It’s Bandcamp Friday and this sampler covers my travels so far. I have not spent as much as I normally do as I got stung by the dentist this morning!

Here is the Playlist:

or listen on YouTube

And here are the individual tracks/info:

Spiral XP – Deja Vu

Deja Vu is the opening, shortest, and to my ears, the best track from the Washington based’s Spiral XP new EP titled It’s Been a While. It’s an EP full of sounds that is a blend vintage UK Shoegaze and American alt-rock bands of the late 1980s/early 1990s. The EP is out now on Danger Collective Records.

Waves Crashing – Life On Display

Well, you can teach an old dog a new trick after all. Washington’s Waves Crashing (I wonder if they know Spiral XP?) tag themselves as Post-Gaze a term as yet unheard by me. Seems it’s definition encompasses a lot of what I like, which means I can get down now with the cooler kids. To be honest, if the whole genre consists of tracks as good as this one which is taken from the band’s latest EP The Viewing, then I am in!

Chime School – Coming to Your Town

Coming To Your Town is a thriving indiepop track that deals with the reactionary political moment that responded to COVID. You know the type eh? It’s a split release across Slumberland Records and Meritorio Records. It’s backed with the band’s cover of the Buzzcocks’ classic Love You More and is available on 7″ vinyl and digital formats.

Joyful Forfeit – Clawing At The Back Of Your Eyes

Clawing At The Back Of Your Eyes is a melodic and catchy dreampop/post-rock hybrid that deals with the subject of migraines. It’s a lovely sounding track especially the vocals and words. A curative listen.

The Laughing Chimes – Arboretum Miles

The Laughing Chimes have been making some of the finest indiepop for the past year or so now. New single Arboretum Miles is no exception. Rather than comment, here is the blurb from the label. Arboretum Miles is ” a sublime single that brings new life into the classic indiepop of the 80s, 90s and 00s. Labels like Flying Nun, Creation and Sarah are obvious references”. Yeah! That’s me sold, especially after playing back the jangling guitar laden melodies found here. It’s out now via Slumberland Records. EDIT: The flip side Estates of Sparkling Haze is even better!

Morning Arcade – Biology

Enticing indiepop and somewhat beautiful with it too. The song slowly builds as the tale enfolds. A song to lay down and absorb. It’s taken from the Cardiff based band’s new EP Thawing Of A Mindset which also includes the previous singles Dark Wave and the wonderful Cold Shoulders. Thawing Of A Mindset is out now on cassette and digital formats via Phwoar & Peace.

The Plus 4 – It’s A Mystery

Sixties revivalists The Plus 4 cover Toyah’s 1981 hit It’s A Mystery. Gone are the new wave synths, not to mention Toyah’s whelping vocals, to be replaced by a 1960 guitar sound. As covers go, it’s clever and erm quite good too.

Boyparts – Too Old

Too Old is taken from the band’s self-titled new EP. It starts off a bit like The Field Mice if they were an early 1980s power pop band before settling down into the indie lane before pulling over into the garage (oh dear, I will get me coat!). I have not heard of this Australian band before, but will be dipping into their back catalogue pretty sharpish – it is Bandcamp Friday after all. Get the EP from here.

Gnoomes – Eternal Trans Siberian

Taken from the now self exiled Russian duo’s brand new, and fourth album, Ax Ox. They sing in their native language for the first time as this track, as the title may suggest, takes in Kraftwerk, Krautrock, Drone and Stereolab on it’s seven-minute plus journey. Most good. Ax Ox is out now via Rocket Recordings and can be purchased from here.

GLOK – That Time of Night (Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown Dub)

The Ride guitarist Andy Bell has had three tracks from Glok’s 2021’s Pattern Recognition album remixed for a forthcoming limited edition white label 12″ EP. Well, even more limited as it has sold out. His collaboration with his missus gets a dubby makeover. The vocals are kept in, which gives the heavier bass driven beats some balance. Get is digitally from here.