Indie Rock

New album: Fossil Record || A Little Weight

A soundtrack for the End Times by members of The Creeps and Crusades

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

In the summer of 2018, my most-played record was The Creeps’ Beneath The Pines. There was something incredibly addictive about it, with melodies that burrowed deep into my brain. Even now, when I hear a song from the record, I am taking right back to that Summer. So, when I saw a social media post from Stefan Stardumb mentioning that two-thirds of The Creeps (Scott McCash and Jordan Bell, also of Crusades, a band you should check out if you haven’t) had a new project, my interest was piqued. The description — “For fans of slow-ish songs about the pending apocalypse” — made me even more curious.

Is it any good? Absolutely! But you’ll want to leave any preconceived notions at the door before diving into Fossil Record’s debut, A Little Weight. Yes, those familiar addictive vocal melodies are there, but they arrive at a different pace and from a fresh angle. Rather than a sharp shock, this album feels like a reaching hand, inviting you to tag along. For fans of The Creeps, Fossil Record might feel like the same band, but from an alternate timeline — an alt-country-ish version of a familiar favorite. It’s oddly familiar, yet distinct. And for those new to The Creeps, the patience to let these shimmering melodies unfold will be rewarded with an appreciation for McCash and Bell’s songwriting.

A Little Weight is best experienced on vinyl, lyric sheet in hand, while absorbing its tales of impending doom. If The Creeps had a dark and gloomy streak, things aren’t much brighter in Fossil Record’s world. Songs like Coastline and Hard Feelings tackle the climate crisis head-on, while others like Float are more apocalyptically ambiguous, almost like the soundtrack to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. This isn’t a feel-good record, but it will make you feel — and perhaps even remind you to be grateful for the experience of being alive.

A Little Weight is streaming everywhere now, with LPs and CDs available for pre-order now (arriving in a month or two) via Stardumb Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Stardumb

New EP: Harper Kill || A Taste of Harper Kill

Mid-paced punk rock, done right

By / / Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Michigan quartet Harper Kill won’t shock the world with their debut EP (A Taste of Harper Kill), but I don’t think that’s their goal to begin with. They’re not here to reinvent punk rock, and you won’t find them coloring too far outside the lines. But you’ll like the textures and shades in their coloring book.

This is solid, mid-paced punk rock done right, with plenty of heart and grit.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: Dust Star || Shadow On The Hill b​/​w Be With You

Timeless power pop vibes from Cameron Wisch (Cende) and Justin Jurgens (Ingrates)

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

Remember Dust Star, the breezy, “roll your windows down” power pop band featuring Cameron Wisch (Cende) and Justin Jurgens (Ingrates)? After their fantastic 2022 debut album (Open Up That Heart), they almost slipped off my radar — until now. Their surprise new single is a welcome return. The single (digital only, it seems) features two of the earliest songs written for their pre-Dust Star band The Chains. You can find the original 2020 versions here. These new recordings elevate the production while keeping the strong melodies intact.

Both songs are a must-hear for fans of power pop. Shadow On The Hill is an uplifting gem, reminiscent of Gentlemen Jesse, inspired by the emotional impact of witnessing a friend’s climbing accident and her incredible resilience afterward. Be With You, on the other hand, delivers timeless ’60s guitar pop vibes.

Honestly, these guys should be stars.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Rifles || Love Your Neighbour

Positive Britpop vibes spreading smiles

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

Coincidence does exist, as it turns out. While rearranging my CD collection, I also came across The Rifles‘ strong debut full-length No Love Lost (2006). Nice to play it again, and when I looked up where the English indie rock outfit had gone, I learned that they released a new LP called Love Your Neighbour last month, their first studio recordings since Big Life (2016). The underlying theme is that we’re all in a big mess together, so why not be nice and help each other out where possible (the album title comes from the infectious Mr. Sunflower single).

Upon first listening, I immediately remembered why I fell for the Essex band back then—the eleven new songs happen to be just as classy and charming as the old hits. The poppy melodies with summery harmonies and an uplifting feel will undoubtedly also bring smiles all over the place at live shows.



Love Your Neighbour is out now on CD and vinyl LP through Cooking Vinyl / Right Hook Recordings.

Add to wantlist: Discogs || The Rifles

New album: One Outta Ten || Better Days

Californian five-piece lives on after a year full of losses

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The ten songs on Better Days, the third full-length album by Californian indie rockers One Outta Ten, are personal and relatable, and therefore quite moving. All five band members – David de Leon, Joshua de Leon, JT Hamel, Tyler Lofftus and Mark Marquez – had recently experienced loss, and on this record we witness their process of grief and healing. For example, the video for the closing title track is a tribute from frontman Josh and drummer David to their late father Ray, whose voicemail message can be heard a few times. Dark matter, but also comforting and hopeful – there is light at the end of the tunnel – not least because of the heartfelt vocals, the driving rhythm section and the layers of guitars, which effectively channel the ups and downs of the emotional rollercoaster.



Better Days, produced by Aaron Moxness, is out now digitally (self-released).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Chime School || The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel

Jangle pop bliss from San Francisco's finest

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

The songs of Chime School have a Pavlovian effect — not in the sense of your dog drooling for food, but in how they make your brain light up, your mouth curl into a smile, and your head nod in approval. We’ve praised Andy Pastalaniec’s (of Seablite, Cruel Summer, and Pink Films) band before, but with their new (second) LP, The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel, Chime School has truly outdone themselves.

This is a warm and gentle jangle pop record, brimming with stunning melodies and rich with jangly, chiming guitars that’ll activate your brain’s reward center over and over. It checks all the boxes for fans of underground pop music. Pastalaniec recently shared some of his influences on our site and struggled with keeping it to the usual five in our Gimme 5 feature. Listen to The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel and you’ll understand why — it feels like the culmination of 40 years of C86, jangle, britpop, power pop, twee, and college rock, yet Chime School manages to sound entirely like itself. Picture Pastalaniec recording these songs in his home studio, and you’ll appreciate the care and love poured into this material even more.

The album unfolds slowly but stunningly with The End, Pastalaniec’s answer to one of his favorite album openers, Teenage Fanclub’s Start Again. Things then kick into gear with Why Don’t You Come Out Tonight?, one of several upbeat, rocking tracks including my personal favorite (and one of the best songs of the year!), Wandering Song. The head-bopping Give Your Heart Away gives way to the easy-going Another Way Home. Words You Say serves as a britpop-leaning mid-record breather, setting up a B-side packed with A-side singles like Say Hello, Desperate Days, and (I Hate) The Summer Sun.

In short, I’m floored by this record. It’s another must-own release from Slumberland Records. To wrap things up, I highly recommend pressing play and heading over to Week in Pop for an amazing deep dive with track-by-track commentary from Chime School mastermind Andy Pastalaniec.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Slumberland

New single: Ultra Lights || Wasted Again b/w Scene of the Crime

New-ish Atlanta band already demonstrating the makings of a buzz-worthy act

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

Ultra Lights, a fresh project out of Atlanta, Georgia, is the brainchild of John Robinson (known for Turf War and Illegal Drugs). Despite barely having celebrated their first anniversary, the band has already released its sophomore single – their debut 7″ released just a couple of months ago.

The new two-song single, limited to 100 copies through Chunklet Industries, showcases Ultra Lights’ distinctive sound: a potent and powerful fusion of indie rock and post-punk. Drawing influence from a diverse range of artists including Modern Lovers, Pavement, Wire, and Archers of Loaf, Ultra Lights crafts a sound that should also resonate with fans of The Cribs.

While still in its early stages, Ultra Lights is already demonstrating the makings of a buzz-worthy act in the indie rock scene.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Chris Milam || Orchid South

Heartland rock with alt-country twang FFO Dave Hause, Tom Petty, The Hold Steady

By / / Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Indie Rock, Power Pop / Leave a Comment

Released a couple of months ago, Chris Milam’s Orchid South LP initially slipped under the radar. I don’t recall checking it out, but I can imagine dismissing it quickly for being it a bit too polished for my taste. If I did, I was wrong. While this record has mainstream appeal and an arena-ready sound, I think a lot of our readers will find much to like in this collection of songs.

Featuring an all-star cast from the Memphis scene that includes members of The Hold Steady, Spiral Stairs, Lucero, and Twin Forks, Orchid South exudes a heartland rock vibe and an alt-country twang. The huge choruses, powerful guitars, and horn sections are familiar territory, but Milam gives them a fresh coat of paint. Fans of Dave Hause, Tom Petty, The Hold Steady, and later-era Replacements should take note.

Orchid South is out now on M records.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: New Starts || More Break-Up Songs

Darren Hayman wanted a band again, and that works out really well

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

New Starts is a new band formed by ex-Hefner frontman Darren Hayman plus members of Tigercats and Adults. The project has been touted by Hayman as a return to the group format, which he all but disowned after the dissolution of Hefner. The premise is simple: he writes the songs, the band arranges them. As a result, the songs zig in directions they may not otherwise if this were a strictly a Hayman solo affair. The prominent anti-guitar hero playing of Joely Smith provides a welcome occasional dissonance, jolting you awake after you’ve been lulled into a state of relaxation by Hayman’s dulcet melodies. The rhythm section of Giles Barrett and Will Connor is unobtrusive but sure-footed, allowing the disparate elements to congeal.

New Starts’ default mode is Doug Yule-era Velvet Underground, chugging and lilting along these 12 songs. Theoretically, the album is split into rockers and ballads, but there is little that separates the two in terms of tempo or approach. The songs, by and large, are of the tender kind, amiably yet portentously delivered. Hayman’s characters are hopeless romantics with caveats. On Pumpkins, he urges the object of his desire to “treat every night like the last/treat every kiss like the first,” before comparing their connection to a “crippled bird” on morphine, suggesting their relationship is in a sort of palliative care. A Little Stone tells the story of young, frenzied love, where our protagonist will do anything for his beloved, degrading himself as a “doormat, a satchel” despite misgivings.

The title More Break-Up Songs, in addition to being a direct rebuttal of this band’s name, is perhaps a nod to The Undertones’ More Songs About Chocolate and Girls: if everyone’s got you pegged, you may as well throw your hands up and give the people what they want. But if songs of this quality are the expectation of Darren Hayman at this point in his career, that’s a very good thing.


More Break-Up Songs is out today, digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through Fika Recordings.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New EP: Catch As Catch Can || Nude

German rockers create a raucous, energy-boosting rock party to celebrate their ten-year anniversary

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

Catch As Catch Can celebrate their tenth anniversary this year with a raucous, energy-boosting rock party in the form of their new EP that is titled Nude. Released today through La Pochette Surprise, the four-song collection is self-described by the band as their most epic and megalomaniac work to date.

While I can’t claim to be a connoisseur of this German band’s entire catalog, I can attest to the quality of this recent release. Honestly, their early single Love Leather alone makes this 10″ worth the purchase.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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