New album: Blake || The Book on Love

Countless books have been written about love, but rarely as melodic as English singer-songwriter / DIY musician Julian Pugsley aka Bernard Blake has now. The Book on Love, his new album under the moniker of Blake, contains eleven songs that keep on misleading you without feeling cheated. “I very slowly started writing lines // And I learned from the very best // My parents told me I was wasting time // So I knew I was passing the test”, he explains beautifully in standout track Lost Ground . I assume he’s referring to the great folk artists of the 70s, because that’s where the roots of Blake’s music lie. He does give it his own twist though, each chapter has a different sound, tempo and gear, without losing sight of the bigger picture. Sometimes rocking, sometimes meandering, sometimes waltzing, etc., always providing a familiar but fresh and optimistic look. In every way it has been worth the effort: this is a book we’ll be opening up more often, if only for memorable phrases like “If we surrender what’s the cost // If the fighting stops we’ll see exactly what we’ve lost” (from the title track). Whether you like to read or not, listening is a pleasure.

The Book on Love is out now digitally and on CD through Subjangle. Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: conk creet || better late than never

Californian indie rock band conk creet – although they took their name from a bad meme written in capitals, they only use lower case letters themselves – released their sophomore album better late than never and I can’t get enough of it. It consists of seven short guitar-driven songs with punk, surf and garage rock influences – lo-fi and dark, but always energetic and super-catchy. Pretty cool. RIYL Together Pangea, FIDLAR, Dead Ghosts, Wavves, etc.

better late than never is out now on all streaming platforms.

Dusted || The 10 Best Cover Songs Of May 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.

In May we saw A Tribute to Jawbreaker’s Dear You collection (Sell The Heart Records subscriber exclusive), The Black Crowes’ 1972 EP (Amazon exclusive), Todo Muere SBXV (artists from the Sacred Bones roster covering their favourite tunes), Sarah Brown singing Mahalia Jackson and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band doing Bob Dylan, the previously announced Coverama compilation, Lester Greenowski tackling the discography of Kiss on Kover All Over and various ladies performing songs of The Boss, Bryan Ferry’s smooth Love Letters EP, and nice releases from The Soul Jacket, R.E. Seraphin, Ditches, Zeno Jones, Walker Brigade, Praise, The Christian Family and Rat Tamango with some successful cover versions. And there was a lot more, but below you hear the 10 best that we haven’t mentioned yet.

It’s Raining || Cover: JD McPherson || Original: Irma Thomas
American singer-songwriter/guitarist JD McPherson’s released The Warm Covers EP, Vol. 2, a great sequel to his 2014 cover collection (the new 5-track EP is out now digitally through New West Records, a physical edition including additional bonus tracks will follow sometime in 2023). The obvious choice here would be his interpretation of a song originally performed by Iggy Pop or Pixies, but thanks in part to It’s Rainin’ (4am) by Bob Forrest’s The Bicycle Thief, I don’t miss a chance to listen to this Irma Thomas classic. Heartfelt rhythm ‘n’ blues the way it’s meant to be.

New EP: Owen Adamcik || Ickle Stardust’s Revenge Fantasy

Owen Adamcik plays in The Geeks, but also releases solo material. His EP (I am reluctant to call a 8 song, 9 minute release a full length or mini-album) Ickle Stardust’s Revenge Fantasy was released two weeks ago and I almost forgot to write about it, if it weren’t for Rejection to pop up through the shuffle function. It’s a killer throwback punk track that showcases Adamcik’s talent for writing strong melodies. Those melodies shine bright on Ickle Stardust’s Revenge Fantasy, and the unpolished production and heartfelt howling voice of Adamcik gives the record a classic punk feel.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Mitraille || Mitraille

After releasing three EP’s, the first Mitraille LP is here. Mitraille is a three-piece from Belgium who describe their sound as garagepunk. I am not too sure about that. I usually associate the angular guitar riffing and throbbing bass lines that is central to Mitraille’s sound with post punk leaning genres. But there definitely is a lot of punk abrasiveness and attitude in Mitraille, and the eleven songs on Mitraille’s self-titled LP are frenetic, aggressive and surprisingly melodic.

The Lows is an early highlight on the record. It arguably is the most catchy song on the record and has a rockin’ chorus. It is by no means the only standout, and on the remainder of the record Mitraille prove they have succesfully graduated from the EP format.


Mitraille is expected to ship early July. Pre-order now at Belly Button Records.
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Walker Brigade || If Only

Walker Brigade’s biography raises as much questions as it provides answers. For example: How does it take a band that’s been “serving up anthemic despair with savoir faire since 2014” eight years to finally release their debut full-length? And how did Walker Brigade end up on a first ballot for the Grammy Awards before even releasing an album? But mostly: how did a band this good remain hidden for so long? Well the secret is out now. It’s called If Only, and it’s an exciting compilation of new material, the out-of-print debut mini-album Therapy Animal, and a significant amount of bonus material including alternate versions and cover songs.

How to describe the sound of Walker Brigade? Essentially, this is rock’n’roll, but with an artsy post punky kind of vibe. The band cites X, X-Ray Spex, The Soft Boys, Mission of Burma as their influences. The band also covers songs by Wire (Sand In My Joints), Mel Brooks (I’m Tired as originally performed by Madeline Kahn in Blazing Saddles), The Soft Boys (I Wanna Destroy You and Rock ‘n’ Roll Toilet) and The Only Ones (Lovers Of Today) – the latter two included as bonus tracks. If you give Walker Brigade the attention they deserve, you’ll find a lot of additional influences as well. In that sense, If Only is the next best thing to time travel for those wanting to experience rock’n’roll history.

But at no point those associations with past bands become a distraction. The songwriting is just too skilled, the execution too good, and with the production unpolished yet crisp, the strong melodies are memorable and  superfluous. Listen to openers Fallout and Disease for example, or the short and catchy What Is Wrong With Me? Another highlight is Tower, how can you not fall for that chorus?

I am finding new things to like about this record with each play, and feel like I’ve only scratched the surface. If Only is out on CD through Big Stir Records. It may very well be the label’s best release yet.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Big Stir Records

New album: Ross Storm || The Meridian

Instrumental music that is a blend of “prog & math rock, with notes of jazz and post-punk” is not something I expected to like. But somehow I’ve been enjoying The Meridian by Storm Ross quite a lot. Apparently, it’s already Ross’ fourth release on Already Dead Tapes, but relative to previous releases it’s more of a team effort. On The Meridian, Ross is joined by Yuma Uesaka on tenor sax and Skeleton Birds bandmates Jeremy and Jonathan Edwards on bass and drums respectively.

According to Ross, this is some of his best work to date. And although I’m unfamiliar with his previous output, I’m taking his word for it. The Meridian is as exciting as it is hypnotic, and as vibrant and colorful as the album art. These are no bedtime instrumentals to make you fall asleep, nor will they provide a relaxed start to your day. But I expect the songs on The Meridian to keep you fully awake at work. In fact, I’m pretty sure A/B testing will show The Meridian will significantly raise your focus, productivity and quality of your day.

The Meridian is out now on Tape at Already Dead Tapes.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: R.E. Seraphin || Swingshift

Powerpop revivalist R.E. Seraphin is transmitting some serious ear candy to the airwaves with his latest EP Swingshift. On his 2020 LP Tiny Shapes, Seraphin already hinted upon greatness, but there were also some songs that clicked less with me. On the Swingshift EP there are no weak moments. The five originals on the EP work on a superficial level in the sense that you don’t need to listen closely to appreciate that this is some quality guitar pop. It’s all too easy to fall for songs like Playing House and Big Break. But only a thorough listen will reveal the true power of these songs. There is a great deal going on and the instrumentation is top notch, layered and diverse – the top supporting cast Seraphin gathered for the recordings, including members of several ATW favorites like Yae-Ming & The Rumours, Sob Stories, Tony Molina and Mantles, surely contributed to this.

As a bonus, Seraphin covers I’ll be Around (Wipers) and This Time There’s No Happy Ending (Television Personalities), two solid picks and Seraphin’s execution is brilliant. Swingshift is out now on 12″ though Mt. St. Mtn and on tape through Dandy Boy Records and Safe Suburban Home Records (UK/EU).



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Mt. St. Mtn || Dandy Boy Records || Safe Suburban Homes

New single: Ditches || Drunk Dial #9

Perhaps I’m lazy (or lame) to label Ditches as Swedish answer to anything by Jeff Burke, but I can’t help it. In spite of Jeff Burke’s DNA fully contaminating the sound of Ditches – I have trouble considering that as something bad by the way, the songs of Ditches at no point sound redundant. That was the case on their fun and criminally underrated 2020 self-titled LP and it also applies to their new two song single which is part of Drunk Dial Records’ ongoing single series. If you are unfamiliar, the label’s idea is to get artists drunk, put them in the studio to record one original and one cover and release the result.

Ditches sound in particularly good form on the single, seemingly untouched by the intake of alcohol and the likes. The A-side showcases Lost In Time, a Ditches original that is among the top songs the band has released so far. On the flipside is a blistering cover of Abra Cadaver by fellow Swedes The Hives.

Drunk Dial #9 is out now. Hopefully it’s a sign of more new hits by Ditches.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Steve & Ginie Jackson || Colder Than The Sea

Acoustic folk duo Steve & Ginie Jackson got to know each other during a joint concert of their respective previous groups. Together, they started to dream about traveling and playing music, and they fell in love. Their common dream came true, and a tour led to their debut album Leaving For Today in 2017. After the EP Dance Away in 2019, the couple from Montreal (Canada) are back with a new full-length, Colder Than The Sea. It has 12 uplifting songs with guitar and mandolin, songs that are all easy to embrace. You can hear from the lyrics how happy the two musicians are together still (“There might be 7 billion people, but all I see is you”), but that feeling is made even stronger by the way they play (incredible mutual chemistry) and sing (more heartfelt is hardly possible). Both vocally and instrumentally they complement each other perfectly, and how nice it is that they want to share their happiness and skills with us in such fine music.

Colder Than The Sea is out now digitally and on CD through Thousand Islands Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Thousand Islands

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