Latest Posts

Conflict at Serenity Pools – “Bosun”

April 22, 2024

A band we’ve covered previously at the Blog (here), California act Conflict at Serenity Pools (CASP) brings us their latest single “Bosun.” Managing to both have an objectively interesting name and a song title that is the phonetic spelling for a boatswain or “a ship’s officer in charge of equipment and the crew,” is no small feat! The track itself is subdued yet simmering, keeping the vocals and guitar at a whisper while crescendoing sharply but then dialing things back. Luke McQueeney duets with a female vocalist through, using the nautical theme as device for discussing (what I assume) to be the breakdown of a relationship (or maybe not, sometimes I strike out). You’ll enjoy CASP if you find yourself enjoying shoegazy/bedroom pop adjacent artists like Slowdive or My Bloody Valentine. You can check out “Bosun” below from Soundcloud or on Bandcamp or Spotify. If you like what you hear, the[...]

Plunki – “Better Days”

April 22, 2024

Florida based Cassandra Plunkett, going by ‘Plunki‘ for her musical project, brings us her latest single “Better Days” and it’s a chill banger. Lead by tight bass riffs and a steady drum beat, gentle synth pitter patters in the background, occasionally coalescing to take over and then backing off. Along with Plunkett’s fabulous voice, this all combines into a bedroom dreampop track with hints of R&B. Speaking to crafting track she had this to say: “I wrote this after coming out of a two year depression from COVID, moving, death, and heartbreak. It’s both a reminder and a survival strategy to keep fighting for those happy fleeting moments that make life worth living.” Fans of FKA Twigs, Japanese Breakfast, or Far Caspian would find a nice intersection here – specifically the R&B tinged lyrics and bedroom pop aesthetic. You can hear “Better Days” on Spotify, Sound Cloud, or Apple Music.[...]

22° Halo – “Bird Sanctuary”

April 20, 2024

Philadelphia based 22° Halo is the current project of Will Kennedy and “Bird Sanctuary” is the latest single. 22° Halo has toured with Joel Johnston of Far Caspian fame (and is also on his label Tiny Library Records), so this isn’t just some flash in the pan. With two albums under his belt, it’s fun to hear someone who has quite obviously found their sound – in this case excellently crafted bedroom pop with some lo-fi undertones. Jangly guitar and an underrated bass riff combine with Kennedy and collaborator Kate Schneider’s dulcet, duetting tones (side note: today I learned that “duetting” has two t’s). All of this to say… what a delightfully twee composition. Definitely brings to mind the type of pop bands like Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and Grandaddy made their bread and butter. As per Kennedy, the track is about “listening to your partner and trying[...]

Gottlieb – “Reject Nostalgia”

April 20, 2024

In a sweat soaked, frenetic call to arms to look forward and not back, Gottlieb implores us to “Reject Nostalgia” – their latest track. An LA based punk rock group, Gottlieb proclaims this as their first track with a new lineup (really taking their rejection of nostalgia as far as possible). Leading with a strong thumping bass line that only gets a short rest in this three minute jam, the rest is shrill guitars and singers Andrew Hornyak and Dylan Marquez yell singing at us. I don’t know enough about the band to say who is who, but they sound like if Parquet Courts decided to go full punk and (a huge compliment btw, I love Parquet Courts). The chorus is oddly prescient of the times we live in with late stage capitalism is trying to kill us and everything seems to be a remake, a repackaging, or another Marvel[...]

Walter The Producer – “NOW WE’RE GETTING THERE”

April 17, 2024

Jack of all trades SSPM (singer, songwriter, producer, mixer) Massachusetts-based Walter the Producer brings us his latest with “NOW WE’RE GETTING THERE;” the second single from his upcoming project Please Help Me I’m Scared. Providing a heaping dose of indie electronica, “NOW WE’RE GETTING THERE,” has an infectious beat that you can’t help but bop your head along to. Giving off Tame Impala vibes (who, I shit you not, thought was more than one person until like a month ago) and clocking in at just shy of three minutes, this dude never stops. The bass line sticks out the most and carries the song along, giving way to effects laden guitars but never overpowering the vocals. Please take a minute to appreciate the hilarious music video too. You can find “NOW WE’RE GETTING THERE” in the usual gamut of streaming (Apple Music, Spotify) but the music vid is legitimately fun to[...]

Basement Revolver – “Pull Yourself Together”

April 17, 2024

“Pull Yourself Together” is the latest from Ontario band Basement Revolver – a band we’ve covered a couple times over the years here and here. Coming from what appears to be an expanded “director’s cut” of their 2021 album Embody, “Pull Yourself Together” didn’t appear on the original (although “Skin” did, which we loved if you click on the second “here” link above). Giving a masterclass in shoegaze adjacent and dream pop, you can’t help but be impressed with how well this track builds upon itself. Chrisy Hurn delivers in spades; as the song gets louder and louder (and then shrinks back down) their voice almost shimmers throughout. With the original album being released in the midst of the pandemic and lock downs, this feels like a proper way to re-introduce the world to Basement Revolver’s album and to add and extra epilogue with “Pull Yourself Together.” Fans of Alvvays,[...]

LLO LLO – “No Response”

April 16, 2024

LIVING LIKE OZZY LOOKING LIKE OWEN [WILSON] is evidently what LLO LLO stands for (duh). What would you think a track entitled “No Response” by a band with that name would sound like? Probably something in your face, blistering electric guitar, balls to the wall? Nope. The absolute chillest track I’ve ever heard – possibly made more chill by the juxtaposition between my expectations and the reality of it. This looks to be a four piece band but I couldn’t find out much about them other than being from Chicago. The track itself features pensive piano and the bass/acoustic guitar/drums all turned down to to four. Interestingly enough, if you check out the other track on the single, “Don’t Forget About Grace” you are treated to what I was initially expecting with “No Response.” I got some bedroom pop/Alex G vibes from the first track and…. I’ll let you figure[...]

Naomi Kavka – “Landline”

April 16, 2024

From British Columbia on the Canadian west coast, Naomi Kavka brings us her latest single “Landline.” Coming off her latest album, Then and Now, this is a delightful track but a difficult one to pigeonhole! It has an indie folk feel but veers into some light shoegaze (and damn does it have a catchy beat – you can really feel the *thump* of that bass). The guitar that comes in approximately every thirty seconds is that perfect amount of wailing that itches scratches in your ear you didn’t know you had. Kavka’s voice is warm and effortlessly breaks through the instrumentals and really resonates throughout the track. Fans of Big Thief or Sufjan Stevens would find a lot to enjoy here – not only with “Landline” but with the rest of the album as it covers a lot of ground. You can hear “Landline” and the rest of Then and Now over on[...]

Sculpture Club – “Drive Too Fast”

April 14, 2024

Dallas based band (formerly Salt Lake City) Sculpture Club brings us their latest with new single “Drive Too Fast.”  Released April 4th, this is a well-balanced post-punk gem – paying homage to bands like the Cure, Soft Kill, and Choir Boy but standing apart enough to have created something unique. The acoustic guitar drives the song forward, having an almost folksy Connor Oberst feel to it. I was impressed with the mournful-yet-happy sounding vocals and how this could either be a road trip or funeral song. This took me down an interesting rabbit hole because until now, I’d never really thought about the intersection of post-punk and folk music, but here we are. I guess anything after “punk” is technically post punk, right? You can hear “Drive Too Fast” on Spotify, Apple Music or embedded down below. The other two tracks on the single, “Cursed or Hexed” and “Used To”[...]

Clitter Critters – “Sex Magic”

April 14, 2024

Mississippi based fem punk band Clitter Critters (lol) brings us their latest with “Sex Magic.” Composed of former Buffalonian Lacy Ellinwood (of Kicking fame, see our coverage of them here), Sarah Grace, and Austin Tingle (who was allegedly duped into playing drums). Starting with a snazzy guitar intro, you’re immediately smacked in the face with “I’m not here to love you/ I’m just here to fuck you” and the tone is set. Unless you missed the first paragraph and the band’s name this shouldn’t be at all surprising. CC doesn’t let up and continues to pound away at your ear drums with some impressive bass licks and rollickin’ geetar. Fans of Sleater Kinney, Sonic Youth, and haters of incels will find a lot to enjoy here. If you’ve gotten this far and you haven’t checked out the track yet, give it a roll down below. You can also find it[...]

Retail Drugs – “Take It Back”

April 14, 2024

The latest project from Brooklyn based Jake Brooks is Retail Drugs, and “Take It Back” is their latest (and first). We’ve covered Brooks before with his other project, Laveda (here), and while the direction is a little different, the results are still bangin’. Whereas Laveda’s “Surprise” was an upbeat take on dealing with loneliness, “Take It Back” is a lightly fuzzed and distorted shoegaze romp with Brooks’ voice clashing wonderfully with the cacophony of sound. Fans of My Bloody Valentine or Slowdive would find a lot to enjoy with this track, especially with shoegaze going through somewhat of a resurgence. You can hear “Take It Back” on Spotify or down below from Soundcloud. Keep your eyes peeled for more singles, as the full album i love you so ! is out August 2.            

Baula – “Santa Fe”

April 12, 2024

“Santa Fe” is the latest single from Swedish duo Baula, released in anticipation of their debut album Heavy Heart due out later this month. Delightfully dreary and brooding, the bass line is the constant that keeps everything grounded; with wailing guitars interjecting and threatening to take over but ceding to the ole four string. Karolina Thunberg’s voice is perfect with the lyrics delivered plaintively, but still manages to break through the instrumentals and hold her own. Speaking to the album, and certainly applies to this track the band said: “The album offers no redemptive turning point, no insights or solutions. It simply reflects the misery of depression, from initial doubts about one’s self and life, to the final blow.” You can hear “Santa Fe” on Spotify or down below embedded from Soundcloud. If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard be sure to check out the rest of the album April 26th.    

+/- {Plus/Minus} – “Borrowed Time”

April 10, 2024

+/- {Plus/Minus} is a band that, until a short while ago, I had never heard of. Together in some way shape or form for the past 20+ (or minus, hehe) years, they’ve apparently been putting out bangers which now includes their latest, “Borrowed Time”. “Borrowed Time” is… a lot. I needed a few listens to truly comprehend what I was listening to; the funky time signatures, angular rhythms, and synth/guitar fusion really made for an interesting experience. Made up of childhood friends, the way they combine forces is quite incredible and you can tell they’ve been playing together for some time. Fans of crisp indie rock like Foals or freak folk structures a la Animal Collective would find a lot to enjoy here with their unique take on….well, everything. It’s truly an experience that you’re doing yourself a disservice by not being apart of. You can hear “Borrowed Time” over[...]

Bantams – “Sucralose”

April 10, 2024

Combining two things that I used to be into and occasionally find myself going back to, fake sugar and wrestling, is not something I thought I’d be writing about in 2024 but here we are. Bantams‘ latest is “Sucralose” (faux sugar) off of their Turn Heel (wrestling term) album. Formed by Chris Rathke from Penn’s Woods (Pennsylvania for those of you who are too lazy to google), this at least seems to be a trio (James Hoag and Mike Vermeil have song credits in addition to Rathke). This is a sub three minute gem of an indietronica at it’s finest; synth, drum machines, funky sounding bass. Rathke’s vocals punctuate throughout (giving some James Murphy vibes) while providing the sort of mouthfeel you’re used to from bands like Squeeze, Bleachers, or even Modern Baseball. You can hear “Sucralose” on Spotify, or check it out below courtesy of YouTube.

Holding Hour – “Parallel Lines”

April 9, 2024

Holding Hour, the duo formerly known as Elison, is based out of Des Moines, Iowa and “Parallel Lines” is their latest. We’ve previously covered the band as Elison here at the Blog and we’re happy to report that we still enjoy what we’re hearing!  Made up of Marissa Kephart on guitar and vocals and Scott Yoshimura as producer and jack of all trades, Holding Hour finds that perfect balance betwixt shoegaze and dream pop… That can be difficult, but Holding Hour understood the assignment here. Warm guitars layered together produce a lovely sound that compliments Kephart’s vocals perfectly – ya know, that whole shoegazy thing where it all blends together. Speaking to the track, Kephart had this to say: “Parallel Lines’ is about the push and pull of relationships, the tension between two people who are close but over time slowly grow distant.” You can hear “Parallel Lines” on the[...]