Latest Posts

Matya – “Nosebleeds”

September 18, 2024

Los Angeles based Matya brings us her latest track “Nosebleeds,” released in anticipation of her EP Like The Roses, So It Goeses out October 3. The instrumentals are surprisingly bass centric with slick riffs throughout that is soooo easy to groove to. The poppy aesthetic with a side of synth keep the track on its toes and reminded me a bit of latter career MGMT with their lighter touch. Taking a few pages from MGMT’s book is never a bad thing, especially when you make it your own and go as hard as Matya goes -with a light dusting of solo era Gwen Stefani added for flavor. You can hear “Nosebleeds” below from YouTube, in music video format no less! If Spotify if more your thing you can check it out there. If you like what you hear don’t forget to check out the EP out October 3.    

Make Friends- “Maybe Tomorrow”

September 18, 2024

“Maybe Tomorrow” is the latest single from English four piece, Make Friends, off of their Loaded Fun EP. The guitar intro gave me Sting and the Police vibes, and while it keeps that vibe, it throws in horn accompaniment and keeps things interesting with a solid smattering of sounds. Clean guitars with a strong-yet-subtle bass track that pops up drive this track forward – think shoegaze without the effects. The inspiration from Foals is easy to see, but I also felt a connection to Vampire Weekend… But only if they slowed down a bit and instead of singing about Oxford [commas] they lived closer to Oxford. You can hear the track below from Soundcloud or add it to your indie Brit pop playlist (brindie pop?) on Spotify. Don’t feel like it right now? Maybe tomorrow. (but seriously, just go check it out it’s literally embedded below)      

Rachel Angel – “Bottom Seas”

September 16, 2024

A Miami native but very much a wandering soul, Rachel Angel brings us her latest track “Bottom Seas;” a rollickin’ alt folk tinged adventure. Dueling electric and acoustic guitars battle throughout, and everyone wins – especially our ears. Reminiscent of Waxahatchee or even Neutral Milk Hotel at their… milkiest? Most neutral.. est? You know what I mean. The track itself deals with feelings of loss, loneliness and a so-called “inexplicable dream.”  I’m terrible at parsing out lyrics without them right in front of me so I missed the dream sequence, but I’m sure it’s there. Angel is clearly a master of her craft, building up to such a wonderful crescendo and goes in a direction you may (or may not) guess (I won’t spoil). You can hear “Bottom Seas” below on YouTube, Bandcamp, Apple Music, or Spotify and figure out what part of the song I’m vaguebooking about.  

Boshe – “do it 4 u”

September 16, 2024

London based Boshe is the solo act of Ella Heaton and “do it 4 u” is her latest track, an atmospheric indie-electropop affair. Drawing inspiration from familiar acts like FKA Twigs and Grimes, there’s enough electric drum beats and effects that you’ll be bopping your head in short order. Heaton’s vocals are warm and reverberate throughout your skull while EVERYTHING ELSE is going on, which can be a lot to keep track of (but, I think, is part of the allure). On the B side of the single, there’s a demo of “do it 4 u” which provides an interesting look and almost sounds like an entirely different song that stands on its own. It’s a little more roughly hewn (duh, demo) but it makes the vocals found more machinelike, which reminded me a lot of Alice Glass. You can hear “do it 4 u” below from YouTube or add[...]

No Floor – “Forgetting”

September 16, 2024

“Forgetting” is the latest from No Floor, a ‘post shoegaze’ four piece out of Seattle. What’s the difference between shoegaze and post shoegaze you might ask? Great question! From what I could figure, when you add the “post” into the genre things get… fuzzy? The general composition trends a little more toward prog/experimental. Combine the two and you get lovely track. This ends up equaling a pedal-driven track that coalesces into a beast of song. Reminded me a bit of Brand New (before it was illegal to enjoy them) with elements of Title Fight and Ovlov; the hauntingly slick guitar wailing and dirge-like vocals really combine into a real treat. You can hear “Forgetting” below from the band’s YouTube page or add it to your post shoegaze playlist on Bandcamp or Spotify. Be sure to check out the rest of the ‘How to Drown’ EP if you like what you’ve[...]

Tear Veins – “Cypress”

September 12, 2024

Tear Veins, based out of Canada, has released a string of singles over the past year and “Cypress” is their latest. The brainchild of Tearyn Janvier – even if she’s not a ’90s baby, she at least has a strong appreciation for the grungier acts of the time, giving off vibes akin to Smashing Pumpkins or Hole (which is honestly the the same thing because Billy Corgan has either written four Hole songs or an entire albums worth, depending on who you ask). I particularly enjoyed “Cypress” for the beautiful simplicity of it; two minutes of light reverbed guitar and Janvier’s whisper-sung vocals really hit the spot on this cooler September evening. If you’re looking for something with a little more bite I would direct you toward “Beauty;” enjoyable in a similar vein (pun intended) but gives you a rougher edge. You can hear “Cypress” below from YouTube or you[...]

Pebbledash – “Killer Lover”

September 12, 2024

Ireland based four piece Pebbledash has a new single out, “Killer Lover” and it’s one we’ve grown quite fond of at the BLOG. The presser we got made comparisons to Pixies and Smashing Pumpkins (which isn’t inaccurate) but I felt a lot of early Modest Mouse vibes from this track (in particular, Fruit that Ate Itself era Modest Mouse). “Lover” is shoegazy and at times ethereal, especially with singer Fionnbharr singing parts in Gaelic (which I’ve always found a beautiful, if haunting language). The guitar truly does play second fiddle to the vocals, which sound like they were recorded on golden mics because every word sounds GORGEOUS and hangs in the air, almost solemnly. You can hear “Killer Lover” below on YouTube or over on Spotify. I couldn’t tell you how many Irish acts we come across, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t too many – so definitely be sure[...]

club hearts – “blood was on my skin”

September 11, 2024

New York based Barrett Bleeden is the self professed ‘button-pusher and self-appointed ringleader’ of club hearts. Citing influences from bands such as MGMT, Hot Chip, and Gorillaz, it’s easy to follow the breadcrumbs to Bleeden’s musical style. Described as a blend of indie-pop/alternative/r&b/80’s electronic dreamscape, every single effect he lays down blends together seamlessly without a single note out of place. Being self taught while writing/producing/recording everything certainly has it’s advantages, but if you don’t have the chops for it that will show in the music (like a wise sound person once said, “you can’t polish a turd”). No turds here, quite the opposite – and even if there were, they’re the good kind that nourish the soil with nitrates. You can hear “blood was on my skin” down below from YouTube or add it to your indie tinged electronica mix over on Spotify.      

EVNTYD – “Ever Left”

September 11, 2024

EVNTYD (‘even tide’) is an Austin, Texas based band lead by Julián Berdegué and their latest is “Ever Left.” We last heard from them… Well, ‘him,’ back in May here and not much has changed on our thoughts; we love the shoegaze-themed rollercoaster he throws the human experience into. Speaking to the track, Berdegué had this to offer: “‘Ever Left’ reckons with the expiration date on the horizon, so to speak, accelerated by one’s heedless actions. It’s an urgent rally cry to press forward against raising stakes.” Interestingly enough, the track starts out sounding disjointed and a little forlorn and then ebbs and flows between more upbeat tones throughout the different movements.” The track itself is chock full of plenty of guitar layers shot straight into to your eardrums with various effects – the drums in particular keep a steady oomphy rhythm (particularly in the aforementioned forlorn parts). Fans of[...]

Luka – “Wishlist”

September 11, 2024

Estonia based Luka brings us her latest track “Wishlist,” an electro pop jam that crawls into your ears and establishes dominance. Interestingly the final track off of the album Lukalike, you’re thrown into a tightly wound cavalcade of sound surrounding but never smothering Luka’s vocals. The vibe from the effects and composition all fall into the ambient style EDM or hyperpop and describing it is like trying to describe the color blue to someone who can’t see color. Let me put it this way: if you’re not super into EDM you’d enjoy this if you think Grimes is pretty neat but haven’t listened to her a lot. If you are into EDM, this sounds perfect halfway through the night or toward the end of it. Actually, this would fit well with anytime of the night; who am I kidding? Give it a listen and find out! You can watch the[...]

Hundred Plus Club – “4/19 (Demo)”

September 9, 2024

Hundred Plus Club recently released a freshened version of their first song ever (!), affectionately titled “4/19 (Demo).” Ostensibly a working title or the file’s original name, the group used a ten-year-old idea of the first music they ever wrote that could be considered a fully fleshed-out tune. The trio kept the original recording of the drum track, a tight, jazzy snare-forward beat from drummer Burak Spoth, while adding mysterious lyrics and spindly guitar from singer/guitarist Zain Shirazi. There’s something special about demos recorded in a “tin can basement,” and it’s a fun little development that HPC had the wherewithal to polish this into a proper release. We’ve embedded a Spotify player below for convenience, but be sure to check out all the different ways to support HPC via this helpful Linktree link.

Grave Waves – “Bender”

September 3, 2024

Grave Waves is a four piece from, I assume, California, based on their Linktree and the snooping I did. Plus they look cool without trying too hard, even possibly trying to not look cool which is ostensibly cooler than just being cool. “Bender” is their latest off of their self titled EP, a cheeky alternative rock album that, at least for me, answers the question of what happens if Sonic Youth and The B-52s had a lovechild. The hooks are there, as are the occasional sparks of “Sprechgesang” (aka spoken singing that Fred Schneider is famous for, and, to a certain extent, Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon). Bass and guitar feature heavily in this, and it gets a little funky in the breakdown – showing this isn’t just another one-trick-pony punk outfit. You can hear “Bender” on YouTube or add it to your punky playlist on Spotify. The EP is well[...]

Cameron Sonnier – “In Your Eyes”

September 3, 2024

Having released six singles over the past year from his upcoming album Synchronicity, Houston based Cameron Sonnier has absolutely been killin’ it. His latest, “In Your Eyes,” continues his pop domination with a groovy tune, meshing together synth and geetar (with the synth pushing the track forward). It personally reminded me of Silversun Pickups, feeling similar but distinctly separate from their brand of electronica-tinged indie pop. Coming in at just over three minutes, you’ll have more than enough time to pick up what he’s putting down and we know you’ll enjoy the ride. You can hear “In Your Eyes” down below from YouTube or over on Spotify. No word on when the album will be out, but safe to say that we’re getting close since it’s almost the end of the year. Be sure to give the other five tracks released throughout the year a listen, in particular “Burning To[...]

Conflict at Serenity Pools – “fruit bowl”

September 3, 2024

“fruit bowl” is the latest from Conflict at Serenity Pools, a band with one of the coolest names out of the ones we’ve covered at the BLOG (and one we’ve covered before here and here). The track itself leans more into techno territory; a slight departure from “Bosun” and its shoegazy bedroom pop, but still capturing the ethereal, pop-adjacent sound. Luke McQueeney keeps it simple here with synth and drum machines, casting a pall with atmospheric sounds that suck you right in. Speaking to the track, he had this to say: “We didn’t stress about one thing, even though we explored our angst and worries and melancholic feelings earlier, through this we we’re soothed— the catharsis of singing felt transcendent. the light was pervasive, calm, and bright on our walk back from the ocean.” You can hear “fruit bowl” below from the band’s YouTube or add it to your Spotify[...]

Andrew Huston & The Waders – “Tell Me”

August 29, 2024

Andrew Huston & The Waders are, from what I can gather, a California based band and “Tell Me” is the latest single off of their new album “Cycling.” Guitar and piano (like, actually sounds like a piano) coalesce along with Huston’s vocals for a cathartic sounding track full of warmth and longing (and maybe a smidge of regret). This appears to be the fourth single off of the album and it’s placed toward the end. There is a certain amount of finality or the peak of a crescendo to it, which seems apropos for a late single release. Fans of Conor Oberst’s more rockin’ catalogue would find a lot to enjoy here, as would anyone who enjoys something a little sad at the end of the night. You can hear “Tell Me” on YouTube below or add it to your “sort of sounds like Conor Oberst” playlist on Spotify.