Come tomorrow night, Pollen, the  trio of Andy Palmer, Maud Morgan and Ben Hirsch will be releasing their first EP of their brand of politically charged art punk. Youthful and full of urgency, the four song, self-titled EP draws heavily on the influence of proto-punk avant-gardists like The Feelies as much the next generation of indie vanguardists a la Yo La Tengo.  In that tradition, Pollen achieves an impressive blend of humor, rhythm and brevity, pop sensibility and dissonance.   Following the reemerging trend of cassette releases, the new EP will be available on tape tomorrow night at 1401 Astor Place.  Pollen will share the bill with last month's Artist of the Month poll winner Those Howlings.   

Thanks Light is an eclectic quintet that released their album, Pop Rox, this past April. Their influences are as diverse as the songs on their soundcloud playlist, which is full of awesome ear candy. In “Bones”, lead singer Zane’s melancholy wailing is reminiscent of The Highwaymen, as are the solid country guitar riffs. Yet in “Starting Up” and “Re::Evolution”, their songs take on a more cosmic feel, similar to Gauntlet Hair. 

Whether you’re in the mood to folk out or mellow out, Thanks Light will be performing on July 31st in Austin at Beerland. Joining them will be: After Hours, Those Howlings, Alma Forrer, Baptiste W. Hamon, and The Navasota String Gang. Check it out! --Written by Faith Braverman