Album: sam hirst – Defenseless, good
Made entirely by himself, the San Francisco-based multi-instrumentalists 8th album is a fine mixture of musical ambition and impressive singular vision.
Album
Album: The Summerlands – Bonfante Gardens Forever
In the new indie punk symphony, songwriter Grant Simmons ruminates on how to grapple with an increasingly inhospitable hometown and more unwelcoming world.
Album: Welcome Strawberry – desperate flowers / desperate flowers remixes
This rad groove is audaciously implanted into a mix of opposite aesthetics
Album: Annalies Tang – Annalies Tang
In January of 2024, Annalies Tang sprang out of nowhere to drop a 4-song ska
Album: Covent – Under the Changed Sun
The Leeds-based shoegaze trio takes their many years of experience melting faces on stage and transfers it into ten tracks that make up their debut LP.
Album: Baby Muffler – Birthday
A good twelve minutes of solid angst and attitude from Providence, recorded live to tape in keeping with true punk ethos.
Album: Rupit – NEU
NEU is a modern indie triumph which cements Rupit as a pioneer of his unique sound, thematically rich and lyrically impressive.
Album: Moon Void – The Gathering
Triangulate the aesthetics of Grouper, Skullcrusher, and Maria B.C., and you get something like the breathtaking new album “The Gathering” from Moon Void.
Album: NEIS – Doghouse
Rich in individuality and distinctiveness, this Sydney-based uncle and niece duo build worlds from their dark, singular sound. Worlds built of dirt, clay, soot and sludge.
Album: Josaleigh Pollett – If I Let It Quiet
On their fourth album, Pollett and long-time collaborator Jordan Watko reach out through time and space to craft a haunting and beautiful collection of music.
Album: Tugboat Captain – All at Once
It took nearly a decade and a rotating cast of collaborators for Tugboat Captain to find a nice equilibrium.
Album: theCrates – Things We’ve Done
Recorded and released track by track over the course of three years, the Toronto trio puts out their debut album, showcasing their brand of Canadian Americana.
Album: Lab Brats – Triskaidekaphobia
The debut album from the Boise ska punk band brings a fun ’90s sound that could fit on albums from Reel Big Fish or Blink-182, though it also touches on serious subjects.
Album: Soft Top – Gathering Dust
Soft Top’s new record Gathering Dust has set the new precedent for concept album scenarios. The Brighton-based septet have constructed a tightly wrapped story within these new songs, both particular and obscure. These songs immediately unfurl themselves into a rug of gentle rhythm and winding melody.
I Made Wildflower Booze from an Irish Meadow While Listening to JW Francis’s New Album: Magic River
I Made Dandelion Wine from an Irish Meadow While Listening to JW Francis
Album: The Royal Firecrackers – American Royal
These songs carry the torch of an earlier era in indie rock, one that leans heavily on ready-made guitar hooks and propulsive drums.
Album: Amber Days – On The Run
Formerly Alpha & The Van, the Montreal indie quartet releases their “debut” album under their new name, filled with nostalgia, funk, and finding inner peace.
Album: Kitty Kant Collective – Compilation Volume 2
Kitty Kant Collective’s second compilation is an inspiring example of the beautiful things that people can create when they work together.
Album: Marika Christine – Enjoy the Clouds
Featuring gorgeous arrangements around Marika’s melodic voice, the new album from the Bay Area songwriter is lush with nostalgia, but focused on the present.