Single: Tennis Courts – Vanessa Carlton
Brooklyn-based Tennis Courts hit the motherlode on this driving, emotive and evocative rocker.
Single
Single: Soda Grove – Last Penny
Anthemic, widescreen, energetic, heartfelt and musically ambitious, Last Penny expertly ticks a lot of boxes.
Single: Somewhere – Kehai
The solo project of Japanese singer-songwriter Saku, this folk piece is infinitely endearing, endlessly charming, and as honest as it gets.
Single: Das Bisschen Totschlag – time
A brave, creative, cinematic fusion of components resulting in something that feels comfortingly familiar but also remarkably fresh and fiercely individualistic.
Single: Lana Leone – Paper Cranes
Deeply romantic “Paper Cranes” is full of ecstasy and delight while channeling Lana Leone’s dark shoegaze sound.
Single: Sea of Days – Ignite
There’s a slow-burning production in the verse, but then the chorus becomes like a cathartic experience. With a thrilling soundscape, my brain felt the warm embrace of several great throwback acts from the 90s.
Single: Wealthy Jane – Judy Wept
Ripping emo riffs and gut-wrenching lyrics from this New York band’s debut single may leave you in tears
Single: Red Langur – Crawl
Red Langur distills pop perfection and tragic self-awareness into three minutes that crawl underneath your skin.
Single: Paper Sister – Dreamy
The title defines the song: Glassy, liquid textures with a gentle blur around the edges make Paper Sister’s new single sing.
Single: Libby Ember – News At The Party
A finely balanced assortment of instruments accompany a tragic tune about dealing with heartbreak in a crowded room.
Single: Feverishh – Empty World
Slow, thick and very, very loud, the new tune from Feverishh is not here to fuck around. Dedicate four and a half minutes of your time and there will be no doubt.
Single: St.Arnaud – Midwest Superstardom
Delectable slide guitar smothers this song like dripping hot fudge on your Midwestern summer evening sundae treat.
Single: Andronoids – In The End
Catchy vocals, at once raw and diffuse, ride a hazy wash of jangle and grit in this instant classic banger that dares the listener to remain immobile, knowing full well that it’s already won the wager.
Single: Piner – Odelia
Piner is a wonderful addition to the women-led singer-songwriter golden age, and “Odelia” is worth many repeat plays.
Single: Rosier – Plus d’aimis (feat. Safia Nolin)
From the first three seconds of that dissonant paralysis-demon chording, we know we’re in trouble.
Single: Bleary – Bug
Bug is so goddamn catchy I’m tempted to object to it being called shoegaze.
Single: Andreas Grundel – Lydia
Nearly twelve years later, Andreas Grundel’s dreamy single gets new life to transcend new listeners
Single: Heimat – All the Things I Could Have Done
The chorused guitar, the heavy drums, the slow groove; it induces swaying, and it’s a hell of an earworm.
Single: Alice Mary – Spiral
Bred during lockdown, Spiral is a tense, bewitching, introspective analysis of loneliness and anxiety and what can happen when we’re alone for too long.
Single: Moody Moody – Versions
“Versions” is an evolving piece full of unexpected buried treasures, so pay attention till the end.