indie albums
Album Review: The Notwist – Vertigo Days
I’ve been quiet on this thing lately, and reviewing The Notwist’s new record Vertigo Days was as close to a perfect step back into the game as I could have asked for. It’s the band’s first album in 6 busy years…and when they say busy they mean really busy- from scoring films to running a …
ALBUM REVIEW: Bill Jr. Jr. – Homebody
A first suprise for 2021 from a Vancouver-based indie-folk-rock project
Album Review: Anna B Savage – ‘A Common Turn’
If, for Anna B Savage fans, it has felt like a long wait for this, her debut album, that’s because it has been. The question is, has it been worth that wait? It’s nearly six years since the release of ‘EP’, with its tracks, ‘I’, ‘II’, ‘III’ and IV’. On the undoubted, shining strength of …
News: The classic albums ‘Submarine Bells’ and ‘Soft Bomb’ by The Chills are now re-issued through Flying Nun Records
It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of the New Zealand indie music scene ever since the heady days of the eighties, with the Dunedin music scene, spearheaded by the legendary Flying Nun Records, the explosive ingredient. And, at the head of the vanguard was, of course, the delectable The Chills. Flying Nun Records have now …
Album Review: Casper Clausen – Better Way
For a musician who usually takes a studious approach to making records, Casper Clausen’s new album ‘Better Way’ (available via City Slang from January 9th) could almost be seen as a rush release. As one of the core members of Efterklang, the Danish experimental pop explorers, he was last heard just over a year ago …
Album Review: The White Stripes – Greatest Hits
The White Stripes always seemed to be a band that stood apart. Yeah, they were part of the garage-rock revival movement of the early 2000s, but unlike the other act from that scene that critics hyped beyond all comprehension at the time, The Strokes, Jack and Meg White didn’t fall foul of the weight of …
EP: Pluto Is A Planet – Dying Every Second
Out now on Bandcamp, via Shore Dive Records is the debut ep, ‘Dying Every Second’ from Australian Dreampop/Shoegaze/Synth band, Pluto Is A Planet. The EP opener ‘Binary’ is a track which wavers in a hazy ambience, before being catapulted into noisy guitar Shoegaze yet underpinned by a Dancy, Baggy Beat. This tune, with its rhythms, …
ALBUM REVIEW: Pet Grotesque brings the late summer nights with ‘Female Synth Player’
PET GROTESQUE is the solo project of Calum Armstrong, who can also be found in the excellent Tiña (who released their debut album, Positive Mental Health, last week). Channeling King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard in terms of work ethic, Calum Armstrong has just released another album within the space of just a week under …
Album review: Ane Brun – ‘After The Great Storm’
HUMILITY, honesty and heart are three key elements of Norwegian singer/songwriter Ane Brun’s music. With a voice that puts you within emotional touching distance plus an eye for visuals that demand attention, each release since her debut in 2003 has marked a restless need to refine, reflect and tell truths. Yet since 2017’s exquisite collection …
EP: New Ghost – Future Is Dead
Out now on Bandcamp via Shore Dive Records is the ‘Future Is Dead’ ep by Alternative Rock/Shoegaze/ DreamPop/ Post-Rock collective, New Ghost, who are based in Sheffield, England. The ep starts with the US Alternative Rock style track ‘Your Reds’, full of crunch and fuzz. Then, the vocals- a soulful female voice with a contemporary feel, …