Indie Rock

Mega X || From The Outside

Tokyo's Mega X returns with an eclectic indiepunk adventure

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Tokyo’s Mega X caught our attention back in 2022 with New Mythtakes, a scrappy collection of indiepunk gems. Their latest release, From The Outside, sticks to that ethos, using indiepunk as a foundation for a sound that freely hops between alternative rock, indie pop, geek rock, and straight-up punk. The result? A wonderfully messy record brimming with standout moments. Dive into some highlights below.

From The Outside is out now on LP and Cassette on KiliKiliVilla.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: 250cc || We Can​´​t Sleep At Night

A colorful collage for the restless

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

250cc is an Italian-French indie duo—Alice Huet and Guido Giorgi—based in Germany. Their sophomore EP We Can’t Sleep At Night contains six original songs that are restless and richly filled. Expect a dynamic collage of pop, rock, psych and prog influences, as a sonic space for tempo changes and an abundance of colorful ideas. The five-plus minutes of standout track The Other Side in particular are a successful demonstration of effective creativity.


We Can​´​t Sleep At Night, recorded, mixed and produced by Guido Giorgi, is out now digitally and on 12″ vinyl (self-released). Also featuring Francesco Candura (bass) and Liviano Mos (synthesizer).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: Swansea Sound || (I Wanna Wear A) Mirrored Hat Like Slade

"What I wanna do // Is take your hand // And dance the night away // To Mud and Wham"

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Idiosyncratic UK indie outfit Swansea Sound continue their December tradition of releasing new Christmas music on a CD single in a festive greetings card. After Happy Christmas To Me (2021, at the time on 7″ vinyl), Music Lover (2022) and Santa Bail Me Out (2023), the five veteran musicians now delight us with the original songs (I Wanna Wear A) Mirrored Hat Like Slade b/w Dreamland. The title track is a cheerful and vibrant rocker, with highly entertaining lyrics for people like you and me who—during this period—prefer Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody and Mud’s Lonely This Christmas over all electronic kitsch. The other tune is a bit more melancholic, with a carefree feel in the chorus but a dark undertone in between. Who wouldn’t want to receive this in their mailbox?

(I Wanna Wear A) Mirrored Hat Like Slade is out now digitally and on CD in a Christmas card through Skep Wax Records. Featuring Hue Williams (vocals), Amelia Fletcher (guitar), Ian Button (drums), Bob Collins (guitar) and Rob Pursey (bass), with additional vocals by Betty Thomas. Cover art by Catrin Saran James.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Skep Wax 

New EP: Lion Country Ferrari || Beat These Allegations

Talksinging and sweet guitar riff magic by Anthony Rapisardi

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Lion Country Ferrari sounds like something a random band name generator would spit out. And surely, the project of Asheville (North Carolina) based Anthony Rapisardi also has more than a couple of ones and zeros in its sonic direction, almost like Parquet Courts decided to dip their toes in egg punk territory.

On his latest EP, Rapisardi talksings his way over a wealth of cool guitar riffs that play tic-tac-toe with throbbing bass and a tight drum computer. If you think that sounds pretty groovy, you are not wrong, but the energy level of this thing suggests it’s caffeinated grooviness.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Chabrot || Abilou

Imaginative noise rock to unknown destinations

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At first I misread the band name as Chatbot, but actually we are talking about Chabrot, a noise rock trio from Barcelona ​​consisting of real people—Arnaud Cayla-Xene, Guillaume Cayla-Xene and Alfredo Diaz Urdangarin—who have been making music together for over ten years. Their new full-length album is called Abilou, after a self-invented word to define an unknown place. Intriguingly, the record contains nine songs with more unfamiliar expressions, and the variety of structures, atmospheres and languages ​​makes it an adventurous listening trip even more. Whether you understand it or not, the galloping rhythms and gripping vocals are highly entertaining regardless.



Abilou is out now digitally (self-released)—so imaginative and original that a chatbot couldn’t have predicted it.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Des Demonas || Apocalyptic Boom! Boom!

Punk pulse and poetic fury ignite on genre-defying second LP

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

Des Demonas are a Washington, DC-based supergroup featuring Kenyan punk-poet Jacky “Cougar” Abok (Foul Swoops, Thee Lolitas) on vocals and percussion, Mark Cisneros (Hammered Hulls, Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds, The Make-Up) on guitar, Paul Vivari (Benjy Ferree, DJ Soul Call Paul) on Farfisa organ and bass machine, and Matt Gatwood (Two Inch Astronaut) on drums. Apocalyptic Boom! Tree! is their sophomore full-length album, a sonic explosion, released seven years after the strong self-titled debut LP. They deliver thirteen new songs that are hard to pigeonhole, but which can undoubtedly be described as original, urgent and fascinating. The skilled band members stitch together styles and influences in an inimitable way, with plenty of room for each to excel, a textural treat—one moment an organ groove and guitar gymnastics the next, backed by a phenomenal rhythm section, all held together by the hypnotic beat poetry through distinctive vocals.


Apocalyptic Boom! Boom! is out now on vinyl LP through In The Red Records.

Add to wantlist: Discogs || In The Red

New: Hanemoon || Easy On The Wildlife

Hanemoon’s follow-up EP is as charming as its chipmunk cover photo

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

If you’re a fan of warm, strummy, and jangly power pop in the style of Teenage Fanclub or Andrew Taylor (The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness, Dropkick), Rain Or Shine, Hanemoon’s 2024 album, probably hit your radar earlier this year. Now, Hanemoon is back with Easy On The Wildlife, an unexpected 5-track EP featuring a chipmunk eyeing a soda can on its quirky cover.

Easy On The Wildlife serves as a great companion piece to Rain Or Shine. The EP opens with its two most upbeat tracks: Is It Far Enough is a warm, semi-acoustic guitar pop gem, while the title track combines jangly riffs with a solid pop heart. The remaining songs are a breezy mix of folk, pop, slacker, and indie rock, further proof that Hans Forster’s songwriting chops are not to be underestimated.

The EP is now available for pre-order on CD via Subjangle. With its comforting sound and playful charm, Easy On The Wildlife is another lovely addition to Hanemoon’s growing catalog.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Horse Chops || Bureaucratic Tone

"Hey Mr. Headphones, whatcha listening to?"

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

Canadian indie trio Horse Chops made quite an entrance last year with their self-titled debut EP, not least because of their amazing lyrics. Songwriter Adam Beardsworth (guitar, lead vocals), Neil Targett (bass, vocals) and Craig Caines (drums) are back with the Bureaucratic Tone EP, another four tracks that I can’t get out of my head after just one listen. Lead single Mr. Headphones in particular is a hit for the ages—also an eye-opener for people, like me, who are so curious about what other people are listening to, that they bother them—that is irresistible in both chorus and melody. The other tunes are worthy too, though. This is jangly and fuzzy indie rock with hints of garage psych and dream pop, and enough hooks and noise to appeal to fans and critics alike.


The Bureaucratic Tone EP is out digitally (self-released).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: ALT BLK ERA feat. Wheatus || My Drummer’s Girlfriend

A collaborative dancefloor banger that sounds like a lot of fun

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

Genre-defying sisters Nyrobi and Chaya Beckett-Messam are set to release their aptly titled debut album Rave Immortal on Earache Records in January 2025. Its first single My Drummer’s Girlfriend, a mash-up of electro pop and indie rock, is a high-energy floor filler that promises a lot. The original version of the song was released last summer, but now they tapped American rock band Wheatus—after nearly 25 years we are still not tired of Teenage Dirtbag—for a nice alternative take. The young duo sees it as a perfect collaboration. Anyhow, it makes this Alt Z banger hit even harder.

My Drummer’s Girlfriend, produced by Natt Webb, Nyrobi Beckett-Messam, Chaya Beckett-Messam and Charlie Russell, is out digitally—in three different versions—through Earache Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Colt Wave || Cruel Moons

More musical postcard goodness by Colby Mancasola (Knapsack) and Ken Lovgren (Downtime)

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A little over a year after they released their fourth record On Call (which we loved), Colby Mancasola (Knapsack) and Ken Lovgren (Downtime) release their fifth album as Colt Wave. It’s called Cruel Moons, and like the preceding records it is a quick-fire indie rock collection that proves brevity is an art form.

Colby Mancasola and Ken Lovgren have crafted 13 bite sized tracks that zip by in little over 20 minutes, each song a compact burst of musical energy. Their long-distance collaboration continues to produce tunes that feels both spontaneous and carefully crafted. Lovgren’s guitar work and Mancasola’s drums create a sound that’s understated but compelling—songs that sneak up on you and stick in your memory. These aren’t radio-friendly anthems (listen to Running Away though!), but rather musical postcards: short, personal, and packed with genuine feeling. And yet, Cruel Moons may be Colt Wave’s most instantly enjoyable record yet. It is another winning chapter in Colt Wave’s growing catalog of indie rock gems.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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