Latest Posts

Loser Demon – EP2

October 9, 2025

The only constant in life is change, and Loser Demon seem to have embraced that with fervor on their most recent release, EP2. It’s often a bigger leap than people realize to go from a raw, lo-fi energy to something that feels produced and intentional; in fact, you’re almost putting yourself in a much harsher spotlight because you don’t have the “well, it’s supposed to sound raw” defense to fall back on anymore. Luckily for Loser Demon, they don’t have to ponder on their self-worth too much – their new six-song release is a master class in growing as a band, full of powerful, self-propelled indie punk that feels explosive, powerful, and poignant in all the right ways.   Rather than start with the album opener, we’re going to highlight “Reliance,” one of the album’s most blood-pumping songs. Get used to the hallmarks found here – buzzsaw guitars grind with a guttural[...]

Ole Anders Winge Walseth – Borodino 1812

October 9, 2025

Ole Anders Winge Walseth (OAWW).   An epic name tied to an epic new EP – Borodino 1812, a six-song offering that feels like a clarion call for war. Even just the mention of “1812” evokes images and feelings of a battle long since past, and OAWW brings it to life with a passionate blend of alt rock and metal. Written over the course of 8 years (2017-2025), Anders Winge Walseth and Erlend Naalsund teamed up to write the majority of this Norwegian rock EP, with the exception of “Death on the Horizon” and “Ocean Liners,” which come straight from OAWW’s brain.   We’d be remiss without starting with the title-track and opening track, “Borodino 1812.” Through epic guitars, snarling vocals, and a 5+ minute runtime, the band delves into a powerful soundscape that copes with themes of conflict, valor, and what it truly means to be “human.” These themes[...]

Love Ghost – Gas Mask Wedding

October 7, 2025

If you’re familiar with Love Ghost (and you should be, we’ve reviewed his albums here and here), you already know what a personality Finnegan Seeker Bell is. The enigmatic frontman/musician/songwriter/content creator is always pushing boundaries – whether that means writing songs about death and drugs; bounding from genre to genre without a care in the world; or just generally having a fuck-it-all attitude toward life – Bell’s devil-may-care attitude belies his genuinely prolific songwriting output. He’s back with another full length; to our knowledge, his second of the year. He’s calling it Gas Mask Wedding – here’s a little bit about the album from Bell himself:   “These songs are about finding intimacy in the middle of chaos. I wrote songs about loving something that could destroy you – because that is the world I live in. If you live in this world too then welcome to the wedding.”   Right[...]

Pynch – “Hanging On A Bassline”

October 3, 2025

“Hanging on a Bassline is about embracing the chaos, euphoria, and ennui of your late 20s”   Yeah, ok Pynch, not sure you could have clocked us even harder… And while this writer is comfortably past his late 20s now (yuck), I still feel 28ish mentally (ennui included), so “Hanging On A Bassline” was pretty much an autoblog. Lying somewhere on the spectrum between post-punk, indie dance, and new wave, “HOAB” shimmers and shines like a cold, wet street lit by neon lights. The inorganic snare and calculated instrumentals here will sound great on your playlist next to your favorite Interpol, Bloc Party, and/or She Wants Revenge singles.   “Hanging On A Bassline” is available on Spotify and Soundcloud (below).   Pynch · Hanging On A Bassline

bugcatcher – “Hurry”

October 3, 2025

bugcatcher is one of our favorite local acts (check out our AOTW feature on Slacker here), so it’s a no-brainer that we’d feature new single, “Hurry.” Jake Denning does it again, nailing this hazy, indie-folk-emo-slacker hybrid with aplomb. Plodding acoustic guitars are layered thick, boosted by tapped drums and a foggy atmosphere, leaving just enough room for Denning’s emotive voice to peek through in a delightfully low register. This one won’t blow your shorts off with sweaty dive bar energy, but it will surely make you question your existence in the way that only a great bedroom-folk song can… And by now, you should know that’s a good thing, as we’re all insufferably existential in our own ways.   “Hurry” is available now on Raincoated Records. You can purchase via Bandcamp (below), or, on Spotify and Apple Music.   Hurry by Bugactcher

Stinkus – “Plastic Blue”

October 3, 2025

Our friend Stinkus (aka Tyler Thompson) is a frequent contributor to the blog. You shouldn’t be too surprised – we’re about to tell you about how much we like “Plastic Blue,” too. Thompson wrote it “about a day with my fiancé from the perspective of my thoughts and not my actions,” and then mentions that they were “weird times,” but those odd, poignant experiences often return the most hard-hitting work. “Plastic Blue” continues Stinkus’ trend of literate indie/emo in the vein of Oso Oso, The Hotelier, and/or Slaughter Beach, Dog – let yourself get sucked in by the sticky hooks; you’ll end up sticking around for the dank emotions.   “Plastic Blue” is available now. Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube (below).  

The Noisy – “Nightshade”

October 3, 2025

Philadelphia-based act The Noisy pair up indie rock and classic pop on their latest offering, “Nightshade.” Led by poet Sara Mae, The Noisy’s “recipe” is a complicated one – think Spaghetti Westerns, Body Horror, drag, literature, queer community, and home cooking – but they bring it together into something palatable that straddles the line between pop songwriting and independent grit. “Nightshade” would slot in nicely on a playlist that features Hop Along, Perfume Genius, or even Chappel Roan.   Peep “Nightshade” via the Bandcamp embed below. You can find it on Spotify too.   The Secret Ingredient Is Even More Meat by The Noisy

Urge Surfer – Misnomers

October 3, 2025

Urge Surfer, the moody electro-pop project of Jordan Maelyn Smith and Chelsea O’Donnell, are back with their third release, a three-song EP they’re calling Misnomers. Continuing their trend of creating literate music with a well-thought-out thesis, Misnomers picks up where previous release Alphabet Archive left off. Where AA dove into themes of language and self-identity, Misnomers explores “how misunderstandings can lead one through the haze of heartache and awe.”   Smith and O’Donnell’s chemistry is on full display right from the get-go, as lead song “Responsible” dissects relationship ennui. Dark instrumentals become an immediate theme – more of a dirge than a melt-your-face single, “Responsible” pairs a gently-plucked acoustic guitar with bitcrushed electronic drums. O’Donnell’s one-of-a-kind vocal is set off by a feature by Sheena Ozzella of Lemuria fame – about as close to a Buffalo legend as you can get.   “Public Exits” gets a lot grittier – a sludgy bass feature takes center-stage[...]

Chris Portka – The Album Everyone Wants

September 25, 2025

Chris Portka was originally going to release his latest effort, The Album Everyone Wants (TAEW), exclusively on vinyl. There’s some sort of irony about releasing an album hyped up as “the one that everyone desires” on such an intentional media like wax, but maybe that’s the point. Chris Portka does whatever the fuck he wants – evidenced by his previous effort, the noisy and experimental Trash Music (that we reviewed here), and further bolstered by the not-quite-180-degree turn taken on TAEW. Portka leans harder into the American songbook here on TAEW, never eschewing his noisy indie rocker tendencies, but instead, mashing them together with gentler folk rock backbones; sighing pedal steel guitars; and delightfully weird psychedelia.   While the vinyl of Trash Music ramped up feelings of nostalgia and anxiety, it has a different outcome when listening to the broader, “songwriter” appeal of an album like TAEW. Chris’ left-field shenanigans feel like the flourishes that make this[...]

SOZI – DREAM

September 25, 2025

SOZI is LA-born and raised, and her latest EP, DREAM, is a glittering reflection of that upbringing. Written and produced by SOZI, this end-of-summer blitz is a celebration of all things glitz and glamor. Here’s a little more about DREAM from SOZI herself.   “The ‘DREAM’ EP is all about the illusions we chase, the fantasies we fall into, and the moments of clarity that wake us up. It’s the sound of summer seen through a hazy lens: warm, glittery, emotional, and a little surreal.”   SOZI smartly opens the album with “Superstar” – an archetypal SOZI jam that combines retro disco throwbacks (think Bee-Gees-type staccato strings that sigh and burst) with a modern-day pop sensibility. SOZI’s voice is powerful, but not overwhelming, acting as a lilting presence that floats perfectly overtop the electropop instrumentals… And while the phrase will be forever associated with Molly Shannon as Mary Katherine Gallagher,[...]

Barefoot on Bumblebees – “Breakables”

September 24, 2025

Did you know that bumblebees don’t sting unless you really piss them off? That must be the inspo behind Barefoot on Bumblebees‘ name – we’re assuming that walking on bumblebees would rile them enough to stick a stinger into you (multiple times even, as their stingers are NOT barbed like a traditional honey bee).   Perfect segue into this heart-stinging song from the aforementioned duo, Barefoot on Bumblebees to be exact, made up of bandmates-since-highschool members Christopher Stryker and Gianna Purcell. “Breakables” finds them exploring a relationship past its expiration date, using a Fender Rhodes as a backbone and chiming glockenspiel as some sort of nervous system. The song is minimalist, but crushing (like a bumblebee’s exoskeleton having been stepped on), capturing “the uneasy beauty of holding onto something that should have been let go.” Fans of Copeland, The Bird and the Bee, and/or Slingshot Dakota will find lots to[...]

Fletcher Sides – “Why”

September 24, 2025

What do we know about Fletcher Sides? Nothing, really. A presser for latest single “Why” doesn’t exist. What we do know is that this song/band rips… Hard. A mysterious duo (if they’re even officially a duo?) tears through a post-punk maelstrom on “Why” – expect whirls of guitar noise, whorls of drum wash, and Fletcher (if that’s even the singer’s name?!) belting out a palatable indie-rock vocal that’s both memorable and melodic. Fans of early Walkmen, JAPANDROIDS, and distortion pedals are going to love the energies here.   Check out the vintage (and equally mysterious) music video for “Why” below, or, add it on Spotify. Lots more from Fletcher here, too.  

Kisu Min – “Uncanny Valley”

September 22, 2025

Poland’s Kisu Min stretch the boundaries between human and inhuman in their latest single, “Uncanny Valley.” The Łódź based quartet specializes in icy but frantic post-punk, led by a spiraling lead-guitar that sounds otherworldy – the signal is barely organic, layered thick with effects. This neurotic energy is bolstered by an absolutely blistering drum presence and set off by glassy-eyed but powerful vocals. Emotional and robotic at the same time, you’ll find yourself experiencing the eeriness associated with uncanny valley while you listen to this one… Or maybe that’s just indie-rock-induced euphoria?   Check out “Uncanny Valley” via the Soundcloud embed below, or, find it on Spotify/YouTube.   Rudolf Steiner House by Kisu Min

Bulgarian Cartrader – “Toothpicks”

September 20, 2025

Do you think any Bulgarian Cartraders know about Bulgarian Cartrader, the genre-mashing moniker of one Daniel Stoyanov? We’re not sure either, but one thing IS for sure – “Toothpicks” is an end-of-summer banger that’s worth your ears. While we’re all draining the last of our PTO, Stoyanov sings about the desperate need to do anything except go back to work. Play hooky? Take road trip, perhaps in a car that has been traded in Bulgaria? Sign us up too… At least we know what we’ll be jamming to.   “Toothpicks” can be found via the forbidden YouTube embed below, or, on Spotify.  

Nep – “Biketoberfest”

September 20, 2025

This song is about getting blocked from living your life by a motorcycle rally in your hometown. It’s niche, it’s catchy, and, fittingly, I can all but guarantee this wouldn’t appeal to any of the bikers at the rally. Instead, Nep‘s lilting presence lays perfectly over driven drums, nimble bass runs, and pretty acoustic guitars. Fans of Soccer Mommy, Jay Som, and Phoebe are going to love “Biketoberfest…” Also, anyone who hates motorcycle rallies, I guess.   “Biketoberfest” is available below via Soundcloud, or on Apple Music and Spotify.   nep · Biketoberfest