarco sings on the lead single from his new album. “There’s no second chance, no third degree.” The song a low-key lament about the perils of fame, yet from that personal subject matter DeMarco manages to wring universal feelings of longing and regret.

Listen to Mac DeMarco’s chilled new single ‘Nobody’ from upcoming album ‘Here Comes The Cowboy’

Mar 5, 2019

Mac DeMarco is back, sharing new single ‘Nobody’ and announcing new album ‘Here Comes The Cowboy’.

Our Take: SPELLLING’S ‘Mazy Fly' Will Make You Believe In Magic

Mar 4, 2019

Having been quoted as drawing inspirations “from messages in her dreams,” Chrystia Cabral, who goes by SPELLLING, conjures forth a very cerebral soundscape; one filled with flashes of light shining out from the shadowy scene, every inch of which she has carefully crafted.

Hand Habits Placeholder review

Mar 1, 2019

On placeholder, the second album from Meg Duffy’s Hand Habits, the singer/songwriter orbits a stinging absence, ruminating on the ephemeral nature of emotional attachment. Characters pass through placeholder like silhouettes on the horizon; as Duffy watches them go, these songs weave narratives around the space they leave behind. What’s a love story with only half the cast? A plaintive consideration of the ways people shape each other, even in disappearance.

New Music Friday: Our Top 6 Albums Out On March 1

Mar 1, 2019

Our sprint through this week’s best new albums includes Grey Area from the UK rapper Little Simz, Weezer’s self-titled “Black Album,” the foot-stompers of Hozier, country crooner Dee White and more. Host Robin Hilton is joined by NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson, Sidney Madden and Jewly Hight as they share their picks for the best albums out on March 1.

No Echo Premieres Zig Zags, 'Punk Fucking Metal' from new album 'They'll Never Take Us Alive'

Feb 28, 2019

L.A.’s Zig Zags have thus far managed to escape me, despite a dizzying number of releases since their 2011 inception. At last count, there’s upwards of a dozen between LPs, EPs, singles, and splits. California has birthed its share of thrash titans and the prolific three-piece have clearly absorbed the foundations laid decades ago, affixing their own twisted addition.

In 'No Difference,' Jess Cornelius' Sudsy Self-Reckoning Is On Full Display

Feb 26, 2019

In recent years, self-care culture has exploded beyond simple millennial infatuation; the term, which refers to the conscious integration of health and wellness practices into daily life, is equal parts lifestyle manifesto and multi-billion dollar industry. “No Difference,” the latest single from the New Zealand-born, Australia-raised singer Jess Cornelius, addresses the individual reckoning that occurs in the most intimate corner of the self-care sphere — the bathroom.

Hand Habits - placeholder Song of the day hosted by Cheryl Waters

Feb 26, 2019

Today’s song, featured on The Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, is “placeholder” by Hand Habits, from the 2019 album placeholder on Saddle Creek.

Album Of The Week: Hand Habits Placeholder

Feb 26, 2019

Meg Duffy’s first Hand Habits album was recorded alone at home in stolen moments between tours, while they were playing as part of Kevin Morby’s backing band. It was a low-key affair — humble, you might say, which was reflected in its title: Wildly Idle (Humble Before The Void).

Under The Radar reviews: Hand Habits Placeholder Saddle Creek

Feb 26, 2019

Meg Duffy’s work under the moniker Hand Habits extracts the most precise and aesthetically pleasing attributes of her guitar work contributions to the likes of Kevin Morby (who Duffy has spent the last three years with as supporting lead guitarist) and The War on Drugs—this is where the similarities stop, though.

Hand Habits’ new album is the sound of an artist truly finding themselves

Feb 26, 2019

Some songs sound like they’ve been around forever, carved from granite and left to be found after digging through the dirt many years later.

Meg Duffy of Hand Habits Embraces the Undefinable

Feb 25, 2019

The name Meg Duffy chose for their musical project suggests an absent-minded preoccupation—music-making as an impulsive, spontaneous act. But Hand Habits appears to be the opposite, with slow-burning songs full of contemplation.

Exclusive: Shana Cleveland Dances Through a Sci-Fi Dream in "Don't Let Me Sleep" Video

Feb 22, 2019

Shana Cleveland shares the video for “Don’t Let Me Sleep,” the spaced-out second single from her forthcoming record Night of the Worm Moon, exclusively at Paste. This latest track slows down slightly in comparison to the previously released “Face of the Sun,” spinning a dreamy, psych-folk lullaby meant for a night spent UFO-spotting.