Latest Posts

Softer – “Beachball”

March 1, 2025

Self-described “melancholic dreamo band from LA” Softer brings us several things: their latest single “Beachball” and questions I didn’t know I’d have to answer… What is “dreamo?” What is LA? Who am I? 1. It’s a dream pop/emo/shoegaze combo. 2. It’s Los Angeles or Louisiana (probably the former). 3. I don’t know.   Layers of guitar echo and sizzle with the upbeat tempo vocals, panting a dandy of a picture that could happen in either Los Angeles or Louisiana, as I’m pretty sure beachball happens in both places. I was initially confused because the 2025 single shares a name of a track off the band’s 2023 album Lo-Fi Bedroom Favorites. This sounds like a redux or reimaging? Similar but different. Check ’em both out and see which one you like more! After that, check out this previous writeup about a Softer song we dug from late last year.   You[...]

Karter AKA – “Waterclock Eyes”

March 1, 2025

I think we all have a huge chance to do something huge here. As per the blurb/intro on the Spotify page of Karter AKA:   “i am being held against my will in a secret chamber beneath the LA River and the only way to get me out is to listen to my songs thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of times.”   “Waterclock Eyes” is the latest track released in furtherance of this goal.   With a background as a fish biologist, his two professions have some crossover. Title of the track? “Waterclock Eyes.” The upcoming album? PRETTY FOSSILS. Other track? “Friend of the River.” You get the idea. “Waterclock Eyes” is a scrumptiously-strummed folksy tinged track that worms its way into your ear and doesn’t go away. Kind of like a sandier Kurt Vile, I suppose? (I still have “Pretty Pimpin” stuck in my head from 2015).   Speaking[...]

Hate Mail – “when i’m home”

February 27, 2025

Describing themselves as “slutty music for sad girls” (move over Taylor Swift), Hate Mail brings us their latest track “when i’m home.” With such an introduction, whether or not you are a sad girl is irrelevant because when the music is this good – we’re all sad girls. Well-put-together guitar pairs nicely with lyricist Whitney War’s endearing vox. Nothing feels too out of place and the drums do a decent amount of heavy lifting as well. Speaking to the track, the band had this to say:   “when i’m home” is a representation of us; straightforward, honest, fucked up and relatable. it’s about escapism and relying on outside sources of dopamine/serotonin to feed our delusion rather than facing our issues head on.”   You can hear “when i’m home” below from YouTube. I heard what I thought was a little nod to Matchbox Twenty at the end of the track.[...]

Hidden Youth – “Vignette”

February 27, 2025

Leeds (that’s in England) based emo punk rock band Hidden Youth comes outta NOWHERE with this picture perfect track, “Vignette.” Vocals vacillate from in-your-face to reserved at the drop of a hat. Not necessarily in the mean way, but you can tell the vocalist means business. I got echoes of simpler times – think Taking Back Sunday (what with the responsorial vox) – filled with pop punk power chords that they refine in their own way to help create a fresh sound rooted in the early 2000’s.   The track clocks in at a healthy 3:49 and the entire thing is a journey that’s at times nostalgic, but quite obviously looking forward to what’s next.   You can hear “Vignette” below from Soundcloud as well as over on Spotify. Follow Be sure to pop a follow on your preferred music streaming as well as their (as of 2/26) recently minted[...]

Love Spells – “Lovers Only”

February 20, 2025

In what is probably a blow to all haters, “Lovers Only” is the newest single from Love Spells and we’re happy to tell you all about it on the Blog. A few of their tracks (Come Over and Love Me, Love Costs, Love Lies Bleeding) follow a common theme and I’ll let you mull over what that is. Meanwhile, “Lovers Only” is a morose lo-fi guitar-forward track with singer Sir Taegen C’aion Harris getting down low and whispery. Speaking to the track, the band had this to say:   “‘Lovers Only’ is about the pain of a faltering love. Love is not meant to break us, but its struggles can pierce deeply, leaving wounds on the soul that never fully heal.”   You can hear the track below from the band’s Soundcloud, as well as Apple Music and Spotify. You’ll be able to hear “Lovers Only” on the band’s forthcoming[...]

Consumables – “Infinite Games”

February 20, 2025

“Infinite Games” is the newest (and first track) track from NYC punk act Consumables (no “the” which I respect and find very ballsy). Their album, also named Infinite Games, is coming March 7.   The track is heady and heavy – I got a lot of 90s vibes from my initial listens and it sounds like Weezer took a punk pill and turned down their pop aesthetic by like 34%. It has a sort of dazed feel that I associate with early (for me) MTV and I think you’ll enjoy it too; the smart stoner-pop genre is apparently alive and well.   You can hear “Infinite Games” below from Soundcloud, as well as over on Spotify. If you’ve enjoyed what you heard, keep your ears peeled for the debut album on 3/7/25. Keep us apprised of your musical needs and let us know if you’re looking for more like “the” Consumables.[...]

Slow Coast – “Perfect Lie”

February 20, 2025

“Perfect Lie” is Bay Area indie rock band Slow Coast’s new single. It is the *perfect* track to bring you out of the winter doldrums and, for that reason, we were super stoked to give it a listen. We previously covered a prior track from Slow Coast with their “Double Vision” single and feel the same as we do now a back in October of 2024.   While the guitar hooks are impossible to ignore, the bass provides some stellar licks that will assuredly be fighting for your attention. In all honesty, this track felt like if Coldplay or Jack Johnson was bitten by a radioactive indie rock spider, which is both an interesting proposition and a fun thought experiment… While still being a good encapsulation of Slow Coast (though, this is a broad overgeneralization).   You can hear “Perfect Lie” below via Soundcloud and over on Spotify.   Slow[...]

Bestfriend – “HEADSTART”

February 20, 2025

Holy shit, that synth! I seriously listened to the intro of “HEADSTART” like eight times – this is a new Miller record for willingly listening to the first 28 seconds of a track, so hats off to Stacy and Kaelan of Bestfriend, and their newest track.   We’ve covered the duo before here (thanks Nick!), and funnily enough, we both used the word “shit” in our first sentence. Shit in the traditional sense, this is not though! I’m one of those lucky people who experience frisson with music and it was honestly pretty much nonstop. This felt like my actual best friend decided to start a band but obsessed over a Postal Service record before doing so. You can feel the influence, but it’s not a knock off. Definitely my type of people though. Come play a show in Buffalo, we’d love to have you.   You can hear “HEADSTART”[...]

Tristan Armstrong – “Queen of Diamonds”

February 20, 2025

Tristan Armstrong, pulling triple duty as composer, main artist, and producer, shows off his latest single “Queen of Diamonds” to us, the great unwashed masses. Much like a playing card, the track has two sides to it – literally playing cards in someone’s apartment and the more abstract; specifically, committing to someone romantically. This is unabashedly a rock ‘n roll track with more guitar than you can shake a stick at (including a brief solo, something that gets forgotten about a lot in modern music imo).   You can hear “Queen of Diamonds” below from YouTube as well as over on Spotify. If you’re a fan of 60’s and 70’s music with a dash of pop, or acts like Father John Misty who venture into a similar feel, you’ll find a lot to enjoy with this track and the rest of Armstrong’s catalogue.  

Frog – “WHERE DO I SIGN VAR. III”

February 20, 2025

Following up from the beginning of the month (here), we have a new track from indie duo Frog. “WHERE DO I SIGN VAR. III” is the latest single off their album 1000 Variations on the Same Song. I favorably compared their prior single, “JUST USE YR HIPS VAR. VI” to your (my) friend Ron’s bachelor apartment of yesteryear: “complete with incense from his roommate and some obtuse dinnerware; never rising to ostentatious… but you’re still kinda jealous of that dinnerware.”   If “HIPS” was the tasteful dinnerware, this is assuredly the reliably delicious water that comes from their ancient Brita. Sliding into a Midwest emo vibe, the brothers Bateman mix tight (and light) drums with acoustic guitar and a tiny smattering of keys sprinkled throughout. Somewhere between American Football and Bon Iver, fans of both will find this track a great starting point before diving into the album (though you[...]

SOZI – “The Brink”

February 11, 2025

“The Brink” is a place I’m sure many people have been brought to through various circumstances, but in this case, we’re talking about SOZI’s latest single. Drum machines and synth underpin an ethereal romp that feels like partway between a dream and waking; just as time is starting to slow down to a crawl. Speaking to the track, SOZI had this to say:   “This one’s all about that electrifying moment between breaking and breakthrough: the tension, the uncertainty, the push to keep going when everything feels like it’s about to collapse.”   Fans of Florence and the Machine and Clairo would find a lot to enjoy here, as well as aficionados of LORDE/Randy Marsh.   You can hear “The Brink” below from YouTube. You can check out her personal site with a link to lots of stuff (more vids, socials, etc.). Including, apparently, SOZI tokens.        

MacGregor Burns – “Put It All On Me”

February 11, 2025

MacGregor Burns, a true artist’s artist and a renaissance man, brings us his latest single: “Put It All On Me.” We previously covered Burns and producer/collaborator Luke Temple back in August for the lead single, “She Never Took a Chance On Me” off the upcoming album (coming this fall). Burns flexes his goth cred with a lightly haunting but not oppressive track; calling to mind a modern-day version of Joy Division or Robert Smith on a sunny day.   The bass & synth on “PIAOM” contrast nicely with the acoustic guitar of the prior “SNTaCOM;” seeing artists dip into different styles while still maintaining a signature feel is always a fine treat. Both tracks come straight from the soul lyrically while going in interesting directions musically.   You can hear “Put It All On Me” below from YouTube or add it to your synth-y playlist over on Spotify.    [...]

Crack! Bang! Pow! – “Hey”

February 9, 2025

Crack! Bang! Pow! (hitherto known as CBP!) brings us their latest single with “Hey.” Other than figuring out the song was written by Bradley Peterson I….couldn’t figure out a lot here. Big lout energy is abound here with a punk aesthetic that clashes wonderfully into a glam rock vibe. Guitar aficionados will be satiated here and there’s nothing you can do about that.   You can hear “Hey” below courtesy of YouTube as well as Spotify and Apple Music. Fans of chanty/responsorial flavored punk rock would find a lot to enjoy here (minus the religion; sorry, just a recovering Catholic here). If you’ve ever gone into a mosh without showering or think that the British are the pinnacle of punk, you’ll be right at home here.   Crack! Bang! Pow! · Hey (SELF-RELEASE)

Rainbow City Park – “Fruitless”

February 9, 2025

“Fruitless” is the latest single from the Fruitless EP; Rainbow City Park’s latest release as of 2/4/25. Blistering guitars and drums assault the senses while lyricist Danielle Blankenship keeps us hooked with a perfect blanket of vocals. Inspired by the shoegaze greats – namely MBV and DIIV – “Fruitless” is a lovely addition to the overarching shoegaze canon, layered thick with emo-esque melodies that help it to go down just a bit smoother than its spikier contemporaries.   You can check out the track below on YouTube or add it to your Spotify playlist here. Be sure to check out the rest of the EP; well worth the twenty minute time investment. Anyone who enjoys a solid guitar solo that does some (but not all) of the heavy lifting will be in heaven.    

Frog – “JUST USE YR HIPS VAR. VI”

February 4, 2025

“JUST USE YR HIPS VAR. VI” is the latest from Frog off of their upcoming album 1000 Variations on the Same Song due out Valentines Day (February 14). Based out of New York, brothers Daniel and Steve Bateman have come back together for a rousing yet subdued indie album for the first part of the year.   Going with a dandy of a piano medley paired with drums, they play it close to the chest. It just exudes artistry, like your friend Ron’s bachelor apartment of yesteryear – complete with incense from his roommate and some obtuse dinnerware; never rising to ostentatious… but you’re still kinda jealous of that dinnerware. Fans of Bon Iver or Sufjan Stevens would find a lot to enjoy here. Why? Just because. You know I’m right.   You can hear “JUST USE YR HIPS VAR. VI” below from Soundcloud. The prior single “MIXTAPE LINER NOTES VAR.[...]