Welsh quartet Kidsmoke may have taken their name from a Wilco song (maybe?) but other than a lazy affable strum and an affinity for melody, these four from across the Atlantic make music that is much sunnier, breezier and indie-pop centric. There’s a refreshing simplicity and economy to their songwriting as hooky guitar lines ring out across jangly chords and vocals that bind it all … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Kidsmoke – Passenger
Math-rock, post-rock, call it what you will… The 90s and 00s were a goldmine for this kind of music. Knotty guitars wrestling and dancing in weird shapes, time signatures playing hopscotch and for the most part no vocals. From Slint, Pan Am and Tortoise through to Isis and Pelican the range of sonic detail and emotional outpouring and impact ran the gamut of intensity. Unwed … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Unwed Sailor – Ovid
Theory Of Why is a studio collaboration project between Anton Kropp and Julia Nova who met as college radio DJ’s at the University Of Maryland WMUC station where they continued to write and play music long after college, not stopping after they went separate ways. ‘Wrapped Up In Snow’ comes from their self-titled debut album and has a mix of Breeder’s 90s rock sounds and a … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Theory Of Why – Wrapped Up In Snow
Jackmann is the stage name of Kris Schroeder of The Basics and ‘The Wolf & The Hare’ is the first single from his forthcoming LP Low Key. He mentions Warren Zevon as an influence and was one of the first reference points that came to mind on this track. That backbeat, the clipped chop of the rhythm and the vocal sound all combine to produce … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Jackmann – The Wolf & The Hare
Malmö, Sweden duo (Ebba and Michel) Wy are set to released their second LP Softie, at the end of April and this is the title track, a swelling swoon of a song that takes in pop angst, dream-pop swirl and an indie aesthetic. At various times it reminds us of Siouxsie Sioux and Anna Calvi singing the music of Cocteau Twins. It’s emotional and passionate … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Wy – Softie
‘Money From Home’ is the latest single from Gaswegian group Acrylic and what we like about his piece of indie rock is how it dials into a shadowy post-punk melancholy while still retaining a lightness and grace on the surface. You can hear shades of The National, and Midlake in the harmonies and sparkling, interwoven guitars. It’s a sophisticated sound and one that really gets … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Acrylic – Money From Home
‘Exile’ is the new single from Icelandic/Russian psychedelic group Pale Moon and it finds them weaving some damn fine guitar melodies through a pop hook landscape and chiming indie rock chords. The catchy and beguiling track comes from their forthcoming new EP Dust Of Days. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Pale Moon – Exile
A sultry slice of indie pop/rock this afternoon from American trio Kerchief. They’ve just released their debut album Fluke and ‘Til The End’ is a great example of the way they subtly approach shimmering and sparkling guitars, softly unfurling melodies and a danceable element that gets under the skin. We’re hearing Jen Cloher and Placebo as possible influences on their sound. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Kerchief – Til The End
‘TSINA’ has an unsettling start, it feels off kilter and slightly disorientating. Then things fall into place as guitars drench the song in warm and fuzzy distortion. There’s a really nice blend of styles going on in Bollard’s music. Part, jangly rock, part post-rock and post-punk deconstruction and the verve and carefree noise of 90s rock pioneered by bands like Swervedriver and Sonic Youth. The … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Bollard – TSINA
There’s a strong LCD Soundsystem sound on this track from the Chicago band Engine Summer. It comes from their recently released EP Indiana. There’s more than just that particular influence going on here though. Bits of post-rock and post-punk are built into the DNA. Skronking guitar notes warble and scatter and the groove is of the utmost importance, much as it is with other contemporary … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Engine Summer – Outside The Curtain
Last year we posted Mantell‘s single ‘Lulu’ and now they’ve gone and upped the ante with this excellent new single ‘Can I Set It Right’. The tempo is brisk and breezy with cascading guitar melodies over a lazy and choppy Strokes-ish rhythm. The chorus is totally theirs even if it sounds like one of those eternally familiar, catchy indie rock refrains. Since their last single … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Mantell – Can I Set It Right
The tumbling drums were the first thing that caught my ear on this track. A rhythmic collapse into the song as it takes flight on guitars that chime and cascade in shoegaze waves. The vocals are detached, afterthoughts almost. Certainly not central but casually integral to the song as the bassline sways with a dead-eyed swagger and another crashing chorus careens around the corner. Great … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Superego – Loose
Doubtful Sounds 