New album: Carambolage || On bouge en ville

By / / Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

One of my favorite songs of 2019 was Soupeur by Carambolage, a great catchy tune that you can mix seamlessly into Plastic Bertrand’s Ça Plane Pour Moi at your party – success guaranteed. That song was on an self-titled EP with 4 tracks, now followed by a full-length with 9 new songs. The guitars of the debut have been pushed to the background by synthesizers – the album is a combination of disco, post-punk and rock influences – but the upbeat melodies and French lyrics are strong again, impossible not to move your feet. Out now through Musique d’Aperitif Records. Judge yourself.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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New album: Liquids || Life Is Pain Idiot

By / / Punk / 1 Comment

Please, if you ever hear someone exclaim that “Punk is dead,” put them in a chair, and let him or listen to all 27 tracks on the new Liquids record Life Is Pain Idiot. Then ask whether they are sure.

Liquids play relentless garagepunk with snotty vocals at a blistering pace. And yet, underneath that trashy sound, the band often sounds surprisingly melodic and musical. For example, listen to Don’t Wanna Get To Know You or Think Too Much. Both songs sound like lost Exploding Hearts tracks (I am aware this is my second Exploding Hearts reference of today, but listen to those songs and tell me I am wrong). Or what about the r’n’r party track on speed Lemon Rice (Doomed To Live). Liquids even make Meatloaf sound good in their cover of Bat Out of Hell – don’t worry, they cut the ten minute original by almost 7 minutes with blunt force. Many of the songs on Life Is Pain Idiot have surfaced before online, but digital only. If I am not mistaken, the songs have been rerecorded with/by Erik Nervous. Anyhow, Liquids has never sounded this good before.  A vinyl release of the record with alternate “scary” artwork is due this summer. It’s a must own.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Sino Hearts || Rock ‘N’ Roll Hurricane

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

The Sino Hearts are based in Bejing, China. They play garage/powerpop/rock-‘n’-roll hits with a punk attitude – it is clear that the band adores Exploding Hearts. The band already has two records under its belt, neither of which was perfect, but both contained several killer tracks. That’s why I am excited by their new release. On Rock ‘N’ Roll Hurricane the band picked the best tracks of both albums, added an exclusive track and pressed them on randomly colored vinyl. Out now on Texas indie label Otitis Media Records. I am definitely buying this.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: Nervous Twitch || Nervous Twitch

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English pop-punk band Nervous Twitch have released their fourth full-length album, the first to be self-titled. More music in the tradition of the Ramones, just what we need at this moment. The 3-piece play straightforward rock & roll (‘hook filled fuzzy new wave pop songs’, in their own words) and deliver their songs convincingly (‘fuck you I’m stronger than ever’, singer Erin Rumble shouts in Not Everyone’s Out To Get Me), and the organ that appears between the bass, guitar and drums provides a surprising element. This is a cool one. The LP is out now through Reckless Yes.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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New song: Bad Western || Sun In Yr Eyes

By / / Indie Pop / Leave a Comment

The Canadian four-piece indie rock band Bad Western released this happy song, one that you immediately sing along, one that you hope to hear on long car rides, one that I keep for my summer vacation playlist. Sun In Yr Eyes is available to stream / buy now, with all proceeds from the song going to support Eva’s, a charity in Toronto that helps homeless and at-risk youth.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Civic Mimic || Selective Listening

By / / Punk / 2 Comments

Civic Mimic is a side-project of Jeff Hersch from the band Glazer. The songs I’ve heard from Glazer to me sound a little like a mix of Parquet Courts and Nirvana. Civic Mimic has a more garage and punk sound. Their new EP Selective Listening reminds me of one of my favorite punk bands of the past ten years: Tenement. I am not saying Civic Mimic is on that level yet, but I am really enjoying songs like Pity Patterns, Business Whip and Grass Placebo. Apparently, Selective Listening is Civic Mimic’s third EP, which is impressive considering their first one was released only nine months ago.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Amoeba Earhart || Brain Eater

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Amoeba Earhart is fun. The name of the band is a fun corruption of the name of the aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. The band describes their garage pop as “happy, fuzzy, and scuzzy,” or as I would put it: fun. Just listen to Getting Older Sucks, and you will see what I mean. That song is a classic simple and effective protopunktrack. Fun, right? Or what about Too Involved? Fun. Speaking of fun, if you want to sleep tonight, don’t google Amoeba Earhart Brain Eater.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp (Name your price download)

New album: Rats On Rafts || Excerpts From Chapter 3: The Mind Runs A Net Of Rabbit Paths

By / / Punk / Leave a Comment

Last week I had The Moon Is Big on the turntable again, the 2011 debut album by Rats On Rafts. Still a good one, but what a development the Rotterdam post-punks have gone through since then, if you compare it with their new, self-produced third LP (or actually their fourth, if you also count the collaboration with De Kift, and why shouldn’t we). Not only the album title is more complex, the music is also a lot richer and more varied; it adds new maturity and a conceptual feel that pulls the extremes of their sound together. You will hear influences from a tour through Japan, but a listen is a journey in itself, a thrilling psyche-fueled journey with rhythmic kabuki modal mood swings, thunderstorms, digital beeps, traffic noise, and cacophonous reverb-drenched sound. I advise you to experience the album as a trip from start to finish, but the video below for the track A Trail Of Wind And Fire gives you a taste of what to expect.

Out now through Fire Records and (own label) Kurious Recordings.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Fire || Rats On Rafts

New album: Waltzer || Time Traveler

By / / Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

Waltzer is a project helmed by multi-hyphenate songwriter Sophie Sputnik. With such a great name, you don’t actually need a stage name, but that didn’t feel right. Waltzer may be a moniker, but it contains ever-evolving multitudes. It’s also a character, a persona, a songwriting collaboration unit, a one-woman project, a sketch-comedy routine, even a TV show. Let’s focus on the music here: Time Traveler is Waltzer’s debut full-length album, the end result of years of work (the song Destroyer is 10 years old). The LP takes some time to win you over, but is varied and engaging enough to give it a shot. Out now via Side Hustle Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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New single: Ma’aM || Cruisin All The Time / A Horse Is A Corpse

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

The tags on Ma’aM’s Bandcamp page include country, outlaw, cowpunk, and garage rock, leaving plenty of room to put their music in whatever corner you prefer. Wat I do know is this: Cruisin’ All the Time, the A-side to their latest single, has an earworm chorus that I don’t mind at all. Out now on a hand cut clear 7″ lathe record.


So I’ll get into my car and drive away // Cruisin up and down the highway // Thinkin’ about the things I shouldn’t say // And I’ll be quiet

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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