New album: Guy Capecelatro III || Heading North Again

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

In all reviews of Guy Capecelatro III’s new album Heading North Again you will read its backstory. Back in 2005, the prolific songwriter/poet – a man with a rich travel and job history – recorded a collaborative folk album in an old gymnasium in Leominster, with about 30 musicians in just 3 days. It wasn’t until 2012 that 18 tracks from that session were released on the North For The Winter LP. Apparently there were 19 additional recordings, and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first collection, there is now this sort of a sequel on which the new finds can be heard. Are those worthy of my attention, you ask? If you’re into indie folk pop, that’s for sure. This is slightly sad but beautiful winter music with detailed storytelling, intriguing and captivating. Guy Capecelatro III currently lives in Kittery Maine and works as a landscaper, but how nice that we can enjoy his songs.

Heading North Again is out now digitally and on CD through Dromedary Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: The Mochines || Catch Me

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / 2 Comments

In 2005, Ross Richard Kersten (La Donnas) formed The Mochines, which led to 3 full-length albums. After a 5-year hiatus, the band – with a new line-up – went on tour again and released The Dirt Nap Sessions. And now the international rock ‘n’ roll sensation is back with a cool-as-can-be 4-track EP. It contains at least two big hits, as the covers Catch Me and This Is Rock N Roll hit just the right notes, but the originals are worthwhile too. Energetic and catchy, dirty and gritty, somewhere on the cutting edge of garage rock and punk, very infectious.

Catch Me is out now digitally and on CD through Rum Bar Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Baits || Bring Your Friends

By / / Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

Austrian four-piece Baits released their pretty awesome debut album Never Enough last year, and now they’re back with the four-track EP Bring Your Friends. They are again high-energetic guitar songs with catchy sing-along lyrics, again of a high level. It’s an infectious mix of beach grunge and pop punk that deserves more fans, because this sound is perfectly suited to jump and shout along to with your friends at a summer festival.

Add to wantlist: Bring Your Friends is out now on cassette through Noise Appeal Records.

New album: The Sellwoods || House Rockin’ Party Tonight With​.​.​.

By / / Garage Rock / 1 Comment

There’s no better way to start your weekend: celebrate a fun House Rockin’ Party Tonight With​… The Sellwoods! The musicians from Portland, Oregon first took  the stage together exactly ten years ago, and finally here’s their first full-length album, featuring 14 new nuggets including 3 great covers (Bobby Fuller’s Shakedown, The Omens’ Searching and Eddie Cochran’s Somethin’ Else). If you’re familiar with their previous 7″ and 10″ releases, you know what to expect: raucous 60’s garage punk like The Cramps’ Lux & Ivy blared from their jukebox. The Sellwoods master the dirty and danceable genre to perfection, although of course this genre isn’t about perfection at all – it’s about primitive rhythms, fuzzy guitar riffs, wild organ playing and exuberant vocals, and that’s what you’ll hear here at maximum volume. Sounds like a good party, right?

House Rockin’ Party Tonight With​ The Sellwoods is out now digitally and on vinyl LP through Chaputa! Records (the label’s 50th release).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Chaputa!

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New album: Best Bets || On An Unhistoric Night

By / / Indie Rock, Power Pop, Punk / 3 Comments

Our expectations for Best Bets’ debut LP (On An Unhistoric Night) were so high, it didn’t even made the wantlist. As soon as the band dropped the first single we pre-ordered the LP at Meritorio Records. That first song was Crystal Mausoleum, a prototypical Best Bets song: upbeat, energetic, scrappy and infectious guitar-driven power pop.

Like the world’s biggest tease, the band subsequently dropped Whataworld, Olympic Sprinter and most recently King Cnut. Three songs that few guitar bands will be able to match this year in terms of joy they provide, nor the amount of neck injuries from wildly boppin’ my head to them. Now that the full beast has arrived, It’s kind of crazy that rather than the highlights, those four teasers were exemplary of what to expect from On An Unhistoric Night.

To name a few: The record opens on a high note with the Teenage Fanclubesque The Point. And what about Wrong Side Of The Sun with its crazy catchy high-pitched hoohoo’s? I love that one! Or European Cars? A dose-a-day of that one will keep the blues away. Looking Back With Mike – with an organ reminiscent of Costello’s early stuff is another massive hit. It’s one of several songs that subtly reminds me of late ’70s UK bands like The Jam, Buzzcocks, and Undertones. But I’m sure fans of ’90s britpop and bands like Ash and Teenage Fanclub will appreciate this Best Bets LP as well.

Best Bets (Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand) are Olly Crawford-Ellis and James Harding (Transistors), James’ brother Luke (Millionaire Debrofski), long-time friend Matt Phimmavanh, and Joe Sampson (Salad Boys). On An Unhistoric Night was produced by Brian Feary, who is building quite the discography with records by Wurld Series, Salad Boys and The Dance Asthmatics. But I’m pretty sure this one is my favorite. Jump on the Best Bets bandwagon now. There is still some space, but with a record this awesome for how long?




Buy the LP via Meritorio Records (US / EU / UK) and Melted Ice Cream (rest of world).
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Meritorio Records

New album: Skid City || Greetings From Skid City

By / / Punk / 1 Comment

Skid City, a Melbourne band featuring members of Rot TV, Peak Twins and Summer Flake, are ready to make a splash in the global rock’n’roll scene with their debut LP Greetings From Skid City. It’s the follow up to The Skids EP (2017) and surpasses that EP on every level.

Skid City play a brand of old school punk that is loud, dirty and heavily informed by (hard)rock history. Greetings From Skid City is a raucous affair and the ten songs are subtle as a sledgehammer. Their live shows probably should come with a warning for potential loss of hearing. In other words, I can’t wait to attend, and yes, I will definitely bring ear plugs. #safe

The main ingredients of Skid City are not necessarily original, nor is the band’s sound: loud guitars, straightforward drumming and a singer disguised as a snotty screamer (or vice versa). But with songs like Blue, Double Deuce and Over The Edge, Skid City proof that there is always room for bands that rock hard at full conviction.

Greetings From Skid City is out now through Shipping Steel Records, who also brought us that kickass single by The Neuros.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: Golden Boots || Liquid Ranch

By / / Country & Folk / Leave a Comment

Tucson, Arizona’s alt-alt country duo Ryen Eggleston and Dimitri Manos celebrate the 20th anniversary of their band Golden Boots with a new home-recorded album. It’s a fun one! If the songs on Liquid Ranch have one thing in common, it’s the audible joy of recording them. Much care has been taken in the structure, melodies and hooks, where the experience of the musicians came in handy. Although the sound is lo-fi, it’s extensively experimented with. Ideas tumble over each other, some more successful than others, but it makes the LP varied, surprising and different than usual in the genre (hence the extra ‘alt’ added to ‘alt-country’). Did I mention it’s a fun one? Congratulations on your anniversary and on this new record guys!

Liquid Ranch is out now digitally (met 2 bonustracks) and on vinyl LP (with a lyric/art zine and stickers) through Pass Without Trace Records. Cool art work by the band members themselves by the way.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Colt Wave || You Already Know

By / / Indie Rock, Jangle Pop / 1 Comment

Remember Knapsack? Knapsack founding member and drummer Colby Mancasola currently plays in Colt Wave, a long distance project with Ken Lovgren. Both are long time friends and played together in Downtime before Mancasola formed Knapsack. In Colt Wave, Lovgren writes the songs and takes on most of the instruments, with Manascola responsible for the drums.

I totally overlooked Colt Wave’s 2021 debut Radiotelegraphy, but I plan on revisiting their new record You Already Know frequently this year. It’s full of short and understated jangly indie rock songs that are easy on the ears and calming to the nerves. The record gently flows from song to song, and it’s easy to miss where one song ends and the other begins. Only two of the 15 tracks on You Already Know surpass the 2-minute mark, and just barely. Most songs have no clear verses or choruses, but I believe that lack of clear structure actually benefits the record. The excellent guitar work and strong melodies of Lovgren will hold your attention even in the absence of massive choruses. Before you know it, you have escaped reality for 24 minutes.

To my ears, Colt Wave sounds like a concoction of Ultimate Painting, Connections and The Stevens, if that makes sense. Colt Wave has that same talent for writing songs that sound spontaneous, effortfless and flawless. Give Colt Wave a try: You Already Know is a special kind of record.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Mercvrial || Brief Algorithms

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

The first word that comes to mind while listening to Brief Algorithms, the debut LP of Mercvrial? The word you’ll read in any review of the band’s sound? Eighties. There really is no way around it. It’s the most eighties sounding record we shared on this site.

Mercvrial is based in Rosarito (Mexico). The biggest strenght of Mercvrial is that they sound authentically ’80s but are are impossible to pigeonhole in a specific genre. Every song taps into a different style, which transcends the post punk or new wave label. The only common denominator is that it is drenched in eighties nostalgia – the collaboration of guitarist Terry Bickers (House Of Love/Levitation) on half of the songs strengtens this vibe.

To be sure, Brief Algorithms won’t be for everyone. In fact, I’m still not sure what to make of it, let alone have the words to describe it. I do know it’s something else, decidedly out of time and unworried about what is hip or happening. It has songs like I’ll Get You Home On Time and Waiting On A Miracle (a reimagining of Ride’s Jump Jet/Dub Jet) that are too far out of my comfortzone to fully appreciate. But then there are songs like Dark Stars, Be That Someone and I Never Liked You Anyway that slowly get under my skin and make me want to return to the record and discover other Easter eggs Mercvrial have hidden on the record.

Brief Algorithms is out now through Crafting Room Recordings (UK), and available through Meritorio Records (Europe) and Jigsaw (US).



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Oddballs || Tales of Terror

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Spanish garage punk rock band The Oddballs introduced themselves to the world in 2016 with We Are The Oddballs. The band now returns with Tales Of Terror, which they recorded last year in The Hollers Analog Studio in Malaga.

At its core, Tales Of Terror is a punkrock record. But The Oddballs infuse that sound with whatever they found lying around in the history of garage rock. The addition of Sax, piano and Farfisa organ give The Oddballs wings and let these nuggets fly out of the speakers.

Get your dancin’ shoes on, The Oddballs are here to start your rock-‘n’-roll dance party! Tales Of Terror is out now through Spanish powerhouse Folc Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Folc Records

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