Garage Rock

New single: Tramhaus || I Don’t Sweat

By / / Garage Rock, Indie Rock / 4 Comments

Niek’s post today about the new Vaguess record reminded me to write something about Tramhaus. Once in a while you see a band live and you know that you’re witnessing something special, something that could become big. Rotterdam post-punk five-piece Tramhaus brings about that feeling of excitement. Lukas Jansen (vocals), Jim Luijten (drums), Julia Vroegh (bass), Micha Zaat (guitar) and Nadya van Osnabrugge (guitar) radiate an unassailable coolness and pleasant nonchalance, but they play tight and hypnotic. The title of their awesome debut single I Don’t Sweat is telling in that respect (in the official video for the track the frontman is wearing a Vaguess shirt, hence the link I made). Its B-side Karen is a Punk is also quite good by the way, just like their other songs that have only been heard from the concert stages for the time being. Do yourself a favor and go see this band live. Make it happen!

I Don’t Sweat is out now digitally and on 7″ vinyl through Subroutine Records.

Add to wantlist: Discogs || Songwhip || Subroutine

New album: Vaguess || Nothing’s Secret

By / / Garage Rock, Indie Rock, Punk / 2 Comments

LA experimental garage band Vaguess has always been a crazy productive band and their output is all over the place sonically. Admittedly, Vaguess’ records are kind of hit or miss for me. Their latest release though definitely goes on the hit pile though.

From album opener When It’s Gone, it’s clear that Nothing’s Secret is going to be a special record. With crisp production, a prominent bass line, angular guitars, and some synths to glue it all together, the song slowly pulls you in. It’s all good from there. Nothing’s Secret offers a delightful mixtures of styles. Call it garagepoppostpunk or something like that. The slackrocking ballad Happy All the Time is another highlight for me, but don’t skip tracks like Heaven’s Market, Wish That I Could, and Profit Or Punk.

Nothing’s Secret is out now on Refry Records.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Why Bother? || Lovers And Addicts

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / 1 Comment

Is it a coincidence that great music emerges from a small town (Mason City, Iowa) located a mere ten miles from where Buddy Holly’s fatal airplane crash occured?

Mason City’s finest Why Bother? is a band that surfaced when Tremendo Garaje (“one of YouTube’s most obsessive gateways into contemporary underground punk music) put “Punk on the Plains” compilations on their channel – curated by Why Bother? drummer Paul. The other two members of the band: Terry (Vocals & Synth) & Speck (Guitar).

Lovers And Addicts follows A Year of Mutations (2021), which compiled the best material from the first four Why Bother EPs. Lovers And Addicts is all new songs, including three covers of The Heartbreakers, Suicide Commandos and BEEX – Tuesday Morning (BEEX) is my favorite of the three.

On Lovers And Addicts, Why Bother? present their own exciting take on the classic midwestern punk. That take harbours hints of postpunk, Jack Oblivianesque vocal melodies and synth licks that add an eerie sci-fi feel to (some of) the songs. Check out the standout Don’t Ask Me Why, which displays all of the strenghts of Why Bother? From there on, this record is quite the trip. I’d recommend it!



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Le Muffe || Down Down Down

By / / Garage Rock, Psych / Leave a Comment

Psychedelic garage punk is also possible without guitars, as Italian trio Le Muffe once again proves. Their third full-length album Down, Down, Down features 10 new songs with that distinctive sound: an omnipresent acid organ, a pulsing nervous bass, pounding aggressive drums, and intriguing theatrical vocals. Thanks to that sound in combination with lyrics in Italian (partly English), scream-along choruses, swinging melodies, and smart tempo changes, this is an LP that is unlike any other. Fans of Archie and the Bunkers will certainly enjoy it, but anyone who likes garage, beat or punk can blast this guitar-less music out of their speakers to be positively surprised.

Down Down Down is out now digitally and on vinyl LP through Area Pirata Records / Pigme Records.

Add to wantlist: Area Pirata || Bandcamp || Discogs

New EP: The Steady Beats || The Steady Beats

By / / Garage Rock, Power Pop / Leave a Comment

Canadian multi-instrumentalist Matt Groopie (The Groopies, King Beez, The Mutaneers, Green Jelly, Blackdog Ballroom, The Phoenix Complex) is back with a new project and new music. Please meet The Steady Beats and listen to the six tracks on their self-titled debut EP. With song titles like Key To Your Heart, Wrapped Around Your Finger and So Far Away you would expect that these are covers, but they are definitely originals. Matt did not only wrote the songs, but he also produced, engineered, mixed and mastered them, and took care of lead vocals (at least, on 3 tracks), guitars, drums, bass, piano, harmonica, glockenspiel, and percussion. You will also hear John Loree (lead vocals and co-songwriting on 2 tracks, and bass), and Steve David (lead vocals on 1 track, and guitars). This is a welcome release at the crossing of garage rock and power pop, from skilled musicians who know how to write catchy tunes and when to use vocal harmonies and more cowbell to unlock the door to your heart.

The Steady Beats is out now digitally. Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: Ingrates || Kickin’ Down The Doors! b/w Learn To Love It

By / / Garage Rock, Power Pop, Punk / 1 Comment

Late last year, Ingrates katapulted themselves on my Singles of the year list with their debut single. The single had the marks of the Good Vibrations label all over it, with equal parts energy, catchiness and loudness. Today, Ingrates release their second single, with which they have about secured a spot on my 2022 single list.

The single opens with Kickin’ Down The Door which has the build-up of an Exploding Hearts song with some massive and very effective hooks. It’s a song I’ll be playing a lot this year. On the flip side, there’s Learn To Love It, a ’70s glammy stomper of a song that sees the band broadening their horizons. What’s not to like?

Recorded as a duo, the Southern Californians are putting a full band together to get their show on the road. More good news: Ingrates will be releasing their third single in a couple of months, slowly working themselves to have enough songs for a singles collection on LP.

Oh, and about that killer single from last year? No Norms Records (Watertown, MA) is currently putting the band’s first single on a 7″. WANT! Hopefully a label will put this sophomore single out as well.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Total Rejection || Off The Top Of Our Heads.​.​.​And Other Forbidden Pleasures

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The UK garage-psych rockers of The Total Rejection are back with their 4th studio album, Off The Top Of Our Heads .​.​.​And Other Forbidden Pleasures, and here they took a step forward. We hear 10 new and wild killer tracks that pick up where the Pebbles compilations left off, featuring driving rhythms, screeching guitar riffs and Arthur Andrew Jarrett’s signature vocals that you either love or hate. The band themselves say they wanted to keep it quite raw and edgy, and push things slightly, and they succeeded very well. The songs are better structured and even catchier than before. This is an addictive record that slowly but surely makes you hallucinate, and that’s a great achievement.

Off The Top Of Our Heads .​.​.​And Other Forbidden Pleasures is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP through Raving Pop Blast! Recordings.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: Monte Del Oso || Son Los Demás Los Que Están Equivocados

By / / Garage Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

Monte Del Oso is a Spanish indie rock band of three. The band has been releasing music since 2015, and just released their fourth record: Son Los Demás Los Que Están Equivocados (It’s the others who are wrong).

It’s a strong outing from the band. To my ears, Monte Del Oso operate somewhere between underground US pop/rock of the ’80s, altpop from the ’90s and emo tinged punkrock of the late ’90s early ’00s. The songs are melodic but in an understated manner, making them all the more powerful. Son Los Demás Los Que Están Equivocados is the kind of record where I discover a new favorite song with each play. It’s a rewarding record, a reminder that it pays off to give records more attention than a quick scan.

Son Los Demás Los Que Están Equivocados is out now on Underhill Records and Farmway Records.


Add to wantlist: Monte Del Oso

New album: No Monster Club || Deadbeat Effervescent

By / / Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop / Leave a Comment

Time for some new music that is quirky and puts a bigger smile on my face with each play. Deadbeat Effervescent is the seventh (I think) full length by Irish three piece No Monster Club. It’s a delightful mess of styles and sounds that’s hard to pinpoint.

In a way the record reminds of me of Architecture In Helsinki’s In Case We Die. It has that same energy and varied instrumentation. Other mid 00’s bands come to mind as well, like The Spinto Band and The Boy Least Likely To. But No Monster Club is more bubblegummy, more glammy and more garagy, I believe. Or like the press release describes it: “At times on this LP, No Monster Club come across like the improbable missing link between ABBA and Daniel Johnston.”

You see, this record is kinda weird and that’s what makes it so much fun. Songs like Waterfight!, Black & White, Case By Case Basis and Save The Circus are here to brighten your mood any time, all the time. Deadbeat Effervescent is out now on Emotional Response.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Emotional Response

Gimme 5! Mickey Leigh Shares Five Records He Fell In Love With In Anticipation Of His Solo Debut

By / / Garage Rock, Power Pop, Punk / 1 Comment

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.

Mickey Leigh’s musical career commenced early. He started his first band in 1964 at the age of 10, and by the age of 14, he was in a band with Joey and Tommy Ramone. He has been an instrumental figure in the New York punk scene ever since, including founding The Rattlers, Sibling Rivalry (with his brother Joey Ramone), and STOP.

Five decades in his career, Mickey Leigh is about to release his first solo full-length release as Mickey Leigh’s Mutated Music. The record is called Variants of Vibe and will be out this Friday on Stevie van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records. Variants Of Vibe is a rock’n’rolling record that oozes punk rock attitude and the emotional depth of the highs and lows of many lives lived. Put differently, the records sounds fun and feels real. And songs like Little Christine, No Fun Anymore, Spanish Eyes, and Standing In The Dark are instant classics. [post continues below]


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