Indie Rock

New album: Eades || Delusion Spree

If there’s one release we’ve been looking forward to for a long time, it’s Delusion Spree, the beautifully titled full-length debut album from UK 5-piece Eades. Single Former Warnings Cluster has been a hit on Add To Wantlist HQ for over a year now, and their EP Abstract Education made it into my top 10 of 2021. In 12 raw and punchy songs, Harry Jordan (vocals, guitar), Tom O’Reilly (lead guitar, vocals), Sam Wilde (bass), Dan Clifford-Smith (drums), and Lily Fontaine (synths, percussion, vocals) mix influences from new wave, post-punk, garage rock, and 90’s alternative. The tracks were recorded live as a full band, which ensures an authentic listening experience. Arty, energetic, expressive, fascinating, fun, infectious, interesting, restless, surprising, urgent – worth the wait. The band members wanted to record a classic debut LP and succeeded.

Delusion Spree is out digitally, on CD and vinyl LP through Heist or Hit.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Heist or Hit

New album: Tom Aylott || Calm Is A Superpower

This week I listened a lot to Calm Is A Superpower, the new full-length album by UK singer-songwriter Tom Aylott, and I wish you the same experience. It’s a strong collection of ten guitar-driven pop/rock songs that he recorded in his house during a manic week in the first Covid lockdown in Spring 2020. These demos were intended as a framework for later studio sessions, but on second thoughts the raw energy of the first takes turned out to be more than good enough to release. I can only agree with those thoughts. Musically it’s well structured, with appealing hooks and catchy choruses, at times with an alt-rock feel reminiscent of Thelonious Monster (that’s meant as a compliment), but t’s mainly the heartfelt emotions you hear in Aylott’s vocals that makes this LP stand out above average.

“Hold on to what you’ve got while it lasts // Let go if you’re ready or not when they pass // Someday we’ll all be welcomed back // No longer buried in the past”

Calm Is A Superpower is out now digitally (self-released). Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: Bad Spring || Tape 1

Awesome new band alert! From Fresno, California straight to our hearts comes Bad Spring. If you like angsty college rock, dreamy powerpop, or rockin’ ’90s altpop, this should be on the top of your listening pile right now.

The biggest appeal of the two songs on Bad Spring’s debut single? The contrast between the heavy yet strummy and jangly guitars (so good!) and the dreamy Teenage Fanclubesque vocals and harmonies.

Bad Spring has arrived and I’m all in! Tape 1 is out now (on tape of course) on Forever Never Ends Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Forever Never Ends

New album: Paul Zinnard || Formula H

Veteran singer-songwriter Paul Zinnard lives in Madrid, but his new minialbum Formula H sounds very American. To add to the confusion, Zinnard’s real name is Carlos Oliver and he is actually from Mallorca. He used to play in The Bolivians and The Pauls, and has been releasing solo records for over a decade.

First thought that came up while listening to his latest record: Paul Westerberg goes Americana? Not sure if that is fair to either artist, but I’m thoroughly enjoying Formula H. It’s a laid back record and Zinnard has a great voice with just enough sandpaper to keep this from getting too polished. On Formula H, Zinnard wears his influences on his sleeve. In addition to Westerberg, there’s a bit of Dylan, and a lot of Petty.

Fun fact: the album cover photo was shot by Zinnard’s dad in 1971 in Mallorca.


Add to wantlist: currently for streaming only

Dusted || The 10 Best Cover Songs Of February 2022

Not all new music is really new, as many artists cover songs. Sometimes these are songs by their favorite artists, eg 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 random order – ten of our favorite covers from last month – links to the pages where you can add them to your wantlist included.

You’ve probably seen compilations with cover versions of songs by Todd Rundgren and Yoko Ono elsewhere, and for some reason at least 3 different artists released a new reimagination of Bruce Springsteen’s I’m On Fire (don’t ask), but there was a lot more to choose this month.

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere || Cover: Guerrilla Monzón || Original: Neil Young
At the end of last year I wrote enthusiastically about PCH, the debut EP by New York trio Guerrilla Monzón. Now Jason Sanchez (vocals, guitars), Eric Gordon (vocals, bass), and Rey Sinsay (drums) are back with Make It Home, featuring 7 new songs worthy of your attention. There’s this telling cover on it, which I don’t want to withhold from you (this way the legacy of Neil Young can still be listened to on Spotify, sort of ;)), but their own songs are just as good.

New album: Patches || Tales We Heard From the Fields

Last year The Laughing Chimes ended up high in our year-end lists with their debut LP In This Town. Evan Seurkamp (vocals, guitars), one of the brothers of the jangle pop duo, has also started the project Patches – along with RKC (bass, backing vocals), and Aaron Griffin (guitar, percussion). The three band members wrote and recorded all songs in their various bedrooms in Austin, Texas, and they switched instrumental duties from track to track. On their first album Tales We Heard From the Fields you hear a fuller, noisier and more experimental sound than that of the Chimes – the listener has to put in a little more effort to comprehend what’s happening – but it’s also quite exciting with strong melodies. As they say themselves: “Sometimes it jangles, sometimes it fizzes, sometimes it whooshes.” They sing about close subjects – Canaries, Wet Cement, The Back of the Cupboard, Plastic and Gold, etc. – within the theme of the album title and matching the band name. The 14 original songs echo the dark ’80s, but bring light into 2022.

Tales We Heard From the Fields is out now digitally. Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: 錯乱前戦 (Sakuran Zensen) || Odd-Royo

Sakuran Zensen’s I Am Sakuran Zensen was one of my overlooked records in 2020. The youngsters from Japan have just released the follow up, and I have to say that it tops their previous output.

What remained is the high energy rock’n’roll with its ramshackle charm. But the band shows a lot of musical growth on Odd-Ryo, a record that should transcend language barriers and crossover to an international audience. The band’s talent for creating viral worthy video’s won’t hurt neither – watch their video for the title tracks below.

What does hurt? The band announcing that this is their final record and that they are done being a band. I can only hope that this news is a joke somewhere lost in translation. But if not, let’s just sit back and appreciate the band for their short-lived career. Better to burn out…


Add to wantlist: Sakuran Zensen

New single: Tramhaus || I Don’t Sweat

Niek’s post today about the new Vaguess record reminded me to write something about Tramhaus. Once in a while you see a band live and you know that you’re witnessing something special, something that could become big. Rotterdam post-punk five-piece Tramhaus brings about that feeling of excitement. Lukas Jansen (vocals), Jim Luijten (drums), Julia Vroegh (bass), Micha Zaat (guitar) and Nadya van Osnabrugge (guitar) radiate an unassailable coolness and pleasant nonchalance, but they play tight and hypnotic. The title of their awesome debut single I Don’t Sweat is telling in that respect (in the official video for the track the frontman is wearing a Vaguess shirt, hence the link I made). Its B-side Karen is a Punk is also quite good by the way, just like their other songs that have only been heard from the concert stages for the time being. Do yourself a favor and go see this band live. Make it happen!

I Don’t Sweat is out now digitally and on 7″ vinyl through Subroutine Records.

Add to wantlist: Discogs || Songwhip || Subroutine

New album: Vaguess || Nothing’s Secret

LA experimental garage band Vaguess has always been a crazy productive band and their output is all over the place sonically. Admittedly, Vaguess’ records are kind of hit or miss for me. Their latest release though definitely goes on the hit pile though.

From album opener When It’s Gone, it’s clear that Nothing’s Secret is going to be a special record. With crisp production, a prominent bass line, angular guitars, and some synths to glue it all together, the song slowly pulls you in. It’s all good from there. Nothing’s Secret offers a delightful mixtures of styles. Call it garagepoppostpunk or something like that. The slackrocking ballad Happy All the Time is another highlight for me, but don’t skip tracks like Heaven’s Market, Wish That I Could, and Profit Or Punk.

Nothing’s Secret is out now on Refry Records.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Skiftande Enheter – Öppna Landskap

Featuring members of Monokultur and Makthaverskan,  Skiftande Enheter is kind of a Gothenburg supergroup. On Öppna Landskap (Open Landscapes), which follows their 2019 mini-LP Snubblar Genom Drömmar, they further hone their experimental indie postpunkpop. All four songs here are worth your ears, but I am particularly drawn to Lyckan i Din Hand.

By the way, Skiftande Enheter translates to Shifting Units. Shouldn’t be an issue at all with this 7″ that is limited to 400 copies. Out now on Swedish label Happiest Place Records!



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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