No Museums, The Painters, shitlord fuckerman, and Aaron Parker


After six weeks of having guests helm the Quick Picks column, we have finally found a permanent replacement for Matthew Belton. We must thank Matthew for the time he gave us, but it is time to move to a new era.

Today we are very excited to announce that the Quick Picks column now belongs to Brandon Kruze. Brandon has been writing “Pick Of The Week” reviews for Cups N Cakes for about four months but will now transition to making this column his primary focus.

Please enjoy Brandon’s debut as our permanent Quick Picks writer and editor.


No Museums – There’s Always An End (And Always Another)

Ten short songs make up this lo-fi, hazey pop lovechild of an album. Twangy guitars and minimal beats accompany cryptic lyrics and soft vocals.  Armed with the arsenal of a basement rock band, No Museums creates a gorgeous series of quick paced, indie rock inspired tracks that never overstay their welcome. 


The Painters – Rain

This newest single from Montreal based new age band is a country song blended with synthesizers and an overall hazey sound reminiscent of contemporary soft rock. The B Side, “I Owe You More Than I Have” doubles down on this approach with gospel-styled melodies and psychedelic guitar riffs, helping to reinforce their inspiring, optimistic tone.


shitlord fuckerman – “TOGAWA EN REGALIA”

From the self-described “Reba Mcentire of techno” comes a fever dream of a single. It begins with an industrial sounding SFX beat followed with an arpeggiating synth, an 8-bit styled synth, and an overall distorted, fractured sound. The song is pure unadulterated chaos, reminding us that creating music is not something we must always take seriously. 


Aaron Parker – O Candyland

Aaron Parker and his talented friends create an acoustic EP that tells three lyrically dense stories sandwiched between two instrumental tracks. It’s got a classic folk sound complete with mandolins, violins, and lyrics about love, freedom, and the expression of one’s sorrow. O Candyland delivers beauty so concentrated it can bring a tear to your eye.


- Brandon Kruze