Niek

New single: Anselmus & The Sensitive || Split

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

Keep an ear out for Indonesian labels Chaotic Pop & Disanorak, because their releases will activate your appetite for underground pop music. For their latest release, the two labels tag up for a two-song split tape between Anselmus and The Sensitive.

Hailing from Tangerang, Anselmus offers up an infectious jangly and upbeat track titled lost in the noise of corporate shelf, showcasing the solo project’s undeniable charm. Meanwhile, Jakarta twee pop outfit The Sensitive serenade listeners with a gentle and introspective track titled indiepop politics. Built upon a repetitive bass line and adorned with what I assume to be either a piano/synth or guitar, the track unfolds with a soothing allure.

This short yet sweet release leaves you yearning for more.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Ryann Gonsalves || Ouch!

By / / Indie Pop / Leave a Comment

Torrey, Reality TV and Aluminum bassist slash vocalist Ryann Gonsalves makes a memorable solo debut with Ouch!, a title that perfectly encapsulates the raw emotion of self-learning after her journey of “introspection, solitude, and sobriety.”

Even when you are unaware of the vulnerable honesty in Gonsalves’ self-reflection, her music has a spine-tingling beauty. Some songs are short, others even shorter, yet each harbors a depth beneath their seemingly straightforward exterior. Gonsalves doesn’t need a lot of instruments, notes or tones to capture the complexities of human emotion and experience, hitting you right in the gut with her minimalism – listening to Ouch! strangely reminds me of the flash fiction of Lydia Davis.

Perhaps I am overanalyzing, and it’s simply the voice of Gonsalves on this varied collection that’s got me all mesmerized – this is indie pop that feels truly original and special.

Ouch! is out today at Dandy Boy Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Sorry Darling || See This Through

By / / Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Uncategorized / Leave a Comment

See This Through is the debut EP from Brooklyn quartet Sorry Darling. The band plays alt pop infused indie rock with a solid balance between jangly and palm muted guitars. The dual and alternating vocals between the band’s songwriters Stephen Bailey and Liz Wagner Biro are another selling point of the band.

There is plenty more to like about this record though, and songs like In Theory and No Angle provide easy points of entry. But I’d like to place the spotlight on the song that carries their band name. Sorry Darling is a contemporary twist on jangly power pop that is hook-filled, and simply delightful.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Rob Lanterman || Knock On Wood

By / / Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Rob Lanterman runs Hidden Home Records out of Boise (Idaho), but he is an artist as well. In 2018, he recorded 7 songs with Charlie Ritch (Ingrown, Rejection Pact, Stepbrothers) and a cast of friends. Due to the demands of his label, the songs remained shelved until now. Together they make up the Knock On Wood EP, a release that is full of cool indiepunk songs that ooze heart and soul.

Lanterman makes a solid case with his songwriting and execution – RIYL: Joyce Manor and The Hotelier. But if you need more convincing to purchase the record, note that it comes with a zine with lyrics, liner notes, as well as individual art done for each song by Lanterman’s sister Katelyn.

Knock On Wood is out now through Lanterman’s own Hidden Home Records.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Hidden Home Records

New album: The Problem With Kids Today || Born To Rock

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / 1 Comment

Typically, no good things happen in sentences starting with ‘the problem with kids today’, but New Haven (Connecticut) crew Tate, Silas and Reena flip the script entirely. Press play on Born To Rock, and you’ll find that there is absolutely nothing wrong with The Problem With Kids Today and their scrappy, loose and uncomplicated garage party platters.

Born To Rock defies categorization into a specific era or location in rock-‘n’-roll history. To my ears it is a raucous interpretation of classic rock, with tracks that echo the early days of garage punk, proto-punk, and pub rock. What Else Could I Say is the prize track for me, and I’m sure that songs like Speed Freak, CEO and Leather Jacket Blues will get audiences moving.

Born To Rock is out now on The Problem With Records Today.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Worse Off || Over, Thinking

By / / Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Jac Falk and Colin Jay laid the foundation for Worse Off back in 2015, and after nine years, their debut full-length album has finally arrived. It’s a lesson in patience, because on Over, Thinking the band definitely deliver the goods.

Worse Off’s blend of poppy indie punk brings to mind contemporary acts like Joyce Manor and Lone Wolf, while also nodding to earlier bands such as Discount. Some exceptions aside (Dislike, Unsubcribe, Fitting To The Hat), most of the songs on Over, Thinking are not super fast, nor should they be as they are infused with plenty of energy, melody, and bounce. Most importantly, Over, Thinking is just plain fun with sing-along vocal hooks that’ll have you raising your voice without a second thought.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Chisel || What A Fucking Nightmare

By / / Punk / Leave a Comment

What better way to start your work week with something fast and furious, loud and pissed off? Dive into The Chisel’s second LP, aptly titled What A Fucking Nightmare which packs an intensity that’s both intimidating and undeniably awesome. Listening to this record feels like being caught in the midst of a stampede of enraged bulls, somehow emerging alive yet transformed into something primal yourself.

The working-class street punk sound of The Chisel will appeal to a wide spectrum of punk subgenre enthusiasts – I witnessed the band on stage at the Revolution Calling Festival in Eindhoven and they blew away the punks, the hardcore kids, the skinhead and everything in between, and myself, naturally. Like its predecessor, What A Fuckin Nightmare is thoroughly enjoyable, delightfully chaotic and yet as tight as Margaret Thatcher’s upper lip. The record leans slightly more to accessibility, which meshes seamlessly with The Chisel’s aesthetic – listen to songs like Living For Myself, Aint Seen Nothing Yet and What Do You Mean for example.

By the time What A Fucking Nightmare concludes, you’ll find yourself fully immersed in The Chisel’s world, chanting along with fists clenched and adrenaline pumping. LP/CD out now at Pure Noise!


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: The Sleeveens || The Sleeveens

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / 2 Comments

Last year, The Sleeveens made a memorable entrance with Give My Regards To The Dancing Girls, a track I consider to be a modern classic in the realm of pub rock-‘n’-roll. When your first release hits this level of greatness, you naturally set extremely high expectations for what comes next, especially when the trustworthy ears of Dirtnap Records announce they will release your self-titled debut. Now that the record is out, does it live up to those expectations?

Absolutely! With still ten-and-a-half months left in the year, Josh Rutledge has nearly declared it his album of the year. While I may not go that far just yet, I’m thoroughly enjoying it. The decision to kick off the record with their established hit speaks volumes. It’s telling that rather than losing steam, the album maintains its strength throughout. Among the track list is a nice cover of Undertones Get Over You, and songs like Metallica Font and Aretha Franklin sound particularly bright.

The Sleeveens relive the spirit and sound of late ’70s punk and pub rock from UK/Ireland with a winning combo of classic rock-‘n’-roll guitar work and vocals perfectly suited for the genre. I hope to catch this band live someday because while the record will sound fantastic on my turntable, I can only imagine how electrifying they must be onstage!



The Sleeveens is out now on Dirtnap. The Sleeveens are Stef Murphy (Count Vaseline, The Mighty Stef – make sure to check out his 2023 solo record as well), Jamie Mechan (Stiff Little Fingers guitar tech), Ryan Sweeney (Cheap Time), and Eli Steele (Sweet Knives).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Green Noise

New album: Mean Jeans || Blasted

By / / Punk / Leave a Comment

So much fun stuff came out this Friday that it’s hard to choose what to write about. However, one album I can’t seem to put down is Mean Jeans’ latest masterpiece Blasted. Clocking in at a succinct thirty minutes, it serves as a quintessential guide to crafting old school pop punk in 2024.

If I had to summarize Blasted in one word, it would be anthems. And if you gave me some leeway, each anthem would come with a different adjective, including misanthropical (I Don’t Give A Shit Anymore), party (Living Large On A Credit Card), nostalgic (Taco Bell Parking Lot, Look What Punk’s Done To You), motivational (Let’s Go), and break-up (Break Up With You).

Christian Blunda (aka Billy Jeans), Andrew Bassett (aka Jeans Wilder) and Richard Messina (aka Jr. Jeans) show us how it’s done and sound in top form. Blasted is a tight, smooth and precise record on which they effortlessly churn out infectious hooks and party choruses. And while ooohs and aaaahs, oooweeehoo’s and o-oohs can get tiresome in less capable hands, Mean Jeans make them sound like they’re the originators of the concept.

Blasted is out now on Fat Wreck Chords. It’s great.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Fat Wreck

New album: Split System || Vol​.​2

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / 3 Comments

“I put it on the line, time and time again,” Jackson Reid Briggs screams in the mic on The Wheel, the first song on the second LP of his band Split System. He’s not lying, and it’s not just him. Every member of the band pours their heart and soul into their performance, pushing themselves to the brink, as if their very existence hinges on it. It’s a safe bet that these Melbourne lads exited the studio with bloody fingers, raw throats, and a fair share of bruises, testament to their unwavering dedication.

Vol. 2 is, like its predecessor (Vol. 1, for those keeping score), an amazing album. It’s not like Split System tries to reinvent the wheel, nor do they try to something different than before, but they do a lot of things either a little or a lot better than most bands.

Split System assaults their songs with unwavering conviction, evoking a visceral response. The super tight rhythm section of Deon Slaviero (Bass) and Mitch McGregor (Drums) provides the perfect foundation for the dual guitar attack of Arron Mawson and Ryan Webb to shine – oh, how I love the guitars on Vol. 2! The only conceivable flaw to this wall of sound would be to have a lackluster singer. Enter Jackson Reid Briggs to the mix. Wait, are they allowed to do that?

Split System hit you right in the gut song after song, leaving you in awe by the force they hit you with. Sure, on some songs (Alone Again, The Drain, # Kill Me) they take their foot off the gas just a little, but most of these songs are fast and ferocious punkrock’n’roll. Front-to-back, this is album-of-the-year material.

Vol. 2 is out now on the holy trinity that is Goner Records (USA), Drunken Sailor (UK/EU), and Legless Records (AUS).



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

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