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New album: Henrik Appel || Humanity

By Dennis / January 10, 2021 / Indie Rock / 1 Comment

Swedish musician Henrik Appel played in the bands Martin Savage Gang and Lion’s Den and released his first solo record Burning Bodies in 2018. Now there is the strong successor Humanity, guitar music that automatically moves your feet. The LP evokes all kinds of associations and influences without being able to pinpoint exactly which ones (does the artist’s pleasant sneering voice sometimes really remind me of Noel Gallagher?), but that makes it a captivating listening session. The album is out now through PNKSLM Recordings, both digitally and on vinyl.

<a href="https://henrikappel.bandcamp.com/album/humanity-lp">Humanity [LP] by Henrik Appel</a>

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || PNKSLM Store

New video: Johnny Ruiz & The Escapers || Stay

By Dennis / January 9, 2021 / Funk & Soul / Leave a Comment

This debut single by Johnny Ruiz & The Escapers offers a summery combination of sweet soul and rocksteady, but also a story of the harshest realities of saying goodbye after an evening of maximum joy. After the release of Stay through Bang! Riddims / Mango Hill Records in November 2020, a first and second run of vinyl 7″ singles quickly sold out, but as of today a video of the song by the American sextet is online. Frontman ‘El Diamante’ Johnny Ruiz behind the microphone in combination with atmospheric images from 11th Street Records and Chops Barbershop & Shave Parlor in Las Vegas. What’s not to like?

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: The Nettelles || Do You Believe In…

By Dennis / January 9, 2021 / Garage Rock / Leave a Comment

By now I thought I knew most of the last of the garage punk unknowns, but The Treez’s 60’s track You Lied To Me Before was new to me. Discovered thanks to a nice cover by the Scottish garage rock band The Nettelles on their debut album Do You Believe In …. – released last month through Back to Beat Records, both digital and on vinyl. The LP contains a few more covers, but most of them are own songs, all equally fun. The band members have been around for a while in different other bands, but this music is played with audible enthusiasm and enjoyment as if they had just started. I particularly enjoy the organ and the choirs. RIYL Thee Headcoatees, Have You Ever Seen the Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS?.

<a href="https://backtobeat.bandcamp.com/album/do-you-belive-in">Do You Belive In… by The Nettelles</a>

Add to wantlist: The Nettelles Shop || Bandcamp || Discogs

PS Very sad to read that the band’s co-founder / lead songwriter / vocalist / guitarist Clare Scrivener died of cancer way too young last August. All proceeds made from these record sales go to two charities: Maggie’s Center Edinburgh and Girls Rock School Edinburgh.

New album : Petite League || Joyrider

By Niek / January 8, 2021 / Indie Pop, Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

Petite League released Joyrider today, their fifth record in six years. I enjoyed their previous outings, with their last one only just missing out on my 2019 AOTY list. New York Girls is still among my favorite songs of that year though. On Joyrider they have retained their distinct brand of catchy lo-fi indierock, but they are not afraid to try out new things and take the foot off the gas every now and then (pun not intended). Upon first listen I am intrigued by this one. So put it on, and while you’re at it, I recommend reading this sincere instagram post from Lorenzo of Petite League on creating the record. Let me finish with the band’s own introduction to the record: “Enjoy the ride! What else is there to do???”

<a href="https://petiteleague.bandcamp.com/album/joyrider">JOYRIDER by Petite League</a>
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Aaron Frazer || Introducing…

By Dennis / January 8, 2021 / Funk & Soul / Leave a Comment

American songwriter Aaron Frazer rose to fame as drummer with the golden voice behind Durand Jones. You can hear his falsetto on fan favorite Is It Any Wonder?, for example. Before that, he played and sang with the blues rock band Charlie Patton’s War, who made one – hard to find – album (Rock ‘N’ Roll House Party is on my wantlist for years; anyone have a copy available?). You can recognize him out of thousands in a video of an old street performance, but both his drumming and singing were a lot rougher then than nowadays. What a contrast to Introducing…, Aaron Frazer’s debut solo album, produced by Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach and recorded with a crew of heavy session players, including members of the Memphis Boys. The 12 new tracks offer a mix of classic soul, disco, gospel and doo-wop, all pretty smooth and radio / bedroom friendly. Introducing… is co-released today on Easy Eye Sound and Dead Oceans. It might be too slick for our taste, but it could just become a soul classic that you put next to your Curtis Mayfield and Smokey Robinson records.

<a href="https://aaronfrazermusic.bandcamp.com/album/introducing">Introducing… by Aaron Frazer</a>

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Aaron Frazer Store

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New album: Miracle Debt || Miracle Debt

By Niek / January 7, 2021 / Punk / Leave a Comment

Miracle Debt come from a long pedegree of bands from Minneapolis that incorparate classic rock elements into punkrock. Or vice versa, depending on your frame of reference. I’m referring to the Replacements of course, but also Hüsker Dü, the Hold Steady (/Lifter Puller), and more recently Lutheran Heat. Miracle Debt will self-release their self-titled debut next month, but the full album is already available on Bandcamp. The band reminds me of early Avail, and that’s a compliment.

<a href="https://miracledebt.bandcamp.com/album/self-titled">Self Titled by Miracle Debt</a>
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Billy Conquer || Garage Hits

By Dennis / January 6, 2021 / Indie Rock / Leave a Comment

Since 2021 is slow to get underway in terms of new releases, this is a last one that came out in 2020 (on the last day of it, so we can still call this new). In the spring Billy Conquer already made the track Covid – 19 (‘There’s a little virus coming out / I wanna tell you all about’), but the situation hasn’t improved much since then. And what do you do when you are quarantined together as a band for a while? Right, you drink cheap beer, smoke cigarettes, and make music (not necessarily in that order). Joined by Yoshinobu on organ / piano / synth, the American 3-piece wrote and recorded six new songs, with which they say they make the transition from 90s indie rock influences to the garage rock revival category. Garage Hits was mixed by Gordon Raphael, producer of The Strokes’ Is This it and Room on Fire. Listen below to my favorite track 1984, an ode to the 80s (‘What’s that sound / I want more’) with a delicious organ part.

<a href="https://billyconquer.bandcamp.com/album/garage-hits">Garage Hits by Billy Conquer</a>

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: The Morgus Creeps || Skin People

By Niek / January 4, 2021 / Garage Rock / Leave a Comment

Okay, enough with the 2020 reflections already. Time for the first 2021 release I am genuinely excited about: the Skin People EP by The Morgus Creeps. This UK band, who I guess are named after a 1964 horror single by Daringers, play a creepy kind of garage rock. The songs on this killer EP would fit perfectly on the garage compilations of Crypt! Records. For now, this appears to be a digital only release, available as a name-your-price download.

<a href="https://themorguscreeps.bandcamp.com/album/skin-people-ep">Skin People EP by The Morgus Creeps</a>

Add to Wantlist: Bandcamp

“Coolest song” of 2020: The Weeklings || 3

By Dennis / January 3, 2021 / Power Pop / Leave a Comment

One of my favorite “radio” shows is Little Steven’s Underground Garage, with which hero Steven Van Zandt makes an important contribution to keeping Rock ‘n’ Roll alive (I made a Spotify playlist with tracks I heard over there; if I don’t know what to listen anymore, this always offers good fun). Every week he plays the best rock and soul music of the past 60 years (Beatles, Stones, Byrds, Yardbirds, Crystals, Ramones, Springsteen, Who, Fleshtones, Kinks, Otis, …), but also new tunes from his own Wicked Cool Records and other labels . The Underground Garage listeners have once again been able to vote which of those new songs they consider the “Coolest Song in the World” of last year. At the top of the 2020 list is 3 from The Weeklings, an American supergroup performing Beatles covers and Beatles-inspired power-pop originals. Below you can see one of the three videos they made for the single (there is also a lyric video and a dance party version). Hey!

Add to wantlist: Discogs || The Weeklings Shop

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Looking Back || Niek’s Overlooked Records of 2020

By Niek / January 3, 2021 / Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Power Pop, Punk / 4 Comments

I’ve been checking out several 2020 AOTY lists in the past couple of weeks and have to admit: I missed a few. It happens, right? Perfection is overrated anyway. Here are 20+ releases from all kinds of musical directions that I either overlooked or was too quick to dismiss in 2020. They are on my wantlist now, that is all that matters. Click below to check them out. As always, I’ve included links to the purchasing locations for these releases. ICYMI also check out my favorite 2020 albums, singles and EPs, 2020 playlists and Dennis’ 2020 AOTY list. Happy new year!

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