Latest Posts

Heddy Edwards – “black tunnel”

March 30, 2024

Singer/songwriter Heddy Edwards is here with her latest single, “black tunnel.” Recalling ’90s luminaries like The Cranberries and Garbage while channeling modern-day juggernauts like Alvvays and Hazel English, “black tunnel” feels timeless and fresh all at once. Gauzy synths, effected vocals, and a very palatable indie-rock sound are some of the features you can expect here. Fun fact – Heddy worked with Alan Day (of Four Year Strong fame) on “black tunnel,” and while you won’t hear any chugging pop-punk breakdowns here, his experienced touch surely helped to bring this one to the next level. You can find “black tunnel” on Spotify and Soundcloud (below). heddyedwards · black tunnel

Glom – “Below”

March 30, 2024

Glom and buffaBLOG go way back (see here, and here, and here, and here). We’re adding to our Glom collection with their latest single, “Below.” While Glom surely knows how to get upbeat and ebullient, “Below” takes a more mid-tempo route made popular by contemporaries like Slow Pulp or Goon. Deep, plucky guitars and charming synth tones pair perfectly with Glom’s simple-but-effective lyrical style. We’ll let Glom take it away with a perfect explanation of how “Below” came to fruition: “To me, ‘Below’ almost materialized out of thin air. I picked up my guitar and tuned it down— lower than I’ve ever tuned it before with this project… Something about the low pluck of the strings brought out the melody and lyrics about me coming to terms with what I thought was expected of me as I grew up. I was 29 and creeping up on the next decade of[...]

Little Oil – “I Wanna Know”

March 30, 2024

California’s Little Oil is fresh off the release of their latest single, “I Wanna Know.” Driven by a dirge-like tempo and twinkling acoustic guitars, “Know” brings to mind acts like Elliot Smith and Duster with its lo-fi ethos and chill-out vibe. Of particular note here is the chorus of cacophonous guitar bending – it feels like a much-needed explosion of energy after the otherwise reserved verses. Here’s a bit more about “Know” from Little Oil himself: “[“I Wanna Know” is inspired by the] type of person we all know and marvel at who just goes with the flow, never worries about anything and everything just works out for them. The kind of person who makes you wonder ‘what do they know that I don’t know?’ I wanna know…” You can find “I Wanna Know” via Bandcamp (below) or on Spotify. Check out their Linktree for even more listening options. Twelve[...]

Stinkus – 23

March 29, 2024

Stinkus (aka Tyler Thompson) is gearing up to release their first true body of solo work, a magnum opus of hazy bedroom-pop-meets-slacker-rock called 23. Having previously had success with their other bands WILD and girlhouse (and some stints producing for other bands like Smallpools, The Mowgli’s, Timothy Edward Carpenter, and Jon Bryant), Stinkus is no stranger to songwriting. If you’re like me, you may have incorrectly assumed that 23 was a reference to Stinkus’ age. In actuality, Stinkus’ inspiration for this album came after a split with their fiancé of seven (7) years. And while Stinkus is surely tapped into the zeitgeist of warmly-produced-indie-folk-with-quirky-lyrics that fits in so well now in 2024, their songcraft dives so much deeper. There are plenty of metaphors referencing mental illness, drug abuse, and the like… But at its heart, especially musically, 23 is just Stinkus finally being Stinkus. And it rips. “I am” introduces the[...]

Russian Baths – “Split”

March 28, 2024

Indiana-based Russian Baths have mastered the quiet/loud song structure on latest single, “Split.” Quirky, pitch-shifted guitars and haunting vocals power the verses before plunging into a doom-drenched chorus, lush with fuzz tones and angular drum patterns. While lightly abrasive at times (in a good way), “Split” never loses the backbone of pop songwriting, with plenty of interesting melodies and sounds to dive into. You may be expecting an absolute maelstrom of noise to erupt at some point, but Russian Baths keep the song spring-loaded without ever exploding, adding to the tasty feelings of urgency and unrest. Like The Cure meets DIIV at their gothiest (their words, not ours), we think “Split’s” noisy simmer is going to be one of your newest favorites. Preview “Split” via the YouTube embed below, or, find it on Spotify or Apple Music.

Howdy, Cherry – “Georgia (again)”

March 28, 2024

Howdy, Cherry channeled true heartache into the longing, low-key indie rock of latest single, “Georgia (again).” Pairing vintage organ sounds, gentle guitar twang, and lightly distorted strums with her sugar-sweet delivery, “Georgia’s” slow-but-sure tempo brings to mind luminaries like Phoebe Bridgers, Clairo, and Plains. While the song overall is quite endearing, scathing lyrics like “Why am I hoping that you might be fucking someone else – need a better reason to replace your picture on my shelf” highlight the deep pain Cherry must be hiding within. Here’s a bit about the song’s origins from Cherry herself: “I wrote the lyrics to ‘Georgia’ in the midst of an emotional breakdown seeing my ex walk into a bar with a potential new lover. It’s meant to be nostalgic, a little sad, a little hopeful – and truly means whatever it means to you ♥” You can find “Georgia (again)” via Soundcloud (below)[...]

HEAR ME OUT – “Borderlands”

March 28, 2024

Embracing a tight post-punk sound, Germany’s HEAR ME OUT are here with the icy-cold “Borderlands.” Pairing thick bass chords, spindly guitars, and calculated synth work, “Borderlands” has a gothy undertone with nods to classics like Joy Division and Depeche Mode. Skittering drum beats keep the vibe neurotic, while the instrumentals twist and turn around it, giving off an aching feel while still embodying that glassy-eyed feel that makes post-punk so endearing. Here’s a bit about the song’s origin from the band themselves: “[‘Borderlands’ is] a product of our singer’s thoughts drifting away during a university class about migration, taking a critical point of view on nations as constructs and showing sympathy with those who have to abandon their homes.” You can find “Borderlands” below via YouTube, or, here via Spotify.

Mia Day – “Severed”

March 26, 2024

Mia Day is due for a little redemption. After a string of stinging losses, she’s risen like a phoenix with latest single, “Severed.” After a year of hell (a “hell year,” if you will), Mia channeled her pain and angst into a new album, Hellier, Forever, upon which “Severed” resides. Taking cues from the grunge greats of the ’90s with plenty of fresh, 2024 energy, “Severed” is an amalgamation of crunchy guitars, raw emotion, and her heart-on-sleeve vocal prowess. Here’s a powerful quote from Day herself explaining where she’s coming from: “For months I didn’t know what to do with myself, so I would just write songs every day… It’s me saying, ‘I will not disappear and I will not let a single person destroy me.’” You can find “Severed” via the YouTube embed below, or, stream it on Spotify.

Fresh – “Merch Girl”

March 26, 2024

London pop-punkers Fresh are here with the ebullient pop-punk of “Merch Girl.” The title-track of their upcoming EP due out April 19th, 2024, “Merch Girl” pairs fun, punky vocals with buzzsaw guitars and an overall upbeat vibe, drawing comparisons to Tigers Jaw, Candy Hearts, and Lemuria. The song is meant to be a beacon of empowerment for female artists – here’s a little more about that from Fresh themselves: “Merch girl is about living in that space between wanting something and achieving something. It’s kind of a character song, about somebody that is involved in music – but not in the way that they want to be, and they’re frustrated by that. At the beginning of the song, they’re watching from the sidelines, but as the song progresses they make the decision to create their own art. It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, drawing from clichés of the wallflower, the sidekick, but[...]

Eva Brooks – “DONE”

March 19, 2024

EVA BROOKS aims to dominate dark-pop (and succeeds!) on latest single, “DONE.” A groovy, dancy song with plenty of sassy, menacing energy, “DONE” has a sophisticated energy with none of the typical pretentiousness associated – intriguing, as Eva herself is a classically-trained musician. Pulsing synth bass and stabs of disco guitar help to flavor this track, but the ultimate appeal here comes from Eva’s vocals and kiss-off lyrics. Here’s a bit about the song from Eva herself. “‘DONE’ is a fun and dancy song about a woman who could finally say ‘goodbye’ to a narcissist idiot who dominated her life for too long. If you listen closely, you can hear his dreadful motorcycle and her praying for him to leave. But there is also the powerful groove that lets her get up and send him on his way. ‘Goodbye, I’m done with you!'” Check out “DONE” below via YouTube or[...]

St. Kio – “Falling”

March 19, 2024

LA-based St. Kio (aka Filipino self-taught multi-instrumentalist, artist, and producer Nicole Bandoquillo), blew us away with “Falling,” a whirling dervish of a song. An onslaught of guitar energies and swirling drums pummel you throughout “Falling,” a maelstrom of reverb and chorus tones amalgamating together to form something exciting and fun. “Falling” is a testament to St. Kio as an entity, an exercise in pushing musical boundaries as far as they can be pushed… One listen to “Falling” and we think you’ll agree that St. Kio has succeeded in that journey. Fans of Slowdive, Japanese Breakfast, and Slow Pulp will enjoy the hazy shoegazy goodness found here. You can find “Falling” on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music. Falling by St. Kio

Club 8 – “Daylight”

March 19, 2024

Swedish duo Club 8 are unstoppable lately, crushing single after single of beautifully simple dream-pop. If “Sunny” and “Just Like Heaven” weren’t enough for you, it’s time to peep their latest offering, the uplifting and airy “Daylight.” At just over two minutes, “Daylight” comes and goes before you know it (like many of our weeknights, amirite?). A constant fuzzed-out bass keeps the song moving while icy-cold guitars pluck softly in the background. Fans of Alvvays, No Vacation, and Mazzy Star will find lots of similarities in Club 8’s lovely sounds. Check out “Daylight” via YouTube below, or, on Spotify.

Summer Like The Season – Aggregator

March 19, 2024

We’re not sure if we could consider “outsider rock” a burgeoning genre, but it’s no longer reserved for left-field listening parties and music lovers looking for a challenge. Continuing in the footsteps of The Shaggs and Mort Garson (or maybe more like Marnie Stern and Liz Phair), Summer Like The Season (SLTS) is here with their latest album, Aggregator. Filled with flamboyant ideas that all fall somewhere between beautiful and bonkers, Aggregator is a modern-day enigma that will leave you feeling bewildered. It’s full of outsider rock ideas that are performed with an indie-pop mindset, replacing out-of-tune guitars and atonal howling with stunning melodies and genuinely novel ideas. Aggregator starts out innocently enough – ambient sound and gently plinking tubular bells greet your ears before dropping into an innocuous ’80s-inspired electronica texture. Here’s SLTS’s first trick – they blast into one of the most supremely catchy synth-pop choruses I’ve ever heard. Singer Summer[...]

Secrecies – “Cathedrals”

March 14, 2024

Dallas-based band Secrecies bring their gauzy, shoegazy goodness to latest single, “Cathedrals.” Pairing ethereal synth work with far-off vocals and a gothy, ’80s-inspired undertone, “Cathedrals” is a perfect icy song to get you through these last few remaining months of winter. With a simple-but-eerily-effective chorus of: “Taste it, touch it, feel it, love it, waste it, rush it, need it, prove it tonight,” Secrecies drills home the importance of living life in the moment and making the most of the present, briefly changing their tone to something uplifting. Fans of Beach House, The xx, and Sylvan Esso will find lots to love about Cathedral’s beautiful approach. Check out the video for “Cathedrals” via YouTube below.

SEER SEEKER – TO THE CORE

March 11, 2024

Virginia indie-hip-hop act SEER SEEKER is here with an electrifying blend of genres on their debut release, the eight-song TO THE CORE. Blending hardcore intensity with a hip-hop core (and more than a bit of glorious late ’90s/early ’00s nu-metal nostalgia), this batch of songs pairs dank guitar sludginess; emotive vocals; and filthy bass tones with shiny and intense electronic production. This is truly a genre-defying effort – whether you’re a fan of hip-hop or guitar-driven music, TO THE CORE would fit perfectly on a shelf next to your favorite Linkin Park, Orgy, and Papa Roach records. The opening few moments of TO THE CORE are laden with piano twinking and a fuzzy, vinyl record effect. Called “Starlight,” this song is reminiscent of the iconic intro of “In The End” by Linkin Park; it’s an apt beginning to an album full of emotional turmoil; epic twists and turns; and theatrical buildups. Soon,[...]