New album: Autumn Rhythm || Joy For Tomorrow

Autumn Rhythm are an indie rock four piece from New York who just dropped their sophomore full length Joy For Tomorrow. The record stays just shy of 30 minutes, and offers the kind of underground indie rock that harkens back to the days when punk bands started to display rock and emo tendencies. There is a touch of ’90s alt pop to the sound of Autumn Rhythm as well. Highly melodic, but also unpolished and with an edge, Joy For Tomorrow offers much to enjoy. RIYL: Liquid Mike, Samiam, The Promise Ring, The Appleseed Cast.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Paint Fumes || Real Romancer

The simple fact that Paint Fumes are still a recording and performing band in the year 2023 is nothing short of a miracle. The band’s backstory includes several emergency room visits, a near death experience, stolen gear and being in the wrong place at the wrong time (i.e., being in Italy when the COVID pandemic hit). For more on the unlikely route to Paint Fumes new LP Real Romancer, read this interview with Elijah von Cramon by S.W. Lauden.

But let’s focus on the music. What stands out with Real Romancer is that Paint Fumes has never sounded this catchy. You’ve got to hand it to Dig! Records and Bachelor for releasing arguably two of the finest powerpop records of 2023 just a month or so apart. The other record I am referring to is The Whiffs’ latest LP Scratch ‘N’ Sniff of course. And while The Whiffs and Paint Fumes have always operated in different corners of punky and hooky guitar pop universe, they have never sounded this close – although both bands’s take on the Stiff Records logo for the album art of their respective records If It Ain’t Paint Fumes It Ain’t Worth A Huff (2016), and Take A Whiff! (2017) should have been an indication that they share strings of DNA. Anyhow, Real Romancer is prime quality power pop. I’m always on the lookout to discover songs like Callin’ Out, Book Of Love, Starting Over and Can’t Stand It. But honestly, all of Real Romancer is essential listening. Rock-‘n’-roll is alive and kicking, and so are Paint Fumes.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: Robocop Kraus || Smile

If you were to listen to the 13 songs on their new full-length Smile without knowing any better, you might think that Robocop Kraus are a bunch of young dogs, sounding so eager and energetic. However, the German indie rock/post-punk outfit started back in 1998, and this is their first fresh LP in 15 years. Perhaps that hiatus explains the sense of urgency, but also the wealth of ideas, styles, themes, influences and instruments. The music is dynamic but also somewhat dark, the lyrics are introspective and lighter, even humorous at times. Highlights galore – for example watch the entertaining videos, or listen to Cradle of Filth (about an event with the UK metal band on the night train to Saint Petersburg). This is a powerful and haunting rock record, much more than Innocent Fun. A welcome and strong comeback.

Smile, produced by Jan Philipp Janzen, is out now on CD and vinyl LP through Tapete Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Tapete

New album: Patches || Scenic Route

A year after their debut LP Tales We Heard From the Fields, Austin, Texas trio Patches return with eleven new works of lo-fi art, fittingly brought together as a Scenic Route. The music of Evan Seurkamp (vocals, guitar), Aaron Griffin (guitar, percussion) and RKC (bass, melodica, backing vocals) is basically homemade jangle pop, with influences of post-punk and new wave interwoven. It’s again clever, original and captivating guitar melodies that take center stage, just as complex than on their previous album – as if an extra layer has been added to the sweet and sour songs that unsettles them but also makes them more intriguing – but a little more controlled and understated. Listening as an adventure.


Scenic Route is out now digitally. Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: NOT || Stop The World

For once, I can safely take out the “You’ll love this if you are a fan of X” card. In fact, NOT states the following: “So many musicians have unapologetically paid tribute to bands like The Ramones or The Clash… It’s about time someone did the same for ALL.” And what a tribute this is. NOT sounds so eerily close to All on their debut LP Stop The World, it’s almost like Bill Stevenson, Stephen Egerton and Karl Alvarez found a new singer for All. But no, NOT is Davey Warsop (Beat Union, Suedehead and Sharp/Shock, producer/engineer for Green Day, Bad Cop Bad Cop and Face To Face), Brendan Scholz, Jarred Cooper (both members of Mercy Music) and Kyle Whitmore – four dudes who clearly had a blast channeling their inner Chad, Bill, Stephen and Karl for this record.

It’s quite straightforward, you’ll love this LP if you love All. I am a huge All fan and NOT is putting a huge smile on my face. Stop The World is out now through Brassneck, Wiretap and Waterslide.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: Tatxers || Tatxers

When you press play on the self-titled album by Tatxers (Pamplona, Spain) on Bandcamp, a song called Labanak starts playing. From the get go, it’s impossible not to think of the Clash’s London Calling. The song invited further inspection of the band’s latest release. And, I sure like what I’m hearing. Tatxers have an accessible sound that incorporates elements from punk, new wave, jangle, surf pop, noise and underground pop. They write upbeat tunes with a heart and soul, sung with conviction, and with the bass taking a prominent spot in the songs.

Tatxers is out now through Flexidiscos and Tough Ain’t Enough Records.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Flexidiscos

New album: Cindy || Why Not Now?

Friday is a biased release day, isn’t it? I don’t have the data, but I believe at the dawn of their weekend, the TGIF crowd prefers releases that are loud and exciting over quiet and subtle records. That automatically puts Cindy’s fourth record Why Not Now? at a disadvantage. The dreamy and hazy pop songs of Karina Gill are probably best suited for rainy commutes, lazy Sunday mornings or walks in nature.

The press release describes the new LP as a “muffled street symphony inside a passing daydream.” It’s a perfect description of a record that lets you discover new sounds and instruments with each play. Most of the songs on Why Not Now? are quiet, reflective and subdued. The more extraverted Et Surtout and Earthly Belonging are the exceptions.  For me, those two songs provided a gateway to the rest of the album. It made me discover a song like Wednesday, which use of city sounds elicits an eery, mesmerizing feel. The song is followed by a lo-fi organ in A Trumpet On The Hillside, a dreamy slow burner of a song. Memorable sequences like this are abundant on the album.

Why Not Now? is out today on red or white vinyl through Mt. St. Mtn and Tough Love. On the record, Gill is supported by keyboardist Aaron Diko on Why Not Now? Many familiar faces on this blog (members of Flowertown, Telephone Numbers, Sad Eyed Beatniks and other) contributed as well. It’s may not be a TGIF record, but it sure is special.




Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: The Biarritz Boys || Inside Clean Waves

Although Dutch surf collective The Biarritz Boys play live quite often, this is only their second full-length album in their twenty-year existence, that started on the beaches of Biarritz at the time. More than ten years after Come And Enjoy The Hip Slick Super Sexy And Ultra​-​Violent Surf Sound (the four band members may not be modest, but they do have a good sense of humor), they returned to the studio for what has become Inside Clean Waves. Jasper Konijnenbelt aka JapStar (guitar), Miel Hummelink aka O’Miel (guitar), Merijn Coert aka El Merino (bass) and Jeroen Arts aka Ajoen Jeroen (drums) deliver eleven new party tunes, eleven times a sunny and danceable three minutes in the tradition of the groundbreaking tunes of the pioneers of the 60s. You’re up for reverb-drenched instrumentals as they should be, energetic and exciting.



Inside Clean Waves is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP through Surf Cookie Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: Alex Kasznel & the Board of Directors || Landlocked

I’ve been chewing on this one for a few weeks now, and I’m not exactly sure why, but the debut single of Alex Kasznel & the Board of Directors from Cincinnati, Ohio continues to fascinate me. Landlocked is a heartfelt lamentation about contemporary America (“If there’s a reason I should stay // You’re gonna have to show me”), sung poetry with sparse musical accompaniment that could erupt at any moment (which it doesn’t). Victoria is a guitar-driven indie rock track about more personal love and heartbreak, with equally clever lyrics (“Tori, you’re always haunting me // Can’t get you to fade from memory”). Goosebumps, right?


Landlocked is out now digitally and on CD through Air Quotes Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: Chime School || Coming To Your Town

Life can be hectic, the demands of modern society daunting, etcetera. Henceforth, we have a huge relaxation economy to help people unwind. People do yoga, go swimming, use meditation apps, go to spa’s and the likes. If you are one of these people, I have the following question. Have you tried Chime School?

Chime School (Andy Pastalaniec) is from the fertile indie pop fields of the Bay Area. As soon as I play Chime School’s music, I feel my ears relax from all the abuse I put them through on a daily basis. The jangly guitars help to settle any imbalances, relax my nerve system. Listen to Coming To Your Town, the A-side of their new 7″ single for Slumberland, Meritorio and Fastcut Records for example. This is the good stuff right? Don’t think to much about the lyrics of the song or the context in which it was written – okay, if you really want to know, it’s about the breakdown of civil society and was written while sick with Covid. Skip that, just listen to the music, breathe. Or what about the flipside Love You More. Sounds familiar huh? It’s a Buzzcocks song! When one of your favorite indie pop bands starts to cover Buzzcocks, what more proof do you need that things could be much much worse right now? The cover was originally released on an Oakland Weekender Buzzcocks covers cassette that apparently exists and I need to hear ASAP.

But for now, relax, breathe. Play Chime School. Repeat. You’ll be alright.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

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