13 months after they released their excellent self-titled LP, Berlin greasy glamgaragerockers Slander Tongue return in style with a two song single. It is inspired by lockdown fatigue, with the band “in need of a good time.” Fortunately, the two songs sound far from wearied. They have plenty of groove and energy. Out now on Slovenly Recordings.
“Now it’s May and I should be faraway // But I do the same thing as yesterday // This shit goes all year long // And I keep playing that song.“
Drop everything you are doing. Here’s an EP from a new band that absolutely deserves your attention. Don’t worry about your work, you will catch up later, and you will do so fully energized.
Ex Press are Devon Milley & Matthew Fudge, who provide even more evidence that the finest powerpop nowadays comes from Canada. Okay, technically I am not sure whether this counts as powerpop. Ex Press have created their own hybrid of synthpunk, powerpop, new wave and pop punk. On Itchy To Move, Miller & Fudge (not a bad name for a band or a bookstore now that I think of it) are assisted by a strong supporting cast. Most notably, Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo provided keys on the majority of songs and helped recording, mastering and mixing the EP. Palumbo also sings on the lead single Headrest. That single also offers interesting use of horns provided by The Key Group Horns. Watch the video produced by Daniel Fried (TV’s Daniel, Bad Sports, Radioactivity) below. From the high octane opener Mystery to the midpaced moody album closer Act Surprised, it’s hard to really highlight one of the songs. There are no fillers here. Fingers crossed that a physical release is in the works.
What’s Growing is the second LP of New-Zealand indie rock band Wurld Series. I quite liked the band’s previous work, but not enough to make the wantlist. Five songs in, I am already searching for the best place to order this new record from. The instrumental intro song Harvester builds up to what is the first standout track on the record: Nap Gate, a classic ’90s indie rock track with fuzzy guitars (video below). It’s followed by Supplication, a short and sweet song with beautiful interplay between an acoustic guitar and a stylophone. We then get Moved In, which may be the most pop-oriented song on the record. It essentially is 96 seconds of catchiness. In the middle of the record the band slows down the pace and opts for some experimentation. Given the accessibility of the first part of the record, some may be put off by these out-of-the-box songs. The interlude kind of works for me though. It nicely slides into the latter part of the record which mirrors the first 5 songs in terms of variety and strength. The songwriting skills of Wurld Series shine particularly bright on Grey Men. The song is short and straightforward, but hook filled and it has excellent guitar work – a recurrent theme in the songs of Wurld Series.
Overall, What’s Growing is a very effective and efficient record. It’s only 30 minutes long, but offers A LOT, with none of the songs overstaying their welcome. It’s a strong collection of songs that should appeal to fans of classic indie rock (Pavement, Neutral Milk Hotel and Guided By Voices, or more recently: Kiwi jr). Out now on Melted Ice Cream (New Zealand & Rest of the World), Meritorio Records (Europe & USA), & Osborne Again (Australia). By the way, lead guitarist Adam Hattaway will release another record next week, keep an eye out for that one.
Outpatient’s Unreality EP was first released early 2020. Dead Broke Rekerds called it one of their favorite EPs of the year and recently put it out on cassette. I am glad they did, because I don’t think I’d found out about this one otherwise. If I did, it would’ve made my top 2020 Singles list as well. This is a great example of how punkrock can still feel fresh and exciting. It’s catchy, it’s loud, it’s a blast. And, although the vocals are quite buried in the mix, Outpatient singer AJ elicits bittersweet memories of Kurt Cobain and Kim Shattuck. Four songs. All killer, no filler. Play this one loud!
With ‘Gimme 5!’ we take a peek into the collections of artists we admire. The premise is simple: artists WE like share 5 records THEY love. Previous installments feature Rob Nesbitt (The Suitesixteen), Scott Davis (Virginia Trance), Jacob Lewis (Western Threads), and Chelo (Fievre).
In about four weeks, Jakob Mind (Sweden) will release his solo debut ‘The One Who Got Away’ on Lövely Records. It’s a record we very much look forward to. If you are unfamiliar with Jakob’s music, he plays in Rotten Mind and is a master in hitting that sweet spot between garage, punk and power pop – listen to exhibit A:
Based on the first teaser tracks, The One Who Got Away is a bit more stripped down and may be even more melodic and contagious than the most recent Rotten Mind record. Watch The City Burn already is a frontrunner for my favorite song of the year (watch below, exhibit B). Unsurprisingly, pre-orders for the record are going fast.
We are delighted that Jakob wanted to share 5 records that influence his music. Click on read more to see his list. Jakob added words to explain his picks, and we included a video of his favorite song of each record. Thanks a lot, Jakob!
Swedish indie label Beluga Records has a talent for unleashing new powerpop and punk bands onto the airwaves. On April 2nd, they will release the debut single of The Erratix of Minneapolis on pink and black wax. It’s a single three years in the making. You can already available to stream on Bandcamp, and I invite you to do exactly that. It’s a must listen for people who like their power pop energetic with plenty of punk attitude, or their punkrock with plenty of pop sensibilities. The tasteful addition of keys give the songs some extra schwung. The band plans to record their first LP in a couple of months. Definitely one to look out for! FFO: The Cry!, Something Fierce, & The Cute Lepers.
If you frequent this site, you probably know that mine and Dennis’ tastes diverge quite a lot. Most definitely, Dennis has lower tolerance for the fast and loud stuff (#toopunkfordennis), whereas I grew up listening to that stuff and still can get a rush of adrenaline from great hardcore bands. Usually I refrain from posting about such bands. We can only cover so many genres. But in the last couple of weeks I’ve listened to several new hardcore releases I am excited about, and felt like sharing them. Album title links to bandcamp page where you can purchase these records. Let’s go!
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What do you do when you’ve just formed a band and are excited about the songs you’ve been writing, but a pandemic leaves no room to perform? The Scratch-Offs, a garage-country-r’n’r-hybrid from Madison (Wisconsin), decided to use their free time to record their self-titled debut. The Scratch-Offs may be a new band, but they hardly lack experience: the band consists of past and current members of Jane Rose and the Deadend Boys, Westernwhere, Psychic Drag and the Smells. That experience pays off in the opening track WIS-60. The band cites the Stones and CCR as their influences and this song could be the lovechild of those two classic bands. It may be my favorite song on the record. The second track (Shit Attitude) offers some pleasant old tyme rock, with an infectious chorus. It’s followed up by the fun Chuck Berry indebted Down On A Thing. The rest of the album has plenty to offer as well. Justin Perkins mastered the record – does that guy ever sleep? But still, there’s that naggin’ feeling. I can’t help but feel how this particular brand of music is best experienced live in sweaty bars. Let’s hope we will be able to see this band perform rather sooner than later. The record is out digitally today, with LPs scheduled at the pressing plant, and CDs and cassettes in the works (pre-orders coming soon).
Contrary to what most of my posts suggest, I DO occasionally enjoy music that is a little more subtle, quiet or introspective. Take this new record by Max And The Martians. First impression: ‘this is not bad at all, and somewhat sounds like a mix of Purple Mountains and Sonny And The Sunsets. This deserves another listen.’ Second take: It’s saturday morning, I am reading the paper, drinking coffee. And this record just clicks – another illustration of how contexdependent our experience of music is. This record has an old time mellow feel to it, like it is a long lost classic pop record. The music and voice of Max Bien-Kahn (the mastermind behind this band) oozes sadness and melancholy, but the music is not depressive. It is a contrast that made the Purple Mountains LP so devastating, and applies here as well. Listen to the upbeat Milky Way (video below) for example – “Gonna Lose My Mind // Before It Runs Away.” Remember listening to music with the lyric sheet on your lap? This is the kind of record that warrants a return to that habit. With All The Same you get great music, great lyrics. Oh, and great videos as well. On the Wantlist already!
That leaves us with one question: Who are these Martians? It’s a an all star cast of rotating backing musicians. If you want to deep dive into their musical backgrounds, they are Esther Rose (who has a new record I am excited about coming out soon), Ross Farbe and Ray Micarelli (Video Age), Jordan Odom (Gold Star), Shaye Cohn (Tuba Skinny), Duff Thompson, Camille Weatherford (The Lostines), and Steph Green (Carver Baronda).
Did I order the new Local Drags record before its officIal release date? You bet! Local Drags is fronted by Lanny Durbin who also plays in Starter Jackets and Attic Salt. The songs of Local Drags expertly fuse the pace, hooks and pop sensibilities of powerpop with the energy and straightforwardness of pop punk. The songs have a ’90s alt pop feel as well, helped by the stripped down, crisp and airy production by Luke McNeil (The Copyrights, Starter Jackets, Hospital Job). It’s a combination that I find hard to resist. Admittedly, I needed some time to warm up to Local Drags’ 2019 debut Shit’s Looking Up! but ended up playing it a lot, with Trash Bones as one of my most played songs that year.
Fast forward two years, and Locals Drags’ second album Keep Me Glued immediately clicks. Perhaps it’s from mere exposure: there is a 99,9% chance that you will like this record if you liked the debut, and vice versa. It’s too soon to tell, but right now I would give a slight nod to Keep Me Glued. It’s all hits. Whereas repetition often is a weakness, Durbin has that special talent to turn it into a strength. He also is a master in building up anticipation to ear worm choruses, and those delayed rewards create such a dopamine inducing listening experience that it becomes addictive. Try to resist the one-two punch of Think Straight and the title track…I failed. Keep Me Glued is the kind of record to make you relax, sit back, and bop your head to that snare drum.
