Dennis

New EP: The Mutant Band || Just Play Rock And Roll

Rockabilly's simplest pleasures still go a long way

By / / Garage Rock, Surf / Leave a Comment

The Mutant Band is the one-man garage-rock wrecking crew of Barcelona’s Diego Santillán, and his Just Play Rock And Roll EP does exactly what its title promises. Across six lean, fired-up cuts, the multi-instrumentalist tears through a wonderfully scrappy mix of primitive garage rock, psychobilly swagger, and twangy surf riffs, keeping things raw, loud, and gloriously uncomplicated. The chants are every bit as direct as the music (“If you feel so bad // Or you feel so sad // Just play rock and roll”), but that’s precisely the point.

These short tunes aren’t interested in overthinking anything; they’re built on instinct, energy, and the enduring belief that a fuzzed-out guitar and a good beat can solve at least a few of life’s problems. Fast, fun, and refreshingly unpretentious, this is rock ‘n’ roll reduced to its most essential ingredients.


Just Play Rock And Roll is out digitally (self-released).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Zoh Amba || Eyes Full

Rough-cut guitar songs as vessels for healing and transcendence

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Country & Folk / Leave a Comment

With Eyes Full, versatile musician Zoh Amba steps away from the avant-garde saxophone world that first made their name and returns home, to Kingsport, Tennessee, and to their first instrument, the guitar. Recorded live with guitarist Kevin Hyland and drummer Jim White, the album blends ragged acoustic blues, Appalachian folk, and bursts of scorched alt-rock into something intriguingly idiosyncratic, deeply personal, and spiritually charged.

The thirteen songs are as pure as can be, delivered with fire and carried by raw and unguarded vocals declaiming stories of working-class lives, redemption, and hard-earned grace. A rough-cut instrumental backdrop lends them an even greater sense of urgency and vulnerability. Eyes Full is a fearless, heart-on-sleeve record that finds beauty, dignity, and mercy in overlooked places.



Eyes Full is out digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through Matador Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Matador

New EP: Sorry Monks || When In Rome

Timeless songwriting shines across a remarkably assured new collection

By / / Indie Pop, Jangle Pop, Power Pop / Leave a Comment

British singer-songwriter Oliver Paul Flanagan is one of those few contemporary indie pop artists who relentlessly push forward. Not only is the output under his Sorry Monks moniker almost impossible to keep up with, it consistently hits a high standard. Last March we wrote about his Flora and Fauna LP, and since then we have overlooked some other releases, but we really can’t ignore this new one.

The four songs on the When In Rome EP venture into Beatlesque territory, with clever pop hooks and warm vocal harmonies that bring about a slightly psychedelic and sunny mood. The title track, reportedly written as early as 2012, is the biggest hit here, a timeless hit for the ages. The remaining tunes hardly fall short, rewarding both instant affection and repeated listening. Hats off.

When In Rome is out digitally (self-released).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Grapes of Grain || A Muted Hey

Understated charm in abundance

By / / Country & Folk, Indie Pop, Jangle Pop / Leave a Comment

There’s something instantly appealing about the title A Muted Hey. Thankfully, it’s attached to a record that’s equally easy to like: Grapes of Grain deliver another finely crafted collection of bittersweet songs that comfortably mingle jangly indie pop with warm alt-country. On this fourth album (from their back catalogue, 2024’s Painted Windows stands out for me), the Dutch band embraces a more rustic palette than before, weaving banjo, mandolin, and lap steel through the arrangements.

The ten new, original tracks sound spacious and clear, leaving room for occasional offbeat flourishes, always centered around a heartfelt melody and engaging vocals. There Are Too Many Words in This World, states the opening tune from which the record derives its title, but I wouldn’t have wanted to miss any of it. This is an unhurried and rewarding listen full of detail.



A Muted Hey is out digitally via Drag Days. Featuring Alexis Vos (vocals, guitar, bass) and Berend Jan Ike (vocals, guitars, bass, drums, piano, lap steel), with Franc Timmerman (drums, guitar, bass, percussion), Harm van Sleen (pedal steel, violin), Stefan Breuer (keys, guitar, backing vocals), Lara Taska (backing vocals), and Allie Crummy (backing vocals).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: The Mourning After || Let The Love-In Begin

Rogue Records strikes again

By / / Garage Rock, Psych / Leave a Comment

We recently catched them on Chaputa!’s awesome Still Primitive compilation, and now Sheffield garage rock lifers The Mourning After return with another killer 45 on Rogue Records, pairing two raucous tracks that showcase the band’s enduring knack for blending raw energy with psychedelic flair.

The band made their debut in 1988 and reportedly wrote the A-side Let The Love-In Begin sometime back then. It’s great that it’s finally seeing the light of day, because it’s a must-hear song that digs deep into 1960s freakbeat, riding a heavy groove alongside a rich arrangement. B-side Take Love Then She’s Gone is even catchier, a should-be hit that sets the dance floor on fire.

Let The Love-In Begin b/w Take Love Then She’s Gone is out digitally and on vinyl 7″ through Rogue Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Domenic Marcantonio || Earthbound Spaceman

A charming blend of acoustic warmth and finely crafted songwriting, with hooks hiding in plain sight

By / / Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Garage Rock / Leave a Comment

Domenic Marcantonio is the gifted singer/songwriter/guitarist of the Green Bay, Wisconsin-based power pop band Beach Patrol, but solo he draws from a different well. His new album, titled Earthbound Spaceman, can be found in the lo-fi layer of the garage pop corner, but on the rootsy side, where a door is left ajar to let other influences seep in. If you try to imagine Dead Moon basking in the afternoon sun rather than prowling after midnight, you’ll have a rough idea of ​​what awaits here.

Across these ten tracks, acoustic guitars do most of the heavy lifting, paired with distinctive vocals that give every song its own personality. What starts as a pleasant listen—despite or thanks to the DIY feel—gradually reveals itself to be surprisingly addictive, with hooks and rhythms that burrow into your subconscious, and you catch yourself reaching for the repeat button. The lyrics are clever and accessible, while the choruses practically dare you not to join in. Even when you’re not singing along, chances are you’ll be whistling the melodies (especially in Strange Transformation), nodding your head, tapping your foot, or more likely, all three at once.




Earthbound Spaceman is out digitally and on CD. Also featuring Mirra Laes (vocals) on two tracks.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: American Cream Band || Twin

Opposing forces meet in exhilarating harmony

By / / Funk & Soul, Psych / Leave a Comment

Saint Paul, Minnesota’s American Cream Band surprises with an inimitable mix of punk funk, art rock, mutant disco, new wave, kraut, noise, and psych. Their new album Twin thrives on tension and release, turning the idea of ​​duality into its guiding principle. Across an A-side built for movement and a more reflective B-side, contrasting female-male chants spark against a backdrop of repetition, groove, and invention.

The ten songs shift in tempo, between dancefloor momentum and hypnotic dreams, but always with an imaginative saxophone to keep listeners on their toes. Richly layered throughout, it turns friction and instability into something unexpectedly beautiful and exciting. It’s is an expansive vision that turns diversity into connection with heart, depth, and purpose.



Twin is out digitally and on vinyl LP through Quindi Records. Featuring Liz Buhmann (vocals, percussion, drum machine), Nathan Nelson (vocals,synths), Alex Meffert (sax), Andy Rockwood (guitars), Jesse Kwakenat (bass), Birdy (keys), Alex Achen (percussion, vocals), Mat Heinrich (drums), Adam Patterson (percussion, piano), Joe Berns (synths), Ivy W.W. (harmonies), Becca Andersen (harmonies), and Marissa Galan (harmonies).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Wind-up Birds || The Ghosts at the Show

Sharp-eyed observations from the space between what was and what might have been

By / / Alternative Rock, Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

Not that they’ve been idle in the meantime (remember 2023’s worthy “Pop​.​Thinking” EP?), but The Ghosts at the Show is the first full-length from The Wind-up Birds since 2020. The British post-punk outfit step beyond their trademark social commentary and into more personal, reflective territory. Lost futures, fractured connections and fragile hope thread through eleven songs that shift between jagged art rock urgency and moments of surprising tenderness.

Beneath the album’s familiar wit and angular energy lies a moving meditation on absence: the people we were, the lives we might have lived, and the ghosts that linger long after the show has ended. Just as compelling is its fascination with human connection: how we reach for one another through screens, social rituals, and shared delusions, searching for meaning in an increasingly bewildering world. It’s full of scars and uncertainties, but never short of heart.

A flicker of 1980s menace is never far away (“Can you hear the sirens? Does it sound like laughing?”—from That Gas Mask), but it’s constantly softened by warmth, empathy and a stubborn faith in human connection, set to irresistibly kinetic rhythms.



The Ghosts at the Show is out digitally and on CD through Sturdy Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Mr. Dinkles || R.I.P.T.

From a "Socialism Ditty" to a "Letter to Elon"

By / / Punk / Leave a Comment

Someone had to write an open letter to Elon Musk, and Los Angeles/Seattle garage punk duo Mr. Dinkles make it impossible to ignore: “You need to calm down.” It’s the central epos of their new EP entitled R.I.P.T., a five-song gut punch that is both sarcastic and vulnerable. Blending blown-out guitars en relentless drumming with diaristic honesty en precise shifts, it turns modern anxiety into something loud and sharp, yet controlled.

The lyrics revolve around economic frustration, digital-age paranoia, and political disillusionment, skewering wealth inequality, online culture, and hollow power with biting humor, capturing what it feels like to be young, overstimulated, and stuck performing yourself just to stay afloat. Delivered through cool, heartfelt vocals, this EP rises far above the “30-second phases that slip away” it calls out in Grinding My Teeth, being far more lasting and anthemic.



R.I.P.T.—produced by Robert Adam Stevenson—is out digitally and on lathe-cut vinyl 10″ through Futureless. Featuring MacLeighin Rettig (vocals, guitar) and Rocco Ramos (drums).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Quiet Panic

New album: The Babalooneys || Goin’ For It!

Thirteen instrumentals built for cruising, dancing, and repeat spins

By / / Surf / 1 Comment

With their sophomore album Goin’ For It!, The Babalooneys double down on everything that made their debut Late to the Party! such a hit. It’s a sparkling collection of thirteen original surf instrumentals that integrate vintage cool with danceable wizardry, adopting the spirit of the pioneers without sounding like a nostalgia act. On the contrary: the Québec quintet has found its own wave that propels them to great heights, riding on inventive melodies.

In essence, this is about reverberating guitars, rock ’n’ roll saxophone, and a relentlessly tight rhythm section, but this release is much more than that: we are dealing with an insanely skilled band bursting with energy, style, and personality, who have delivered another authentic and creative record packed with hooks and heart.



Goin’ For It!—mixed and mastered by Shorty Poole—is out now digitally and on vinyl LP through Hi-Tide Recordings. Featuring Richard Bourque (guitar), Jean Sirois (guitar), Antoine Pelletier (bass), Martin Dorval (saxophone), and Chany Lagueux (drums).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Hi-Tide

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