Music Essentials

  • Night Tapes

    babygirl (like n01 else)

    I’m late to the Night Tapes party, but their constantly evolving dreampop sound gets better with every release.

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  • Cousines like Shit — Permanent Earthquake

    Permanent Earthquake

    On Permanent Earthquake, Vienna’s Cousines Like Shit mix absurd indie pop with anti-capitalist zingers. It’s danceable and fun with a ton of memorable one-liners.

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  • Hiqpy

    Something

    Thanks to Abir Hamam’s dynamic vocals and the band’s compelling live performances, Hiqpy’s indie-rock profile was on the rise well before they released their first single.

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  • Housewife — Girl of the Hour

    Girl of the Hour

    Housewife’s excellent Girl of the Hour has catchy indie-rock appeal that’s elevated by confessional, clever songwriting.

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  • HotWax — Hot Shock

    Hot Shock

    HotWax’s debut record Hot Shock is danceable, grungy, windows-down rock and roll that captures the energy of a live gig.

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  • 8485 – Software Gore / Personal Protocol

    Software Gore

    8485 makes cyberpunk hyperpop for the AI apocalypse. If the human race is doomed, at least the soundtrack is great.

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  • FIEP — Fried Rice, Moon Bliss

    Fried Rice, Moon Bliss

    Amsterdam’s FIEP makes energetic and charismatic power-pop, and their two latest EPs combine for a catchy and hooky debut record.

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  • Bagdad — They Don’t Know

    They Don’t Know

    Polish three-piece Bagdad is sombre and contemplative on their debut EP They Don’t Know, channeling low-key 90s grunge classics near-flawlessly.

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  • Other Half – Transgression is Outdated / Dark Ageism

    Dark Ageism

    Other Half is incandescent with rage on recent single “Transgression is Outdated”, and last year’s Dark Ageism, is one of the great punk records of the 2020s.

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  • The Boojums: Hot Streak

    Outta My Head

    The Boojums are a Nova Scotia band making catchy lo-fi garage rock with fantastic music videos.

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  • The Bug Club — On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System

    On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System

    I’m now a card-carrying member of The Bug Club. The band’s lo-fi garage punk is charming, funny and irresistible.

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  • Shiv and the Carvers — Tell Me You Love Me Again EP

    Tell Me You Love Me Again

    Shiv and the Carvers’ second EP and first for Twin Fang is a brief and fun blast of 90s influenced skate punk.

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