Latest Posts

Garden Station – “Losing My Head”

January 6, 2024

Philly’s Garden Station don’t care much for the trappings of adulthood, as evidenced by the bratty, blown-out punk rock of latest single, “Losing My Head.” With a sense of humor and a much-needed ebullient approach, “Losing My Head” makes use of blown-out guitar distortion; na-na-na singalongs; and a big, major-key guitar progression to keep things upbeat and raucous. To me, this sounds like a beer-soaked Friday night in someone’s basement – fans of Hot Mulligan, Dropkick Murphys, and Sex Pistols will probably agree. If you like what you hear below via YouTube, add “Losing My Head” to your favorite Spotify playlist.

Into The Light – Into The Light

December 27, 2023

Rochester-based act Into The Light formed in 2022 and boasts an impressive pedigree of Rochester talent – think members of Bad Bloom, Union, Hard To Know, The Silence Broken, and Achilles. This particular crew is influenced by shoegaze, indie rock, and post-hardcore like Failure, Catherine Wheel, and Quicksand; said influences come through strongly on their debut EP, the self-titled Into The Light (ITL). The quartet worked with record producer Steve Sopchak (of Motionless in White and Ice Nine Kills fame) to create a gritty, guitar-forward album full of raw aggression, chugging chords, and cathartic emotions. It has just as much in common with crushing ’90s grunge like Soundgarden, your favorite Deftones album, and modern-day acts like Superheaven and Teenage Wrist. Album opener “The Thorns of Life” introduces you to the hallmarks of ITL – expect spindly guitar leads laden with thick distortion tones; a rock-steady bassline that’s just as nimble; and[...]

Kramer – Sitting Alone Suite

December 27, 2023

You might not believe him when he tells you, but despite having almost no social media presence, newly-minted act Kramer won a Grammy in 2023 (!). Having worked as a record producer and as a “behind the scenes guy” for years, social media was never a necessity for Kramer’s success in the music industry. But after winning the Grammy for his work on J. Ivy’s spoken word poetry album The Poet Who Sat By The Door, Kramer figured this whole solo project thing was worth a shot. The result is a stunning and poignant debut, the four song Sitting Alone Suite. Colloquially known as Chris Kramer, Kramer got his humble start fussing around with samplers in the 90s. Having cut his teeth in other bands and as a producer, Sitting Alone Suite came to him while literally in dangerous waters. Recognizing the peril he was in and fearing for his life,[...]

Sun Wave Mountain Cave – “Bones”

December 26, 2023

Sun Wave Mountain Cave hail from Minneapolis and their sound is a mixture of surfy goodness with a hint of both Midwest emo and Midwest twang. “Bones” is their latest single, a guitar-soaked romp in front of a grain silo… And as Buffalonians, you know how we feel about our grain silos. With plenty of lush harmonies and guitar solos (and an intangible sense of Minnesota humility), fans of Car Seat Headrest, My Morning Jacket, or Prawn are absolutely going to love what they hear. You can find “Bones” via the YouTube embed below, or, on Spotify.

Crab x RXKNephew – “On My Way To The Bronx”

December 26, 2023

Crab is a brand new Brooklyn-based band whose interesting collab with RXKNephew caught our ears. “On My Way To The Bronx” evokes Superheaven and/or Lil Peep with it’s swimmy, shoegazy instrumentation – the twist here, of course, comes from RXKNephew’s smooth rap flow. It’s a left-field choice but one that feels immediately fresh, unique, and surprising. While Nephew is going off, Crab holds it down with sludgy instrumentation, with chorus pedals and fuzz pedals roaring in unison. You can find “On My Way To The Bronx” on both Spotify and Apple Music – be sure to check out their Linktree as well.

Backstrom – The Carousel

December 26, 2023

Swedish act Backstrom is gearing up to release their latest batch of songs – The Carousel, due out January 18th, 2024. The Carousel is a potent mix of folk, rock, and country tunes composed by songwriter/project mastermind Backstrom and sung by vocalist Bart Topher. A seasoned storyteller and veteran musician through and through, Backstrom has crafted a collection of dark and mysterious compositions that aim to transcend the “cheesiness” of sing-song songwriting to mine a deeper vein of untouched potential. The result is a nonet of cohesive and thoughtful songs that paint literary portraits of life and its many complexities. Album opener “Train Wreck Coming” is a bluesy bounce that introduces us to the hallmarks of Backstrom’s sound. Nimble guitar picking is the star of the show here, fingers bobbing and weaving across the fretboard to form a rock-solid backbone for this song. Backstrom layers the song thick with folksy instrumentation, including[...]

Club 8 – “Sunny”

December 20, 2023

Swedish duo Club 8 are back with a string of new singles, starting with “Sunny.” Their particular brand of lo-fi seems to be influenced by cold and mathematical post-punk, with its jittery percussive presence and driven basslines. Overall however, the song has an upbeat, airy, and warm disposition, lush with male/female call-and-response and melodies reminiscent of its namesake. Fans of CASTLEBEAT or shoegaze like Slowdive will find lots to love about this one. You can find “Sunny” on Spotify and Apple Music.

Elijah Cruise – “Suicide in Her Head”

December 20, 2023

The enigmatic Elijah Cruise is back with another electrifying single, “Suicide in Her Head.” After the streaming success of previous single, “Poem of a Killer” (it amassed over a million Spotify streams!), “Suicide in Her Head” finds Cruise playing with the same heart wrenching energies that “Killer” previously evoked. Falling somewhere on the spectrum between post-punk, emo, and alt-rock, “Suicide” boasts an impassioned vocal delivery; a swimmy, plunking bass presence; and a dark underlying aura that will leave you feeling both energized and cathartic. You can find “Suicide in Her Head” on both Spotify and Apple Music.

Just Leila – Just For Me

December 17, 2023

Originally hailing from Morocco, Just Leila (aka singer/songwriter Leila ليلى Moussaoui) grew up with a diverse set of influences, including jazz, Arabic melodies, French pop, and the rhythm of R&B. An avid traveler, Leila’s wanderlust seems to have creeped into her latest offering, Just For Me, a seven-song EP full of meditative pop with a distinct, new age twist. Having spent so much time traversing the globe, Leila’s songs are informed by themes of connection, freedom, and artistic expression. About the album, Leila offers: “‘Just For Me’ is like a creative mantra of sorts, something I needed for myself in order to protect my creativity and keep it sacredly mine until I was ready to share it out. I wanted to gift myself this safe space, this blank canvas, so I could really open up.” EP opener, “Bits of Pieces,” sets the scene for Leila’s soothing and relaxing approach. Her[...]

Nate Logston – Marriages & Divorces

December 17, 2023

Indiana-based singer-songwriter Nate Logston is on his fifth (!) full length album. His songwriting is dripping with experience and the hard-earned scars that come with being a seasoned musician (and life-liver, for that matter). His latest offering is the 11-song Marriages & Divorces (M&D) – a thoughtful and contemplative look at the complexities of love, loss, and what it means to be in a relationship. M&D’s heart-on-your-sleeve vibes are perfectly orchestrated by his personal brand of indie-folk/Americana – the meandering tempos, starry-eyed energies, and warm, lo-fi mix here are a perfect match for Logston’s artistic aura. In a perfect show of synergy, he’s brought along a bevy of world class musicians including Robert Shelton (co-producer, keys, mixing); Allen Van Wert and Julie Odnorolov (guitars); Adam Hill (slide and baritone guitars, backing vocals); Andrew Maguire (percussion); and Meernaa (backing vocals). The album starts out with single “Water High,” a slide-guitar tinged, indie-folk[...]

talker – “Drag Your Feet”

December 17, 2023

talker specializes in heartfelt, emo-tinged indie-rock; case in point, latest single “Drag Your Feet.” What starts as a quiet rumination explodes into an emotional catharsis, lush with guitar-driven bombast and a strong vocal delivery. With it’s ultra-sincere approach and heart-on-your-sleeve presentation, fans of Bully, The Beths, or even the energy of older Paramore will find lots to love about this new song from talker. About “Drag Your Feet,” talker says this: “I’ve said that the songs on my new record are my most honest songs ever – but that doesn’t always just mean being honest with others. Sometimes, it means accepting a hard truth for yourself. ‘Drag Your Feet’ was written after the end of a 5-year relationship that had been slowly dying for a really long time. It’s the story of two people crashing into each other’s lives where their roads converge, but then realizing it’s just one point[...]

Digital Carbs – “In Unison”

December 17, 2023

Munich’s Digital Carbs (as in we’re getting proverbially “fat” on digital carbohydrates from consuming too much media) exist somewhere between indie rock, psychedelia, and alternative rock and their latest single, “In Unison” is a perfect example of that. With plenty of Radiohead-esque energy, “In Unison” gently builds with its quiet/loud construction into a massive chorus with intriguing, sour chords and interesting progression changes. About the song, the band says: “‘In Unison’ is an ode to individuality while criticizing society for forcing us all into the same plastic lives. Because we are all the same. Conform. Deform.” You can find “In Unison” on many platforms – try Bandcamp (below) or Spotify. Conform Deform by Digital Carbs

Yune – “Cake”

December 16, 2023

Coming to us all the way from Denmark, Yune hit us up with the vintage-sounding bliss of latest single, “Cake.” With blown out guitar noise, otherworldly vocals, and a nimble bass laying down an instrumental backbone, “Cake” sounds uniquely alien and completely analog all at once. With such a fascinating instrumental palate, fans of Deerhoof, Goon, and Warpaint will find lots to enjoy here. “[‘Cake’] is about catching yourself running on autopilot and reacting at a hundred miles per hour, feeling a renewed thirst for life and wanting everything all at once. “Cake” will be found upon Yune’s latest release, Lemon Sweet Perfection. Checkit out below via YouTube or add it to your Spotify playlists.

Joker’s Hand – Pride Before The Panic

December 11, 2023

LA-based duo Joker’s Hand (JH) are mad, and for good reason. Everything kinda sucks right now in general (I don’t think I need to elaborate on that much further)… But one of the greatest outlets for releasing said emotions is music, and JH have honed in their catharsis with edgy, alt-punk flavor. Their latest release is the six-song Pride Before The Panic, full of pointed commentary and systemic unrest in an aggressive but catchy package. The album starts out with “Consequence,” where JH flex a little bit of studio magic. Playing with cinematic sounds, auto tune, and ambient whale song drones, this particular track shows just how many tricks JH have up their sleeves. It’s an apt preview for an exciting EP full of polished twists and turns. That flows into song two, “Highly Functioning Mind,” which is, ironically, the most straightforward rock n roller on the EP. “Highly Functioning[...]

MX LONELY – “Papercuts”

December 10, 2023

Brooklyn’s MX LONELY specialize in dark, shoegazy compositions – our latest recommendation is the second single from their upcoming release, SALT EP. “Papercuts” is sure to appeal to fans of Nothing, Title Fight, and Citizen with its super sludgy tonality, 90s guitar ethos, and sincere vocals. With a mixture of fuzz and chorus effects swirling, the song sounds pleasantly swimmy without ever losing its distorted edge. “Papercuts” is actually inspired by a dream one of the members of MX LONELY had – read more below: “Papercuts is a pretty literal song. Rae had a horrible dream that someone close to them had this papercut and it just wouldn’t stop bleeding and there was nothing they could do but kill them to take away the pain. The song structure reflects the structure of the dream. One moment you’re seeing “your body from the outside in” stabbing your friend to death and[...]