Dennis

New EP: The Tridents || Fiat Panda Escape Sequence…..

Surf musicians usually associate themselves with colorful aliens, futuristic robots, dangerous animals or youngsters in swimsuits, but The Tridents manage to take inspiration from a first generation Fiat Panda, not the coolest automobile ever. We’re talking about Fiat Panda Escape Sequence, the 6-track debut EP from Brighton’s newest surf rock outfit, featuring Kevin Desert (guitar, vocals), Russell Pilfold (guitar), Jamie Hewitt (bass) and Chris Pilkington (drums). Expect 16 minutes of hot chase music in which reverb-drenched surf and original spaghetti western melodies provide a vibrant road trip. Pretty cool nonetheless.


The self-produced Fiat Panda Escape Sequence EP is out now digitally (self-released).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Diet Lite || Into The Pudding

American indie rock trio Diet Lite – Evan Marsalli (drums), Kelson Kuzdas (guitar) and Max Niemann (guitar) – are back with a new full-length, their fourth and most ambitious to date. Into The Pudding consists of 18 original songs, partly heard before on last year’s Jon Told Bob Told Rob and Dumb Bird EPs, supplemented with new material including 5 instrumental interludes that together form the title track. To be filed under indie rock, but building on glam-wrapped 70s rock ‘n’ roll – energetic and powerful, dynamic and uplifting, sweeter and heavier than the band name suggests. You’ll hear driving rhythms with confident swagger – as they sing in Flying Cars & New Fonts: “Playing it straight // Playing the game.”



Into The Pudding is out now digitally via Lifehouse.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Thad Requet || Hope for a Better Day

Thad Requet‘s music can be found in the Venn diagram where the circles of rock ‘n’ roll, country and blues overlap. Both the musical skills and the appealing lyrics of the 10 original songs on his new album Hope for a Better Day show that the Missourian singer/songwriter/guitarist isn’t a rookie. Listen to the name dropping in standout track If You Love To Rock-n-Roll (including a reference to John Mellencamp, to whom this sound is most closely related) and you’ll know what I mean right away. Scott Donegan makes a valuable contribution here (guitar, bass, drums, keys, banjo, washboard, tambourine, shakers, kazoo), but we really also have to mention Alle Crow’s amazingly powerful backup vocals. This is a wonderful 47-minute autobiography that is sure to make for a good day.



Hope for a Better Day is out now digitally (self-released). Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New post: Floodlights || Painting of My Time

How Naarm/Melbourne art rock outfit Floodlights continues after a sold-out EP (Backyard, 2019) and a critically acclaimed debut LP (From A View, number 1 on my year-end list for 2020)? With the experience of countless live shows in their back pocket, and the strong 7″ The More I Am b/w Overflowing Cup (2021) as further proof of competence, they confidently capture their further development in sophomore full-length Painting of My Time. Louis Parsons (vocals, guitar), Ashlee Kehoe (vocals, guitar), Joe Draffen (bass) and Archie Shannon (drums) unite the grandeur of stadium bands in the 80s and the dynamics of the current post-punk revival (both the minimal cover art* on a blue background and the sound are somewhat reminiscent of The Wild Swans’ 1982 single Revolutionary Spirit), but clearly have their own original and recognizable sound. The distinctive and charismatic vocals and melodic harmonica can glorify on a solid guitar rock bed, which is more richly orchestrated than before – trumpet, grand piano, violin and synths make their appearance. Sonically it’s still somewhat melancholic, but the album title and lyrics in multiple songs leave no room for misunderstanding (from On the Television, one of the standout tracks with infectious woo-hoo’s to sing along): “The time is now!”


Painting of My Time, recorded by Nao Anzai, is out now digitally and on vinyl LP via Virgin Music. *The cover image is taken from an original Martin George painting.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Soundmerch

New single: Mr Bonz || J’suis en panne

It’s been a while since we heard from Michel Canhoto aka Mr Bonz, but the one man band from France is back with two singalong songs worth sharing. This is two times two minutes of catchy rhythm ‘n’ beat, to play loud and to dance wildly to. A-side J’suis en panne is the real hit here, but flipside J’en ai marre du boulot also invites you to shout along.

J’Suis En Panne is out now digitally and on limited edition lathe cut 5″ vinyl through Castagne Records / Renegat Records.

Add to wantlist: Castagne @ Bandcamp || Renegat @ Bandcamp

New album: The Lemons || Lemology Vol. 1 (2012-2016)

Exactly ten years ago today, The Lemons aka The Lemon Lime Singing Band played their very first show. Around that time, the Chicago-based slacker rockers recorded a lot of songs (or what passed for that). The 28(!) most successful tunes ended up on their infectious debut LP Hello, We’re The Lemons, which made its way to the top 20 of my 2016 year-end list. The rest from the period 2012-2016 is also quite nice, we hear on the compilation Lemology Vol. 1, now released to celebrate the anniversary. It’s a collection of 24 short tracks (almost all just a minute long), including some alternate takes, demos and covers (like the aptly titled Squeeze Me by The Memories), plus a recording of the first Lemons gig (12 minutes). Those who heard the band before know what to expect: music for young and old with references to sweet (ice cream, jelly bean) and sour (lemons, what else?), with jangling guitars and catchy almost childlike harmonies. It’s lo-fi, poppy, melodic, catchy, sunny, naive, uplifting, and above all a lot of fun. Happy times are here again.




Lemology Vol. 1 is out now digitally. Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Desmond Dandies || 57 Heaven

Please meet the Desmond Dandies, four rockers from “the Limburgian jungle” who could well become the Belgian Oh Sees if they keep doing what they are doing. Watch a live set and you’ll understand they can satisfy hungry audiences, watch the video for stand-out track Magician and try not to smile. They’ve just released their full-length debut, titled 57 Heaven, featuring 11 garage psych songs that oscillate between dreams and excitement. Heavy guitar riffs and a tight rhythm section travel through unexpected structures and tempo changes on a record that doesn’t exhaust you but does put you under hypnosis.


57 Heaven is out now digitally and on vinyl LP (self-released).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: Bottom Shelf || Pud Master Johnson

A collaboration between Natural Child and Strange Boys sounds like music to my ears, but that’s only a fantasy. However, I imagine it would sound something like Bottom Shelf. They are a Raleigh, North Carolina-based five-piece, featuring Mike Steward (guitar, vocals), Riley Methner (guitar, vocals), Sam Olson (keys), Steve Kinsey (bass), and Jamie Ranta (drums). Their sophomore full-length Pud Master Johnson hovers firmly in the authentic roots rock corner of the musical spectrum, but with garage and psych elements. The eleven heartfelt songs here are raw and fascinating, with awesome gritty vocals. Hopefully this one will be released on vinyl in due course, then it deserves a place at the front of the record rack.



Pud Master Johnson is out now digitally (self-released). Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Thing || Here’s The Thing

Great band name, great album title, great looks, and – most importantly – great music full of hooks. Please meet The Thing, a new indie rock trio from Brooklyn, New York, who are quickly winning over local hearts with their energetic live shows. With their full-length debut album – indeed: Here’s The Thing – they will also conquer the rest of the world. The nine songs here are confident and exciting, dynamic and magnetic, tight but quite rough around the edges. Their sound is refreshing but also familiar and versatile, incorporating garage and psych influences. The tracks designated as singles (Beige Bouqet, Dirt and Dixie Queen) are all hits (the others are not much less – Country Song II being one of my favorites), with memorable lyrics (“Some days I think I’m Elvis, some days I think I’m king”). Suddenly a Long Live The Thing t-shirt feels like an indispensable item.



Here’s The Thing is out now digitally through Onion Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Tito Ramírez || El Prince

And now for something completely different. Tito Ramírez started out as a masked mystery, but after five singles, one album (which really needs a repress!) and some exciting live shows, we now know we’re dealing with artist Pedro Poyatos aka Peter Boogie Parker (Los Granadians), who has dubbed himself “His most excellent perversity”, “The Kink of Mambo” and “El Prince”. The last two names are also the titles of his previous and new LP. On El Prince you’ll hear thirteen pieces of psychedelic rhythm ‘n’ blues, exuberant and uplifting, all danceable for people who know how to do the boogaloo. Expect a mash-up of timeless Latin soul (unmistakably the main ingredient), 60s garage beat and 50s rock ‘n’ roll, like an exotic soundtrack that doesn’t need a movie, because it takes no effort to envision a colorful world full of swinging adventures.

El Prince, produced by Óscar Martos, is out streaming and on vinyl LP through Antifaz Discos & El Volcán Música.

Add to wantlist: Discogs || Antifaz || El Volcán

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