Something For The Weekend? Three From Howlin’ Banana Records

This weeks pack of three features three releases from French label Howlin’ Banana Records. Cloud Factory – Cloud Factory #1 Cloud Factory are a Pop/Post punk band hailing from Toulouse. They consist of Alice (keyboard/vocals, Ben (bass), Bruno (drums), Robin (guitar) and Romain (guitar). This self titled EP is their debut release.  The music is mainly inspired by garage rock but there other influences such as indie pop and a punk attitude also running through. The sound has a fuzziness about it and the female vocals stand out too. A pretty good debut methinks. Cloud Factory #1 is available on … Continue reading Something For The Weekend? Three From Howlin’ Banana Records

Fascinations Grand Chorus – Wherever You Go

The other afternoon I was listening to some early Comet Gain, their offshoot band Velocette and the long-forgotten Kicker liking the way each of those bands blended a heady mix of Northern Soul and the 1960’s girl-groups/Phil Spector sound. Who does that these days I thought? And then, through the letterbox (well email), popped the latest release from New Jersey’s Fascinations Grand Chorus which does precisely that on Wherever You Go. To the dancefloor that’s where….. Facebook Continue reading Fascinations Grand Chorus – Wherever You Go

Loca Polka – Shiny Happy Digital Club 03

I have a feeling I am not going to be able to keep up with these releases in the Shiny Happy Digital Club releases but I will do my best! No 3 features Indonesian band Loca Polka who come from Central Java. Their line up consists of Nuri Hapsari, Mikael Yudi Priamuda, Christian Agung and Ginanjar Wahyu Aji. They formed in 2017 and released their debut EP Cruel Pleasure last December. However, I only caught them for the first time via Shiny Happy’s Please Rain Fall Compilation which was released in May and featured the EP’s lead single Surrender which … Continue reading Loca Polka – Shiny Happy Digital Club 03

The Bunbury – Track Four

The Bunbury hail from Yogyakarta, Indonesia and consist of Mirza (vocals), Fikra (guitar), Dimas (guitar), Guyub (bass) and Eja (drums). Track Four is their second single and follows Evil Knievel which was released on Shiny Happy Records last month. They write that they “borrowed the sound from the glory days of the ’80-’90s British shoegaze, post-punk, indie pop and jangle pop”. I have to say they don’t do a bad job with it either. Whereas the first single was a speedy jangling affair Track Four is two minutes of slow-paced indie-pop bliss and is the perfect end, or start as … Continue reading The Bunbury – Track Four

The Sunday Session

The sun has gone in and it’s p*ssing it down in London Town. Time to get stuck into more tunes resting on top of my digital back pile. Fowl Science hail from Toronto and, judging by the lack of anything else listed, The Flowering Eye is their debut release. The song is a catchy mix of shoegaze, alt-rock and post-punk. The synths give the song an emotive feel as does the repeated chorus of “they’re calling; they’re calling”. The Shop Window follow up their excellent previous single Mannequin Lies with new single Reflection. To be honest it does not grab … Continue reading The Sunday Session

Something For The Weekend? Three New Albums

A belated pack of three this weekend highlighting three new album releases. Moscow based Neonic Sundrive have just released their debut album. Titled Lies Paradise it features 10 tracks including the two recent lead singles Taste Your Lips and Collapsed Stars. The band’s sound is a mix of shoegaze and psychedelic rock with the odd hint of garage throughout as evidenced on the excellent Can You Feel and This Side Down. It’s available digitally from the band. Portland’s Jangle popsters The Crystal Furs have just released their third album. Or maybe not as the band explain. “Beautiful And True is … Continue reading Something For The Weekend? Three New Albums