Indie Rock

New album: Winds || Look At The Sky

By / April 11, 2021 / Indie Rock, Psych / Leave a Comment

This psychedelic pop / rock band from Los Angeles, California is a great discovery. After listening to Winds‘ debut album Look At The Sky once, I immediately became a fan. At the same time I realized that it’s a record that can only continue to grow, if only because there is too much to hear to fully comprehend at once. Band members have gained experience in Lucille Furs (their album Another Land was at no. 15 in my AOTY 2019 list) and Triptides, then you know what to expect. Check out the video below for The Way You Feel to get a better idea of that, although the track Chocolat, with French lyrics (performed by Nina Antonucci), is completely different. The album is out now digitally and on vinyl LP through Natural Music.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: Mitchell Gonzalez || Tell Me Now, Marina

By / April 7, 2021 / Garage Rock, Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

‘A sound that is much easier heard than described.’ American singer-songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Mitchell Gonzalez finds it easier to make good songs than to put them into words. Then let me give it a try. I would call his work so far acoustic folk, but this new track titled Tell Me Now, Marina is completely different (and makes me more excited): energetic garage rock with a heavy guitar and awesome organ, think of JEFF The Brotherhood. Anyway, just listen and enjoy.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Judge Grumble || Overruled!

By / April 6, 2021 / Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Judge Grumble are an indierock/indiepunk band from Richmond, Virginia. They recently released their second album, Overruled! It’s the second act in a trilogy of concept albums and it’s quite the trip. Buckle up for an eclectic mix of poppy indiepunk tracks (Shy Guy, Kudos To You), quirky indierock (Literati, Quiltbag), and sketches that are plain weird. I asked the band to explain the origins of their cartoonesque bandname and the spoken word sketches on their record. “Back in high school we had this joke where we would come up with random phrases and call them “indie band names.” I’m not 100% sure but I think Judge Grumble was one of those. Waaaay way back in the first iteration of the band (2012 or so?) the “character” of judge grumble became an inside joke. We’d do the whole voice and improv little skits during practices and stuff. Eventually we decided we wanted to bring some of those skits to life in between the tracks for fun (and also to pad the length).”

Given the variety of songs, and the quirkiness of the sketches and some of the songs, it’s unlikely that you will like every single track on Overruled! But, Judge Grumble have made an album that is definitely worth your time. I particularly like how the band aims to make every song interesting. Listen to the many elements they’ve stuffed in Chewed Out for example. Right before the 5-minute song appears to overstay its welcome, the band introduces a pretty cool group vocal harmony that transitions in a punkrock fade-out. Judge Grumble doesn’t need to be quirky or eclectic to be interesting though. The straightforward indie rock of Braindead is one of my favorite songs on the record. But the song that especially drew me in to Judge Grumble is Weehawken, a throwback to the emo poppunk of the early ’00s with an infectious chorus. The band explains: “On the surface, Weehawken is about a little town on the far north side of new jersey and the ennui of a guy who commutes between there and NYC. But none of us have ever lived in NY or NJ… we just really liked the name—it sounds slangy, like “are you hawkin’? cause we hawkin’.” Somehow Alex turned that wordplay into something more meaningful.” Download Overruled! now on Bandcamp.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Waste Man || One Day It’ll All Be You

By / April 11, 2021 / Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

I’ve never understood why moody postpunk bands like Protomartyr and Fontaines D.C. are such critics darlings and tend to end up in a lot of AOTY lists. Okay, Fontaines D.C. have some songs I like, but for the most part bands like that are too bleak or too boring for me. Basically, I have trouble connecting with them, which, of course, is a matter of personal taste – or more likely, a lack of complexity in my taste palet. But every now and then, there is a band that manages to pull off moody and complex postpunk in a way that I can fully get behind. Take Waste Man from New Orleans. On their second LP (One Day It’ll All Be You) they take punk and hardcore in new directions without losing any of the thrill of actual punk music.

Waste Man offer tempo variations, edgy bass lines and excellent guitar riffs. They constantly keep you on the tip of your toes with the unpredictability in their songs. It’s a record full of surprises that offers thrills, excitement, and cathartic releases that I often find to be lacking in this kind of music. Album opener The Siren is a good example of the many sides of Waste Man, where danceable postpunk verses and hardcore punk choruses bounce off each other. Run All Night is one of the most catchy songs on the record, which distantly sounds like a mashup between the Stooges and Thin Lizzy. Proofreaders, Singles, And Philosophers is one of the most exciting songs released in 2021, and already is one of my favorites of the year. And then there is album closer Wishful Thinking, in which Waste Man introduce the power rock ballad to the postpunk world. Quite the week for Feel It Records, who simultaneously released that excellent Spread Joy record.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Feel It Records

New EP: Dazy || The Crowded Mind

By / April 5, 2021 / Alternative Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Power Pop / Leave a Comment

Early 2020, Dazy released a three song digital single called Revolving Door. It was my first taste of the band, and the 90 second song Weatherman Got It Wrong hinted upon your-new-favorite-band material. Three months later, we are treated to an 8-song EP that shows even more potential: The Crowded Mind. Dazy play noisy and fuzzy altpop that will appeal to fans of Lemonheads and guitar-driven britpop. Underneath Dazy’s distorted sound are excellent pop songs, and tracks like See The Bottom, Right As Rain and Perpetual Motion would have received major air time in the nineties.

The crazy thing is, Dazy is not even a band. It’s a solo project by a music publicist (James Goodson). Goodson is also a member of grungepunk band Teen Death and poppunk band Bashful – make sure to check out their 2020 album Driving. Dazy’s releases are currently digital only. Let’s hope that Goodson ultimately will release his best tunes on a LP.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Natvral || Tethers

By / April 10, 2021 / Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

Kip Berman had already made his mark with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, but with his new solo project The Natvral he continues his career in a way that deserves your attention. The full-length debut album Tethers features nine indie folk rock songs that are more intimate than what we were used from his previous band (that’s what family life also does to artists), sung with his distinctive voice that draws attention to the lyrics. One of my favorite tracks is New Moon. Berman explains to Stereogum that this one is about a struggling musician he knew coming to terms with a love that wants something (or someone) a bit more stable – and knowing, almost before they do, that it’s not him. Listen below. Out now trough Kanine Records / Dirty Bingo Records.

‘Oh it’s time to save what’s left of your life // You’ll survive another night, then another night’

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || The Natvral

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New album: The Natvral || TethersRead More »

New album: Spread Joy || Spread Joy

By / April 3, 2021 / Indie Rock, Punk / 1 Comment

Efficient and effective. I apologize for the business lingo, but those are the first two words that come to mind after listening to the debut LP of Spread Joy (Chicago). The record is less than 14 minutes long, but it’s enough for Spread Joy to make an impression. Here is a band that understands the power of scarcity, leaving listeners wanting more, like a love interest playing hard to get. This is classic punk/no wave with tight drumming, excellent angular guitar work, a voice that is a perfect fit for this style of music, and a bass player that is absolutely killing it. Let me add a third word to describe this record: Awesome. Just listen to songs like St. Tropez, Unoriginal, Kanst Du and Mystery Curtain, and you’ll see what I mean. Spread Joy is out now on the ever reliable Feel It Records. It is a perfect purchase if you are looking to exercise more, because you will keep returning to your turntable tow switch sides every 7 minutes or so.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Feel It Records

New single: Lilac || Remember, No Regrets

By / March 31, 2021 / Garage Rock, Indie Rock, Power Pop / Leave a Comment

Lilac are Oisín & Cian Walsh, two brothers from Ireland with great hair. Lilac play fuzzy powerpop, with garagerock influences and dashes of britpop. On A-side Remember, No Regrets the band sounds like a mix of Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin, Ash and Weezer. It’s a spong that would have been a major hit twenty years ago. The video to the songs is built from archival sports footage and a joy to watch, aesthetically consistent with the vintage and colorful coverart for the single. Flipside (I’m) Pretending To Be Sad is a tad heavier but has an infectious chorus. Lilacs are fully DIY, homerecording, self-producing and releasing their single on their own label Rufus Records. They are an instant add to my bands-to-watch list.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Frankie And His Fingers || Universal Hurt

By / March 31, 2021 / Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Power Pop / Leave a Comment

I didn’t plan writing about Universal Hurt, the comeback record of Frankie And His Fingers. The band plays a mix of fuzzy powerpop and indie rock with a radio friendly pop sound. Remember The Format’s Dog Problems? Universal Hurt brings back memories to that album. It’s diverse, it’s got well crafted songs, it’s got slowed down parts, it’s got anthemic choruses, and above  all, plenty of melody to draw you in. Given all these qualities, I mistakenly assumed this band to have plenty of monthly listeners on streaming platforms. To compare, The Format have well over 100k and the follow up to that band (Fun.) surpass 7 million (!) monthly listeners on Spotify. Frankie & His Fingers? Not so much. That’s a pity,  because I am sure there is a large audience for this record. Songs like Celebrate!, Gene Kelly & The Truck My Dad Built, and To Die Would Be A Great Adventure showcase the songwriting skills of the band. It’s impressive to see a band that has been on a ten-year hiatus, with members drifting towards college and other bands like Real Estate and Laura Stevenson, return in such good form. Universal Hurt is an inspired record, and arguably the band’s best work yet. Out now on SubFamily Records.

“I pressed pause on my fashion sense when I was 26 || Maybe if I walk around looking like it’s 2012 I can fool the kids || Maybe this is much sadder than accepting I’m fatter and just leaning into quiet nights and buying things.”

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Smile || The Name Of This Band Is Smile

By / March 29, 2021 / Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop / Leave a Comment

There is no shortage of bands called Smile. This one is a four-piece from Turin (Italy), who started playing together in 2019 and just dropped their debut record. Smile play uptempo underground pop with a strong ’90s vibe, not unlike Bob Mould but with a clean jangly guitar as the central driver of the songs. The Name Of This Band Is Smile is by no means a perfect record – some songs lack focus and direction and hooks to keep your attention. But, the record offers plenty of moments where you hear the potential of the band. Listen to How The Race Is Done and From Here On for example. The band gives some additional info about the record on their Facebook page:  “This record is a no-filter picture of our first year as a band. A year made of songs, electricity, gigs, and the final delusion of the pandemic. It’s a record about the alienation of everyday life stuck between bad and underpaid jobs, the uncertainty of feelings, and the depression of the lack of alternatives given by capitalist realism.”


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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