Latest Posts

Devereux Scales – “I Will Promise You”

July 10, 2026

The nice thing about naming music genres things like “post punk” is that there will always be time after punk (I understand it’s not a 100% literal label, shush). Devereux Scales flex their synth and shimmery as fuck guitars and build a monument of velvety goodness with their latest, “I Will Promise You.”   Bay Area music scene vets Matt Lavin and Jeremy Nunes have crafted a tightly wound gem that feels like a beautiful downward spiral but like… Everyone is enjoying it. Lines like the following feel heavy but flow like an airy kiss at the same time:   I feel the spirit around us I fear the killer among us The gate is closed, don’t make a sound   You can hear “I Will Promise You” below from Bandcamp and Spotify. Their March 2026 album “Drain to Live” is worth a listen if you enjoyed this; we covered[...]

Meathead – “Yeah, No, For Sure”

July 10, 2026

“Yeah, No, For Sure” is the latest from Ontario emo(ish) band Meathead. You can’t be hating on a well put-together-guilt-laden breakup track, unless you’ve never experienced one (in which case, gotta say they nail the vibes). Earnest, heart on your sleeve vocals along with wa-wa guitars (with a dash of angst), keep the song pushing through well past the final stanza.   It reminded me of yesteryears Saves The Day and their modern-day ilk (a la The Story So Far or Knuckle Puck), but brings enough freshness so as not to feel like a “copy my homework, but change enough so they don’t know” type deal.   You can for sure hear “Yeah, No, For Sure” below from the band’s Soundcloud and on Spotify. Check out their equally catchy first single, “Shut Up, Brian” and use it as ammo against your friend (or not friend) Brian. Their EP Is This Becoming is[...]

Combo Move – “Sell Out”

July 10, 2026

Portland based Combo Move brings us their latest single, “Sell Out.” The duo of Jeddy James and Colin Ringkamp slay the fuck out of this track with an onslaught of drums and guitar, and feel very punk rock in the process. It’s just over two minutes and it comes hard, so ready your eardrums!   My favorite bit was the sound at the ~1:25 mark. I assumed it was synth but no synthesizer is listed in the credits… Leading me to believe it was the result of damn fine guitar licks through an effects pedal.   You can watch the music video below from YouTube and listen to the audio only on Spotify (or just close your eyes and listen to the music video). Their album, Transparent/Mysterious is due out in fall of this year (2026, in case you forgot). You can find all of the bands socials on their Linktree here.[...]

Steve Stout – “waitin on mine”

July 3, 2026

Well, here’s a blast from the past (or present, depending). Steve Stout is someone a lot of you may know as the guitarist of Lifehouse… But here he is rockin’ out solo-style with “waitin on mine.” This is certainly a lot folkier than adherents of Lifehouse may be used to, but the passion is most assuredly there. Being the guitarist of Lifehouse certainly lead to a guitar-forward track in this case, but it’s a fuckin’ vibe and you need to check it out.   You can hear “waitin’ on mine” below from YouTube as well as Spotify. I’m honestly shooketh and had no idea this was something I was looking for, but here it is. He released a couple albums between 2021 and 2023, which means we’re probably due for another soon!      

Ricochet The Kid – “Nelson Cruz”

July 3, 2026

The latest single from Richochet The Kid is their rollercoaster of a track. “Nelson Cruz” specifically using retired MLB player Victor Cruz as a storytelling mechanic – it’s as fun build up (and is an apt album opener) with catchy, DIY-flavored instrumentals that lead to an explosion. I won’t tell you when (that ruins the fun), but it’s a fun direction that feels like the perfect moment… Or the perfect opener.   You can hear “Nelson Cruz” below from YouTube, as well as Apple Music and Spotify. Their latest album is forthcoming and their first full length since 2019. I’m not a gambling man but they have a show on August 1st. If you’re in Ferndale, Michigan around then I’d definitely drop in and say hi!  

Cole Hemstreet – “LAN Party”

July 3, 2026

Synth filled and meandering, Cole Hemstreet‘s “LAN Party” is just pure pop fun. Hemstreet and his band (presumably?) that he plays with (off_block) receive high marks for a straightforward guitar accompaniment with tight drums to boot. The vocals give off indie Randy Neuman vibes and I mean that sincerely and with reverence.   I felt like this was a sort of “looking back fondly” track (who does LAN parties anymore?) that feels, for as lowkey as it is, one of the feistier tracks on the album. “Nebulous” (their most recent) goes in a totally different direction that’s equally pleasing.   You can hear it below from YouTube as well as Spotify. The rest of the album, No Worries If Not, is an equally fun romp and recommended to anyone with a pulse and a sense of self.  

SAOL – “Lines”

June 19, 2026

SAOL, aka Zoë Gough, brings her flavor of the Irish 90’s grunge aesthetic with her latest single, “Lines.” Do you like guitars? Good. Because there’s at least three or four layered up and fuzzed out throughout. The gradual buildup pays off so well lyrically and musically, with Gough escalating things to breakdown and absolutely slaying on geetar. Speaking to the track, Gough had this to say:   “…I realized I was subconsciously exploring feelings of pain and grief that I hadn’t fully realized were there. The throbbing kick drum at the end, representing a heartbeat, is intended to tap into the universality of what Lines is exploring- the pain of being alive and not being alive…”   “Lines” is listenable below from YouTube below, as well as Spotify. With this being her first single of the year with three released last year, here’s hoping for more before 2026 is done![...]

TÁVOL – “MÁV M41”

June 18, 2026

Bence Nebehaj is the brains behind TÁVOL and “MÁV M41” is their latest single off of the Metanoia EP. Interestingly, TÁVOL translates to far/away or absent while MÁV M41 is a type of Hungarian diesel locomotive. The intro borrows heavily from trains/train tracks (could be feedback, could be actual train, maybe a bit of both).   Other than being named Bence and being from Hungary, I couldn’t find much else out though – which I respect because an air of mystery is almost always chic. You won’t find any lyrics here, only vibes (which I’m also a huge fan of).   You can hear “MÁV M41” below from Bandcamp below, as well as Spotify. The rest of the EP, Metanoia, delivers on the dark atmospheric vibes with some spots of sunshine -particularly with the second track, “Citra.”     Metanoia by TÁVOL

nazire – “leech”

June 18, 2026

Istanbul-based nazire brings us her latest with “leech;” a fun gem of indie ingenuity that does some interetings things with layering and playing back pieces of guitar recordings. We last covered nazire and her prior single, “junebug,” here. Both tracks clearly are stamped her MO, with “leech” leaning into her electronica roots a bit more. Speaking to the lyrics of the track, nazire had this to say about it:   “‘leech’ is about the slow realization that someone pretending to be a close friend has actually been draining and mistreating you for years…”   You can hear (and watch) “leech” below from YouTube and Spotify. Much like a long engagement, nazire’s album glitchfolk is due to come out soon. How soon? Only the record label knows!          

Canalss – “Shave The World”

June 18, 2026

“Shave the World” is the latest from Canalss (the extra “s” is not a typo and a great way to separate yourself from “canals” or “canal”). As per Canalss (I think Spotify said his name was Jeremy), this track was written with the current US political climate in mind. It has a nice hopeful tone but lines like the following show you where the song’s voice is:   I smell just like sepsis and I’ll never get old Though this shining cross necklace burned a hole in my chest Evangelical Christians still think I am the best   You can hear the track below from Soundcloud as well as over on Spotify. It’s the first single off of the upcoming full length, “What Every Girl Should Know” (Zerowell Records). If the witticisms and voice are any indication of the rest of the record, we’re in for some more good music[...]

Frog – “Best Buy”

April 26, 2026

New York based Frog brings us their latest single, “Best Buy.” Just a week past the release of their new album Frog For Sale, we realize we haven’t written about them since last year’s “WHERE DO I SIGN VAR. III.”   Honestly, the intro of “Best Buy” feels the closest to frog-like I’ve heard so far. The “ba-dum, ba-do” gave me “couple of frogs hanging out on lily pads” vibes and I can’t unhear/unsee this head canon. It’s a little jazzy and laid back with a rambling bass couple with geetar pluckings with background synth. I also associate frogs with jazz because of some book or acid trip (or both) so this really just makes 1000% sense to me.   You can hear “Frog for Sale” below from Bandcamp, as well as over on Spotify. The rest of their album, Frog For Sale, is available in both spots as well. Welcome back Frog, glad[...]

Чернобыль – “The Day Death Overtakes”

April 17, 2026

Чернобыль, which translates to “Chernobyl” brings us their latest self-produced track “The Day Death Overtakes.” The brainchild of Daniil Zotov, this ties into a narrative arc that is in his forthcoming album Slow & Dreary. Interestingly enough, he claims this is at the end of everything, which feels a bit spoilery, but I suppose it’s all about the journey, right?   The track itself is devastatingly great – a thought provoking and mood-setting piece of music that sounds like the end of the world. Heavy, but contemplative, this could be an apocalyptic soundscape or something to ponder to while you’re contemplating something morose.   You can hear it below on YouTube, as well as Spotify. Slow & Dreary will be out April 24th.      

Brightmoon – “First Light”

April 17, 2026

Brightmoon is both the brainchild of Becca Mohler and husband Billy Mohler and “First Light” is their latest. I’m not a huge Thundercats fan because one dude sucked all of the fun out of it way back in the day, but Brightmoon is also the name of the setting for the land in She-Ra and the Princess of Power. If you’re not a nerd or live under a rock, 5/6 of that probably didn’t make any sense (sorry, Google it).   Musically, it feels like a great, slow-mo underwater song – for some reason that I can’t eloquently explain. That 90’s shoegaze aesthetic is strong here, but it manages to feel like something new, as opposed to a retread. It’s a great guitar-forward track that somehow feels like four seconds and also four years. I literally got lost in it as I was listening the first go around and I[...]

Violet UltraRay – “graceland”

April 17, 2026

Feels like just yesterday we featured Violet UltraRay, but it was actually way back in November here! Where the hell does the time go? Luckily, we have been graced by “graceland” this month and we’re here for it now, just as we were then. Shoegaze is their specialty and they lean into it here. I definitely dug the bass riff throughout the track which, as per the band, was what the song started and grew from.   You can see the music vid for the track below via YouTube. It’s a little avant garde but not ostentatious and it has Elvis in it, which is both appropriate and funny. Speaking to the track, the band said that   “…graceland felt like the right metaphor – myth, aspiration, somewhere just out of reach…”        

sssiv – “All the Time”

April 17, 2026

“All the Time” is the latest single from Copenhagen based sssiv – itself a clever amalgamation of the three band members (Sara, Stephen, and Sasha). Falling into the dream pop realm with hints of post-punk, I particularly enjoyed how everything meshed together – you can hear how connected the entire band is. On top of all of that, they construct most of their songs with improv, so you KNOW they must secretly be conjoined at the hips.   You can hear the track below from YouTube as well as Spotify. If you felt the beautiful connection betwixt the three SSS’s, you’ll enjoy their smattering of singles they’ve released over the past couple years. (I particularly enjoyed “sea salt”).