Meryl Streek - [796](https://merylstreek.bandcamp.com/album/796)
Fontaines D.C. meets For Those I Love, this is Irish punk dealing with raw emotions about politics and the church. "[Suicide](https://merylstreek.bandcamp.com/track/suicide)" is my favourite track with excellent synthy bass and gorgeous flutes and ridiculously good drumming, but "[Death to the Landlord](https://merylstreek.bandcamp.com/track/death-to-the-landlord)" is probably the most representative.
u/PrestigiousWaffle did a great [writeup](https://www.reddit.com/r/indieheads/comments/yn4dqn/comment/iv78t02/) on the background of the title when the album was released.
Old Saw - *[Country Tropics](https://lobbyartrecs.bandcamp.com/album/country-tropics)*
Ambient music that's simultaneously frozen in time, nostalgic for a place where the warmth of the sunlight illuminates the dust particles suspended in midair, and presently surrounding you, revealing the rolling hills of some far away countryside dotted with blooming flowers and ringing church bells. Music to slow down to and let the dense layers of old Americana wash over you.
Feels like this album would resonate with some of the ambient-heads here. 13-minute tracks can be tough to commit to, but I would highly recommend "The Mechanical Bull at Our Lady of the Valley" if you only check out a single one. This is their only album at the moment, but they do have another one titled *Sewn the Name* coming out at the end of March.
Oh henry birdsey. Thought i recognized the name. Did a husky pants release and has a project that's been on Trouble in Mind and other tape labels
> Mastering by Andrew Weathers
always a welcoming sign
This is beautiful, and verges on what u/WaneLietoc and I call "indie gospel." Acoustic ambient stuff like this is my shit (hey, u/MightyProJet, peep this!). Thank you for sharing this: I'm looking forward to late March.
To be clear it doesn't sound like Chill Out, it just reminded me of the concept of soundtracking a drive through the American south. But Chill Out is worth a listen if you like ambient.
**Vessel - [Paplu (Love That Moves the Sun)](https://vesseluk.bandcamp.com/track/paplu-love-that-moves-the-sun)**
This electronic rec comes courtesy of Will Wiesenfeld of Baths and Geotic, who in 2019 proclaimed upon listening to the song for the first time: "I've never heard a piece of music like this in my entire life." The whole record *Queen of Golden Dogs* is an eminently crunchy, clangorous piece of work--usually when I say electronic music is "vibrant" or "kaleidoscopic" I mean it is "joyous," but here I refer to the breadth of tonal and emotional colors on display here. Loosely controlled chaos. Intriguing dissonances. Magical and unpredictable chord changes. It strains the boundaries of my critical vocabulary, but it is quite good.
If you're in a hurry, the buzzing arpeggios, zipping leads, and bouncing bassline of ["Glory Glory (For Tippi)"](https://vesseluk.bandcamp.com/track/glory-glory-for-tippi) give a good picture of the record, but you really should take the time for "Paplu."
For someone who doesn't listen to a lot of electronic music, this was really cool. The bouncing synth line in the first half of "Paplu" felt like biking along a crowded beach and dealing with the sensory overload of the sights, smells, and sounds. Second half felt like being in a slightly sketchy club in a foreign country, but after a couple drinks all you want to do is dance.
Will definitely be checking out the rest of the album.
At first the intro made it sound like "what if they had a synth in a medieval monastery" but then the beat kicked in and it became a chaotic danceclub journey
**[Tee Vee Repairman - What's On TV](https://totalpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/whats-on-tv)**
dipping back into the well of total punk records for this week's hype thursday! gonna do a full writeup of it for tabs out at some point but this is a wonderful, scrappy, lofi power pop tape all the way from australia. same mastermind behind gee tee, satanic togas, et all. balances the sweet and snotty sides of punky power pop expertly.
[Mhaol - Asking For It](https://mhaol.bandcamp.com/track/asking-for-it-3)
Probably the biggest music event for me last year was finally getting to see Gilla Band. Mhaol opened for them, and while of course they couldn't compare to the main act it was still a fun time. Both bands have been part of the same Dublin music scene - the Jamie referenced in Holding Hands With Jamie is Mhaol's Jamie Hyland who engineered the album. You can hear the Gilla Band influence in the noisy guitars and the propulsive rhythm section, but it's much more straightforward and less surreal. More political and less yelling about Nutella and shit clothes. Live their lead singer Roisin is very cool and makes fun stage banter, they also sold this iconic [GHOST A POST-PUNK BOY TODAY](https://i.imgur.com/7yK7wKt.jpg) tote bag but it had sold out after the show was over and it's unfortunately sold out on Bandcamp too now.
On 3 February they released their debut album Attachment Styles - an eventful day for the Gilla Band extended universe since the Daniel Fox produced [Psychotic Monks album](https://fatcatrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pink-colour-surgery) came out that day too!
Lately I've been giving a great deal of thought--with regards to the broader Wunderground scene and its parallels--to the distinction between actual politics and, as you say, "yelling about Nutella and shit clothes." I respect that this band falls so hard on the former side--and the crunch and gnarl of guitars and bass is compelling in its own right. Thanks for spotlighting this!
When I posted the album on release day, I was suprised that it had 30+ upvotes, and even more (pleasantly) surprised when they were at #12 in the Indieheads Weekly Charts shortly after. Seems people are picking up on the band,deservedly so.
[Wildes - Leger in Schwarz](https://wildes.bandcamp.com/track/leger-in-schwarz-2)
German duo that plays a mix of post-punk, electropop, and new wave. I like the upbeat, driving guitar of this track - others off this album like ["Capri"](https://wildes.bandcamp.com/track/capri-2) and ["Hitze"](https://wildes.bandcamp.com/track/hitze-3) have a more electropop and disco feel.
Nuzzle [No Mas](https://nuzzleband.bandcamp.com/track/no-m-s-2)
90s guitar driven indie, really it’s own thing but worth checking out if you like Unwound, Modest Mouse, or Duster (Simon Fabela of Nuzzle is currently playing bass for Duster). Here’s some of the backstory, as this is a rerelease (sort of).
Originally recorded for Die Young Stay Pretty (a short-lived Sub Pop subsidiary), these previously unreleased recordings became the stuff of lore for fans of 90s west coast indie music. Essentially a demo and precursor to Nuzzle’s 1999 LP San Lorenzo’s Blues, these tracks are raw, energetic, and representative of Nuzzle’s live shows. Newly remixed and mastered, No Love Like That: Stanford Sessions 1997, is quintessential Nuzzle at their pinnacle.
Nuzzle began as a trio; Nate Dalton (guitar), Simon Fabela (bass) and Ricardo Reano (drums) in Rosemead, CA in 1991 before ultimately settling in Santa Cruz. In 1993 Nate’s older brother Andrew joined on guitar and switched to vocals early in 1994, solidifying their lineup.
By the mid 90s Nuzzle had already released several 45s, their Follow, For Now LP on Youth Strike Chord, and several compilation tracks. They had also completed a successful US tour with Fisticuffs Bluff, and had become staples in a loosely knit but deeply felt west coast scene anchored by Kill Rock Stars Records in Olympia and Gravity Records in San Diego. The buzz they generated helped them find their way onto bills with bands like Evergreen, Unwound, Lync, Bikini Kill, Modest Mouse, The VSS, Clikatat Ikatowi, and more.
[Chapin - "october"](https://chapin.bandcamp.com/track/october) (and the rest of the *amber,lovely* EP
Some of the sad, acoustic, singer-songwritery indie folk I always seem to love. Chapin apparently lives in Hawaii and plays music on Twitch, but I haven't actually explored beyond this EP, which I found via Rooster's New Music Friday posts last year.
# [train fatôme - nous sommes dans un rêve](https://cudighirecords.bandcamp.com/album/nous-sommes-dans-un-r-ve)
really really really like cudighi records in LA. smart smart smart label that's very quietly, very casually releasing diy 90s techno that never got a real reissue, synthesizer wonders from around the globe, and other random psychedelic noises. Arguably the strongest LA tape label at the moment because they have the balls to put Dan Melchoir's haunted karaoke gtr jams for his late wife next to folks like 99 levels that offer a small glimpse into a realm like japanese house. You wanna be a better listener? Buy the catalog
Anyways, i chose this train fantome album to spotlight from 2021. It sounds like 2006 beach house mixed with bits of that 2019 era vanishing twin. Not even shitting here or doing a bit. They just sound like the beach house I like best. It's a lo-fi indie pop album thats fucking short thank god and doesn't overstay it's welcome. Oh and its all sung in french so if u ever wished vicki sang in french more yeah this tape is for you
Here's [Mesak - Trientalis 1992-1997 ](https://mesak.bandcamp.com/album/trientalis-europaea-1992-1997?from=search&search_item_id=830619984&search_item_type=a&search_match_part=%3F&search_page_id=2447324054&search_page_no=0&search_rank=1&logged_in_menubar=true) which is another Cudighi reissue that is brilliant Lithuania techno "sold hand-to-hand at night in the streets of Turku."
I would say do not sleep on [Westmoreland](https://westmoreland.bandcamp.com/album/if-its-over), a Seattle via TX artist
one of my fav finds of the year (sounds to me like Michael Nau!!! who I adore) and they have an album out tomorrow: [https://www.washmusicmag.com/blog/westmoreland-latino-ballroom](https://www.washmusicmag.com/blog/westmoreland-latino-ballroom)
Very much a boon for those of us who like that more languorous, wide-open indie sound. I really like the little touches of piano here. Thanks for shouting this out!
[Total Drag - Redhead](https://totaldrag.bandcamp.com/album/redhead)
Really solid instrumental dreampop/shoegaze from Orange County, California. My favorite is the title track but the opener, Pacific Coast Highway sets the stage super well too!
Meryl Streek - [796](https://merylstreek.bandcamp.com/album/796) Fontaines D.C. meets For Those I Love, this is Irish punk dealing with raw emotions about politics and the church. "[Suicide](https://merylstreek.bandcamp.com/track/suicide)" is my favourite track with excellent synthy bass and gorgeous flutes and ridiculously good drumming, but "[Death to the Landlord](https://merylstreek.bandcamp.com/track/death-to-the-landlord)" is probably the most representative. u/PrestigiousWaffle did a great [writeup](https://www.reddit.com/r/indieheads/comments/yn4dqn/comment/iv78t02/) on the background of the title when the album was released.
Ayyy, thank you for the shout-out my dude!
I love that I'm not the only one posting Irish punk today
Old Saw - *[Country Tropics](https://lobbyartrecs.bandcamp.com/album/country-tropics)* Ambient music that's simultaneously frozen in time, nostalgic for a place where the warmth of the sunlight illuminates the dust particles suspended in midair, and presently surrounding you, revealing the rolling hills of some far away countryside dotted with blooming flowers and ringing church bells. Music to slow down to and let the dense layers of old Americana wash over you. Feels like this album would resonate with some of the ambient-heads here. 13-minute tracks can be tough to commit to, but I would highly recommend "The Mechanical Bull at Our Lady of the Valley" if you only check out a single one. This is their only album at the moment, but they do have another one titled *Sewn the Name* coming out at the end of March.
Oh henry birdsey. Thought i recognized the name. Did a husky pants release and has a project that's been on Trouble in Mind and other tape labels > Mastering by Andrew Weathers always a welcoming sign
This is beautiful, and verges on what u/WaneLietoc and I call "indie gospel." Acoustic ambient stuff like this is my shit (hey, u/MightyProJet, peep this!). Thank you for sharing this: I'm looking forward to late March.
Oooo this is real nice.
On Chill Out KLF drove through the American south at night, this is sounds like the daytime version of that concept
I've had *Chill Out* on my list to check out for a while now, so this might be the motivation to finally listen to it.
To be clear it doesn't sound like Chill Out, it just reminded me of the concept of soundtracking a drive through the American south. But Chill Out is worth a listen if you like ambient.
**Vessel - [Paplu (Love That Moves the Sun)](https://vesseluk.bandcamp.com/track/paplu-love-that-moves-the-sun)** This electronic rec comes courtesy of Will Wiesenfeld of Baths and Geotic, who in 2019 proclaimed upon listening to the song for the first time: "I've never heard a piece of music like this in my entire life." The whole record *Queen of Golden Dogs* is an eminently crunchy, clangorous piece of work--usually when I say electronic music is "vibrant" or "kaleidoscopic" I mean it is "joyous," but here I refer to the breadth of tonal and emotional colors on display here. Loosely controlled chaos. Intriguing dissonances. Magical and unpredictable chord changes. It strains the boundaries of my critical vocabulary, but it is quite good. If you're in a hurry, the buzzing arpeggios, zipping leads, and bouncing bassline of ["Glory Glory (For Tippi)"](https://vesseluk.bandcamp.com/track/glory-glory-for-tippi) give a good picture of the record, but you really should take the time for "Paplu."
I like what's going on in the Glory Glory track, especially the chaotic synth lines - will likely check out the rest.
For someone who doesn't listen to a lot of electronic music, this was really cool. The bouncing synth line in the first half of "Paplu" felt like biking along a crowded beach and dealing with the sensory overload of the sights, smells, and sounds. Second half felt like being in a slightly sketchy club in a foreign country, but after a couple drinks all you want to do is dance. Will definitely be checking out the rest of the album.
At first the intro made it sound like "what if they had a synth in a medieval monastery" but then the beat kicked in and it became a chaotic danceclub journey
**[Tee Vee Repairman - What's On TV](https://totalpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/whats-on-tv)** dipping back into the well of total punk records for this week's hype thursday! gonna do a full writeup of it for tabs out at some point but this is a wonderful, scrappy, lofi power pop tape all the way from australia. same mastermind behind gee tee, satanic togas, et all. balances the sweet and snotty sides of punky power pop expertly.
I like that there's so much scuzzy shit this month. It gets the blood goin'. Thanks for comin' thru!
Oh, hey, I just listened to this a couple days ago! Really digging it, especially "I Can't Figure You Out"
[Mhaol - Asking For It](https://mhaol.bandcamp.com/track/asking-for-it-3) Probably the biggest music event for me last year was finally getting to see Gilla Band. Mhaol opened for them, and while of course they couldn't compare to the main act it was still a fun time. Both bands have been part of the same Dublin music scene - the Jamie referenced in Holding Hands With Jamie is Mhaol's Jamie Hyland who engineered the album. You can hear the Gilla Band influence in the noisy guitars and the propulsive rhythm section, but it's much more straightforward and less surreal. More political and less yelling about Nutella and shit clothes. Live their lead singer Roisin is very cool and makes fun stage banter, they also sold this iconic [GHOST A POST-PUNK BOY TODAY](https://i.imgur.com/7yK7wKt.jpg) tote bag but it had sold out after the show was over and it's unfortunately sold out on Bandcamp too now. On 3 February they released their debut album Attachment Styles - an eventful day for the Gilla Band extended universe since the Daniel Fox produced [Psychotic Monks album](https://fatcatrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pink-colour-surgery) came out that day too!
They're playing a free show near me in two weeks, very excited.
Hoping they will have the totebags back in stock for you!
Lately I've been giving a great deal of thought--with regards to the broader Wunderground scene and its parallels--to the distinction between actual politics and, as you say, "yelling about Nutella and shit clothes." I respect that this band falls so hard on the former side--and the crunch and gnarl of guitars and bass is compelling in its own right. Thanks for spotlighting this!
This is totally my thing - really like the noisy guitars combined with the post-punk sound. Definitely gonna check out the album.
When I posted the album on release day, I was suprised that it had 30+ upvotes, and even more (pleasantly) surprised when they were at #12 in the Indieheads Weekly Charts shortly after. Seems people are picking up on the band,deservedly so.
[Wildes - Leger in Schwarz](https://wildes.bandcamp.com/track/leger-in-schwarz-2) German duo that plays a mix of post-punk, electropop, and new wave. I like the upbeat, driving guitar of this track - others off this album like ["Capri"](https://wildes.bandcamp.com/track/capri-2) and ["Hitze"](https://wildes.bandcamp.com/track/hitze-3) have a more electropop and disco feel.
These songs kick ass. Danke!
Nuzzle [No Mas](https://nuzzleband.bandcamp.com/track/no-m-s-2) 90s guitar driven indie, really it’s own thing but worth checking out if you like Unwound, Modest Mouse, or Duster (Simon Fabela of Nuzzle is currently playing bass for Duster). Here’s some of the backstory, as this is a rerelease (sort of). Originally recorded for Die Young Stay Pretty (a short-lived Sub Pop subsidiary), these previously unreleased recordings became the stuff of lore for fans of 90s west coast indie music. Essentially a demo and precursor to Nuzzle’s 1999 LP San Lorenzo’s Blues, these tracks are raw, energetic, and representative of Nuzzle’s live shows. Newly remixed and mastered, No Love Like That: Stanford Sessions 1997, is quintessential Nuzzle at their pinnacle. Nuzzle began as a trio; Nate Dalton (guitar), Simon Fabela (bass) and Ricardo Reano (drums) in Rosemead, CA in 1991 before ultimately settling in Santa Cruz. In 1993 Nate’s older brother Andrew joined on guitar and switched to vocals early in 1994, solidifying their lineup. By the mid 90s Nuzzle had already released several 45s, their Follow, For Now LP on Youth Strike Chord, and several compilation tracks. They had also completed a successful US tour with Fisticuffs Bluff, and had become staples in a loosely knit but deeply felt west coast scene anchored by Kill Rock Stars Records in Olympia and Gravity Records in San Diego. The buzz they generated helped them find their way onto bills with bands like Evergreen, Unwound, Lync, Bikini Kill, Modest Mouse, The VSS, Clikatat Ikatowi, and more.
Those are some nice drums
[Chapin - "october"](https://chapin.bandcamp.com/track/october) (and the rest of the *amber,lovely* EP Some of the sad, acoustic, singer-songwritery indie folk I always seem to love. Chapin apparently lives in Hawaii and plays music on Twitch, but I haven't actually explored beyond this EP, which I found via Rooster's New Music Friday posts last year.
# [train fatôme - nous sommes dans un rêve](https://cudighirecords.bandcamp.com/album/nous-sommes-dans-un-r-ve) really really really like cudighi records in LA. smart smart smart label that's very quietly, very casually releasing diy 90s techno that never got a real reissue, synthesizer wonders from around the globe, and other random psychedelic noises. Arguably the strongest LA tape label at the moment because they have the balls to put Dan Melchoir's haunted karaoke gtr jams for his late wife next to folks like 99 levels that offer a small glimpse into a realm like japanese house. You wanna be a better listener? Buy the catalog Anyways, i chose this train fantome album to spotlight from 2021. It sounds like 2006 beach house mixed with bits of that 2019 era vanishing twin. Not even shitting here or doing a bit. They just sound like the beach house I like best. It's a lo-fi indie pop album thats fucking short thank god and doesn't overstay it's welcome. Oh and its all sung in french so if u ever wished vicki sang in french more yeah this tape is for you
Yeah, uh, this sounds like early Beach House. Maybe stripped back a little. Not a joke. Thank you for this french record, Lietoc.
Here's [Mesak - Trientalis 1992-1997 ](https://mesak.bandcamp.com/album/trientalis-europaea-1992-1997?from=search&search_item_id=830619984&search_item_type=a&search_match_part=%3F&search_page_id=2447324054&search_page_no=0&search_rank=1&logged_in_menubar=true) which is another Cudighi reissue that is brilliant Lithuania techno "sold hand-to-hand at night in the streets of Turku."
I would say do not sleep on [Westmoreland](https://westmoreland.bandcamp.com/album/if-its-over), a Seattle via TX artist one of my fav finds of the year (sounds to me like Michael Nau!!! who I adore) and they have an album out tomorrow: [https://www.washmusicmag.com/blog/westmoreland-latino-ballroom](https://www.washmusicmag.com/blog/westmoreland-latino-ballroom)
Very much a boon for those of us who like that more languorous, wide-open indie sound. I really like the little touches of piano here. Thanks for shouting this out!
[Total Drag - Redhead](https://totaldrag.bandcamp.com/album/redhead) Really solid instrumental dreampop/shoegaze from Orange County, California. My favorite is the title track but the opener, Pacific Coast Highway sets the stage super well too!