Indie Rock

New album: The Wind-up Birds || The Ghosts at the Show

Sharp-eyed observations from the space between what was and what might have been

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

Not that they’ve been idle in the meantime (remember 2023’s worthy “Pop​.​Thinking” EP?), but The Ghosts at the Show is the first full-length from The Wind-up Birds since 2020. The British post-punk outfit step beyond their trademark social commentary and into more personal, reflective territory. Lost futures, fractured connections and fragile hope thread through eleven songs that shift between jagged art rock urgency and moments of surprising tenderness.

Beneath the album’s familiar wit and angular energy lies a moving meditation on absence: the people we were, the lives we might have lived, and the ghosts that linger long after the show has ended. Just as compelling is its fascination with human connection: how we reach for one another through screens, social rituals, and shared delusions, searching for meaning in an increasingly bewildering world. It’s full of scars and uncertainties, but never short of heart.

A flicker of 1980s menace is never far away (“Can you hear the sirens? Does it sound like laughing?”—from That Gas Mask), but it’s constantly softened by warmth, empathy and a stubborn faith in human connection, set to irresistibly kinetic rhythms.



The Ghosts at the Show is out digitally and on CD through Sturdy Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Labrador || The Rosy Red World

Third album by these Philadelphia indie rockers comes with a lot of heart

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

Almost exactly a year after My Version of Desire, Philadelphia’s Labrador are already back with a new album. To my ears, The Rosy Red World is the band’s strongest and most fully realized record yet.

Labrador sound more mature here, but not in a boring way. Rather, this is a band that sounds increasingly aware that actions have consequences and that some things are worth caring about deeply. Frontman Pat King sings with a conviction that suggests something is actually at stake. There is defiance here rather than resignation.

Stylistically, Labrador continue to occupy self-created niche, blending alt-country, mod, blues, folk, soul, and punk into something that feels distinctly theirs. They don’t really sound like a ’90s alt-rock band, a 2000s indie-rock revival act, or a contemporary indie-punk group. Mostly, they sound like Labrador.

The political concerns running through The Rosy Red World are impossible to miss, but the band delivers them with the energy of a great bar band rather than the finger-wagging of a lecture. Even when tackling exploitation, greed, and the state of the world, the songs remain vibrant, melodic, and full of life.

In a time when cynicism is easy, Labrador choose something harder: hope. Not naive optimism, but the belief that things can be better if people are willing to fight for it.

Out now on No Way Of Knowing Records and Safe Suburban Home.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: K9 || Takes You Places (Promo Tape)

A tour tape packed with DIY charm

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

We fell for the broad-strokes basement pop of Richmond’s K9 on last year’s Thrills album, and now the band is back with a quick follow-up that doubles as a souvenir for their ongoing Midwest tour. The three-song Takes You Places (Promo Tape) will be available on cassette at the shows, with any leftovers heading to Bandcamp once the tour wraps up.

True to K9’s restless nature, none of these three tracks sound remotely alike. It kicks off with Crosshairs, a bullet-fast blast that sounds like a demo rescued from a forgotten ’80s hardcore tape. Get Loaded and Smile shifts gears into scrappy basement pop territory, where the melodies cut cleanly through the lo-fi haze. Closer Teaser #1 / Voicemail is a noisy instrumental that ends exactly how the title suggests: with a voicemail.

A small release, perhaps, but a welcome sign of life from one of the more interesting DIY bands around. Makes me wish I could catch one of those tour dates myself.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Log Flume || Go Where The Money Goes

Pure gold for people who still believe in guitar bands

By / / Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Power Pop / 2 Comments

One of the surprise hits of 2024 was Splash Hit!, the debut full-length from Chester County (PA) geek-rock heroes Log Flume. The band’s knack for combining big guitars with even bigger hooks proved highly contagious. Press play on Dynamic, the opener of their follow-up Go Where The Money Goes, and you’ll be reminded immediately what makes this band so much fun. Log Flume are fearless when it comes to catchy parts, stacking one irresistible idea on top of another until resistance feels pointless.

By the time Necessary Evil rolls around, you’ll probably notice you’ve been gradually turning the volume up. Your spouse, coworkers, roommates, or anyone within earshot may start wondering how exactly you’re supposed to be getting any work done.

The fourth track, Got This Feeling, offers a brief breather. Together with the title track and Every Single Day, it shows that Log Flume don’t need speed and volume to hold your attention. The songwriting remains the main attraction. Elsewhere, there are college-radio hits waiting to happen (Up by 9 O’Clock), a track that feels tailor-made for a future tour with Liquid Mike (Misery), and pure guitar-pop bliss (Get the Picture). And just when you think you’ve got the album figured out, Anything arrives sounding like Log Flume spent an afternoon hanging out with The Undertones.

The whole thing is over in 25 minutes. You could spend that time doing something productive, watch half an episode of a prestige TV show, fold laundry, fall down a social media rabbit hole, or listen to an end-of-times podcast at 1.5x speed. Personally, I’d recommend the new Log Flume album.

Go Where The Money Goes is out now on Dummest Records. It feels destined to become a summer favorite.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

Dusted || The Best New Cover Songs Of May 2026

By / / Alternative Rock, Country & Folk, Funk & Soul, Garage Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Power Pop, Psych, Punk, Surf / 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.

The compilation Where The Willow And The Dogwood Grow – Words And Music By Tom Waits And Kathleen Brennan was probably the biggest cover release of this period, but we are leaving it out of this overview due to its longer-existing inclusions—there is more than enough brand-new material to choose from.

I’m A Man (The Spencer Davis Group) by Datura4 — from I’m A Man 7″ (Rogue Records)

Song 2 (Blur) by Monk — from No Gods EP (Dine Alone Records)

I’m Waiting For The Man (The Velvet Underground) by The Routes — from Play 10″ [Chaputa! Records / Ghost Highway Recordings]

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The Loose Ends || May 2026

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Funk & Soul, Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Power Pop, Psych, Punk, Surf / Leave a Comment

There are more wantlist-worthy releases than time to cover them all. Starting this year, Loose Ends is our monthly fix for the great records that slipped through the cracks. Expect a key track and quick take on each release (40+ this month!), and a link to add it to your shelves.

Above Me || Soften The Blows
Debut LP on Dandy Boy Records from this non average dream pop project by Rick Altieri (Blue Ocean, Aluminum).

Big Nothing || Big Nothing
The third album from this indie punk/alt country/guitar pop/classic rock a-bit-of-everything band from Philadelphia just dropped their third album (with a new lineup) on Dead Broke Records. It is another fine slice of warmblooded, bighearted basement pop.

Blitzer || The New Conspiracy
Ten fierce blasts of post-punk on this exciting debut LP from Berlin trio Blitzer. Urgent, tense, and full of forward momentum. Out now through Mangel Records.


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The Loose Ends || May 2026Read More »

New album: Local Drags || Cool If We Split?

Midwest power pop for people trying to keep it together

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

Wait, are we already up to the fifth Local Drags LP? Time flies, which is ironic because the music of Lanny Durbin has a way of slowing things down a little. His distinct take on Midwest power pop may not sound like the stereotypical Stardumb Records release from back in the day, but it absolutely fits the spirit of a label that recognizes strong songwriting and gives artists room to grow into themselves. Cue James Sullivan, cue Matt Julian and The Speedways, and cue Lanny Durbin.

Cool If We Split? slides naturally into the Local Drags catalog, a body of work built on hooky guitar pop with an intangible quality that is harder to pin down than it first appears. Sure, the songs have hooks and punch, but there is also an airy looseness and kindness to them. Compared to the debut LP, Local Drags have gradually become a subtler and quieter band, leaning more toward songs that slowly sink in rather than instant sugar-rush choruses.

And yet, if you pushed these songs a little harder, added some extra distortion, percussion, and tempo, you would not end up all that far removed from the earlier material. That is not regression though. If anything, Cool If We Split? feels like the most confident and comfortable Local Drags record yet, one that ranks alongside, or maybe even above, Durbin’s best work so far. It is probably too early for definitive statements, but with each spin another song quietly works its way into my brain.

There is a clear vision running through the album, naturally helped by co-producer Luke McNeill of The Copyrights, with Durbin leaning deeper into his pop instincts while still knowing when to let the guitars ring out. And yes, there are immaculate vibes throughout. As the album tagline puts it: “Can’t hear the world if the amps are in the red.” The thing is, Durbin’s particular kind of escapism works just as well when the volume is turned down.

LP available on turquoise and black vinyl through Stardumb Records. ICYMI, read our Gimme 5 feature with Lanny Durbin here for more good vibes.



Add to Wantlist: Bandcamp || Stardumb

New album: The Maureens || Don’t Give Up

Warm-hearted guitar pop from a band aging beautifully

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

If your appetite for quality guitar pop is endless, The Maureens should already be on your radar. Today the Dutch quartet release Don’t Give Up, album number five in a 15-year run built on craft, consistency, and a genuine love for the perfect pop song. The band remain true to their instincts, still chasing the magic of classic touchstones like The Byrds and later heirs to that tradition such as Nada Surf and Teenage Fanclub.

The Maureens sound more poised than ever here, and recording the album in a remote wooden cottage in the Belgian Ardennes clearly did something good for the atmosphere. Don’t Give Up feels calm, warm, and deeply considered, the kind of record that quietly pushes back against the permanently distracted state of modern life.

Because these songs go down so easily, it would be a mistake to overlook just how carefully constructed they are. Tracks like Oceans Apart and Never Learn reveal more detail with each spin, while the warm production from legendary Dutch producer Frans Hagenaars (Bettie Serveert, Darryll-Ann, Johan, Moss) suits the material perfectly.

Available now on Meritorio.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Meritorio

New album: Long Relief || Win Some, Lose Some

A fearless reckoning with a fading American dream

By / / Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Win Some, Lose Some, the debut full-length from Raleigh-based Long Relief, is a perfect storm of personal and political frustrations. Its eight tracks are wrapped in gritty, melodic indie rock that bridges heartfelt alt-country and ramshackle punk, surprisingly enriched by cello, saxophone, and trumpet.

Sharp lyrics serve as a poignant critique of late-stage capitalist burnout, navigating the exhausting reality of performative politics, gig-economy labor, and unresponsive institutions: “Wrote my congressman a letter // It took him a month to reply // From the automated system // That tells you to fuck off and die” (from Can We Count on You). Yet, amidst this systemic rot and creeping climate dread, intimate reflections on aging, alienation, and the anchoring solace of enduring love percolate.

This is an intensely liberating and urgent record, where biting commentary and a bruising wall of guitars are a perfect match.



Win Some, Lose Some—recorded and mixed by Greg Elkins—is out digitally and on CD through Self Aware Records. Featuring Paul Blest (vocals, guitar, percussion), Chris Carr (guitar, vocals, organ, percussion), Greg Hughes (drums, vocals), and Jeremiah Sloop (bass, vocals, whistle), with Franny Starlight (trumpet), Joshua Duncan (saxophone), and Kaitlin Grady (cello) on select tracks.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Trash Kickers || Way Out, Somehow

Trash Kickers make heartland rock feel alive again

By / / Country & Folk, Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Chicago quartet Trash Kickers sound like the kind of band you stumble into at a bar and end up talking about for the rest of the week. On Way Out, Somehow, they win you over gradually but decisively, powered not just by sheer conviction but by songwriting that taps into that ragged, heartfelt Paul Westerberg spirit.

Their sound feels deeply American in the best possible way, like a loose and well practiced blend of rock-’n’-roll, punk rock, and country music all crammed into the same battered van. Nothing here feels overly polished or calculated. These songs breathe, stumble forward, and come alive through the chemistry of people clearly playing their hearts out together.

If you need a reminder of why guitar bands still matter, put Trash Kickers near the top of your listening pile. The ringing riffs, the rough edges, and that killer voice will do the rest. Have fun rocking out!



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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