Weekly Shoegaze / Dreampop / Psychedelic / Indie Tips – MARCH 2024 – #10-24
PICKS OF THE WEEK:
- Oakland, CA power pop /bubblegum mod pop band Lunchbox “Dinner for Two” from the upcoming LP “Pop and Circumstance” [Slumberland Records]
Oakland, CA three-decade mainstays Lunchbox further broad their multifaceted sound palette pulled from both sides of the Atlantic, crammed full of striking refined pop stylings. The first “bubblegum Mod Power Pop” single deals with a romantic breakdown to trigger a vibrant and glaring rollercoaster ride of rolling clashing drums, warm limber rubbery basslines, tinny guitar riffs, swirling glittering loungey keyboard spirals and a groovy echoing array of sharp brass blows, to overwhelm restless dreamy male-female vocals, layered with eager soulful back-ups, with feelings of regret and loss in a push and pull of electrifying pop emotions.
- Calgary, Alberta post-punk /shoegaze trio HEAVYDIVE “Neon Ivy” single
Canadian power trio returns after a long break with a less distorted, more moody and atmospheric effect-laden guitar sound bordering the epic sparkling Post-Punk soundscaping of Interpol to flow over a pulsing and droning rhythmic section, whilst both piercing and sparkling, swirling sad guitar melodies echo angsty melancholic vocals with disconnected misty visions seen through ‘magenta eyes.’
- Limerick, Ireland post-hardcore /emo /slowcore trio Casavettes “Cois Farraige” 2-track single
For well over 3 years, the Irish post-hardcore band is back with its typically soft/loud slowcore and emo guitar-laden sound firmly rooted in the 90s, ceaselessly poised between contemplative vibrant enchantment and sudden cathartic bursts of tension. Immersive and introspective the song drives sharp glistening poignant arpeggios that obsessively weave meandering pain through a humming vibrant bed of stumbling drum beats and trembling resonant bass lines, whilst a tight anticipation of insistent tinny riffs and strained heartfelt vocals, waiting to be found, warmly rise above in crashing, distorted and tumbling swells of dim lit hope.
- Winterthur, Switzerland 60s/70s soundtrack /Hammond /prog /soul /fuzz psych rock band Men From S.P.E.C.T.R.E. “La Séance” from the vinyl 12″ 5th album “Magnetic Sunshine” [Library Of The Occult]
- London, UK Balearic /fusion /jazz-funk /psych /soul /breakbeat duo Joe Nicklin and Joe Martin, aka Lawne “Heather’s Leather” second single off Lawne’s debut album via Wah Wah 45s.
- New Delhi-based band jazz /bossanova /indie rock solo project Green Park “Dulcet Tones” single
- English ambient /electronic /progressive /dream folk singer-songwriter Jo Beth Young “Ockham’s Razor” from the LP “Broken Spells”
- London-based Irish ambient /ethereal /folk /electronic artist, musician and producer Constance Keane, aka Fears “Cliff ft Aga Ujma” from the upcoming LP “Affinity” [TULLE]
- Parisian bedroom pop/ambient /leftfield /hypnagogic /synth-pop artist (part of Simple Music Experience collective), Helen Island “The Mirror Dance” off the debut album “Last Liasse” [Knekelhuis]
- Montreal, Québec ambient /dream pop /ethereal /dark folk artist Anna Arrobas “Shutterhand” off of the EP “Undine”
- Philadelphia, PA ambient /dream pop /shoegaze one-man band DRAMAMINE “Dilated” off of the EP “When the Time Comes”
- Berlin-based indie rock /psychedelic /shoegaze solo project of Luis Mora, aka Valvo “Lost Futures” title track of the upcoming debut album via Quantica Records
- Canadian/French collaboration between Montreal‘s indie rock /dream-pop trio and Parisian pop artist, Grand Eugène & Dani Terreur “Les Heures” single [Delicieuse Records]
- London, UK space surf band Japanese Television “Golden Birds” from the upcoming album ”Automata Exotica” [Tip Top Recordings]
- Liverpool, UK art pop /psych /dreampop /indie pop /electro-pop artist Seagoth – “Internet Cafe” from the debut LP “How To Stay Wide Awake” [Bytes]
- Adelaide, Australia dream pop /shoegaze /post-punk /new wave /post-punk act Air Belgrade “Progression” from the CD debut album “Mutually Assured Destruction” via Too Good To Be True
- Madrid, Spain indie pop artist MARINITA PRECARIA “Momento Decisivo” 3rd single from upcoming debut album [Elefant Records]
- Munich, Germany indie /dream pop solo project Phantom Youth “2 to 3” single [Spirit Goth Records]
- NYC/Berlin experimental electronic pop project of musician and multimedia artist JJ Weihl (of Berlin’s Fenster), aka Discovery Zone “Mall of Luv” off the second “Quantum Web” LP [RVNG Intl.]
- Sacramento, CA new wave /dream /power /jangle /indie pop band (former members of Baby Grand, The English Singles, and Plastic Shoelaces), Arts & Leisure “Night Garden [SeaLab Mix by Coral Star]” from “Night Garden” [EP]
- Adelaide, Australian indie /new wave /synth-pop project New Labour “Turn” single
- Los Angeles folk surf rock /psych beach pop band led by frontman Darren Rademaker, The Tyde “Heal Thyself” from the 5th full-length “Season 5” [Spiritual Pajamas]
- Rochester, UK based psych chamber pop songwriter David Goggin (formerly of Medway pysch-pop outfit Brigadier Ambrose), aka Little Storping In The Swuff “Prickly David” off upcoming debut album “Baroque Anxieties” [Spinout Nuggets]
- Sheffield, UK jangle /indie pop alias of Liam Marsh (one half of Fine), Kid Chameleon “I Know (i know)” (ft. Alice Kat ) from “In Pursuit Of The Cedars (IV)” LP
- Melbourne-based garage pop/indie rock band formed in the early 90s, Tender Engines “3 Cheers” from “Cynara Canyon” EP
- Boston, UK jangle /dream pop /indie rock singer-songwriter Alice Katugampola (one half of Fine), aka Alice Kat “Sun Goes Down” from the LP “Around The World & Back To You” CD via Subjangle
- Ottawa, Ontario indie folk pop band led by Hannah Judge, aka fanclubwallet “Easy” from upcoming debut EP “Our bodies paint traffic lines”
- Boston, MA dream pop /shoegaze /psychedelic band led by Reuben Bettsak, aka Emerald Comets “Lost Books” single
- Mexico City shoegaze /psych-rock band THE LSDAYS “ECHO” from “BLUE – ECHO” single
- Clare, Australia indie jangle noise pop trio The Boltons “Over The Garden Wall” single
- Swedish early 00s formed jangly indie-pop duo The Marching Band “Bad Times” from upcoming 5th LP “Is It Too Sharp?”
- Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK lo-fi C86 /post-punk /twee /indie pop DIY songwriter-musician Daniel McGee, aka Zenxith “The Girl Who Waved At Trains” 25th and 1st single from the upcoming CD album “Cooling Tower” [Salt Mine Records]
- Brighton And Hove, UK 2002 formed, C86 /jangle indie pop trio Assistant “Added Up” from upcoming “Added Up” E.P
- Adelaide, Australian indie /new wave /synth-pop project New Labour “Your Beautiful Hatred” from the CD compilation “Shall We Pray, Dear?” all recorded material from the band formation to November 2023 [Too Good To Be True]
- Chicago, IL noise pop /grunge /indie rock solo project of singer and multi-instrumentalist Austin Smith, aka Honeysick – “Weekend” single
- Jerusalem, Israel 3-piece dream pop /surf psych rock band Rasco “Layla” from the upcoming LP “Dmaot” [Batov Records]
- Manchester-based garage /indie pop band (members of Unpaid Intern, the Hipshakes, Jeuce and the Early Mornings), Oort Clod “Car Talk” from the upcoming LP “Cult Value” via Safe Suburban Home (UK) and Repeating Cloud (US)
- Pembroke, Ontario alt-rock /psych /shoegaze /indie rock brainchild of multi-instrumentalist/ producer Jordon Zadorozny, aka Blinker The Star “Doomgazers” single
- Late 80s/early 90s New York‘s noise /indie rock band Love Child “Sleepyhead” (1992) from the retrospective collection album “Never Meant To Be” [1988–1993] LP 12″ [12XU]
- New York indie rock band led by guitarist-singer-songwriter John Ross, Wild Pink “Air Drumming Fix You” single [Fire Talk Records]
- New York experimental artist, musician and producer and founding member & bassist of Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon “Psychedelic Orgasm” from the album “The Collective” [Matador Records]
- Margate, UK improv minimal psych rock trio SPUME “One Of The Man” from the cassette “Demos” EP [AWKWARDNESS HAPPENING]
- Liverpool‘s 90s indie rock band PLAYHOUSE “Dolye” from the album “Dynamo” [God Unknown Records]
- Swedish 4-piece shoegaze /indie rock band Great Hare “Gone Forever” new single
- New York garage /indie rock band Slow Fiction – “Monday” from “Crush” EP 12″ [So Young Records]
- Los Angeles indie rock band led by Ross Chait, aka Total Heat “State of the Art” from the single “State of the Art / I Can Hear Your Eyes” [Spirit Goth Records]
- Brisbane, Australia dreampop /indie rock /shoegaze band Blue Diner “Bearings” debut single
- French indie pop /dream pop solo venture led by novelist Franck Ruzé (vocalist of the Montpellier/Paris shoegaze band 40 Days Without Water), Object Image “Another Time” from the CD EP “Playful State” [Shore Dive Records]
- Dallas, TX 3-piece shoegaze /indie rock /noise pop /dream pop band Ultra Bloom “Velouria (Demo)” from debut “Demos” EP
- London-based shoegaze /dream-pop band of Miki Berenyi on vocals/guitar (Lush), Kevin ‘Moose’ McKillop on guitar (Moose) and Oliver Cherer (Gilroy Mere, Aircooled), Miki Berenyi Trio “Light From A Dead Star” (Lush Cover)
- Minneapolis, MN emo /indie rock /sadgaze trio Malamiko “Butterflies” from the upcoming cassette EP “All Pleasant Dreams” [Tern and Crow]
- Tokyo, Japan indie rock /sadcore duo Marie Louise “Glun la” from the sophomore EP “Glun la”
- Tokyo-based Japanese two-piece indie pop /dream-pop /shoegaze band, OEIL “Myrtle” from “Dream Within a Dream” album
- Sidney-based indie pop /slowcore /shoegaze /dream pop 5-piece band Ultracrush “Heat (ft. Ella Mosley)” single
- Melbourne-based indie rock /dreampop band Keaper “The Painting” from the album “Waking Dream”
- London-based Anglo/Singaporean 4-piece indie rock /dream pop /shoegaze band Coming Up Roses “Back The Way We Came” 2nd single from the upcoming third S/T EP
- Bali, Indonesia dream pop /shoegazing unit Dive Collate “Tulip” single from upcoming EP [Anoa Records]
- Mexican post-rock /dream-pop /shoegaze quintet based in Villahermosa, Lasitud “Déjame Entrar” single
- German indie rock /noise /grunge-pop band led by singer and songwriter Anna Olivia Böke, aka SLOE NOON “Don’t Let It Drive The Car” single [Dalliance Records]
- SF Bay Area indie rock /shoegaze /textural pop group Torrey – “Slow Blues” from the self-titled sophomore album [Slumberland Records]
- Japanese alt /noise pop /indie rock /shoegaze solo project Kinoue64 – “Transparent Future” from the album “The Time Machine School”
- Houston, TX dreampop /shoegaze band Ozurie “Pine” from the first “Nowhere To Be Found At All” EP
- Philadelphia, PA jangly /noise /shoegaze band They Are Gutting A Body Of Water “Krillin” single
- Berlin-based noise rock /grunge /shoegaze band YEAHRS – “Human Tragedy” from the debut LP “Spiritual Sickness”
- Cebu City, Philippines noise rock /shoegaze band Folding Bed “Down the Drain” from “Singles” LP collection
- Brooklyn, NY psych /indie rock /shoegaze trio Phantom Wave “Spiraling” single
- San Diego, CA emo /indie rock /shoegaze trio Home View “Take Care” from “Hold Your Secrets” EP
- Wellington, NZ 4-piece shoegaze /dreampop band Libbianski “Pity Platter” single
- Norfolk, VA 3-piece slowcore /shoegaze band, GONE. “Pain” from the cassette album “Poor You” [Candlepin Records]
- Melbourne, Australia alt-rock /post-punk /post-rock /shoegaze trio SLOMO “Pale Lights” from the LP “Light Pollution”
- Bangkok, Thailand based alt-rock /dreampop /shoegaze band Slowwves “Anywhere Else” debut single
- Swedish mid-90s formed, alternative /post-punk /shoegaze band Loom “Slow-Motion” from “Eternal Aphelium” E.P.
- San Diego, CA emo /shoegaze /indie rock trio Home View “Not Too Soon” from the cassette “Hold Your Secrets” EP [Forever Ending Records]
- Madison, Wisconsin post-punk /grungegaze trio of Bobby Hussy (The Hussy, Cave Curse, Wristwatch), Tyler Spatz (Cave Curse, Wristwatch) and Hart Miller (Tenement, Wartorn), Whippets “Toes” from the upcoming self-titled album [No Coast]
- Besançon, France indie rock /power pop /garage punk band Contractions – “Liesse” from upcoming SAVAK / CONTRACTIONS split EP 12″ [echo canyon]
- Brisbane, Australia post-punk /shoegaze /indie rock duo Western Freeway “Happiness is the Best Revenge” single
- NYC homespun lo-fi experimental /kosmische /art-punk band Slender “Up In The Air” from “Learn To Die” album [Digital Regress Records]
- Japan shoegaze /post-rock solo project 彼は誰時 / Kahataredoki – 銀色 – from the third EP 風花 [Earth Tears Records]
- Dutch indie rock band from Tilburg, NORE “Alive and Well” single [AudioSport Records]
- New York lo-fi /indie rock DIY solo project (of NEVERHOME band), Notbrian “Girl Next Door” two-track single [BIRTHDIY]
- Brighton, UK-based indie rock /new wave /art rock artist Ellis Dickson, aka ELLiS·D “Humdrum” single [Crafting Room Recordings]
- London, UK garage rock /alt-rock /noise /grunge duo Fräulein “Feels Like Flying (Day)” off “Feels Like Flying” single, the closing track off upcoming debut mini-album, “Sink or Swim”
- California doo wop /guitar rock /indie rock quartet La Luz “Strange World” from the upcoming LP “News of the Universe” [Sub Pop]
- Berlin-based indie rock trio Meagre Martin “Malcolm” single [Mansions and Millions]
- Zürich, Switzerland indie rock /psychedelic rock 4-piece Annie Taylor “Push Me” single [Taxi Gauche Records]
- Philadelphia-based jangly /power pop band led by vocalist Frank Brown, aka Buzz Zeemer “Make You Feel Better” from the upcoming “LOST AND FOUND DELUXE EDITION” LP
- Los Angeles noise pop/power pop band formed in 1994, Shufflepuck “Where The Hell Is She?” the lead single from upcoming LP “Generation Blue” via Big Stir Records and SpyderPop Records
- New Jersey-based proto-punk /space rock /no wave /psychedelic Philly‘s duo of former Purling Hiss bassist Daniel Provenzano & Ecstatic Vision sax-player & vocalist Kevin Nickles, aka Writhing Squares “Barbarians” from the fourth album “Mythology” [Trouble In Mind Records]
- Leeds, UK 4-piece indie /pop post-punk band Crumbs “You’re Just Jealous” title track of the upcoming LP “You’re Just Jealous” [Skep Wax]
- Wales‘ Primitive Surf-Punk Twang / Garage Rock n Roll band The Bumtones – “I’m Gone” from ‘There’s Something Wrong With That Boy’ (+ Issue 8- RPB! Fanzine) CD+Fanzine via Raving Pop Blast! Recordings
- 60s cult Spanish soul /garage rock band SHELLY Y NUEVA GENERACIÓN “Vestido Azul” (Nonato Buzar cover) from “VESTIDO AZUL / I’M JUST A FOOL” 7″ single reissue [Munster Records]
- Hastings, UK proto-punk garage band Thee Headshrinkers – “The Wild Things” from V/A “Freak Yer Ears Out! (The Best Of Rebels Volume 5)” vinyl 12″/CD compilation series via Raving Pop Blast! Recordings
- Los Angeles indie folk musician (Feist, and Art Feynman), Rose Droll “With Strangers” title track of the album “With Strangers”
- Indie rock /folk solo project of New York singer-songwriter and poet Alexandra Antonopoulos, aka Honeycrush “Mercury” from the EP “The Drowning Room”
- Middlesbrough, UK baroque pop /acoustic folk singer-songwriter Amelia Coburn “When The Tide Rolls In” from the debut LP “Between The Moon and The Milkman”
- Toronto, Ontario new age /acoustic /fingerstyle /folk guitarist Derrick Anthony Vella “Private Eye On the Commune” from the album ” I Hardly Knew Me”
- Veteran UK 60s /Soul /R’n’B /Latin Jazz/Funk /Bongo-Hammond-Fuzz fusion band since ’98, Big Boss Man “Das Freak (Extended)” from the 5th album “Bossin’ Around” [Spinout Nuggets]