Latest Posts

Unca John – Midlife Crisis Vanity Project

August 15, 2023

Midlife Crisis Vanity Project (MCVP)… Without even writing any words of my own, the title kind of says it all. Unca John is a Baltimore-based singer-songwriter hiding behind his secret identity as an economics professor. He’s emerging out of the shadows to debut his art, the ten-song MCVP. It’s full of classic rock, jangly pop, and retro song structures that have a wholesome exterior disguising a darker depth within. Expect lots of sardonic wordplay and dark humor from Unca John as he navigates a confusing time in his life through disarming song and dance. MCVP opens with the quick-witted pop rock of “How The Hell?” “Hell” also happens to be one of the album’s strongest tracks – pairing cascading, plucky keyboards with crunchy and catchy guitar chords and rhythms. John explores falsetto accompaniments and honeyed harmonies here alongside his tried-and-true songwriting approach. It’s tough to give a true comparison to other artists, but[...]

The Freeloaders – Cheap & Used

August 14, 2023

Pittsburgh-based act The Freeloaders are a band that knows their roots. There’s never a wrong time to acknowledge where you come from, and this quartet certainly does that (and does it well) on their latest LP, Cheap & Used. This ten song collection is full of songs that nod to rock and roll heavyweights like The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and Neil Young while also channeling 90s guitar rock like Radiohead, Cracker, and the Jayhawks. The Freeloaders have an all too familiar origin story – as childhood friends who grew up playing covers of the aforementioned bands, they cut their teeth perfecting the classics… That is, before the pandemic hit. Whether it was an itch from being stuck at home or just a change of heart, this quartet decided to buckle down and start creating their own songs. Cheap & Used is the result of that burning desire to make art, an[...]

Liquid Pennies – A Wake-Ending

August 13, 2023

St. Petersburg based act Liquid Pennies specialize in an indie-psych sound that toes the oh-so fine line between concise and abstract. After hammering out a new batch of tunes on stage, in between shows, and even on a live radio performance, they’re back with a four-song EP they’ve titled A Wake-Ending, which was recorded with Ryan Boesch of Candor Recording (of The Melvins, Eels, Andrew W.K., The Foo Fighters, and Nora Jones fame). Boesch helped the band encapsulate the fervor of their live sound – something they nailed on this interesting and wild group of new songs. Opening song “Discretion” opens with a whirr of feedback hum before launching into a shoegaze inspired guitar jangle from guitarist Chas Binns. Very quickly, you realize A Wake-Ending is going to be a wild ride, as rolling and rollicking drums from Christian Kovar start rattling the space between your ears. Dylan Carney’s bass acts as[...]

Grrrl Gang – “Blue-Stained Lips”

August 13, 2023

Yogyakarta, Indonesia-based act Grrrl Gang sure knows how to write an upbeat jam – if you don’t believe us, one listen through the summery, punky pop rock of “Blue-Stained Lips” should be enough proof. A pure and lighthearted song about loving and cherishing your significant other (even if they have lips that are stained blue by Curacao), “Lips” brings all us tired millennials back to feelings of puppy love from days long past. Fans of The Go-Gos, The Linda Lindas, or Liz Phair’s poppier canon will find lots to love here. “We were at a party one night, and I drank this blue cocktail, and it left a stain on my lips, making them blue. I thought I looked super ugly, but my boyfriend still thought I was perfect and kissed me, regardless. The line ‘Kiss me on my blue-stained lips’ is a metaphor for him liking me and accepting[...]

Molly Millington – “Foreign Accent”

August 13, 2023

Molly Millington embodies feelings of youth, love, and longing on her latest single, “Foreign Accent.” “Everything sounds better in a foreign accent,” Molly explains, and we can’t help but relate to the romanticizing of someone’s surface-level traits. It’s backed up by a shiny and shimmery indie pop instrumental, complete with jangly tambourines, crisp guitars, and subtle hints of synth. Molly further explains her mindset below: “’Foreign Accent’ is about doing things you usually wouldn’t purely because the way it’s presented is not what you’re used to. For example, saying yes to a marriage proposal because you’re in another country and everything seems more exciting and romantic but then remembering when you get home that you actually don’t believe in marriage and possibly might not even be into men.” You can find “Foreign Accent” on both Soundcloud (below) or Spotify. Molly Millington · Foreign Accent

Jet City Sports Club – “Drug Store (Waste My Time)”

August 13, 2023

Sydney’s Jet City Sports Club are back with a brand new indie pop jam called “Drug Store (Waste My Time).” In case you missed our previous features on JCSC (see here and here), “Drug” finds the band continuing to hone their brand of glassy, beach inspired indie pop a la Alvvays or Beach Bunny. Sweet vocal melodies and a driving bass are highlights here, anchored by both crunchy and chorus-laden guitars. About the song, the band explains: “When I started writing this song, It was about always wanting more from a significant other, but it evolved into a sort of longing and desperation to be seen by someone you don’t even really know. Someone who might not even know you exist yet.” Check it out via Soundcloud (below) or Spotify. Jet City Sports Club · Drug Store (Waste My Time)

War Strings – “All My Little Games”

August 13, 2023

War Strings, aka Andrew Stogel, hit us hard with the jangly heartwrench of latest single, “All My Little Games.” Jangly chords start this one off and stay constant throughout, while nimble basslines, punchy drums, and vocals dripping with sincerity help to keep that gut punch feeling always present. It’s accompanied by a music video that brings a perfect visual to the song – blurry and confusing, like the emotions that are conjured when one listens to “Games.” About the song, War Strings explains: “All My Little Games’ is about reckoning with heartbreak. Realizing the ‘fixes’ cause more pain.” You can find “All My Little Games” on Spotify or YouTube (below).

Peach Cooler – “You Talk Too Much”

August 4, 2023

Retro, sun-soaked, sassy, and fun are four perfect ways to encapsulate the newest single from Peach Cooler, “You Talk Too Much.” Punctuated blasts of retro guitar energy kick this one off before launching into “I’m feeling spicy, I’m real hot right now.” PC repeatedly tell someone who is ostensibly annoying to “shut [their] pretty little mouth” while keeping things lighthearted and fun with their beachy, guitar-driven energies. Fans of The Beths, Vampire Weekend, and a happier Clairo will go crazy for this one. You can find “You Talk Too Much” on both Apple Music and Spotify. Enjoy a live session of the song below via YouTube.

Porcelain Tongue – Goodbye Peggy

August 4, 2023

Porcelain Tongue is here to talk about loss – the tellingly-titled Goodbye Peggy is their latest offering, a stark title for a hard look at what it means to lose somebody you love. The sophomore release from this Boise-based quartet is a shoegaze-tinged approach that implements significant elements of both emo and straightforward indie rock. Opening track “Support” is archetypal Porcelain Tongue. These dudes have clearly spent many a beer-soaked night in a room with each other – certainly two effective ways to deal with the loss of a loved one (drinking and playing music, that is). Lines like “You say you’re fine, but I know you’re lying” encapsulate these hard-to-talk-about feelings perfectly, while the band wrenches and bends through a number of tempo changes, almost like an irregular, grief-stricken heartbeat. Fuzzed-out bass pushes this one forward, while guitars soar and scream in unison – it’s the perfect way to open an[...]

The Cast-Iron Canaries – Propagaga

July 31, 2023

It’s hard to believe that the 90s were 30+ years ago, but here we are in 2023… And that means grimy punk rock act The Cast-Iron Canaries are celebrating a milestone anniversary of their 1993 EP, Propagaga. Although the band thought their work had been lost forever, engineer/producer Jonathan Burnside stumbled across the project at Razor’s Edge Studios in the Haight Ashbury district. Since discovering this lost gem, they just put out a special reissue of the album earlier this month (7/14), and we’re lucky enough to have the chance to revisit this fun time capsule of early 90s punk rock. Fans of The Misfits, Manic Street Preachers, Sex Pistols, and even Reel Big Fish (!) can find lots to love about this EP. Song one, “Eternal Prom Queen” starts out with a guttural scream followed by the hallmarks of The Cast-Iron Canaries’ sound. Expect buzzing guitar noise; oi-oi-oi singalongs; and[...]

Shaven Primates – Birds Aren’t Real

July 28, 2023

Shaven Primates are a five-piece from Oxford, UK who hit our inboxes with the “alt thought” experiment of their latest EP, Birds Arent Real. The band exists to push the boundaries of independent rock music, typically challenging both ears and brains simultaneously with a mix of dark wave, art rock, and post punk layered atop of a solid prog bedrock. This latest batch of five continues that trend – a highly conceptual (and borderline conspiratorial) offering with plenty to think about, both musically and lyrically… All it’s missing is an exposé on the moon landing (which is, without a doubt, fake). Album opener “Fade Away” touches on the presence of fascism in social media – as the band explains it, it was: “Inspired by the Louis Theroux interviews with YouTubers Nick Fuentes and Baked Alaska.” The ideas portrayed here are cleverly veiled with pointed (but not finger-pointed) turns of phrase, which helps the[...]

Le Big Zero – At Arm’s Length

July 25, 2023

The perpetually rotating (but nevertheless crucial) members of Le Big Zero (LBZ) have persevered through a lot… Think cross-country moves; DIY tours; and the aforementioned revolving door of necessary-but-temporary bandmates. Since you’re reading this review, it’s clear they’re still alive – the band’s proverbial heart kept beating by mainstays Michael Pasuit and Ben Ross. They’ve been joined by Katie Cooney and Lukas Hirsch, who have been with the band since 2022’s A Proper Mess. In case you missed it, we wrote about the excellent “Beach Séance” from that offering last year – be sure to check it out here. But we’re not talking about 2022 right now – we’re here to talk about Le Big Zero’s most recent output, At Arm’s Length. For a band named after literally zilch, nil, nada, this quartet pumps out a lot of sound… And uniquely too. Fans of Speedy Ortiz; Foyer Red; Pavement; and Les[...]

Graffiti Welfare – Revolving Shores

July 23, 2023

Denver’s Graffiti Welfare (aka, mastermind George Lattimore) makes music to disassociate to. That’s not a dig in any sense of the word – in fact, the lush reverbs and cavernous vocal presence make for an otherworldly experience, perfect for simultaneously zoning out while listening ever-so-intently. His latest batch of music, the ten-song Revolving Shores, is archetypal in its psych-electronica approach… A solo acid trip full of thick, heady music to get lost inside of. With some psychy, freak-out albums, it’s easy to think that there’s an avant-garde approach to the music – a more “creative and freeform flailing” as opposed to something heartfelt and pure. Graffiti Welfare finds the happy medium between the two – inspired by his grandparents that passed away during the creation of the album, Revolving Shores certainly tugs on heartstrings while maintaining its ethereal charm. Fans of anyone from Tame Impala; to Pink Floyd; to Animal[...]

RHNO – “Debutante”

July 21, 2023

It’s tough to believe that RHNO crafted the Tame Impala-esque “Debutante” from the comfort of his bedroom, but here we are! With heady bass licks; airy vocals; and a danceable beat, “Debutante” struts and thrives with plenty of vintage tape flavors. Falling somewhere on the spectrum between lo-fi and a masterfully mixed pop nugget, “Debutante” captures a subtle vintage vibe without ever sounding dated or contrived… Even the album art matches their old-school aesthetic. Check out “Debutante” via the YouTube embed below.

Duster – Stratosphere

July 18, 2023

It’s hard to believe that 1998 was 25 years ago… And it’s even harder to believe that 25 years after the fact, San Jose’s Duster has found viral success on TikTok, of all places. Not to say the band doesn’t deserve it – their mercurial blend of “home recording accidents” and “blown-out 2am studio experiments” clearly resulted in something special, Stratosphere, an iconic and well-deserved milestone in pre Y2K slow core, indie rock, and beyond. The 17-song collection is full of Casiotone meanderings; jangly guitars dripping with emotions; and microphone-in-a-room drum tones that sound as iconic today, potentially even more so, as they did back then. If you’ve been on social media any time over the last few years, you’re probably familiar with the now iconic “Inside Out.” Having racked up an impressive 140 million+ streams on Spotify alone (and 7.2 billion (!) times on TikTok), there’s no doubt Duster[...]