Latest Posts

SOMOH – “Problem Child”

February 25, 2024

A returning Buffablog favorite, SOMOH is the the solo act of SOphia MOHan (you can see where the name comes from) and “Problem Child” is her latest single. Mohan, jumping between fuzzy guitar and more subdued tones betwixt verse and chorus, sings through her self doubts and that special type of malaise shared between millennials and gen-Zers. Fans of Soccer Mommy or Snail Mail would find a lot to enjoy not only with this track, but with a great deal of SOMOH’s catalogue. We’ve covered her before here and loved what we heard last year, and that remains true today Speaking to the track Mohan had this to say: “I wrote this song after deciding to drop out of university and feeling like a bit of a failure to be honest! I was navigating the doubts I had about pursuing music and the uncertainty of what my future might look[...]

Mutes – “Televangelist”

February 21, 2024

Self-described “post-everything” band Mutes recently released their latest single, “Televangelist” in anticipation of their new album due out May 17. Bringing a distinctly 90’s vibe into the 20’s (or whatever we call these strange times), “Televangelist” is a non-stop layered guitar fest. Coming in at just over two minutes, you’ll find yourself thrashing along to this seething, post-punk feeling track, or, as the band puts it, “a sub-three-minute nugget of existential crisis carried with motorik purpose.” Speaking to the lyrics behind the song the band said: “Theological projections of an irresolute agnostic; torn between clinging to the assuaging hand of statism and laying waste to internalized idolatry. Catholic guilt is one hell of a trip” (Damn right). You can hear “Televangelist” in its single form on Spotify or Apple Music, while the full length …buried where you stand will be in the usual streamy places May 17 (via No Sound[...]

Julien’s Daughter – “Rockefeller”

February 21, 2024

Winnipeg indie wunderkinds Julien’s Daughter are back with another single, “Rockefeller.” Tight bass lines coupled with singer Emma Murphy’s vocals give a noise rock vibe akin to the Sonic Youths and My Bloody Valentines of yesteryear while simultaneously channeling the tight indie rock of Metric and Blondie. This caliber of sound isn’t easy to come by, and is the result of playing together for five plus years – starting off in their teens. Speaking to the making of the song, Murphy said: “It’s a song about how exhausting the breakup process can be. I wrote this song at a time when a lot of people were making different narratives about me and I was just trying to focus on healing.” If this is a harbinger of things to come, I hope that it doesn’t take more traumatic events to keep the bangers comin’. You can hear “Rockefeller” on Spotify or[...]

JW Francis – “Orbit”

February 21, 2024

A perennial Buffablog favorite (here and here), NYC based JW Francis brings us his latest with “Orbit.” Falling firmly into the bedroom pop subgenre (and a love song to boot), swimmy synth and squiggly guitar blend together with Francis’ vocals for a non-stop party in the vein of Vampire Weekend and Mac Demarco. Speaking to the track, Francis had this to say: “I wrote Orbit after falling in love with my partner Milla. I was awe-struck, dumb founded, blinded by the light, however you want to call it. I could not believe my luck, and I wanted to write a song about it. I wanted the song to race fast like a heartbeat, and to get up in your face like feelings.” You can hear “Orbit” on Spotify, Soundcloud, or Bandcamp. Be sure to let us know if you want more from Francis or more like this! Born Losers Records[...]

Blondfire – “Foolish”

February 17, 2024

Blondfire, based out of Michigan, brings us their latest synthpop gem with “Foolish.” Led by Erica Driscoll’s vocals, “Foolish” is a synth-heavy track with 80’s pop vibes that tickles your ears in just the right way. Blondfire was initially started with her brother, Bruce, until he left to focus on his act Freedom Fry. Unabashedly written about diving in completely to take a chance on love, even at the risk of being a fool, you can’t help but be wrapped up in the amalgamation of perfectly mixed sounds. Blondfire brings to mind one of my personal favorites, Dragon Inn 3 (that we wrote about here) mixed with a hint of Metric and Tame Impala. I’m always hyped when artists embrace that deep synth vibe as masterfully as Blondfire does here, and you should be too! Be sure to check out Foolish on Spotify or down below from Soundcloud.

Pet Snake – “Getting Older”

February 17, 2024

“Getting Older” is the latest from Evelyn Halls, aka Pet Snake. Singing in a lovely lullaby singsong voice, Halls evokes fellow indie luminaries boygenius and Mitski on this slow burning indie rocker. The buildup and layering of guitars is masterfully done, leading up to a lyrical crescendo that ties everything together with a crushing narrative. At five-plus minutes, “Older” comes and goes before you know it – definitely a beautiful addition to the subdued indie rock scene and certainly someone to keep an eye one. Speaking to the song, Halls had this to say: “It’s an anthem for myself to shout from the rooftops that I’m overjoyed to be alive and grateful to those who helped get me here. It’s me trying to turn my contentment into a song and the fact that I get to shout out my therapist…” You can hear “Getting Older” on Spotify or the embedded YouTube[...]

Highline – “Believe Me I’ll Run”

February 17, 2024

Sidney based five piece, Highline, brings us their latest single “Believe Me I’ll Run” and released it February 15. The opening strums bring to mind a more subdued take on REM’s “Losing My Religion” and the rest of the track continues in a similar vein. More contemporary influences feel like the lighter side of Arctic Monkeys or Killers songs, falling into that uplifting-yet-mournful feel. The steady strum of acoustic guitar is punctuated by synth and backing guitar, dancing beautifully around singer Sam Rigney’s vocals. Speaking to the track, Rigney had this to say: “‘Believe Me I’ll Run’ is an admission of sorts that you’re all in on a relationship, regardless of whether the other person is feeling the same way.” You can hear “Believe Me I’ll Run” over on Spotify or down below courtesy of Soundcloud. Be sure to check out another track of theirs we reviewed; “Enough for You[...]

Kindsight – “Tomorrow”

February 17, 2024

Swedish band Kindsight’s latest single is “Tomorrow,” released in anticipation of their upcoming album No Shame No Fame due out in April. Singer Nina Hyldgaard Rasmussen’s vocals shine through the band’s impeccably crafted jangle pop sound. We’ve previously covered Kindsight at the blog a few times now (all here) and enjoyed what we heard then (as with this track)! Fans of Alvvays or Hazel English will find a lot to enjoy here, as would anyone who enjoys heartfelt lyrics sung with as much aplomb as Rasmussen. Speaking to crafting the track, the band had this to say: “This is one of those weird songs where 95% of it writes itself, but the last 5% is really hard to get right. No blood was shed in the process, but it cost us plenty of sweat and tears, and it might have caused Nina to forget her guitar on the train on the[...]

Samantha Clemons – “Spectacle”

February 13, 2024

“Spectacle” is the latest from St. Louis based singer/songwriter Samantha Clemons, a supremely talented musician whose influences include (but are not limited to) gospel, jazz, Caribbean, and soul music. “Spectacle” starts with a stunning strumming guitar with keys, with Clemons’ voice quickly taking the lead. Her words are heartfelt and dripping with emotion, always at the edge or muscling out the instrumentals but finds a way back to equilibrium without being overwhelming. As NPR’s Pilar Fitzgerald noted of her 2021 Tiny Desk submission: “Clemons’ voice is striking: secured in deep depths in one moment, then bursting like wildfire in the next. And just as complex as her range are her lyrics — the story she tells… is so beautifully imagined.” Be sure to give “Spectacle” a listen over on Spotify or Soundcloud, we think you’ll be impressed with the depth and feel of her songwriting.

BIRDWAR – “Tiny Door”

February 12, 2024

Portland Oregon based four piece, BIRDWAR, brings us their first single “Tiny Door” off of their upcoming full length due out this summer. The band describes their sound as a “Dinosaur Jr. meets Elliot Smith” and is certainly accurate in all of the best ways. Much like Dinosaur Jr., the guitars are the strongest suit in “Tiny Door” with plenty of layers and that gruff grunge fuzz that pervades throughout. Singer Matthew Holland’s voice is harmonious and measured; deftly weaving between the bass and guitars but still with plenty of emotion. Fans of the aforementioned bands or perhaps Pixies or Yuck will obviously find a lot to enjoy here – as will casual grunge/post grunge fans. You can hear “Tiny Door” on Apple Music or Spotify, as well as their as yet-unnamed album later this year.

Club 8 – “Just Like Heaven”

February 8, 2024

A duo based out of Sweden, Club 8 brings us their newest track “Just Like Heaven” – a follow-up to 2023’s “Sunny“ (that we covered here). Not to be confused with The Cure’s seminal hit sharing the same name, this is a slow jam more so in the realm of bedroom pop and we’re loving it. Formed in 1995, Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård have made their rounds through indie pop, bossa nova, and dancier tunes (with a hiatus or two thrown in). Komstedt’s voice is given plenty of room to spread it’s wings throughout the track with subdued guitar and drums – not unlike a dream-pop reimagining of The White Stripes. I’ll be honest and say that I’ve never heard of this band before today, but this really scratched an itch for something that’s pure and not overproduced. It also goes to show you that you can follow your[...]

meija x JAWNY – “Magic”

February 8, 2024

LA based Jamie Sierota, aka meija (“it’s pronounced “meija” per his social media) drops his latest “Magic” with fellow artist JAWNY. The track itself is absolutely one of the chillest tracks I’ve heard so far this year – driven by guitar and a simple-yet-effective drum beat that keeps the lo-fi groove going. You’ll also find a fun synth effect that shows up every few stanzas along with a bumpin’ bass riff. As per meija, “Magic” is very much a biographical one; the entire first verse a quick summation of the last ten years of his life. He goes on to say: “At its core, it’s a song about trying to find the beauty in the everyday. Even in my hardest times, there’s always been something good.” Between the grooviness, effects, and meija’s vocals, the way this song was put together gave me Talking Heads vibes (“Once in a Lifetime,” to be more[...]

SAVAK – “Will Get Fooled Again”

February 5, 2024

“Will Get Fooled Again” is the latest single from SAVAK‘s upcoming March 1 album Flavors of Paradise. We wrote about this Brooklyn group back in January here and obviously haven’t changed our mind much. The track itself is packed with a ton of sound; I heard dark and moody synths; pounding drums; rollicking guitar; and thudding bass masterfully mixed together into something inexplicably catchy. Fans of Pinback, The Dismemberment Plan, or REM would find a lot to enjoy here – very guitar forward indie rock. The song itself speaks to a quote attributed to The Who about “never getting fooled again” and addresses the insecurity and inevitability that we probably will. More on that (and some interesting facts about seahorses) below: “Despite the complexity of our interconnections, maybe there’s something we can learn from the simple and beautiful behaviors of seahorses (mentioned in the last verse). They go through a long and[...]

JEEN – “Pour Your Heart”

February 5, 2024

“Pour Your Heart” is the newest single off of JEEN‘s newest album, Gold Control. Based out of Toronto, she has been on an absolute warpath with this being her fourth album within the past ten years. Practically being neighbors and having some real bangers, it should come as no surprise we’ve written about her a few times –including the lead single off Gold Control, “So What.” We enjoyed her then and the continue to do so. My initial comparison to Bully or boygenius stands true – with “Pour Your Heart” JEEN leans into the grunge-tinged vibe that has slowly been gaining in popularity again. This is a well-crafted track showcasing JEEN’s vocal range and some awesome layering of guitars that veers into delightful dream pop territory. Be sure to check out “So What” and the rest of Gold Control on Spotify or Soundcloud.

Bathe Alone – “Blame Me”

February 2, 2024

“Blame Me” is the newest from Atlantan musician Bailey Crone along with producer Damon Moon, performing under the moniker Bathe Alone. Starting off as a delightful synth riff that permeates the rest of the track, “Blame Me” showcases Crone’s mellifluous vocals, drawing comparisons to The xx or M83. The pop beat is infinitely catchy and you’ll soon find yourself bopping and singing along. Synth and drum machines have certainly made a comeback from the 80’s and it really seems like they’re here to stay, so be sure to strap in. The rest of the EP is equally catchy and well worth checking out, especially the second track “Call Me Back.” Just when you think you’ve gotten Bathe Alone pegged you get a hot new take that’s truly exciting to unpack. If you enjoy “Blame Me” be sure to check out 2023’s double LP Fall With The Lights Down (we did here[...]