Indie Pop

New album: European Sun || When Britain Was Great

Anger delivered with care and curiosity

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Steve Miles is back with European Sun’s sophomore full-length, titled When Britain Was Great, unconventional in every respect. For example, the amazing lead single School Report clocks in at over 17 minutes, too long to fit on the vinyl LP, and is therefore released as a separate CD, complete with a school report, in a manila envelope. That’s telling, but let’s talk about what really matters.

The English singer-songwriter creates contemporary songs with the kind of empathy and clarity that makes reactionary myth-making look small and faintly ridiculous, whether skewering flag-waving war fantasies or tracing the everyday anxiety of just getting through the day. Musically, it’s gloriously fitting: indie pop with a punk feel—handmade, warm, and occasionally ramshackle—where brass pops up, rhythms wobble, melodies stick. Always with that distinctive, poetic Sprechgesang in the lead, refusing both bluster and nostalgia (although: “I remember so clearly those old golden years // When football fans chanted their bigotry loud”—from the title track). Even at its angriest, the record feels gentle and stubbornly hopeful, thoughtful and necessary.



When Britain Was Great is out digitally and on vinyl LP (with a CD single featuring School Report) through Skep Wax. Also featuring Rob Pursey (bass), Ian Button (drums), and Elin Miles (additional vocals).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Skep Wax

New album: Blood At Ease || Blood At Ease

Portraits of change, collapse, and stubborn hope, set to open horizons

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Blood At Ease is the folk rock project of singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Bailey Miller, based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Following 2023’s The Holes That House The Seeds EP, the band arrives with a self-titled full-length album—the kind of release that you might put aside too quickly if you have it playing as background sound, but rewards you if you listen attentively.

From the nine protracted, narrative-rich songs emerges the image of an artist who is restless, searching, and fiercely self-aware. The lyrics return again and again to themes of transformation, labor, travel, and identity—how a person is shaped by the places they pass through, the systems they work within, and the expectations they internalize (one of my favorite lines here: “You buy the matches but fear they’ll burn // You house the knowledge but refuse to learn”—from Hard To Focus). By the time the closing title track unfolds, almost 17 minutes long, the record reveals its core tension: the desire to escape confinement, while still yearning to belong, to be seen, and to rest, even briefly, under someone else’s steady gaze.

Just as poetic as the wordplay, the music drifts through near-jazzy structures and a wealthy instrumental range (including sax and strings), to give real weight to the idea of ​​change.



Blood At Ease’s eponymous debut album—written, performed, and produced by Bailey Miller—is out now digitally (self released). Featuring Bailey Miller (vocals, guitars, lap steel, keyboards, harmonica), Brendon Infante (drums), Trey Marks (bass), Andy Allen (keyboards), Jeremy Ruggles (electric guitar), Ari Staiger (vocals), Grayson Barbone (saxophone), Angie Barr (violin), Haley Steinkamp (cello), and Doug Sneddon (mandolin).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Magon || Sun, Moon, Mushroom, Man

Another jangly collection that mixes narrative flair with melodic ease

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Costa Rica-based singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Magon, who is slowly but surely finding more and more fans, is back with his umpteenth album, tellingly titled Sun, Moon, Mushroom, Man. As we’ve come to expect, we get slightly psychedelic indie pop with a laid-back vibe and catchy hooks, in eight new songs carried by jangly guitars and charming vocals. For me, Santa Ana Blues (Nothing Is Revealed) stands out, thanks to the Sprechgesang storytelling and uplifting woo-hoos, captured in a sun-kissed sound.



Sun, Moon, Mushroom, Man—written, composed, performed, and produced by Magon—is out now digitally via T.Rex Recordings.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Teini-Pää || Uusi vuosi

One of Europe's most hypeworthy acts moves further into pop territory on third album

By / / Alternative Rock, Indie Pop, Punk / Leave a Comment

For what it’s worth, I’d argue that Teini-Pää have been one of the most hypeworthy indie pop bands of the past five years. And no, I’m not talking about the underground jangle-pop corner we often write about—the Skep Wax / Slumberland / Sarah Records axis. I mean polished, big-room indie pop, the kind of leap-into-the-limelight territory occupied by bands like Alvvays. I once described Teini-Pää as mixing elements of Alvvays, The Go-Go’s, and ABBA, and I still stand by that take. But their new album Uusi vuosi is decidedly more pop-forward, a little less angsty and pop-punky, with more room for moody, reflective tunes.

I’m still partial to the faster stuff (here: Oisin halunnut kertoo siitä sulle and Meduusa in particular), but I have to admit I’m increasingly drawn to the other side the band shows on Uusi vuosi. The mid-album pairing of Valssi #1 and Miksei se voi pysähtyä is genuinely gorgeous, and it sets up one of the record’s standout moments, Enkelten kaupungissa, perfectly. This is a band in motion, clearly growing, but with a strong sense of direction and control over where they want to go.

“Pop music by punks” remains Teini-Pää’s raison d’être — and that vision now also includes stepping away from Spotify (something we’ll be doing as well in the coming months). As long as they keep doing exactly this, we’ll keep following. Buy the LP at Soit Se Silti.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: Chris Canipe || Monuments

A quiet insistence on courage, patience, and personal integrity

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

Monuments is the third full-length album by Kansas City-based singer-songwriter Chris Canipe, one that wonderfully provides much-needed motivation to deal with current developments.

The ten songs wrestle with the ongoing moment of political unrest, social fragmentation, and environmental unease, capturing the feeling of living through systems that feel strained but not yet broken. The lyrics repeatedly return to the idea that resistance is often ordinary and relational, found in love, community, small daily rituals, and the slow work of showing up rather than grand gestures. We shouldn’t see hope as a denial of hardship, but as a deliberate act: choosing kindness, honesty, and human connection while time keeps moving and the ground keeps shifting.

The message is as beautiful as the melancholic melodies and profound vocals that amplify it, dark and light at the same time, worrisome yet comforting: “Hey hey, hey hey // It’s okay if you’re not okay.” Intimate reflections, moral clarity, emotional honesty, big advice—you feel it in every word, in every note.




Monuments is out now digitally and on CD (self-released). It’s unbelievable how the record turned out when you consider that the tracks were largely recorded at home, with a simple set-up, and a stolen laptop made the initial versions disappear. Also featuring Joe Schaefer (drums), Lou Nevins (bass ), John Galbraith (guitar ), Andrew Weir (organ), Jared Smith (trombone), Greg Aker (sax), Chris Farris (trumpet), and Benjamin Hook (drums) on select tracks.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Tom Lawns || Peace Out, Robot Wingman

Lo-fi alt pop, straight from the couch into your heart

By / / Alternative Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Psych / Leave a Comment

Tom Lawns is the kind of artist who’s hard to find, but once he’s on your radar, you’ll follow him anywhere. I completely missed the three EPs he released over the past 15 months (available on one convenient CD), but his debut full-length arrived this Friday, and if you ever want to argue that some of the most interesting pop music is still being made in bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms on the most rudimentary gear, Peace Out, Robot Wingman is Exhibit A.

Billed as a “couch symphony,” the record tips its hat to Ace Frehley in title and artwork, but any sonic resemblance to KISS mostly stops there. There’s no bombast or theatrics, just gorgeous songs wrapped in a delightfully unpolished haze of hiss and noise. This isn’t about rock ’n’ roll every night and every day; it’s more a happily-stuck-on-the-couch-with-a-guitar kind of record. And somehow, the melodies shine through no matter what.

Take Heavy Ghost, a song that sounds like it wandered out of the Lemonheads’ better timeline, or Metal Girl, a standout infused with rock ’n’ roll romanticism that makes it feel like the universe is quietly rewarding you for reasons unknown. And those are just two highlights—this record is full of moments that sneak up on you and refuse to let go. Find this release (and many other worthwhile ones!) on Lawns’ own Terminal Releases label.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Fragiles || Sing the Heat of the Sun

David Settle finds beauty in uncertainty and strength in persistence

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David Settle is back with his indie pop/rock project The Fragiles, releasing their third full-length album, Sing the Heat of the Sun. It feels like a journey through the wide-ranging landscape of no man’s land, also a meditation on endurance, with lyrics circling uncertainty, stalled motion, and the ache of waiting (relationships caught on fault lines, choices deferred, faith and work requested, and love remembered more vividly in absence than presence): “Let the mess you made // Comfort you // Let the less you take // Guide you through” (from Unglued).

The ten original songs vary in tempo and intensity—from gentle guitar picking to weighty riffs and everything in between—but are always heartfelt and honest. From quiet confessionals to roaring reckonings, every note carries intent, every tune is captivating.



Sing the Heat of the Sun is out digitally and on cassette through Living Lost Records. Featuring Catherine Dwyer (bass) and Gavin Perez-Canto (drums), with Fran Lyons (synth) on select tracks. All proceeds will be donated to Anera, to Palestinian refugees.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Living Lost

New EP: Candy Kisses || Truth We Avoided

Twee pop from Indonesia with a sense of urgency

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

If the name Candy Kisses sounds cute, just wait until you hear the debut EP from this quartet from Indonesia’s Depok region. The backstory is delightfully classic: band visits show, mentions they have a band, label owner listens, session booked—boom.

The EP packs six songs of classic twee pop: friendly, modest, and full of urgency, like a band bursting to show you what they can do. The first four tracks are short and snappy, recorded in an initial session, while the final two—written and recorded immediately after—stretch out a bit more and hint at broader ambitions. Closer I’m Done With You in particular shows a band already thinking beyond the basics.

Candy Kisses are coming at you fast. CDr expected mid-January via Indonesia’s always-fun cookies.fun label.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Ten Cent Club || Postcards From The Sun

A delightful debut that blurs the lines between balladry, groove, and experimentation

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San Francisco-based singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Gene Chumakov makes his debut under the moniker of Ten Cent Club with the versatile Postcards From The Sun EP, whose six tracks resist easy categorization. A brief acoustic instrumental sets the stage, before standout track The Dinosaur King, a funky murder ballad reminiscent of Tom Waits, takes hold. After the synth-driven earworm (Hit Me) One More Time and another short instrumental, lighters can go up for indie pop ballads Charlie (Shape) and Mt. Everest, the latter of which derails slightly halfway through. Charm, hooks, and ambition, it’s all there.


Postcards From The Sun—written, performed, and produced by Gene Chumakov—is out now digitally (self-released).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

Dusted || The Best New Cover Songs Of December 2025

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Garage Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Power Pop, Punk / Leave a Comment

Not all new music is really new, as many artists cover songs. Sometimes these are songs by their favorite artists, e.g. as a tribute to such a musical hero for a special reason, or they simply feel that a song deserves to be dusted and polished to reacquaint fans with great songs from the past. Other times, bands cover songs as a parody. Regardless of intent, some of those cover versions are so good or so much fun, we’d like to put a spotlight on them. Chosen from a wide range, here are—in a kind of random order—a bunch of successful covers from last month—links to pages where you can add them to your wantlist included.

Happy new year!

We start 2026 with a final look back at 2025. December saw quite a few Christmas-themed covers, but there’s little point in sharing them now (we’ll close below with just the nicest ones)—please remind me in 11 months to put together a Xmas edition of this feature. Nevertheless, there was much more to enjoy.

Ace of Spades (Motörhead) by West Texas Exiles — digital track (Floating Mesa Records)

Lean On Sheena (The Bouncing Souls) by The Kilograms — from Strike A Match EP (Rad Girlfriend Records)

Just Like Honey (The Jesus and Mary Chain) by Spare Snare — from American Psychocandy compilation (Almost Halloween Time Records)

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Dusted || The Best New Cover Songs Of December 2025Read More »

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