Latest Posts

+/- {Plus/Minus} – “Borrowed Time”

April 10, 2024

+/- {Plus/Minus} is a band that, until a short while ago, I had never heard of. Together in some way shape or form for the past 20+ (or minus, hehe) years, they’ve apparently been putting out bangers which now includes their latest, “Borrowed Time”. “Borrowed Time” is… a lot. I needed a few listens to truly comprehend what I was listening to; the funky time signatures, angular rhythms, and synth/guitar fusion really made for an interesting experience. Made up of childhood friends, the way they combine forces is quite incredible and you can tell they’ve been playing together for some time. Fans of crisp indie rock like Foals or freak folk structures a la Animal Collective would find a lot to enjoy here with their unique take on….well, everything. It’s truly an experience that you’re doing yourself a disservice by not being apart of. You can hear “Borrowed Time” over[...]

Bantams – “Sucralose”

April 10, 2024

Combining two things that I used to be into and occasionally find myself going back to, fake sugar and wrestling, is not something I thought I’d be writing about in 2024 but here we are. Bantams‘ latest is “Sucralose” (faux sugar) off of their Turn Heel (wrestling term) album. Formed by Chris Rathke from Penn’s Woods (Pennsylvania for those of you who are too lazy to google), this at least seems to be a trio (James Hoag and Mike Vermeil have song credits in addition to Rathke). This is a sub three minute gem of an indietronica at it’s finest; synth, drum machines, funky sounding bass. Rathke’s vocals punctuate throughout (giving some James Murphy vibes) while providing the sort of mouthfeel you’re used to from bands like Squeeze, Bleachers, or even Modern Baseball. You can hear “Sucralose” on Spotify, or check it out below courtesy of YouTube.

Holding Hour – “Parallel Lines”

April 9, 2024

Holding Hour, the duo formerly known as Elison, is based out of Des Moines, Iowa and “Parallel Lines” is their latest. We’ve previously covered the band as Elison here at the Blog and we’re happy to report that we still enjoy what we’re hearing!  Made up of Marissa Kephart on guitar and vocals and Scott Yoshimura as producer and jack of all trades, Holding Hour finds that perfect balance betwixt shoegaze and dream pop… That can be difficult, but Holding Hour understood the assignment here. Warm guitars layered together produce a lovely sound that compliments Kephart’s vocals perfectly – ya know, that whole shoegazy thing where it all blends together. Speaking to the track, Kephart had this to say: “Parallel Lines’ is about the push and pull of relationships, the tension between two people who are close but over time slowly grow distant.” You can hear “Parallel Lines” on the[...]

RAINSONG – “Coma Baby”

April 3, 2024

London based RAINSONG brings us their latest with “Coma Baby.” Chock full of effects for that reliable shoegaze tone, RAINSONG plays around with faraway/breathless sounding lyrics with a touch of the melancholia. This honestly sounds how I think a new Goo Goo Dolls could sound if they made an album with My Bloody Valentine for some random reason. That isn’t to say this sounds like it’s pulled from the 90’s, far from it: everything sounds fresh and new, even if there’s a strong Cure influence here. There was a tone or two that put that idea in my head, along with the lead singer’s voice sounding vaguely reminiscent of the Goos’ John Rzeznik. The track ends on a long fadeout with all of the instruments intermingling, like what some bands do when they go off stage before an encore. You can hear “Coma Baby” on Spotify, or wherever else you[...]

Makeout City – “Everytime”

April 3, 2024

Philly based Makeout City brings us their latest single, “Everytime,” and it’s a poppy shoegazy banger. The band refers to themselves as “Mid-Atlantic Dreamgaze” – upbeat guitars and tight drums drive the song forward, while some synth is thrown in for additional flavor. Everything meshes together well into a shoegaze/dreampop concoction, starting slow and picking up tempo as the track progresses. It’s upbeat and twee, but with some deeper underpinnings, as the band discusses below: “‘Everytime’ is an introspective track about trying to understand your own thoughts and emotions when navigating life’s uncertainties. We often find a sense of comfort in nostalgia and express that in a lot of our writing. The line ‘drive me back to where I want to be’ touches on wanting to escape the anxieties of adult life and return to a simpler and more carefree time.” Fans of Alvvays, Far Caspian, or Beach House would[...]

Rain Gregorio – “Foggy Stepper”

April 1, 2024

Los Angeles based Rain Gregorio brings us his latest single with “Foggy Stepper,” off of the pleasantly-named Anxiety Blanket Records. An indie rocker’s indie rocker, RG brings an intriguing deeply layered track with a healthy dose of bass and colorful synth shining through. It almost veers into a gothy post-punk feel with the downbeats and somber refrain “You’re better off” (plus the aforementioned layering). This sort of discordant sound is a progression from his last big release, the “Myrtle on Holiday” single, which gave similar vibes. Oddly enough (and this is not a plug, but sort of is) this kind of reminded me of one of my favorite local bands, Hundred Plus Club, and the sound they’ve been embracing as of late (check them out too!) Be sure to check out “Foggy Stepper” on Spotify, Apple Music, or the video down below pulled from YouTube. tl;dr = Indie rock with a[...]

Helenor – “Suck”

March 18, 2024

Released March 13, “Suck” is the newest track from Brooklyn’s Helenor – the project of Brooklyn native David DiAngelis. We’ve covered Helenor previously here, and, like then, we love what he’s putting out. “Suck” continues with his obvious mastery of crafting the perfect bedroom pop track; gentle tones from the vocals and a great duo of piano and guitar push the song forward but in the chillest way possible. Here’s a bit more about the track from DiAngelis: “The suck in “Suck” is about sucking it up but…. like…not like that. More so the “hey life is kinda shitty, but you gotta suck it up sometimes” type of suck. The lyric that stood out to me was this: Sick of paying attention on the things that don’t explode this heart/ My bed is slept in still I am not rested/” I honestly feel all of that, especially lately, seemingly (and[...]

KSHMR – “Happy (feat. Tiina)”

March 18, 2024

Niles Hollowell-Dhar, formerly part of the hip-hop duo the Cataracts, has been making electro house music as KSHMR (pronounced “Kashmir,” taken from the area in northwest India). Having plenty of festival appearance (Coachella, Tomorrowland, etc.) and several Top 100 DJ accolades from DJ Mag (23rd, 12th, 11th) his credentials are certainly nothing to sneeze at. His latest is “Happy,” an ebullient and gut-shaking slice of dancefloor-ready EDM. Providing the vocals and the other main credited artist on the track is Finnish musician Tiina Vainkikainen, a chart topper with several hits in the UK. She also has snagged Songwriter of the Year four years in a row from The Finnish Music Publishers Association. “Happy” intros with Tiina’s defiant, soul-stirring vocals: You take my heart for weakness/ You cut me up and bleed me dry/ I won’t be defeated The track then comes alive with KSHMR’s beats pushing the song along with[...]

Baby Combat – “Blackout Drunk Comedy”

March 16, 2024

Portland, Oregon based Noel Yeo of Baby Combat brings us their latest with “Blackout Drunk Comedy” off of the A is for Average EP (with the first being the equally catchy tune “Myself Nobody Else”). Sober just shy of a year, this is a triumphant track looking back at past mistakes but barreling forward. The driven tempo led by reverbing guitar (along with tasteful cleaner tones) combines well with the song’s tight drums. Yeo’s unique voice, along with the instrumentals, brings to mind acts such as Fontaine’s DC, as well as Parquet Courts. Speaking to this Yeo had this to say: “I gave up alcohol last year April. It was becoming undeniable that I have a problem with it. This song is about that. I’m on day 323 today, so this is a happy story.” You can hear “Blackout Drunk Comedy” on Spotify, Apple Music, or the embedded track below from YouTube.[...]

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,[...]

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[...]

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[...]