CIRCLE JERKS x DESCENDENTS

When you’re scrolling through many emails trying to get caught up but also not miss anything and you come across “CIRCLE JERKS x DESCENDENTS release split cover EP today…” you stop everything you are doing and buy it and immediately, anxiously anticipate its arrival. The split EP is in honor of their co-headlining tour that …

Aesop Rock

Ian Matthias Bavitz, more commonly known as Aesop Rock, is a NYC native and a pillar in the underground hip-hop scene. He’s been making music and doing it in a way that’s sustainable and submented in legend for the way he has done it. His projects have dabbled in chart success over the past 20+ …

Torrey

Oakland band Torrey weaves the twelve tracks contained on their new self-titled album in, out, and through bits of shoegaze, indie pop, jangle pop, and rock. Creating an infectious 35 minutes of listening pleasure and a definite contender for album of the year. Check out “Bounce”, “Hawaii” and “Slow Blues” below for a taste. Torrey …

Porcine

If a shimmering, dreamy, jangly style of shoegaze is your thing, then the Barnsley, UK trio, Porcine, might be your new favorite band. They just released their third album via Safe Suburban Home and it is fantastic! Check out album opener “Stop The World” and “Time Never Moves” (below) for a taste. Porcine is out …

FEN FEN

Detroit’s FEN FEN are near and dear to me. They are one of the first bands I played on my Sunday night radio show, The Virus on Radio 3hive (shameless plug). They released an incredible self-titled EP in late 2022 and are now releasing their debut long-player, National Threat, in May via Sweet Time Records. …

SNõõPER

Remember 2013? 10+ years ago, a Northwest Indiana band started something odd, catchy, edgy and wacky in a stick-it-to-the-man type of way. Egg Punk, ever heard of it?  If you have, you can thank Egg Punk legends The Coneheads for the birth of this odd subgenre of punk that features cheap synths, frantic drum machines, …

OSEES

With each new OSEES album there are always two questions: 1) Will they change the spelling of their name again? 2) What musical genre pairing will John Dwyer make you fall in love with this time?  With Intercepted Message, they stick with the OSEES name as they have on their last three albums (they’ve gone …

The Umbrellas

San Francisco’s The Umbrellas are back with their sophomore effort “fairweather friend” and 10 more tracks of pop perfection — shimmering, jangly, edgy, power-pop perfection. These words are not hyperbole either, this album is flawless. It’s impossible to highlight a track or two, so I’ll take the easy way out and post the singles below. …

Double Life

Los Angeles duo Double Life are channeling all the goods from 90’s post-hardcore, including powerful, groove-heavy drums, spacey vocals, chunky bass lines, and fuzzed-out guitar. Their first single and title track, “Indifferent Stars” (below), reminds me of bands like Jawbox and Failure with a bit of “Seven”-era Sunny Day Real Estate-like ferocity. Double Life’s self-released, …

Feeling Figures

Montreal’s Feeling Figures touch about every “indie” genre on their debut long-player, Migration Magic, which is out now on K/perennialdeath. There’s garage punk (“Dream Death”), jangle pop (“Across The Line”), the noisy Sonic Youth-ish “Sink”, and even a saloon-style piano ballad (“I Should Tell You”). Not to mention that every song is covered in an …