Latest Posts

LLO LLO – “No Response”

April 16, 2024

LIVING LIKE OZZY LOOKING LIKE OWEN [WILSON] is evidently what LLO LLO stands for (duh). What would you think a track entitled “No Response” by a band with that name would sound like? Probably something in your face, blistering electric guitar, balls to the wall? Nope. The absolute chillest track I’ve ever heard – possibly made more chill by the juxtaposition between my expectations and the reality of it. This looks to be a four piece band but I couldn’t find out much about them other than being from Chicago. The track itself features pensive piano and the bass/acoustic guitar/drums all turned down to to four. Interestingly enough, if you check out the other track on the single, “Don’t Forget About Grace” you are treated to what I was initially expecting with “No Response.” I got some bedroom pop/Alex G vibes from the first track and…. I’ll let you figure[...]

Naomi Kavka – “Landline”

April 16, 2024

From British Columbia on the Canadian west coast, Naomi Kavka brings us her latest single “Landline.” Coming off her latest album, Then and Now, this is a delightful track but a difficult one to pigeonhole! It has an indie folk feel but veers into some light shoegaze (and damn does it have a catchy beat – you can really feel the *thump* of that bass). The guitar that comes in approximately every thirty seconds is that perfect amount of wailing that itches scratches in your ear you didn’t know you had. Kavka’s voice is warm and effortlessly breaks through the instrumentals and really resonates throughout the track. Fans of Big Thief or Sufjan Stevens would find a lot to enjoy here – not only with “Landline” but with the rest of the album as it covers a lot of ground. You can hear “Landline” and the rest of Then and Now over on[...]

Sculpture Club – “Drive Too Fast”

April 14, 2024

Dallas based band (formerly Salt Lake City) Sculpture Club brings us their latest with new single “Drive Too Fast.”  Released April 4th, this is a well-balanced post-punk gem – paying homage to bands like the Cure, Soft Kill, and Choir Boy but standing apart enough to have created something unique. The acoustic guitar drives the song forward, having an almost folksy Connor Oberst feel to it. I was impressed with the mournful-yet-happy sounding vocals and how this could either be a road trip or funeral song. This took me down an interesting rabbit hole because until now, I’d never really thought about the intersection of post-punk and folk music, but here we are. I guess anything after “punk” is technically post punk, right? You can hear “Drive Too Fast” on Spotify, Apple Music or embedded down below. The other two tracks on the single, “Cursed or Hexed” and “Used To”[...]

Clitter Critters – “Sex Magic”

April 14, 2024

Mississippi based fem punk band Clitter Critters (lol) brings us their latest with “Sex Magic.” Composed of former Buffalonian Lacy Ellinwood (of Kicking fame, see our coverage of them here), Sarah Grace, and Austin Tingle (who was allegedly duped into playing drums). Starting with a snazzy guitar intro, you’re immediately smacked in the face with “I’m not here to love you/ I’m just here to fuck you” and the tone is set. Unless you missed the first paragraph and the band’s name this shouldn’t be at all surprising. CC doesn’t let up and continues to pound away at your ear drums with some impressive bass licks and rollickin’ geetar. Fans of Sleater Kinney, Sonic Youth, and haters of incels will find a lot to enjoy here. If you’ve gotten this far and you haven’t checked out the track yet, give it a roll down below. You can also find it[...]

Retail Drugs – “Take It Back”

April 14, 2024

The latest project from Brooklyn based Jake Brooks is Retail Drugs, and “Take It Back” is their latest (and first). We’ve covered Brooks before with his other project, Laveda (here), and while the direction is a little different, the results are still bangin’. Whereas Laveda’s “Surprise” was an upbeat take on dealing with loneliness, “Take It Back” is a lightly fuzzed and distorted shoegaze romp with Brooks’ voice clashing wonderfully with the cacophony of sound. Fans of My Bloody Valentine or Slowdive would find a lot to enjoy with this track, especially with shoegaze going through somewhat of a resurgence. You can hear “Take It Back” on Spotify or down below from Soundcloud. Keep your eyes peeled for more singles, as the full album i love you so ! is out August 2.            

Baula – “Santa Fe”

April 12, 2024

“Santa Fe” is the latest single from Swedish duo Baula, released in anticipation of their debut album Heavy Heart due out later this month. Delightfully dreary and brooding, the bass line is the constant that keeps everything grounded; with wailing guitars interjecting and threatening to take over but ceding to the ole four string. Karolina Thunberg’s voice is perfect with the lyrics delivered plaintively, but still manages to break through the instrumentals and hold her own. Speaking to the album, and certainly applies to this track the band said: “The album offers no redemptive turning point, no insights or solutions. It simply reflects the misery of depression, from initial doubts about one’s self and life, to the final blow.” You can hear “Santa Fe” on Spotify or down below embedded from Soundcloud. If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard be sure to check out the rest of the album April 26th.    

+/- {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.[...]