Indie Rock

New album: Sweet Teeth || High Anxiety

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

I recently read Complicated Fun, Cyn Collins’ book about the birth of Minneapolis punk and indie rock. Listening to the debut LP of Sweet Teeth – which follows their excellent 2021 debut EP, I can’t believe how strongly the band would’ve fit into that scene. The Hüsker Dü/Bob Mould influence is particularly noticeable, although Sweet Teeth is more interested in rockin’ out than playing songs at record land speed. But no, Sweet Teeth are not from Minneapolis, they are European. Swedes to precise, and the members have a history in bands like The Deadbeats, Disfear, Dollhouse, Year Of The Goat, Tortyr, and The Dontcares.

High Anxiety is a blast if you like your music loud, well produced and melodic. I believe the recent Bob Mould records have mostly been excellent, and to my ears Sweet Teeth reach a similar level with High Anxiety. The record has a huge sound and the potential to crossover to a broader fanbase as well. I can see fans of major alternative rock acts like Foo Fighters, Japandroids and Dinosaur jr. falling for this record just as hard as fans of underground indie rockin’ or punk adjacent bands.

High Anxiety is out now through Lövely Records.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Air Devi || Rooting For You

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

“I shaved my leg for you // I shaved my leg for you // Not just a one, but two.” These are the first words – in standout track Ashrita – you hear on Rooting For You, the new EP by indie four-piece Air Devi from Philadelphia. Singer-songwriter and sitarist Devi Majeske reflects on themes of connection, empowerment and hope, seemingly effortlessly bridging her roots in Indian classical music with an intrinsic punk ethos. The band, which also consists of Jacob Hershman (guitar, trumpet), Jay Fein (drums) and Seth Fein (bass), pours a stimulating pop/rock cocktail with tasteful musical ingredients that you don’t consume every day. The witty opening shows that Majeske knows how to attract attention, but the closing proves that she can also tell a beautiful story in a few phrases: “I know you’re out there, I know you’re out there // I’ m just not sure where // Or when I’ll get there // But I’m working everyday to get prepare” (from It’s Over). There’s also plenty of beauty in between.

Rooting For You is out now digitally and on cassette through Devil Town Tapes.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New single: Zack Keim || Canyon / Alice

By / / Country & Folk, Indie Rock / 2 Comments

Zack Keim started making music at a young age. Still only 25, he already sounds like a veteran on his latest single. The A-side of the two song 7″ particularly stands out. Canyon is a dreamy folky indie rock track sung with a falsetto that communicates a sense of melancholy. Keim wrote the earworm and slightly unnerving chorus (“Canyooooonnnnnnnnnnn”) while he was out delivering food. The flipside contains Alice, a more upbeat folkpop track with dual vocals – Laurel Wain (String Machine) joins Keim in the song.

If these two songs are indicative of the quality of Keim’s upcoming sophomore record (Battery Lane), we are in for a treat. 7″ vinyl will be available this Friday through Action Weekend Records (Spain).



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Action Weekend Records

New album: Th Da Freak || Coyote

By / / Garage Rock, Indie Rock / 1 Comment

French musician Thoineau Palis (and brother of Rémi Palis from Animalmore), better known as prolific slacker rock hero Th Da Freak (and co-founder of Flippin’ Freaks), is back with yet another full-length album, called Coyote. Although we can still file this new release under noisy “garage rock”, it seems like a break with the past – more mature, more coherent. Although the eleven fresh, original tracks rattle lo-fi again (as they should), the 90’s alternative rock influences have somewhat faded into the background, in favor of the increased use of acoustic guitars and electronic sounds. That works out surprisingly well (like the lyrics in lead single Pretty Cool, but without sarcasm: “You made a strong impression // Impression // Impression on me”). Would this be the deserved step to a larger audience?

Coyote is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP through Howlin Banana Records and Flippin’ Freaks Records.

Add to wantlist at Bandcamp: Th Da Freak || Howlin Banana || Flippin’ Freaks

New single: Bad Spring || Tape 2 (Feel It)

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

Seven months ago, I had this to say about the debut single of Bad Spring (Fresno, CA): “If you like angsty college rock, dreamy powerpop, or rockin’ ’90s altpop, this should be on the top of your listening pile right now.” On the single, Bad Spring convincingly made an 8 minute case for why you should fall for the band.

Well, here are 8 minutes more. The Feel It (b/w Discussion) single follows a similar trajectory of well built songs that offer a good mix between powerful guitar work and subtle vocal harmonies, between soft and loud, the quiet and the storm.

If you weren’t aware of Bad Spring yet, best get on that train soon. Tape 2 is out now on Forever Never Ends.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: BLUEVALLEY || BLUEVALLEY

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

Last month, Kikumi Minatani dropped her self-titled debut record under the moniker BLUEVALLEY. Listening to BLUEVALLEY, I have to assume that the Japanese singer songwriter loves everything noisy and poppy about ’80s and 90’s music. BLUEVALLEY surely cover a lot of ground of that musical landscape on these 13 songs, some of which have been released previously as singles. If there is one common denominator though, it’s the lo-fi fuzzy charm – the lack of bass is noteworthy as well. Otherwise, BLUEVALLEY effortlessley switches between indie punk, noise pop, and jangle and everything in between.

Give BLUEVALLEY a spin if you are looking for something breezy, twinkly and energetic to start of your day. Songs like Summer, Seaside Story, Society and Signal are great points of departure. BLUEVALLEY is out now on KiliKiliVilla.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Aluminum || Windowpane EP

By / / Indie Pop, Indie Rock / 2 Comments

Like mushrooms, quality underground pop bands keep poppin’ up on the fertile grounds of the SF Bay area. Aluminum are the latest type. Or should I say hype, since the band’s sound surely will enthuse fans of classic bands like MBV, Go Betweens and The Feelies.

Aluminum are guitarist/vocalist Marc Leyda (Wild Moth), bassist/vocalist Ryann Gonsalves (Torrey), guitarist Austin Montanari (Nothing Natural), and drummer Chris Natividad (Marbled Eye). On the Windowpane EP, Aluminum aren’t afraid to press their guitar pedals and gaze at their shoes, but sound more clear eyed and welcoming than the average shoegaze band. That is particularly the case for the title track, which in a just world would be a major radio hit. The other songs are pretty great as well and suggest that Aluminum know exactly what they are doing and are only getting started.

If there is any knock on the Aluminum EP it’s that out of six songs two are short interludes. We need more songs, Aluminum! The Windowpane EP is out now through the increasingly great Dandy Boy Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Midwestern Medicine || The Gold Baton

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

Midwestern Medicine are not an easy band to put a label on. Sure, they are from Portland (Maine) and they have the classic indie rock line up of drums, guitars and bass with the addition of keys, banjo and piano. But sonically, the band is all over the guitar landscape. Their new record The Gold Baton is at times punchy and rockin’, at times hushed and full of introspection, at times Jets To Brazil and Promise Ringesque emo-rock, then switching to country and Americana influences, before moving into ’90s college rock and alt pop. The diversity is what I like most about the record. Like an octopus changing colors amidst different backdrops, Midwestern Medicine pulls off genrebending songwriting in any direction their mood takes them. It’s a major part of the appeal of The Gold Baton and makes for a fun record to explore. Want to find out more? Read this track-by-track guide at New Noise Magazine and check out the band’s playlist of recommended listens.

The Gold Baton is out now on LP.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Free Time || Jangle Jargon

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

I have friends I seldom see. Years go by without talking to each other. But when we do meet, it’s like nothing changed. None of the connection or interest has faded, it all feels familiar and natural, we just continue where we left things. Jangle Jargon, the new Free Time offers a similar experience. It’s the band’s third LP following In Search of Free Time (2016) and Free Time (2013). Despite the infrequent outings of Free Time, Jangle Jargon is like an unexpected encounter with an old friend. A pleasant surprise that feels instantly familiar. That familiarity of course is strengthened by the other bands the Free Time crew has been involved in, a list that includes Twerps, Scott and Darlene’s Wedding, Titus Andronicus, Terrible Truths and Full Ugly. To call Free Time a jangle pop supergroup is superfluous.

The recording of Jangle Jargon actually started in 2017, but due to professional careers and babies took some time to finalize. Life events and changing circumstances did not hurt the creativity of Free Time though. The band sounds inspired and decidedly Australian even though they are a NY band by now. Jangle Jargon is the most consistently great and most fun Free Time record to date. How can you not fall for the strummy and jangly Half Measures with its laid back “hey haha lalalala” hook. Or the talksinging over breezy guitars in The Terrace? Long Centuries is another standout, driven by an ear worm piano riff and rounded out by tasteful horns. Album opener Never Your Turn is a slacker jangle rocker that makes you fall for this record in seconds.

Free Time have entered the race for jangle record of the year and somehow I see only happy faces among the competition. They are enjoying the heck out of Jangle Jargon, as do we. It is out now through Bedroom Suck Records.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Bedroom Suck

New EP: The Radio Field || Simple EP

By / / Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop / 1 Comment

With a world in shatters – or perhaps it only feels that way and we should not worry too much, I applaud any band that has “Jangle pop music will save the world” as a tagline. Particularly when the music lives up to the expectations. Leave that up to Lars From Subterfuge, a band that released an excellent full-length this Spring – read our post on that one here. The Radio Field is Lars’ new bedroom recording project where he takes parts of underground jangle pop and ’90s college rock, gives them a fair shake and it tastes sublime.

Helped out by his 10-year old (!) son and some friends, the four-song Simple EP is indeed a strong debut. Naturally, I am partial to the two upbeat jangly college poppers on the EP (Clover & Years Ago), but I’m don’t feel the need to skip the two slower more subdued and moody songs, of which Congratulations is actually a cover of a Strange Magic song. I’d never heard of that artist, but I do now. There is some excellent material in his back catalogue and he is currently working on a song-per-week release streak aiming for a 52 song 2022 – listen here. If you are a fan of Elvis Costello there is a good chance Strange Magic is right in your wheelhouse.

On topic: The Simple EP is excellent. It’s out now on CD through Subjangle.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

Scroll to Top