New single: Heavenly Sweetheart || A Little Worse B​/​W Another Sunny Day

Pretty Matty released a highly recommended record last year that was called Heavenly Sweetheart. Now, two Pretty Matty members, Matty Norand and Sam Bielanski (who both also play in PONY) have formed a new band under the same moniker, Heavenly Sweetheart. So yeah, thing are getting meta.

Sonically, Heavenly Sweetheart is no direct copy of Pretty Matty, but it’s also not a significant departure. They deliver fuzz-laden and hooky guitar pop that I’d place more than a couple of notches above being plain likeable, and accessible. An excellent debut! RIYL: Pretty Matty, Dazy, Young Guv and Supercrush.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: CB Kiddo || CB Kiddo

Perhaps we should wait a little before hyping up CB Kiddo aka Emily Williston? I mean, this self-titled single, which I think is the first CB Kiddo recording to pop up online, is about the definition of a demo. It’s underproduced, no mastering has yet occured, and the raw recordings will have you reconsider your current definition of lo-fi. But these songs? Oh, these songs! This is some truly catchy stuff, garage pop punk where the songwriting talent and sheer fun shines through regardless of the recording quality – courtesy of TJ Cabot who knows a thing or two about rough-around-the-edges garage goodness.

Not even four minutes of playing time, but it’s enough of a sample to get excited. Feeling Fine is two minutes of garage pop’n’roll ear candy, but I think I’m even more blown away by the pop punk hand grenade that is So It Goes.

Hopefully this is the start of a prolific writing and recording period from Emily Williston, because I can’t wait for my next fix!



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Anna Dukke || Black Honey

Spanish rhythm & blues singer Anna Dukke went to a farm in the US to write her second EP, and it paid off. The four songs on Black Honey are soulful and swinging, with amazingly powerful and heartfelt vocals in the leading role, and effective strings and drums as the backbone. Original tunes 33 Ball’s, Shake Your Soul and My Lifeline are delicious, vintage floor fillers, the subdued closing track is a beautiful cover of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s My Journey In The Sky, This is roots music you feel.



Black Honey, produced by Ely Agramunt, is out now digitally and on vinyl 7″ through Folc Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Folc

New post: Grieving || Everything Goes Right, All At Once

Cambridge (UK) quartet Grieving recently made their full length debut with Everything Goes Right, All At Once. The title may very well be hint on the positive outcome of the recordings, even though it juxtaposes with the sonic direction of the band, the blueprint of which has its fair share of emo and post-hardcore references.

Everything Goes Right, All At Once is a varied and dynamic indie rock record that shows Grieving are no one-trick ponies. Kicking off with thre strong opening trio of Brian Emo, 10x Michelango, and Pristine, the band establishes a solid foundation that is sure to resonate with fans of the genre. In the middle portion of the record, Grieving venture into experimental territory, leading to longer tracks that work to different degrees. Just when it seems they may lose momentum, they close out with another trilogy of strong tracks, ending the record on a high note.

Everything Goes Right, All At Once is out now through By The Time It Get Dark Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Brooms || Freakin’ Out

Carla Passinhos (vocals, organ), João Correia (bass), Elso Isidoro (drums, tambourines, shakers, theremin, backing vocals), Jorge Nunes (guitars) and Jonny Pinha (vocals, guitar) share a love for 60s garage rock, and The Brooms prove to be the perfect vehicle to connect their sources of inspiration to their own ideas. Freakin’ Out is the third full-length album by the Portuguese band, twelve original neo-garage songs, driven by organ and guitars, full of fuzz. This record is wild and dirty and freaky and colorful, everything fellow fans of the genre need.



Freakin’ Out is out now digitally and on vinyl LP through Chaputa! Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Chaputa! 

New album: The Wind-Ups || Live In Oakland

Live records? Not really my jam. When browsing for new music, I tend to skip over them. But, when I saw Live In Oakland pop up, featuring a band (The Wind-Ups) and label (Dandy Boy) we’re pretty familiar with over at Add To Wantlist, I pressed play anyway. Plus, I was genuinely curious how The Wind Ups’ basement Tascam recordings would translate on stage.

After listening, perhaps I have to soften my stance on live registrations, because these lo-fi garage punk bursts sound chaotically tight and raw when played by a full live band. Having Jake Sprecher call out the song titles at the start of the songs, and immediately following with a 1-2-3-4 like he’s Joey Ramone is only part of the appeal. It is in Tell Me Again (How Pretty I Am)  that everything clicks for me. Already a standout on the most recent Wind-Ups record, the massive pop chorus ignites with even more intensity in this live rendition.

If a successful live recording is one that captures the sheer power and skill of a band while leaving you longing to have been at the show, then Live In Oakland definitely accomplishes that. It is out now on Tape at Dandy Boy Records.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Library Card || Nothing, Interesting

Library Card are a Rotterdam-based post-punk/noise rock outfit featuring Lot van Teylingen (vocals), Mitchell Quitz (guitar), Kat Kalkman (bass) and Emre Karayalçin (drums), who just released their highly anticipated debut EP Nothing, Interesting. Don’t let the band name or song titles like Kierkegaard and Cognitive Dissonance fool you, because the six tracks here are quite surprising, idiosyncratic and exciting, dark and lighthearted at the same time. Themes of love, loss and uneasiness are linked in an expressive and original way to intelligence, absurdity and perspective, while a restless rhythm section builds up the tension further and further. Standout opening song Well, Actually, an entertaining representation of the unsolicited and unwanted advice that a band often receives, mostly from men, nudges me to stick to sincere compliments. Hats off.


Nothing, Interesting, produced & mixed by Daan Duurland, is out now through At Ease – digitally, and on cassette, CD and one-sided vinyl 12″.

Add to wantlist: At Ease || Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: Pleasants || Rocanrol In Mono

From the moment I first heard Karaoke Booth, I became a fan of Pleasants, the new solo endeavour of Al Uminium (aka Alex “Human Fly” Patching of Aborted Tortoises, Ghoulies, and Dennis Cometti). I know it’s still early, but I’ve already penned it down as this year’s most blatantly fun punk tune. Ever since, I’ve been eagerly been awaiting the debut LP, and now that it has arrived – courtesy of Under The gun Records, it exceeds all expectations.

Rocanrol In Mono delivers 21 minutes of pure, unadulterated punk energy, with songs stripped down to their core for maximum enjoyment. Al Uminium’s knack for crafting catchy pop melodies shines brightly, elevating the already hyperactive lo-fi tunes to incite pogo mayhem in any bar, barn, basement or bedroom. While the record comes at you at full force, leaving you almost breathless you with its bluntness, Uminium sprinkles his songs with sufficient twists to escape monotony. There are hints of Jay Reatardesque garagepunk, and the guitar playing in several songs shares more than a little dna with Johnny Ramone. Meanwhile, the occasional synth interjections add a quirky “egg punk” flavor to the mix. Surely, fans of Uminium’s other bands but also contemporaties like Teevee Repairmann will undoubtedly find much to love here.

Going back to that Karaoke Booth tune? Turns out it wasn’t a fluke but rather indicative of the consistently high caliber of Rocanrol In Mono. HITS!!!!



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Under The Gun

New album: Dancer || 10 Songs I Hate About You

Glasgow-based indie-pop/post-punk outfit Dancer keeps the pace high: after last year’s self-titled debut EP and its follow-up As Well, they now release their first full-length album. The title 10 Songs I Hate About You leaves nothing to the imagination, and musically the success recipe behind the earlier work is followed, further perfected at a detailed level. Gemma Fleet (vocals) pulls out all the stops to emphasize her surprising lyrics, alternately talking, singing and shouting, seamlessly integrated into the dynamic rhythms and haunting melodies of Chris Taylor (guitar), Andrew Doig (bass) and Gavin Murdoch (drums). Dancer also captivates effortlessly in a longer format.



10 Songs I Hate About You, recorded & mixed by Ronan Fay, is out now digitally and on vinyl LP through Meritorio Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Meritorio

New EP: JJ And the A’s || Eyeballer

The 2023 self-titled debut by Danish(Copenhagen)/Spanish (Barcelona) trio JJ And The A’s was a statement release. This week marks the release of its worthy follow-up, the 4-song Eyeballer EP. The 7″ sees JJ And The A’s further craft their exciting mashup of styles and influences. Sure, hardcore punk is probably a valid description, but this band does a lot of small things just a little different than others. They may not redefine the genre, but they do nibble at its boundaries. The dividends are significant.

The Eyeballer EP is out now through La Vida Es Un Mus.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

Scroll to Top