New Music

matt haze! – “dejandote. (faded away)”

March 16, 2024

matt haze!, the artist formerly known as Kid Phang, is a California based musician and “dejandote. (faded away)” is his latest. Much like Bow Wow dropping the “Lil,” Matt Haze! felt he had outgrown his former moniker: “the main reason r the change in name: i coined “kp” since 16, im abt 2 b 20 next month. + i feel as if “kid phang” restricted my sound. i want 2 make anything i feel & releasing songs like “fade away” & “dejandote” w that name jus didn’t make sense 2 me. necessary evolution.” “Dejandote” (according to my awful Spanish translation, roughly translates to “leaving you;” ostensibly making this track a breakup song. The intro gives off a vintage Pink Floyd vibe with a cacophonous crescendo that simmers into a lyrical interlude before crashing into a heavy drum and bass lead assault. With a sort of indie punk Alex G vibe,[...]

Secrecies – “Cathedrals”

March 14, 2024

Dallas-based band Secrecies bring their gauzy, shoegazy goodness to latest single, “Cathedrals.” Pairing ethereal synth work with far-off vocals and a gothy, ’80s-inspired undertone, “Cathedrals” is a perfect icy song to get you through these last few remaining months of winter. With a simple-but-eerily-effective chorus of: “Taste it, touch it, feel it, love it, waste it, rush it, need it, prove it tonight,” Secrecies drills home the importance of living life in the moment and making the most of the present, briefly changing their tone to something uplifting. Fans of Beach House, The xx, and Sylvan Esso will find lots to love about Cathedral’s beautiful approach. Check out the video for “Cathedrals” via YouTube below.

The Coordinators – “Enough About Me”

March 12, 2024

When one of the notes I received with this track was that one of the similar artists was one of my personal favorites (The Strokes) I was pretty floored, yet hesitant. A Strokes clone? C’mon, what is this, 2005? Well, The Coordinators are certainly not a Strokes clone but I can hear the inspiration and “Enough About Me” is a certified buffaBLOG banger. A duo based out of Philly, The Coordinators (Robert Pino and Tim W. Smith), had this track mastered at some place called Abbey Road Studios and the extra polish shows. The guitars are layered *just so* but that isn’t to take away from the hard work the band obviously put in; as a buddy in the business so aptly put: “You can’t make crap sound good.” Funky bass and synth… riffs? parts? (not sure what to call it) fill out the rest quite nicely. Fans of the[...]

Landon Conrath – “Overrated”

March 12, 2024

Minneapolis based Landon Conrath is an indie-pop-punk MACHINE and “Overrated” is his latest. A drummer turned solo act (like Father John Misty), some friendly encouragement from a peer gave the necessary hutzpah to take the leap. Frenetic energy, the call and response (Taking Back Sunday energy <3), and a fantastic hook really starts to push this track into “pop punk genius” territory. Power chords galore lead the way with a sick bass riff following close behind; the bridges between chorus and verse do a fantastic job of building back up almost flawlessly. If you think you’re unsure about “Overrated” be sure to give the B-Side, “Replay” a listen as well. Showing off more of an EDM pop vibe with equally catchy tunes, it’s certainly more than just overrated filler. You can hear both track over on Spotify or Apple Music, with an album forthcoming. The music video for “Overrated” can[...]

Rat Palace – “Triple Tarp”

March 12, 2024

Best described (per their website) as “post-punk for people that have an average screen time of 7 hours or more a day,”  Rat Palace, a Brooklyn based three or four piece, brings us their newest with “Triple Tarp.” The chord progression from the guitars and bass gives a simmering, foreboding vibe; matching up with the lyrics that the band comments is about “pride and looking for a fight.” The lyrics have that lovely underwater sound that is synonymous with the post-punk aesthetic, though this track leans more heavily into the instrumentals (which isn’t a bad thing, it all comes together nicely AND friggin’ slaps). You can hear “Triple Tarp” on Spotify or embedded below for your listening pleasure. There is supposedly a music video floating around out there but it’s either not released yet or I’m not looking hard enough. If you like what you hear, be sure to check[...]

GLASS CITIES – “Alive”

March 6, 2024

GLASS CITIES is a brand new, mysterious alt-rock band who pack an energetic punch – the fiery vibes on latest single, “Alive” are all you’ll need to convince you of that. With shiny radio-ready production, sky-high vocal theatrics, and a touch of Latin drama (see the breakdown at 1:35), “Alive” feels like it’s tailor-made for a summertime dance party… And surely packs enough heat to melt the snow off the hearts of us frozen Buffalonians. Fans of fun., ALT-J, and Two Door Cinema Club will find this one slots perfectly into their playlists. Check out “Alive” below via YouTube, or, add it to your Spotify or Apple Music playlists.

Juno Roome – “Think You’re Falling”

March 6, 2024

Juno Roome is a Brooklyn-based act and their latest is “Think You’re Falling,” a dreamy trip of a track that exudes a sexiness that we’re all about here at the blog. Seemingly one person, I couldn’t find out a lot about Juno Roome other than the fact that they really glam it up on their tracks (like, whoa). “Think You’re Falling” is driven by a smooth AF bass line and dreamy, effects laden guitars throughout with ethereal vocals to match. I suppose you could file this under “indie electronica” or “bedroom-pop” and you wouldn’t be too far off. Fans of the type of sound that Tycho, Tame Impala or FKA Twigs peddle would find a lot to enjoy here – the production value is quite high and you’ll find yourself boppin’ along in short order. You can hear “Think You’re Falling” over on Spotify or embedded down below from Juno[...]

Pamphlets – “Games”

March 6, 2024

Brooklyn three piece Pamphlets brings us their latest single “Games,” filled to he brim with post-punk hooks and swagger. Founding members Jeremy Marquez and Ben Griffin (and a mysterious but excellent drummer) came together with a shared appreciation of post-punk acts such as Joy Division and The Fall. You can hear the tip of the cap in particular to Joy Division and Ian Curtis (and a splash of modern day indie rock neuroses) with the frenetic bass riffs of Griffin and wailing lyrics from Marquez. Speaking to the track, the band said that it started as love/breakup song but that it: “…evolved into a take on rising to the occasion. The protagonist battles with themselves throughout- knowing they will have to “clean their hands” to move on but would rather stick to games and laugh it off.” “Games” is well worth checking out if you’re a fan of the aforementioned[...]

Vibropath – “Snare”

March 6, 2024

“Snare” is the latest from Rochester native Frank Marino-Moore, an artist and producer making music under the name Vibropath (good band name, honestly). Being that he’s so close to us geographically and puts out some catchy tunes, you can see our previous coverage here. The opening bass line is laid on delightfully thick and given time to shine for the first 45 seconds, eventually giving way to vocals, drums, and guitar – the latter of which has the fuzzy lo-fi effect turned to 11. I’m simultaneously given My Bloody Valentine and Gish era Smashing Pumpkins vibes with the whole track and I frankly couldn’t get enough. The rawness and the myriad layers of this track really resonated with me, and if you enjoy this you’ll certainly want to check out his other work. You can find “Snare” and more over on Spotify, or check it out below from his Sound[...]

M’Grasker – “Spectrephilia”

March 3, 2024

M’Grasker is… an experience. From what I can determine, they’re a Canadian four piece and their newest single is “Spectrephilia.” I literally had no idea what I was getting into (but happy that I did). Just to give you an idea (keep in mind, this is from the band): “Human terminology might define M’Grasker as a ‘band,’ however they would be more accurately described as Biological Property of M’Graskorp Unlimited Enterprises and Subsidiaries of the GlanGlan Group.” I love the vibe, as it definitely translates to the music as well – “Spectrephilia” goes alllll over the place and it’s glorious. The lowkey guitar (sounds like a Rickenbacker) intro builds up and then it gets zany with a couple tempo changes. As far as a sound the best I could do is say that it’s high brow pop, in line with bands like The Mountain Goats or Ludo, with a tinge of[...]

Kai Bosch – “Funny”

March 3, 2024

“Funny” is the newest off of the single of the same name from Kai Bosch, an artist we’ve covered previously on the Blog. Funny enough, it was “Tulips,” another track off of the same single (link here). A clever and smooth “f**k you” breakup anthem, Bosch pours on the charm: “I just think it’s funny that you think that I’m the problem That you tell your therapist I’ve starved you of oxygen but you mention that you went and fucked your best friend.” Leading with an insanely catchy beat, “Funny” gave me some Billie Eilish-meets-LCD Soundsystem vibes – what with the bumping and whispery/sultry/talk sing voice. Synth and effects laden, you’d be hard pressed to find a catchier track released this year – you can really feel this with a set of headphones reverberating through your skull. Be sure to check out “Funny” on Spotify or the clever music vid down below.

The Slashes – “Limo Tint”

March 2, 2024

“Limo Tint” is the newest from San Diego group The Slashes, and it’s the moody post-punk jam you’ve been holding out for. We last covered them mid-2023 with their track “Dead Majesty” (here) and a lot of what we loved then holds true. That is, a fantastic post-punk group that embraces the darker side of things with a huge sound that tips a cap to acts like Interpol or Joy Division but stands quite strongly on their own. Written in the perspective of saying goodbye to a friend who passed away, singer Esteban Rene’s vocals (wails?) resonate dirge-like in between the guitar and bass lines. The guitar in particular, feels like a mimicking echo after each verse and brings a lonely, haunting feel with it. The bass also does a lot of heavy lifting and is given time to shine, particularly toward the end as it attempts to overtake the[...]

Razor Braids – “It Goes Quiet”

March 2, 2024

Brooklyn based Razor Braids brings us their latest single, “It Goes Quiet,” released in anticipation of their June 7 album Big Wave. Though still in the indie rock vein, this is a tad mellower of a jam from the last track of theirs we covered (here), “She.” Singer Hollye Bynum brings some Courtney Barnett vibes to this introspective love song, jumping around in a jumble of different thoughts: “What did you dream about last night? Will our moms get along? When will I apologize one too many times?” The instrumentals come with an extra level of polish and sheen while still hanging onto that grungy lo-fi feel that Razor Braids has established for themselves. The guitars mostly keep to themselves but crescendo into some fun wahwah effects with a steady bass riff underneath everything else (seriously, listen – it slaps). You can hear “It Goes Quiet” on Spotify or watch the[...]

Kaycie Satterfield – “Jetsam”

February 28, 2024

New York musician Kaycie Satterfield’s new single “Jetsam” is an angular, melodious indie-rock ode to misfits and marginalized women. Satterfield sings to all the girls that have lived in a world cut in a shape other than their own, inviting them to join her in excising implicit shame. Kaycie’s new track leads with warm juicy guitar lines that she contrasts with underlying chilly anxious drum rhythms and glimmery cascading synths. She plays with tempo and sonic temperatures and folds that song craft into her writing to great effect. Fans of Angel Olsen, Julia Jacklin, and Phoebe Bridgers will find lots to love on Kaycie’s new cut. Here she is talking about the new release; “Jetsam is for the girls. Specifically, the girls who always stay a little messy, who could never quite get their hair to fall neat, who could never really pull a nice outfit together. Who never got[...]

Zoot Fitzgerald – “Never Mind”

February 28, 2024

“Never Mind” (not to be confused with a slightly more well known Nevermind) is the newest (and first) released single of mysterious band Zoot Fitzgerald. Fronted by James Goldberg, “Never Mind” is chock full of power chords – harkening back to the 90’s pop and grunge era bands (specifically My Bloody Valentine or even Harvey Danger). Goldberg’s dulcet lyrics sing to us about a one-sided sounding breakup: “There’s no need to feel sorry/ I just hope that you’re happy.” It’s ostensibly a song of acceptance (or perhaps the moment before denial sets in) and does a nice job of balancing out the impressive blistering guitar solos with a jangly acoustic, chunky fuzz, and a super digestible chord progression. You can hear “Never Mind” over on Spotify, Apple Music, or the embed below. Be sure to look out for tracks in the coming year and an album a little further out[...]