Giant Day: Alarm

Multi-instrumentalist Derek Almstead (The Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, The Glands, of Montreal) and singer Emily Growden (Faster Circuits, Marshmallow Coast) turned a lot of heads when they released Glass Narcissus, the debut album by their retro-futurist indie pop duo Giant Day, last year. Follow-up Alarm breaks out of the introspective perspective mood of the lyrics. The outside world has entered the bubble of their abode in rural Pennsylvania and they have plenty to be worried about - Think Carefully indeed.

They kept the synths way up front, embracing the limitations of vintage equipment, with sounds that used to be associated with a brighter future. Fear has taken over, and although some of the sunny-side up psychedelic musings from their debut have found their way in again, the undeniable horrors of the current clusterfuck always have the upper hand. Devil Dog might sound funky and upbeat, but it is quite a nasty beast.

Giant Day: Golden Times

Psychedelic pop duo Giant Day take it slow on their new single Golden Times, a mesmerizing soundscape about their safe space, which won't be offering shelter forever.

For now multi-instrumentalist Derek Almstead (The Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, The Glands, of Montreal) and singer Emily Growden (Faster Circuits, Marshmallow Coast) are quite content, feeling protected by their self-constructed wall of synths as they reminisce about how happy they are in the wake of impending doom. It is track from their forthcoming album Alarm.

Giant Day: Devil Dog

Psychedelic pop duo Giant Day are dancing on a volcano on their new single Devil Dog, a funky exercise with a precise backbeat and chopped guitar licks. Multi-instrumentalist Derek Almstead (The Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, The Glands, of Montreal) and singer Emily Growden (Faster Circuits, Marshmallow Coast) teamed up last year for their debut album Glass Narcissus, but the optimism that was part of their musical makeup has been replaced with a darker outlook on life. It is the lead single for their new album Alarm.

HCTF's best of 2024 (15-11)

• 20-16
• |
• 15-11
• |
• 10-6
• |
• 5-1

» Best of playlist

» Listen here

HCTF's annual list of the 20 albums that will be in regular rotation for many years to come. As per usual many genres are represented. Here Comes The Flood covers a lot of ground and it shows in this eclectic, final tally.

Today: countdown from number 15 to 11.

Please shop at your local record store. Most of the stores have a pretty good website where you can order your stuff. It might even be cheaper than the big ones on the 'net. The folks who work there know their stuff and can recommend artists you might like.

Buy directly from the artist, attend live shows and stop by the merch table. And be sure to tell your friends about that great new act you discovered. Word-of-mouth can't be beat as the prime source to discover new music.

Giant Day: "Overtone" video

Watch the Giant Day video for Overtone, a track from their Glass Narcissus album: "a record for listeners who are willing to go in at the deep end to explore inner turmoil, pet peeves and serious concerns, wrapped in subdued yet danceable music."

Live date:

• 01/24 Chicago, IL @ The Hideout (w/ Bronzek)

» Giant Day on Facebook

HCTF review of Glass Narcissus

Giant Day: "Ignore the Flood" video

Watch the Giant Day video for Ignore the Flood, a track from their Glass Narcissus album: "a record for listeners who are willing to go in at the deep end to explore inner turmoil, pet peeves and serious concerns, wrapped in subdued yet danceable music."

Live date:

• 01/24 Chicago, IL @ The Hideout (w/ Bronzek)

» Giant Day on Facebook

HCTF review of Glass Narcissus

Giant Day: Glass Narcissus

BEST OF 2024
12
HCTF

Psychedelic pop duo Giant Day consists of two veterans from the indie underground scene. Multi-instrumentalist Derek Almstead (The Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, The Glands, of Montreal) and singer Emily Growden (Faster Circuits, Marshmallow Coast) cut their teeth in Athens, GA and took their Krautrock meets adventurous dream pop and post-punk with them when they set up shop in a shop in a farm in Pennsylvania. Their debut full-length Glass Narcissus is a summation of a couple decades worth lessons they have learned along the way.

It is a record for listeners who are willing to go in at the deep end to explore inner turmoil, pet peeves and serious concerns, wrapped in subdued yet danceable music. Darkness beckons, but there is also a glimmer of light offering a chance to see if some of the fears are real or imagined. Jangling, slightly distorted guitars and tinkling synths are the foundation for soft-spoken vocals deserving undivided attention.