Another month and another demo from The Reds, Pinks & Purples. I am running out of things to say about the band’s lovely indiepop tunes and I am now focusing on where all these demos are heading. One can only hope for a debut album but until then I had better press play and focus some more. Continue reading The Reds, Pinks & Purples – Work It Out While You Can (demo)
New Brazilian duo The Blank Room write that they listen to a lot of Everything But The Girl and Orange Juice. I certainly hear echoes of the latter’s postcard era guitars on here as well as flip-side Totenkopf. It will interesting to hear the band when they develop further but for now these bedroom pop/DIY tracks will do just nicely. Facebook Continue reading The Blank Room – Cornershop
The Belafontes have compiled the four tracks they have released on bandcamp over the past year and released them on vinyl and cassette formats alongside the usual digital ones. But like me you should have these four tracks already no? You can read what I thought about Where the City Meets the Sea & Gemini. I am not sure why I have not mentioned the other two. Suffice to say they are both also fine examples of punk/surf pop. Whenever I play The Belafontes I get a feel good boost. Why don’t you get a sugar rush too? Pre-order from … Continue reading The Belafontes – Roll On
Pelopincho are an indiepop band hailing from Valentín Alsina, Argentina. Their brand of indiepop consists of short punk-pop songs and based on the imagery I can see where the inspirations come from. If Google translate is working properly (they sing in their native Spanish) the songs in the main are about having fun, hanging out with friends or when you are down go onto do both of those things. Not sure what cold polenta (Polenta Fría) has to do with anything though! They do have a sombre side as they finish with songs about heart break (Oscuridarks) and anxiety (Miedos). … Continue reading Pelopincho – Zona Surf
I wasn’t taken with the previous offering from Corrections which was a bit of a disappointment after the Birdsong long player. However When It’s Over soon rights that coming in at the slower end of coldwave. It’s the heady mix of reverb and vocals that grabs my attention and keeps me interested throughout. Whilst I like short tracks I wished this one lasted more than it’s two and a bit minutes. If this is the direction Corrections are heading then I am very pleased indeed. If not their material has always been arresting and I look forward to hearing more! … Continue reading Corrections – When It’s Over
Swedish band Westkust, who feature two members of Makthaverskan in their ranks, have released their first new track for almost four years. Swebeach is a swirling , motoring indiepop track with an infectious guitar sound and strong female vocals. That’s always a winning formula for me. It’s the first single to be taken from the self titled second album due to be released on 1st March 2019 on Luxury Records. Pre-order it from here. Facebook Continue reading Westkust – Swebeach
We hear and read about a lot of bands being influenced and/or replicating the C86 sound. Here is a band, who draw (ex) members of acts like The Royal We, Rose McDowall’s band, Anxiety, Kaspar Hauser and Shopping in their ranks, that go back further to the sounds found during the era of the C81 tape. Their sound draws inspiration from the shadowy and gothic elements of post punk bands – think The Cure and thanks to the vocals the likes of Siouxsie and The Banshees and early Altered Images. That’s not to say this is a carbon copy of … Continue reading Current Affairs – Breeding Feeling
Plenty of weird and wonderful sounds inhabit the two tracks that can be found on this experimental sounding release. There is art-pop, post-punk, dub, psychedelia and even a bit of drone/krautrock. The music invokes memories of the likes of Can, Talking Heads, Scritti Politti and XTC. If that is the effect Newscaster are after then they are spot on. Interesting to say the least. I like. Continue reading Newscaster – Rumours
Dream pop meets post-punk on this EP from Posh Lost which is their first release for almost two and a half years. Recorded in the aftermath of the US elections and the surrounding political anxiety the EP opens with arguably it’s strongest track in the shape Denizen which is a full on retro sounding post-punk effort. It’s gloomy stuff, no surprise given the source subject, and none more on Hours Passing which takes it’s cue from New Order’s debut Movement. Only on Cortisol does the band fail to deliver as the mismatch of dreampop and post-punk proves too much but … Continue reading Posh Lost – Fortune
Two sides of very strong indiepop which sounds like it has taken a few years to mature by Cambridge (UK) based The Rugs judging by their bandcamp page. But is it worth the wait? Well yes! Blame It On Me immediately grabs your attention with its catchy opening lyrics supported by strong vocals and jangling guitars. Flip side Voice of a Generation jangles up those guitars even further as they gain pace whilst the vocals just about keep up as the track jams it’s way through to it’s ending. Pretty absorbing stuff and well worth a listen. Or two. Or … Continue reading The Rugs – Blame It On Me/Voice of a Generation
Records I Like 