Dennis, Author at Add To Wantlist

New song: Fantastic Mister Zguy || I Want You In My Bed (feat. Th Da Freak)

By Dennis / December 1, 2020 / Indie Pop / Leave a Comment

Because I sometimes listen to Th Da Freak, Spotify presented me a new track by Fantastic Mister Zguy (a new name for me) featuring the slacker hero in my Release Radar last Friday. After a few spins I still don’t know what to think about it, except that it’s a very catchy song (whoohoo!). The chorus I Want You In My Bed in combination with Margaux Jaudinaud’s not so serious graphics gave me a flashback to a provocative donor recruiting campaign from 10+ years ago, with a photo of an almost naked young woman and the text “Becoming a donor is probably your only chance to get inside her” (don’t ask why I remember that and forget important things). But if you come from France and call yourself Fantastic Mister Zguy or Th Da Freak, you may have qualities that give you more opportunities than that to live up to the song title. 😉

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp (no release information about this track available yet)

New single: NewDad || I Don’t Recognise You

As far as I know, the Irish alternative-rock band NewDad – none of them can call themselves a dad, not even the girl from the gang – haven’t released a physical release yet, but their previous track Blue already got quite a bit of airplay in the UK. Now they present fifth (digital-only) “single” I Don’t Recognise You, in which dreamy vocals and powerful guitars alternate. The lyrics are quite heavy, but the accompanying video shows what the band stands for: ‘Fun, easy going and desperately trying to sound cooler than we are.’ An EP is said to follow in early 2021, one to look forward to.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The New Madness || After Hours

By Dennis / November 27, 2020 / Garage Rock / Leave a Comment

Now this is a good way to start the weekend. The New Madness delivers energetic garage / blues rock with punchy riffs, a high-pitched voice and lots of whoohoos. It kind of reminds me of the Cato Salsa Experience, although it has been some time since they were active, but you probably also hear influences like The Black Keys. The debut single Love Sick, my favorite track from the album, was released three and a half years ago and is now bundled with the songs that followed along the way. Berlin-based / Danish-born Bjarke Sørensen wrote the music and lyrics and he’s also responsible for vocals, guitars, synth moog, rhodes, drums, and percussion (yes, there are also some other artists playing along). The LP After Hours is out today through Crunchy Frog.

<a href="https://thenewmadness.bandcamp.com/album/after-hours-2">After Hours by The New Madness</a>

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Permits || Time Permits

By Dennis / November 26, 2020 / Jangle Pop / Leave a Comment

What happens if members of The Shifters, Pop Singles, Dag and Chook Race, come together to see what can be made of abandoned songs, left over from each member’s various projects? That’s exactly what Tristan Davies, Tam Matlakowski, Dusty Anastassiou and Rob Remedios did in June 2018, and the result can now be heard. The Melbourne ‘superb-group’ Permits sounds like you would expect from the combination of backgrounds of the band members: ‘a wonky VU-bentism,’ in their own words. Their debut album Time Permits is out today on Tenth Court.

<a href="https://permits.bandcamp.com/album/time-permits">Time Permits by Permits</a>

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Tenth Court

New single: Radio Days || I Got a Love

By Dennis / November 26, 2020 / Power Pop / Leave a Comment

Back in the day, the Italian power pop band Radio Days has already made some very catchy music (they represent the pop side of rock’n’roll, as they call it themselves). Four years after their latest work, they are now back with a great new 7″ EP with three songs and cool art work I Got a Love is out on December 11 via Snap!! Records.

<a href="https://radiodays.bandcamp.com/album/i-got-a-love">I Got a Love by Radio Days</a>

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Spunloves || Too Deep For The Desert

By Dennis / November 25, 2020 / Alternative Rock, Jangle Pop / Leave a Comment

Another band from Australia, Perth to be precise, who make delicious likeable jangly guitar music. What’s in the water over there? Too Deep For The Desert, The Spunloves’ second full length album is one you would love to play again and again. Listen to Love Letter (Return to sender) below, my favorite track from the LP.

<a href="https://thespunloves.bandcamp.com/album/too-deep-for-the-desert">Too Deep For The Desert by The Spunloves</a>

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: lylyly || lylyly

By Dennis / November 25, 2020 / Indie Pop / Leave a Comment

Pretty much everything about this is intriguing. First of all, the band name Lylyly, of course, but also the singing style of frontwoman Emily Mineo, lyrics like I Thought That I Was Dying (Same As Yesterday) and the self-drawn artwork of the self-titled LP, even the name of the label – goodhowareyou records – intrigues. Check interviews with Rawckus or Vents Magazine if you want to know more, but better: take a listen and let the music speak for itself.

<a href="https://lylyly.bandcamp.com/album/lylyly">lylyly by lylyly</a>

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The War and Treaty || Hearts Town

By Dennis / November 23, 2020 / Funk & Soul / Leave a Comment

Sometimes you discover new music that turns out not to be that new anymore (actually, that happens quite often, simply because too much new music appears to keep up with it all). This one was released two months ago via Rounder Records, but is too good not to mention. The Nashville husband and wife duo Mike Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount-Trotter mix elements of soul, gospel, country and rock and roll in their songs, but it’s mostly their powerful voices that keep your attention. Watch and listen to Beautiful below, a track from new album Hearts Town, featuring Jason Isbell. Impressive. I would love to see the couple live with their band.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || thewarandtreaty.com

New album: The Dirty Knobs || Wreckless Abandon

By Dennis / November 22, 2020 / Blues & Roots / Leave a Comment

The Dirty Knobs has long been a side project of guitarist / songwriter / producer Mike Campbell (The Heartbreakers), fellow guitar player Jason Sinay, bassist Lance Morrison and drummer Matt Laug. Every now and then they played together, and finally there is an album now: Wreckless Abandon. The title track below gives an idea of what to expect: American, old-fashioned, familiar-sounding, quality rock and roll. How great that such music is still being made.

‘Throwing caution to the wind // Going over the edge again // With wreckless abandon’

Add to wantlist: Discogs

New album: Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar || The Reckless One

By Dennis / November 21, 2020 / Funk & Soul / 1 Comment

Last week, MOJO, Uncut and Rough Trade, among others, already published their music year end lists. With six weeks or so to go in 2020, there is of course the risk that they will miss some new albums. Like this one! The combination of the singing skills of songwriter / arranger / band leader / ‘vocal powerhouse’ Samantha Martin and the soul / funk sound of Delta Sugar make The Reckless One an album that would not have been out of place in the aforementioned lists. My favorite song is original Don’t Have To Be – see below – but you should at least also check out Bob Dylan cover Meet Me in the Morning.

Add to wantlist: Gypsy Soul Records || samanthamartinmusic.com