WL//WH Weekly Shoegaze // Dreampop // Psychedelic // Indie Tips

• Los Angeles-based 4-piece alternative rock /grunge /shoegaze band Bad Light “Stuck on Letting Go,” first excerpt from the new EP “Mortal Wounds”                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Los Angeles four-piece already grabbed our attention a couple of years ago through a mesmerizing introspective fusion of misty shoegaze leanings and noisy alternative rock energy laced with melancholic and bitter edges.  In the first single from the upcoming EP, “Stuck on Letting Go,” downhearted spoken words brood amidst waves of sparkling arpeggios, heavily distorted, abrasive textures with airy and reflective tones, crested with excruciating, searing leads and dire high-pitched spirals, turning to aching emotions of anxiety, fear, and anger.

• Toulouse, France indie /jangle pop band (former or active members of Cotton Aerials, Noir Audio, No Drama and Docks), Vemberlain “Your Memory Has Been Magnetised” off “Your Memory Has Been Magnetised / Candle Wick Without the Wax” 2-track 7″ single [Hidden Bay Records]

The indie pop unit from the South of France returns with their distinctive crunchy brand of guitar pop that combines a sparkling melodic vein with anxiety-filled guitar textures. The moody opening sparks with tight drum patterns and snaky warm bass lines that underline the vibrant tonal twists and turns of the guitars that range restlessly in and out of each other’s way from discordant and edgy chimey riffs, building into swelling chopped strains, to smoothly calm strums, in sync with layers of mercurial vocals, exploring the fleeting images showing up inside his mind. The flip deploys clean, crispier jangly riffs à la early Feelies, carefree bright melodies and singalong chorus to beautifully complement the whole.

• Austin, TX-based folk /indie rock singer-songwriter Jo Alice “When I Speak” single
  

While we don’t usually highlight singer-songwriters, even though we have in the past, we never fail to listen to new emerging voices, and this week, between the pure folksters Holly Throsby and Maisy Owen and the more rocking Jo Alice in question, it was particularly rich and satisfying. The multi-ethnic Austin-based, Portuguese-born Jo Alice magnetically combines a striking guitar work and an alluring deep and warm high-range vocal delivery with poetic lyrics. The song unfolds steadfast drum beats and round sullen bass lines to underpin high pitched bleating guitar slivers, metallically scraping and twinkling in the ether with wistful searing vibrancy atop brooding vocals, turning to high soulful quivers, bringing forth dueling personalities of love and despair.

• France-based ambient /ethereal /dream pop /electro-acoustic /shoegaze instrumental project of Scottish legendary Cocteau Twins co-founder and Harold Budd collaborator, Robin Guthrie “Cherokee” (recorded in 2012)
  
• Melbourne ambient /sadcore /folk /dream pop singer-songwriter (of Naarm collective Dregs), Claudia Sinacori, aka Sina “Olympus” debut single [Somewhere Press]
• UK experimental /ambient /folk solo project of Chris Coyle (of Leeds‘ group Empress), Halkyn “Norway ” from the self-titled album (a collection of both his two late 90s/early 2000s 7″s on 555 Recordings, plus a few tracks from compilations, and two unreleased recordings) [Concentric Circles]
• Nashville-born acoustic indie folk singer-songwriter Maisy Owen “God Fear” from the LP “Dark on a Sunny Day” [Tompkins Square]
• Catalan/British collaborative ambient /blues /primitivism /folk project of guitarists Andreu G. Serra and Kiran Leonard, aka Or Sobre Blau “caçar un ull” from upcoming second LP “Making Friends” [STROOM.tv]
• New Orleans ambient /experimental folk solo project of electronic producer, songwriter, vocalist, and electro-acoustic harpist Elise McArdle, aka Mere of Light “Centuries to Come” from “Heat of Ritual” EP [Lighten Up Sounds]
• San Francisco, CA indie /dream pop /slowcore group led by singer, guitarist and songwriter Karina Gill, CINDY – “Daytime” off the fifth full-length album “Another Country” [Tough Love /Stranded Records]
• Montreal, Québec ’60s psych pop /dream pop /indie rock solo project of Corridor songwriter-vocalist-guitarist Jonathan Robert, aka Jonathan Personne “Rêve américain” from the upcoming LP “Répertoire” [Bonsound]
• Roanoke, Virginia garage /rock and roll /power pop /12 strings /psychedelic rock band formed in 2005, the Young Sinclairs “Cycles Turning” title track from the new album “Cycles Turning”
  
• Dutch 60s beat /garage-pop Yé-Yé girl, Fleur “Jour D’été” from the EP “Jour D’été” (written by Mark ten Hoor of The Kryng) [Soundflat Records]
• Richmond, Virginia retro futuristic /space-age /freakbeat /spy soundtrack /psych-pop /chamber pop duo Outer World “La Dimora” first single [Courtesy Desk / K Records]
• Preston, UK new wave /dream pop /noir pop duo White Flowers “Visual” from the LP “Dreams For Somebody Else” [The state51 Conspiracy]
• Portland-based alternative /shoegaze band Kallai “Another World (Hexxes Remix)” from the remix LP “Forever Could Never Be”
  
• Toronto, Ontario dream pop duo Twins Rains “For The Best” single
  
• Oakland, CA indie rock /jangle /indie pop duo of former Blues Lawyer members Rob I. Miller and Ellen Matthews, aka Rob & Elle “Cupcake Store” from “In On It” EP [Take a Turn Records]
• South Wales indie rock /bubblegum disco /punk pop band, Helen Love “Don’t Destroy Yourself” from the 4-track EP “DON’T DESTROY YOURSELF” 
  
• Southern, CA shoegaze /indie rock /Britpop duo The Chantepleures “The Last of Sheila” single
  
• Portland, OR-based lo-fi indie rock band led and founded by multi-instrumentalist, musician, and author Lawton Browning (Woolen Men collaborator), Change Life “Smile” from upcoming self-titled debut album [Meritorio Records] London-based C86 /mod /punk /indie pop band founded in the early 90s and led by David Christian, Comet Gain “THE LAST OF THE PUNK ROCK ROMANTICS” from “SHORT STORIES FOR LONG LIVES” LP
  
• Philadelphia-based power pop /indie pop /guitar rock band led by songwriter Matt Scottoline, Hurry “Zoned Out” title track of the upcoming album “Zoned Out” [Lame-O Records] Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, lo-fi post-punk /jangle /indie pop DIY songwriter-musician Daniel McGee, aka Zenxith “Does Anybody Care?” title track of the new 18th album “Does Anybody Care?” [Salt Mine Records]
• Glasgow-based, Scottish cult indie pop group formed in 1985, led by songwriter and lead vocalist Duglas T. Stewart, BMX Bandits “Unbreakable Heart” from the ‘director’s cut’ (enhanced and expanded) vinyl 12″ reissue of the 1996 CD album “Duglas Stewart’s Frankenstein” [Precious Recordings of London]
• Indonesian indie-pop band from Yogyakarta, Summer in Vienna ~ “Vienna” from the collection album “Let’s Meet Up When Summer Comes – A Discography by Summer in Vienna (2011-2017)” CD + bonus demos [Subjangle]
• Münster, Germany new indie pop-rock group das schwa “Von innen aus Teigalbums” from the upcoming debut LP “So Beautiful” [Bureau Platiruma]
• Uberlândia, Brazil lo-fi indie pop-rock teen solo project Fall Breaks “Ray-Bans”
  
• Michigan-based DIY indie pop solo project of England-born songwriter and musician Sean Turner, aka The Photocopies “Constant Reminders” single (first released on the Soundvsystem cassette “Daylight x Darknight”)
  
• Brno, Czechia-based lo-fi /dream pop /indie pop solo project of Nátan Mikletič, aka Glad Sisifus “Všetko naokolo sa mení v prach” from “Through the Years” LP [Start-track.com]
• Glasgow, UK jangle /indie-pop duo James Hindle & Calvin Halliday, aka U.S. Highball “What We Did on Our Holidays” from “God Save the Kelvin Wheelies” LP [Lame-O Records]
• Scottish indie guitar pop duo featuring James Kirk (founding member of Orange Juice) and Warren McIntyre (of Starry Skies), Warren James “Miss Green Tea” from the upcoming LP “Tales From Film City” [Spinout Nuggets]
• Dublin, Ireland-native indie rock /guitar pop /folk duo David Long (Into Paradise) and Paul Page (Whipping Boy), aka The Sentimental Tourists “Ghosts” from the upcoming album “Without Love We Expire”
  
• Dutch minimal indie pop/-rock duo of Yaël Dekker (The Klittens) and Arie Van Vliet (Lewsberg), The Hobknobs “Easier Listening” from the upcoming debut LP “Helmets Off” [12XU]
• Philadelphia indie rock /power pop quartet Mopar Stars – “Feast for the Smile” from “Official Researchers Of The NJ Devil” LP [perennialdeath]
• Naples, Italy shoegaze /dream pop /indie-rock project led by Andrea Caccese, Dead Rituals “Voices” single
  
• Minneapolis, Minnesota-based ethereal indie rock band Waking Hours “Foxglove” single
  
• San Francisco, CA dream pop /shoegaze /noise pop band Lavender Blush “Cool Thing” single from the upcoming LP “A House in University Heights.”
  
• Los Angeles-based ethereal dream-pop duo of multi-instrumentalist and producer Ryan Lum (founder of late 80s-90s act Love Spirals Downwards) and singer Anji Bee, aka Lovespirals “Dissociate” single
  
• Melbourne, Australia shoegaze /psychedelic folk /sadcore duo Scarlet Dahlias “Sunflowers” single
  
• Los Angeles-based jangle pop/wave /indie /shoegaze band led by Laurence Macaspac, aka Swimming Pools & Movie Stars “Fall” single
  
• Melbourne, Australia atmospheric /ethereal /shoegaze /dream pop /alternative rock trio Nausicaa “Nights End” from the debut LP “Dreams Like These”
  
• Japanese shoegaze /dream pop duo, formed in 2012 in Kanagawa, Uchu Nekoko (aka Universe Nekoko), 宇宙ネコ子 “Flowing In The Wind” single
  
• San Francisco electronic /noise pop /shoegaze project of musician, Rick Altieri (formerly of Blue Ocean and drummer in Aluminum), aka Above Me “French Candle” from the debut LP “Soften The Blows” [Dandy Boy Records]
• Los Angeles-based shoegaze /grunge /indie rock project of multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer Nico L-S, Tomorrow Tomorrow “Wreck Less, Venture Some” single
  
• Perth, Australia-based noise-pop /shoegaze project of multi-instrumentalist Steve Matzko, aka Seven Hour Days “Not Me” single
  
• Los Angeles indie rock /shoegaze band Teary “Through the Side Door” from the upcoming “Your Way In” EP
  
• Brisbane, Australia ambient /dream-pop /shoegaze four-piece Blue Diner. “Stylus Writer” from the debut album “Disc 2” [Impressed Recordings]
• Oregon indie rock /shoegaze recording project of Brandon Setta, You Wish “Liberation Vehicle” single
  
• Chongqing, China shoegaze 4-piece band Goodbye, Crybaby Room “hazeheaven” from the debut EP “Full Moon Party Around The World”
  
• Brighton, UK-based heavy shoegaze outfit, Tomber Des Nues “Transcontinental” from s/t EP “Tomber Des Nues” [Shore Dive Records]
• Manchester, UK noise rock /grunge /shoegaze band Stepower “Shell” single
  
• Malaysian 4-piece ambient /alternative rock /dream pop /shoegaze band heavëner “Parasol” from “Through the Fractured Sky” LP
  
• Moscow-based shoegaze band карнегия // carnegiiiea “ла ю” from 2-track single “лаю // темнота”
  
• German dreamgaze /shoegaze five-piece band Attic Ocean “Coastal“ lead single from the upcoming EP
  
• San Francisco, CA dream pop /grunge /shoegaze band Dalmatia “Polyurethane” single
  
• Japanese electronic /indie /shoegaze band STOMP TALK MODSTONE “Summer ’97” from “Summer ’97” EP
  
• Spencer, Iowa alt-rock /noise /shoegaze band PURPLISH “Killsin” single
  
• Edinburgh, Scotland ambient /psychedelic /post-rock /shoegaze duo Sun Shines Cold “Betrayal” single [1991 Recordings]
• Seattle-based psychedelic /noise pop /shoegaze /indie rock band formed in 2014, Guest Directors “What Shapes They Take” from the album “Before You Get Broken” [Topsy Records]
• Glasgow, UK indie /psychedelic pop duo The Buttons “Colours” from “Colours // Lava Lamp (Acoustic)”
  
• Edinburgh, UK rock’n’roll /shoegaze /psychedelic rock band FRANTIC CHANT – “The Crumbler” new single from the forthcoming, as yet untitled album [Dogs Got A Bone]
• Denver, CO-based krautrock /shoegaze /psychedelic multi-instrumentalist four-piece WAVE DECAY “See The Sun” single
  
• Mexico 3-piece industrial /kraut /psychedelic rock band Mirror Revelations “Incendiar” from the upcoming second full-length LP “Ígnea” [Fuzz Club Records]
• Nottingham, UK r&b /power pop trio Sharp Class “Faith In The Breaks” new double A-side single
  
• Montreal, Quebec fuzz garage punk trio The Jukeez “Obsessed With Me” from upcoming third full-length, “Greatest Beats” [Chaputa! Records]
• Montreal, Quebec Power Pop /Garage / Punk & Roll all-female quartet Taxi Girls “Say It!” from the upcoming debut LP “Static” [Stomp Records]
• Australian indie folk songwriter, musician and novelist (part of the band, Seeker Lover Keeper), Holly Throsby “Sea of Heartbreak” single
  
• Devon-born, London-based indie folk singer-songwriter Annie Rew Shaw, aka Austel “White Linen” single
  
• Brooklyn, NY-based Cork, Ireland-born indie folk singer-songwriter Niall Connolly “Swimming Upstream” from “There’s So Much More to See” LP