Indie Rock

New album: Space Cadet || Lion On A Leash

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

Space Cadet is quite the departure from the in-you-face punkrock Matt Hock and David Walsh used to play with The Explosion. Their debut album Lion On A Leash features  the kind of guitar driven dreamy postpunk that slowly but surely gets under your skin. Hock explains at Glide Magazine: “The record sounds like two guys who love reverb and chorus pedals, The Stone Roses, Cock Sparrer and The Rolling Stones.” A Spotify  playlist curated by the band also notes The Jam, Wire, Joe Strummer, John Cale, Slowdive, Oasis, and Sugar as influences. It’s hard to really pinpoint any of these bands to the sound of Space Cadet, but there is a sense of familiarity to most of their songs. For example, If Only and Scream For You have a ’80s new wave vibe, and Bad Luck clearly nods to Britpop. My favorite tracks are Forever For A While and Start Running Way.  Those two sound effortless and confident, and are among the punchier songs on the album.  They are the recommended entry point for those sceptical about the new musical direction Hock and Walsh take with Space Cadet. Ultimately, I think Lion On A Leash is quite the leap from The Explosion, but it’s worth the trip.  Out now on Wiretap Records.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Wiretap Records

New EP: Star 99 || My Year In Lists

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

I am fascinated by band dynamics. The synergy of band members’ creativity, the power struggles, the lack of communication, the passive aggressiveness, they all are elements I can appreciate from an objective perspective. But I have a weak spot for bands that start out of comradery. Take Star 99, a San Jose band comprised of four longtime friends : Saoirse (lead vocals/rhythm guitar & artwork), Cole (lead guitar/backing vocals), Chris (bass), and Jeremy (drums).  Their friendship started in the Bay Area scene where they attended and played shows – their past bands include Great Hart, Matsuri, Bread Club, and Drop In, and Saoirse’s solo project. Currently, they reside in San Jose, where they are all active member of the DIY community. For a time, they even lived under  the same roof in San Jose’s Hot Box house.

I like to think that comradery shines through on Star 99’s debut EP My Year In Lists. The band plays a wholesome form of indiepunk and altpop that feels like a breathe of fresh air. It is a sound that fans of bands like Swearin’, Discount, & Tacocat will fall for.  There is not a weak  song on the six song EP, but the first 4 songs (loose, algae, wyoming and sleep talker) are particularly great. They reflect that bay area attitude where melody and sensitivity are not the antithesis but a  fundamental part of punkrock.

Lead guitarist Cole filled me in with some more details on the band and the EP: “Star 99 is the culmination of years of friendship and our EP is a reflection on love, loss, anxiety, self-healing and personal growth. My Year in Lists’ speaks to each of the band members as a response to uncertainty and neuroticism: As life, whether personal or interpersonal, is subject to ups and downs, ‘My Year in Lists’ represents an attempt to exercise intentionality and self-reflection. Our songs are meditations on dating, on picking up the pieces of broken friendships, and on self-inventory and assessment. ‘My Year in Lists’ is a mantra of introspection and a reminder that while life moves on, that it’s normal for us to occasionally leave a foot locked in the past. Also, ‘My Year in Lists’ is the name of a pretty rad Los Campesinos song.” As for the band name, “Star 99′ is inspired by a local SJ adult film store which closed up recently.” What’s not to like about this band?!


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: Los Palms || Los Palms

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

I love to wade through the enormous amount of music that is coming out. But, in all honesty, 99% of the new releases do not click with me. That makes the discovery of a gem all the more valuable, the element of surprise creating an instant dopamine rush. The self-titled debut single by Los Palms is like that. The first ten seconds of Junkie Hotel feel like you have been wandering in the desert in the full sun all day and you suddenly come across a giant pool of fresh water. Los Palms are a band from Adelaide. They have created their own blend of classic California surf rock and Southern American 60’s music, and dubbed it desert jangle. It’s an apt description. The band’s sound elicits images of open plains, heat, dust, cacti, passing tumbleweeds and cowboys on horses riding towards a sunset. The band’s impressive artwork, illustrated by frontman Ant, strengthen that image. Clearly, Los Palms have the aesthetics and sound of a band with ambition.

Los Palms started in 2019, with their first (!) show opening for the Growlers. They are already making waves back home, with their single Roll On being in constant rotation on local radio. They’ve compiled four of their best songs on their first physical release, out March 27. The single is limited to 150 – good luck with getting that one. The band hopes to take their music on the road in Australia later this year, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them do an international tour rather sooner than later. Listen to Lost Phantom for example (video below): a song that hints upon early Allah-las and the Walkmen in their Hundres Miles Off era.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

Gimme 5! || Simon Jackson Shares “Five” Songs That Reflect The Eclectic Sound Of Hogchoker

By / / Blues & Roots, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Psych, Punk, Uncategorized / 3 Comments

With ‘Gimme 5!’ we take a peek into the collections of artists we admire. The premise is simple: artists WE like share 5 records THEY love.

I am not really open to electronic dance music and some extreme niches, but otherwise I try to listen to many different music styles. However, when I came across Hogchoker, my head almost exploded: the band from Shanghai plays original, theatrical, punky world music with a message of social justice and inclusivity, spiced by anarchic humor and big brass jazz, funk, salsa, klezmer and ska riffs, with guest musicians like Argentinian opera singer Ernesto ‘Ruso’ Bauer en reggae legends Max Romeo and Big Youth. That intrigued me to the extent that I was very curious about their sources of inspiration. Simon Jackson, singer, songwriter and sax player of Hogchoker, is kind enough to explain this to us in detail. A lot to discover – very interesting, very cool!

Simon Jackson (Hogchoker):
‘Having spent over a year recording what I hope is the most eclectic and entertaining set of songs you’ll hear this year, playing with artists from Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Ireland, Jamaica, the UK and US, I’ve tried to put together a list of the songs that reflect the mix of genres, nationalities and influences on the album. I’m Simon, singer, songwriter and saxophonist for Hogchoker. The album is Roll Up for the Crazy Sound of Hogchoker, our 8th so far (with nearly as many line ups).

…

Gimme 5! || Simon Jackson Shares “Five” Songs That Reflect The Eclectic Sound Of HogchokerRead More »

New album: Jacob The Horse || College Party Mixtape, Vol. 1

By / / Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

“Sounds like: a punkrock version of The Decemberists.” That truly is a spot-on description on the Spotify page of Jacob The Horse, whose new record College Party Mixtape. Vol. 1 is out now.Like Larry David would say, it’s pretty, pretty, pretty good. It is like Colin Meloy has joined Jeff Rosenstock and Piebald to relive their college days. The result is perfect road trip music: it has soft-loud dynamics, anthemic choruses and essay length lyrics drenched in melancholy. All these elements are on full display in the excellent album opener Stealing From Friends Have Never Been So Easy. If you like that one,  you can safely add this one to the wantlist. Out now on blue vinyl.

Every song’s a copy of a copy of a feeling I had once || Maybe we should just give up on metaphor || Thinking that the modern day’s unworthy of Future introspection or dramatic verbs || Singing about the internet and mobile phones || How our lives are just performances in binary code


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Ex Press || Itchy To Move

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

Drop everything you are doing. Here’s an EP from a new band that absolutely deserves your attention. Don’t worry about your work, you will catch up later, and you will do so fully energized.

Ex Press are Devon Milley & Matthew Fudge, who provide even more evidence that the finest powerpop nowadays comes from Canada. Okay, technically I am not sure whether this counts as powerpop. Ex Press have created their own hybrid of synthpunk, powerpop, new wave and pop punk. On Itchy To Move, Miller & Fudge (not a bad name for a band or a bookstore now that I think of it) are assisted by a strong supporting cast. Most notably, Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo provided keys on the majority of songs and helped recording, mastering and mixing the EP. Palumbo also sings on the lead single Headrest. That single also offers interesting use of horns provided by The Key Group Horns. Watch the video produced by Daniel Fried (TV’s Daniel, Bad Sports, Radioactivity) below. From the high octane opener Mystery to the midpaced moody album closer Act Surprised, it’s hard to really highlight one of the songs. There are no fillers here. Fingers crossed that a physical release is in the works.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Wurld Series || What’s Growing

By / / Indie Rock / 2 Comments

What’s Growing is the second LP of New-Zealand indie rock band Wurld Series. I quite liked the band’s previous work, but not enough to make the wantlist. Five songs in, I am already searching for the best place to order this new record from. The instrumental intro song Harvester builds up to what is the first standout track on the record: Nap Gate, a classic ’90s indie rock track with fuzzy guitars (video below). It’s followed by Supplication, a short and sweet song with beautiful interplay between an acoustic guitar and a stylophone. We then get Moved In, which may be the most pop-oriented song on the record. It essentially is 96 seconds of catchiness. In the middle of the record the band slows down the pace and opts for some experimentation. Given the accessibility of the first part of the record, some may be put off by these out-of-the-box songs. The interlude kind of works for me though. It nicely slides into the latter part of the record which mirrors the first 5 songs in terms of variety and strength. The songwriting skills of Wurld Series shine particularly bright on Grey Men. The song is short and straightforward, but hook filled and it has excellent guitar work – a recurrent theme in the songs of Wurld Series.

Overall, What’s Growing is a very effective and efficient record. It’s only 30 minutes long, but offers A LOT, with none of the songs overstaying their welcome. It’s a strong collection of songs that should appeal to fans of classic indie rock (Pavement, Neutral Milk Hotel and Guided By Voices, or more recently: Kiwi jr). Out now on Melted Ice Cream (New Zealand & Rest of the World), Meritorio Records (Europe & USA), & Osborne Again (Australia). By the way, lead guitarist Adam Hattaway will release another record next week, keep an eye out for that one.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Meritorio Records

New single: Career Boy || Scam Jam

By / / Indie Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

What’s Next? was the title of the first song by Career Boy. Then it remained silent for 9 months, but now there is an answer to that question: next is second single Scam Jam. Think of it as a “job rock” alternative to Nada Surf’s Popular. It’s a great energetic track with entertaining tips and tracks to be successful as an artist. The music sounds a lot more exciting than this description though, so give it a listen.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

Throwback Thursday: Palms || LOVE

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

To my surprise, I just found out that Australian indie rock band Palms have released a new single entitled Calling. Not bad at all, and cool that they still make music! It reminded me of LOVE, their great track from 2012, which can also be found on the album Step Brothers (2013). The song is backed by a fun video by Angela Bermuda, inspired by Hanna-Barbera cartoons and featuring heaps of A-list celeb cameos. One not to forget.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New single: JAGGUAR || Guessing in a Row

By / / Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

“Thought I was on a roll // But it was just a couple good guesses in a row // Thought I hit my stride // But it was just a couple good days, a few good nights // Thought I was gettin’ on track // But now it seems a little bit better lookin’ back // Oh, oh.” – Lyrics that I would have liked to write myself. However, these are the words Christian Fenn, Tyler Fenn, Dimitri Treheles, and Keith Trivers composed for their band JAGGUAR’s most recent (digital) single Guessing in a Row. It’s one to add to one of your uplifting playlists. I also like the lyrics with which the song ends: “Da-da-da, da-da, da-da-da, da, da-da-da.” 🙂

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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