New Music

SAVAK – “Leash Biter”

January 6, 2024

SAVAK just released the first single from their upcoming LP, Flavors Of Paradise. Notably, they’ve indicated that FoP has “no guests, no edits, no country, and definitely no funk—the record is lean, spacious and lively.” Brilliant. “Leash Biter” is a perfect demonstration of that aforementioned explanation – its cold, angular energy; bouncing bass backbone; and stabby guitar back-and-forth have us feeling urgent and unsettled while simultaneously bobbing our heads along to the janky rhythms. Fans of PLOSIVS, Pinback, or The Dismemberment Plan will love what they hear here. You can find “Leash Biter” on YouTube (below) and Spotify.

Lucy McWilliams – “Follow Me”

January 6, 2024

Dublin-born London-based singer/songwriter Lucy McWilliams knows how to tell a great story, as evidenced by her latest single, “Follow Me.” With her sweet, cooing vocal stylings and nebulous grasp on genre (falling somewhere between indie pop, adult contemporary, and alt-pop), Lucy weaves a web of mysterious pop that leaves you both dazed and wanting more. About the song, Lucy says: “‘Follow Me’ at its core is just a straightforward love song. It’s about being excited about someone, and feeling all the possibilities of the world in that person. At a time, that was a different kind of love that I hadn’t experienced. I think it’s a weird feeling, going through different relationships, but never really feeling loved. But then stumbling upon someone and within a small window of time, suddenly feeling at ease.” You can find “Follow Me” on both YouTube (below) or Spotify.

Balloon Snake – “Warsaw”

January 6, 2024

Bushwick-formed, Brooklyn-based trio Balloon Snake turn up the fuzz angst on latest single, “Warsaw.” With ripsaw guitar tones and impassioned vocals, “Warsaw” takes influence from late 90s luminaries like Sunny Day Real Estate or Hum and pairs it with the gritty emo and punk from the early ’00s. The result is this great, overblown jam that’s just at home on your headphones as it would be at some sweaty, dank NYC basement show. Preview “Warsaw” via YouTube below – then add it to your favorite Spotify or Apple Music playlist.

Suburban Queens – “U & I”

January 6, 2024

For their third song ever (!), Suburban Queens turn up the post-punky quirkiness for latest single, “U & I.” With energy that would make both Clairo and New Order eat their hearts out simultaneously (somehow), “U & I” pairs neurotic drumming and nimble basslines with big vocal hooks and an indescribably sassy energy. About the song, SQ says: “This song is about being in love and being isolated with you and your person. Its also questioning whether or not this isolation is healthy and asks questions about commitment issues that in the end eventually ruin the relationship you tried so hard to build. But it’s also me just saying sorry for hurting anyone because of my hubris and my lack of foresight.” You can find “U & I” on YouTube (below) or on Spotify.

Garden Station – “Losing My Head”

January 6, 2024

Philly’s Garden Station don’t care much for the trappings of adulthood, as evidenced by the bratty, blown-out punk rock of latest single, “Losing My Head.” With a sense of humor and a much-needed ebullient approach, “Losing My Head” makes use of blown-out guitar distortion; na-na-na singalongs; and a big, major-key guitar progression to keep things upbeat and raucous. To me, this sounds like a beer-soaked Friday night in someone’s basement – fans of Hot Mulligan, Dropkick Murphys, and Sex Pistols will probably agree. If you like what you hear below via YouTube, add “Losing My Head” to your favorite Spotify playlist.

Sun Wave Mountain Cave – “Bones”

December 26, 2023

Sun Wave Mountain Cave hail from Minneapolis and their sound is a mixture of surfy goodness with a hint of both Midwest emo and Midwest twang. “Bones” is their latest single, a guitar-soaked romp in front of a grain silo… And as Buffalonians, you know how we feel about our grain silos. With plenty of lush harmonies and guitar solos (and an intangible sense of Minnesota humility), fans of Car Seat Headrest, My Morning Jacket, or Prawn are absolutely going to love what they hear. You can find “Bones” via the YouTube embed below, or, on Spotify.

Crab x RXKNephew – “On My Way To The Bronx”

December 26, 2023

Crab is a brand new Brooklyn-based band whose interesting collab with RXKNephew caught our ears. “On My Way To The Bronx” evokes Superheaven and/or Lil Peep with it’s swimmy, shoegazy instrumentation – the twist here, of course, comes from RXKNephew’s smooth rap flow. It’s a left-field choice but one that feels immediately fresh, unique, and surprising. While Nephew is going off, Crab holds it down with sludgy instrumentation, with chorus pedals and fuzz pedals roaring in unison. You can find “On My Way To The Bronx” on both Spotify and Apple Music – be sure to check out their Linktree as well.

Club 8 – “Sunny”

December 20, 2023

Swedish duo Club 8 are back with a string of new singles, starting with “Sunny.” Their particular brand of lo-fi seems to be influenced by cold and mathematical post-punk, with its jittery percussive presence and driven basslines. Overall however, the song has an upbeat, airy, and warm disposition, lush with male/female call-and-response and melodies reminiscent of its namesake. Fans of CASTLEBEAT or shoegaze like Slowdive will find lots to love about this one. You can find “Sunny” on Spotify and Apple Music.

Elijah Cruise – “Suicide in Her Head”

December 20, 2023

The enigmatic Elijah Cruise is back with another electrifying single, “Suicide in Her Head.” After the streaming success of previous single, “Poem of a Killer” (it amassed over a million Spotify streams!), “Suicide in Her Head” finds Cruise playing with the same heart wrenching energies that “Killer” previously evoked. Falling somewhere on the spectrum between post-punk, emo, and alt-rock, “Suicide” boasts an impassioned vocal delivery; a swimmy, plunking bass presence; and a dark underlying aura that will leave you feeling both energized and cathartic. You can find “Suicide in Her Head” on both Spotify and Apple Music.

talker – “Drag Your Feet”

December 17, 2023

talker specializes in heartfelt, emo-tinged indie-rock; case in point, latest single “Drag Your Feet.” What starts as a quiet rumination explodes into an emotional catharsis, lush with guitar-driven bombast and a strong vocal delivery. With it’s ultra-sincere approach and heart-on-your-sleeve presentation, fans of Bully, The Beths, or even the energy of older Paramore will find lots to love about this new song from talker. About “Drag Your Feet,” talker says this: “I’ve said that the songs on my new record are my most honest songs ever – but that doesn’t always just mean being honest with others. Sometimes, it means accepting a hard truth for yourself. ‘Drag Your Feet’ was written after the end of a 5-year relationship that had been slowly dying for a really long time. It’s the story of two people crashing into each other’s lives where their roads converge, but then realizing it’s just one point[...]

Digital Carbs – “In Unison”

December 17, 2023

Munich’s Digital Carbs (as in we’re getting proverbially “fat” on digital carbohydrates from consuming too much media) exist somewhere between indie rock, psychedelia, and alternative rock and their latest single, “In Unison” is a perfect example of that. With plenty of Radiohead-esque energy, “In Unison” gently builds with its quiet/loud construction into a massive chorus with intriguing, sour chords and interesting progression changes. About the song, the band says: “‘In Unison’ is an ode to individuality while criticizing society for forcing us all into the same plastic lives. Because we are all the same. Conform. Deform.” You can find “In Unison” on many platforms – try Bandcamp (below) or Spotify. Conform Deform by Digital Carbs

Yune – “Cake”

December 16, 2023

Coming to us all the way from Denmark, Yune hit us up with the vintage-sounding bliss of latest single, “Cake.” With blown out guitar noise, otherworldly vocals, and a nimble bass laying down an instrumental backbone, “Cake” sounds uniquely alien and completely analog all at once. With such a fascinating instrumental palate, fans of Deerhoof, Goon, and Warpaint will find lots to enjoy here. “[‘Cake’] is about catching yourself running on autopilot and reacting at a hundred miles per hour, feeling a renewed thirst for life and wanting everything all at once. “Cake” will be found upon Yune’s latest release, Lemon Sweet Perfection. Checkit out below via YouTube or add it to your Spotify playlists.

MX LONELY – “Papercuts”

December 10, 2023

Brooklyn’s MX LONELY specialize in dark, shoegazy compositions – our latest recommendation is the second single from their upcoming release, SALT EP. “Papercuts” is sure to appeal to fans of Nothing, Title Fight, and Citizen with its super sludgy tonality, 90s guitar ethos, and sincere vocals. With a mixture of fuzz and chorus effects swirling, the song sounds pleasantly swimmy without ever losing its distorted edge. “Papercuts” is actually inspired by a dream one of the members of MX LONELY had – read more below: “Papercuts is a pretty literal song. Rae had a horrible dream that someone close to them had this papercut and it just wouldn’t stop bleeding and there was nothing they could do but kill them to take away the pain. The song structure reflects the structure of the dream. One moment you’re seeing “your body from the outside in” stabbing your friend to death and[...]

The Courts – “On Yr Mind”

December 10, 2023

Fans of big crunchy guitars and shoegaze squalls are going to love the latest single from The Courts. With a woofy bass tone; mic-in-a-room drum tones, and a keen ear for melody, The Courts spin a shoegaze web that’s bound to trap you in. With a tinge of midwest emo flavor, fans of everyone from My Bloody Valentine, to OVLOV, to Dinosaur Jr. will find something to love here. About the song, The Courts simply state: “It’s a love song :)” Check out “On Yr Mind” below via YouTube or on Spotify or Apple Music.

Red Kate – “She’s In Love”

December 10, 2023

Red Kate is a “no bullshit, class conscious punk rock & roll band from Kansas City, MO” whose latest single caught our ears for its raw punk energy. Straying away from their typical pointed political commentary, “Kate” is surprisingly a turbocharged love song, albeit one with a warning message. As Buffalonians, we were excited to hear a tinge of The Tragically Hip in the impassioned vocal delivery here, but fans of Hüsker Dü and Superchunk are going to love this one as well. You can find “She’s In Love” via Soundcloud (below) or on Spotify. Red Kate · She’s In Love