Indie Rock

New album: Jellephant & The Phantoms || Spills

By / / Garage Rock, Indie Rock / 2 Comments

Dutch musician Jelle Haagsma has been releasing albums under the moniker of Jellephant for about ten years, with varying influences – Loom was dreamy and mesmeric, Itch and Pin were acoustic and lo-fi, Kick The Swamp was sharp and ragged – but always authentic and intense. His eleventh(!) full-length release Spills was recorded live in two days with the new line-up of his live band The Phantoms (with members of Paracetamøl and Christopher Walkman). The ten new, original songs are short but sweet – 24 minutes in total – and sound like you’re standing at the front of the stage (the video for standout track Spill reinforces that feeling; you can almost imagine your own ecstatic reflection in the whites of the singer/guitarist’s eyes). This is raucous but tightly played indie rock with a sense of urgency, from a band that would be a great support act for King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Frankie and the Witch Fingers or Thee Oh Sees.

Stream the full album below.

Spills is out now digitally, on cassette and 12″ vinyl LP through Brighter Records and Waaghals Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Blunt Bangs || Proper Smoker

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

Imagine having written one of the major hits of the indie scene of the ’00s, and having toured that for a decade. How do you follow that in a changing musical landscape? If you are like Reggie Youngblood (Black Kids), you don’t quit. You start a new band with veterans of the Athens (Georgia) scene (i.e., Christian “Smokey” DeRoeck (Woods, Deep State, Little Gold) on guitar and vocals, and Cash Carter (Tracy Shedd, The Cadets) on drums) that sounds quite different. But rather than going for a sound that is even more poppin’ than Black Kids, your new band is way more rockin’.

Proper Smoker, the debut record of Blunt Bangs is quite the surprise. It blends indie rock with power pop influences, and from the get go sounds fresh and fun. The video for attention grabbing album opener She’s Gone essentially is a tribute to some of the classic albums that offer the blueprint of Blunt Bangs’ sound. And although this record sounds uncomplicated, and does not try to reinvent the wheel in any way, these songs are so well put together. Clearly, the band had a lot of fun playing the kind of music they enjoy themselves. And isn’t that the best recipe for a great record?



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Ernest Jenning Record Co.

New album: Sweet Nobody || We’re Trying Our Best

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

Life’s not perfect, and human beings are the opposite of infallible. The best we can do is try our best, a mantra my mom programmed in my brain ages ago, and still becomes active whenever I have to do something that is new or scary or filled with uncertainty. It helps to explain why I instantly sympathize with Sweet Nobody’s second album which is titled We’re Trying Our Best. The circumstances in which this album came to live were far from ideal. There was of course the curse of the pandemic: We’re Trying Our Best would have been released 12 months ago in a pandemic free world. More importantly, singer/lyricist Joy Deyo had to cope with chronic pains caused by a hard-to-diagnose ilness while writing the record. And yet, rather than a dark or sad record, We’re Trying Our Best sounds more like a celebration of life. Press play on Five Star Diary and let the indie pop of Sweet Nobody wash gently over you. It showcases the gorgeous and melancholic qualities of Deyo’s voice and how it complements the jangly and breezy guitar licks perfectly. It’s not the only standout track on the record; uptempo songs like Rhoda and White Lies are instant attention grabbers as well. I am also intrigued by Other Humans and If I Should Die Tonight, two emocountrypoppowerballads that pull at the heartstrings. [post continues below]

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New album: Langkamer || West Country

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

UK four-piece Langkamer blend rock ‘n’ roll and alt-country into a unique indie rock sound. After two EPs, they now have released their full-length debut album West Country. The 12 new guitar-driven songs vary in tempo and style, sometimes sweet and at other times raucous and abrasive, but always infectious and intriguing. If you write such fine songs, it doesn’t matter that you are The Ugliest Man In Bristol. I wouldn’t be surprised if Langkamer manages to attract a really large audience, but especially restless souls can indulge themselves in West Country.

West Country is out now digitally and on vinyl LP through Breakfast Records / TINA Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Breakfast Records

New album: I Feel Fine || The Cold In Every Shelter

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

If you sound as classic emo as this, a paradoxal band name can feel strangely comforting. But perhaps I Feel Fine is just a statement to discourage further interrogation – we’ve all been there in the past 18 months. Anyhow, Brighton (UK) based I Feel Fine’s debut full-length The Cold In Every Shelter is a generous release. This is not a throwaway collection of songs that were quickly recorded over the weekend. No, here is a band that clearly spend a lot of time refining their songs, adding elements and cool instrumentation. It makes for a record that reveals new parts to enjoy with each listen.

Admittedly, I dismissed the record after a quick first scan, but fortunately my fellow ATW blogger Dennis made me revisit the record. The Cold In Every Shelter is the kind of record where the rewards depend on the time and attention you are willing to spend on it. And once you do, you cherish the escapism it provides. The cathartic group vocals obviously stand out (not all vocals on the record are the full band singing their hearts out, yet it does feel that way), and the tasteful instrumentation provide such a tasteful backdrop. The Cold In Every Shelter is a soothing record that prepares you for the colder, wetter and darker seasons. And, dare I say it, you don’t need to be into emo to enjoy this record. RIYL: The World Is Beautiful And I Am Not Afraid To Die, The Hotelier, Hostage Calm. Oh, and make sure to watch I Feel Fine’s video for Selfsame, it may be the best looking video I’ve seen all year.



The Cold In Every Shelter is out now through Venn Records (UK), Smithsfoodgroup DIY (Netherlands), Friend Of Mine (Japan), Pundonor Records (Spain), Refresh Records (United States), Midsummer Records (Germany), and K-Nardage Asso (France).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Pist Idiots || Idiocracy

By / / Alternative Rock, Indie Rock / 1 Comment

I was quite infatuated with Pist Idiots 2019 Ticker EP (how good is Roundhouse?!), and I am happy the band’s highly anticipated debut full length Idiocracy is finally here. And (spoiler!), the record instantly won me over. Idiocracy sounds like the logical next step for the band. Pist Idiots may sound more nuanced and polished on Idiocracy but they don’t give up any of the intangibles that worked on their previous material. Here’s a band that knows how to find the sweet spot between aggression and melody. Pist Idiot’s brand of indie rock’n’roll is gritty, vibrant and full of swagger, and even the lower paced songs (such as album standouts She Yells Jack, Juliette) feel alive and kicking. The choruses of the band, frequently accompanied with memorable lines (“She’s got a new haircut, I wonder if she’s got that old boyfriend”), hook their way in your brain.

Apparently, Pist Idiots are already quite popular in their home country (Australia). With the sheer power of Idiocracy, I can see their succes spread globally. Yeah, I need this in my collection, and hopefully affordable copies will soon turn up here in Europe.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New single: Christopher Walkman || If I Had A Band Part 2

By / / Indie Pop, Indie Rock / 2 Comments

To finish the title of his new single, if Christopher Walkman had a band, he would write gorgeous indie pop songs with cool guitar work.

If I had A Band  Part 2 is the latest single of Christopher Walkman, an Arnhem (Netherlands) based singer-songwriter who also plays in the more noiserock oriented band Jellephant. That band has a record coming up later this year, and Jellephant member Jelle Haagsma provides bass and drums on the new single of Walkman, further joint by Mischa Hager on guitar. If I Had A Band Part 2 is the follow up to 2017’s If I Had A Band. Walkman also released a full length last year but that is a solo effort that is specifically folk oriented. On the single, Walkman plays a clean version of scrappy indiepop that is uptempo and forward moving. Both songs are strong, but I particularly am taken by Oh No.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The BQs | Tentatively Escaping

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

At Add To Wantlist, we love to post about bands that fly under the radar. Raleigh (North Carolina) band The BQs are a good example. Their new record Tentatively Escaping immediately grabs my attention, and yet I can’t find any info on the band. I have to assume the band is named after its frontman and main songwriter Brian Quast. Here is another guess: The BQs are big fans of the fuzzy powerpop of Teenage Fanclub and the guitar magic of War On Drugs: The songs on Tentatively Escaping sound like a hybrid of both those acts, and it works surprisingly well. I know nothing about the BQs, but they deserve to be more than a blip on the radar.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: Invisible Rays || Landline b/w Bloom

By / / Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

Let’s start with the bad news: This two-song single by Somerville (MA) based Invisible Rays is currently digital only. The good news, particularly for fans of music that doesn’t suck, is that Landline and Bloom are two killer indie rock tracks. There is a warmth and breezyness to the indie rock of Invisible Rays, which sounds equally fresh as authentically from the ’90s. Landline is the most straightforward indie rock of the two with some great dynamics, and some well-timed palm muted guitars. Bloom, in contrast, has hints of ’80s jangly powerpop. What both song have in common though is their catchiness. More where this came from, please!



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp 

New album: Motorists || Surrounded

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

The Motorists debut album Surrounded evokes an immediate sense of nostalgia, particularly to the jangly powerpop of the ’80s but also to the postpunk and other guitar-oriented genres from that era. Craig Fahner, Matt Learoyd, and Jesse Locke make up the band from Canada. They started three years ago, although the member have a history of being in bands together going back to their teenage years. Past bands of Fahner, Learoyd and Locke include Feel Alright, Leather Jacuzzi, Tough Age, Simply Saucer, We Knew and Chandra.

Motorists first caught my ears with their excellent 2020 EP From The Wreckage. Its follow up Surrounded is by no means a perfect album, and the fact that Motorists do not try to hide their imperfections is part of their charm. It gives the song an authentic rough-around-the-edges feel and I’m pretty sure the band will sound more or less like this at their live shows. Fahner (guitar) and Learoyd (bass) alternate and complement each other well, and in combination with the steady beat of Locke, they give each song a distinct vibe. The power pop oriented songs are my favorites, and Through To You is the kind of underground hit that wouldn’t look out of place on any powerpop lost hits compilation from the 70s or 80s. The more postpunk oriented songs like title track Surrounded work as well, particularly because Motorists has a talent for offsetting angular riff heavy verses with catchy and straightforward choruses. I am definitely buying this co-release by We Are Time, Debt Offensive and Bobo Integral Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

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