I do what I can to stay abreast of what’s going on in the world of Arkansas independent music, but sometimes other obligations get the best of me. Consider this an attempt at making amends. Here, in no particular order, is a smattering of my favorite songs released by Arkansans in the last couple months that I haven’t yet had the chance to publicly gab about.
Sad Palomino, “What It Feels Like”
“What It Feels Like,” the badass finale from Sad Palomino’s sophomore record “Asleep in the Saddle,” is pretty much three songs in one. For the first two minutes, the Fayetteville band intuitively alternates between two diametrically opposed versions of themselves: a fuzzy, high-energy blend of Pavement and Parquet Courts and a slightly dissonant soft rock persona, full of longing. Just when you think you’ve got this band figured out, they hop into a jam session shuffle, which introduces their third and most joyfully goofy identity.
Q.G. The BlacKnight, “Bout Time”
“This Love Thing,” the recent E.P. by Eudora native and Conway-based rapper Q.G. The BlacKnight, has a tenderness you don’t often hear in hip hop music. The final cut, “Bout Time,” is no exception. Over slow-burn beats, Q.G. employs a buttery and dejected delivery to rap plainly about feeling left behind by the person he’s pining for most: “You doin’ good and I’m doin’ bad cuz you doin’ good without me.” He’s unafraid to own the pettiness of being a lovelorn mess, and that’s something special.
Honey Collective, “Summer ’02 (feat. Marcelese)”
Honey Collective, the Brooklyn-via-Fayetteville future soul/hip-hop/jazz group, is no stranger to dabbling in a variety of genres, but their newest single “Summer ’02” is the farest they’ve strayed from their original sound. Trading live drums and elegant piano for stuttering electronic grooves and deliciously warbly synths, Honey Collective is thrusting themselves into conversation with artists like Noname.
Nick Shoulders, “Whooped If You Will”
To compliment Fayetteville folkster Nick Shoulders on his vocal gymnastics is something like praising a fish for its ability to swim, but damned if “Whooped If You Will” doesn’t make it seem like he’s turned another corner with his yodeling. No later than seven seconds into his newest song, Shoulders unveils a back-and-forth melodic jiggle that’s unprecedented, at least to my ears. Also a thrill is to hear Shoulders in 6/8, a playful time signature in which he sounds right at home.
Always Tired, “the better part”
Included on “Contact Sports,” the debut full-length by Fayetteville’s Always Tired, “the better part” is a slight reprieve from the chaotic emo of their other material. I say “slight” because the track is certainly never soft and eventually blooms into heaviness, but the straightforward groove and looping bass line of the first half is a side of Always Tired we haven’t seen yet, one that makes room for singer Michael Sweater’s scorched melodies to take center stage.
Jupiter’s Flytrap, “Honey Honey”
I’ve been seeing Jupiter’s Flytrap show up on posters around town for gigs with angsty rock bands like Tiny Towns, Salon Blonde and Frailstate, so I assumed they probably existed in the same sonic vein. The Central Arkansas quartet’s first single, “Honey Honey,” corrects that misconception by way of a hazy aesthetic replete with soft synths, chorus-dominated guitar, slinky bass, syncopated bongos and a hand brushed across the chimes. The most important element is singer Indi Minett, whose languid, dreamy vocals hang in the air like a friendly ghost in search of a real connection: “What a dream to see you for who you truly are / And not just what you carry on about.” Stick around for a quirky keyboard solo that trickles in at the eleventh hour.
John McAteer and his Demands, “When You Say Love”
Throughout their new record, “Mid-Century Mod,” Little Rock’s John McAteer and his Demands have a lot in common with early Green Day, except they’re cooler and more jangly — light-footed, tuneful and digestible all the same, but with better guitar tone and tastier production overall. “When You Say Love” is the first song I’d recommend, simply because it’s the most fun and has that quintessential album-starting kick, but if you’re inclined to venture toward some slightly darker territory, check out “Finally Dreaming,” which opens with a sizzling, resonant riff.
Shine Eye Yell, “This Road”
Some songs keep you waiting for their most moving element, but “This Road” — the somber opening track from Tomahawk-based Americana band Shine Eye Yell’s debut album, “Buffalo National River Songs, Vol. 1” — puts its strongest foot forward with an arresting orchestral flourish that recurs throughout. That wistful string line alone is enough to keep you listening, but the group has another trick up their sleeves that slips in at the 1:14 mark: a distortion-free electric guitar lick delivered so smoothly and subtly that its technical prowess risks going unnoticed.