“Tuned Out”, The Romans

This way: Tuned Out

The Romans formed as a trio in 1981 with Juan Gomez (Human Hands, L.A.Free Music Society), Keith Mitchell (later with Mazzy Star) & Michael Uhlenkott (Monitor), joined later by Pat Delaney (Deadbeats, Bpeople) & Mikey Borens (45 Grave, Consumers).

Later members were Robert Lloyd & Pierre Smith (New Marines, El Vez.) 

Discography: You Only Live Once (1983), Last Days at the Ranch (1986).

[Spotify] Tuned Out

“Sick Days”, The Holiday Crowd

This way: Sick Days

Indie pop from Toronto, ON, Canada.

Lineup: David George Barnes - Drums, Colin Bowers - Guitars  

[Spotify] Sick Days 

“Hypnic Jerks”, Spirit of the Beehive

This way: Hypnic Jerks

The Spirit of the Beehive is an American indie rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band name comes from the 1973 Spanish film of the same name. 

The band features Zack Schwartz, formerly of the band Glocca Morra. Their debut self-titled album was released in 2014. An EP entitled You Are Arrived (But You've Been Cheated) was released in 2015. In 2017, the band released their second album, Pleasure Suck, on Tiny Engines. Their third album, Hypnic Jerks, was released through Tiny Engines in 2018.[5][6] Their fourth album, Entertainment, Death, was released on April 9, 2021, on Saddle Creek Records. Their most recent EP, i'm so lucky, was released on September 1, 2023. Their fifth album, stylized in all caps, YOU'LL HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING, was released on August 23, 2024, through Saddle Creek Records.

The band has toured with acts such as Japanese Breakfast, Pile, Ride, Dry Cleaning, Alex G and more.

[Spotify] Hypnic Jerks 

“American Squirm”, Nick Lowe

This way: American Squirm

Labour of Lust is an album by British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe. Produced by Lowe, it was released in 1979 by Radar Records in the UK and Columbia Records in the US. It was recorded and released at the same time as Dave Edmunds' Repeat When Necessary and features the same Rockpile personnel. It led off with "Cruel to Be Kind," Lowe's only major US hit.

 

The American version of this record had a slightly different track listing, with "Endless Grey Ribbon" being deleted and replaced with the UK single A-side, "American Squirm." The latter song includes members of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, namely Elvis Costello on backing vocals, Bruce Thomas on bass and Pete Thomas on drums. Credited to "Nick Lowe and His Sound," the B-side of this single was Elvis & The Attractions' version of the Lowe-penned "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?" "Endless Grey Ribbon" was later issued in America as the B-side of the "Cruel to Be Kind" single.

This track is not included on the official LP. Elvis Costello – backing vocals on "American Squirm".

[Spotify] American Squirm 

“Love Will Tear Us Apart Again”, PJ Harvey, Tim Philips

This way: Love Will Tear Us Apart Again

This cover appears on the soundtrack for the TV series 'Bad Sisters' S2. Merry Christmas everyone . . . .

[Spotify] Love will 

“Shakin' all Over”, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates

This way: Shakin' all Over

Johnny Kidd & the Pirates (known simply as The Pirates after their reunion) were an English rock band led by singer/songwriter Johnny Kidd. Their musical journey spanned from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, during which they achieved considerable success with hit songs like "Shakin' All Over" and "Please Don't Touch".

Their stage act was theatrical, including wearing full pirate costumes, echoing their rock 'n' roll contemporaries such as Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages and Nero and the Gladiators. The group disbanded after Kidd's sudden death in an automobile accident, but former members of the band reunited as The Pirates and continued performing until the late 2000s. The original group came under the management of Guy Robinson and was signed to HMV in 1959 under the auspices of producer Walter J. Ridley. Their first single was the raw "Please Don't Touch", penned by Kidd. This became a minor hit reaching number 25 on the UK singles charts in 1959. 

When the group appeared on Saturday Club between 1959 and 1961, Mike West and Tom Brown shared the vocals with Kidd.

Kidd and the Pirates' most famous song was "Shakin' All Over", memorable for opening guitars and solo from Joe Moretti, it reached number one in the UK singles charts in 1960. The song and the group's proto-power trio line-up both made a strong impression on the Who, who would cover it in their 1970 album Live at Leeds, whose CD liner notes proclaim the original to be the UK's best pre-Beatles rock single. Canada's The Guess Who reached No. 1 in their home country and skirted the US Top 20 with a cover version in early 1965.

[Spotify] Shakin' all Over 

“Feel a Whole Lot Better”, Flamin' Groovies

This way: Feel a Whole Lot Better

Flamin' Groovies is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965, originally co-led by Roy Loney and Cyril Jordan. After the Groovies released three albums, on Epic (Supersnazz) and Kama Sutra (Flamingo and Teenage Head), Loney left the band in 1971. He was replaced as co-leader by Chris Wilson, and the band's emphasis shifted more toward British Invasion power pop.

The band signed to United Artists Records in 1972, releasing just three more singles until 1976. The Groovies then signed to Sire Records and released three albums between 1976 and 1979, Shake Some Action, Flamin' Groovies Now (both produced by Dave Edmunds at Rockfield Studios in Wales) and Jumpin' in the Night. The 1976 album's title track "Shake Some Action" (also released as a single) became a power pop anthem and is revered by many, including Greil Marcus in his book, The History of Rock and Roll in Ten Songs. Wilson left the band in 1981, and the band continued in various forms, including the release of three more albums, before breaking up in 1991. After a couple of limited reunions with different lineups, the 1970s nucleus of Jordan, Wilson, and Alexander reformed the group in 2013, and the band's first post-reunion album, Fantastic Plastic, was released in 2017. Alexander left the reformed band in 2017, and in 2019 Wilson went on hiatus.

[Spotify] Feel a Whole Lot Better 

Merry Christmas 2024

This way [Spotify]: Christmas songs 2024

Dead Gwynne Holiday songs: DG 2024

Need some good music for the holidays?

I have links to my Christmas holiday playlist on Spotify, 5 hours plus of great rock-n -roll Christmas tunes. And of course the Dead Gwynne trove of Holiday classics.

This years song is still baking in the oven, so stay tuned for this years addition. Soon to be 33 songs!

—BdeV

“F-oldin' Money”, The Fall

This way: F-oldin' Money

The Marshall Suite is a 1999 album by the Fall, their 20th. The album builds on the techno-influenced beats of its predecessor Levitate (1997), while also returning to a more rockabilly-influenced sound reminiscent of earlier Fall lineups with songs such as the catchy "Touch Sensitive" and the strange, complex, thumping jungle beats of "The Crying Marshal". The album was long out of print, but a new three-disc edition was released in the summer of 2011. 

The Marshall Suite was made immediately after an American tour during which Mark E. Smith had an onstage fight with members of the band and was arrested following ongoing altercations at the hotel at which the group were staying. While the remaining band members quit and returned to England, leaving Smith in a cell in Manhattan, Julia Nagle chose to stay in the band, helping to assemble the group's new lineup. During the recording of the album, this new lineup was still taking shape; the group shed a drummer before recording could even begin, and the album features two different bassists. For these reasons, it is something of a patchwork: of 13 tracks, "On My Own" is a reworking of the previous album's "Everybody But Myself", three tracks are covers, two are sound collages, and "The Crying Marshal" is a remix by producer Steven Hitchcock of a Smith collaboration with the Filthy Three ("Real Life of the Crying Marshal"). Two songs use some of the same lyrics (a 14th track, "Tom Raggazzi", a reggae-tinged reprise of "Anecdotes...", was included on the vinyl version). Nevertheless, the album was well-received.

Original is by Tommy Blake, 1950s rockabilly star.

[Spotify] F-oldin' Money 

“My Time Keeping Heart”, Convoj

This way: My Time Keeping Heart

Convoj is a Ukrainian indie music artist with songs including "My Timekeeping Heart", "Redemption Trip", and "Shovel". Their albums include Exceptionnel and Convoj EP, and their record labels are Wonderland Records and Chalksounds. Currently in Sweden. Members: Jonathan Winblad (guitar, vocals), Anders Teglund (guitar), Felix Collin (drums), Ted Bergcrona (bass), Daniel Öhman [aka Halo of Pendor] (bass)

[Spotify] My Time Keeping Heart 

“Dead and Gone”, Ghostwoman

This way: Dead and Gone

Ghost Woman, a garage psych outfit from Alberta, is the alias of multi-instrumentalist Evan Uschenko. Ghost Woman has been Canada's Evan Uschenko's outlet for his interest in songwriting and recording, which began after a number of years spent playing as a sideman in various Canadian indie ensembles, most notably in the Michael Rault band, a group that displays a similar affinity for perfectly dialed, partially yesteryear-looking guitar pop. Following 2022's self-titled debut, Ghost Woman, issued by the British Full Time Hobby label to great critical acclaim, Ghost Woman's sophomore album, Anne, If (January 2023) presents a slightly more expansive vision of what Ghost Woman can offer.

Please note that from November 2023's Hindsight is 50/50 onwards, Uschenko started using Ghostwoman as the preferred spelling for the project. The albums are now listed on streaming platforms under that slightly altered moniker, which means that most scrobbles will now go to Ghostwoman instead.

[Spotify] Dead and Gone 

“Instant Karma”, Les and Larry Elgart

This way: Instant Karma

In late 1952, Larry Elgart was working with fellow saxophonist Charles Albertine in the pit band for the Broadway play ‘’Top Banana’’. We wondered if this was it . . . if this was what we had to do to make a living in the music business. But we knew it wasn’t. And that’s why Les, I and Charlie started a new band with the determination that it had to happen. With $1,000, they gathered sidemen and recorded three demo tracks to shop the record labels. In April 1953, Columbia Records A&R executive George Avakian liked what he heard, and signed the band to the label. ‘’Sophisticated Swing,’’ the band’s first album, was released that year. It enjoyed immediate success. The Elgart ensemble was lauded as "a new band with a handsome sound and smart arrangements." The band came from nowhere to third place in the 1954 DownBeat Magazine popularity poll, behind the Les Brown Band and the Ray Anthony Orchestra. Elgart displaced Anthony for second place in 1955 and again in 1956.  

Among the band's popular tunes was "Bandstand Boogie", which was used by Dick Clark as the theme song for the ABC-TV dance show American Bandstand. 

The band's first stereo recording in 1957 reflected a name change to Les and Larry Elgart and Their Orchestra. After the 1958 release of “Sound Ideas,” however, the brothers parted ways, and Larry formed his own band.

[Spotify] Instant Karma 

“Red Ants IV”, No Man

This way: Red Ants IV

Roger Clark Miller (born February 24, 1952) is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known for co-founding Mission of Burma and performing in Alloy Orchestra/The Anvil Orchestra. 

His main instruments are guitar and piano. Guitar Player magazine describes Miller's guitar playing as balancing rock energy with cerebral experimentation. He also plays cornet, bass guitar and percussion.

Miller was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on February 24, 1952. His father was a professor of ichthyology, which prompted frequent travel to the Western United States during summers—in search of fish in isolated springs in the desert for comparison with the fossil record—in which he brought his son along. These expeditions informed his later artistic outlook, which incorporates themes of nature, harsh environments, the passage of time, and self-reliance.

Recorded January 11 through February 7, 1990, at Sound Harbor Studios in Portland, Maine.

[Spotify] Red Ants IV 

Birthday

They say it's your birthday.

Today I'm going to post a song I know I've posted before, but I think this might be my favorite song of all time. So much of Iggy Pops music strikes a chord with me. And I'm one of those people who makes lists of all time best this and all time best that. So far this one rides at the top . . . .

“The Passenger”, Iggy Pop

This way: The Passenger

"The Passenger" is a song written by Iggy Pop and Ricky Gardiner, recorded and released by Iggy Pop on the Lust for Life album in 1977. It was also released as the B-side of the album's first single, "Success". It was released as a single in its own right in March 1998, reaching number 22 in the UK charts.

[Spotify] The Passenger 

“Horrorshow”, Scars

This way: Horrorshow

Another great Fast Product release. Scars (originally known as The Scars) were a Scottish post-punk band from Edinburgh, Scotland, and were a part of that city's music scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Fronted by Robert King and featuring Paul Research on lead guitar, John Mackie on bass, and Calumn Mackay on drums, the band's first single was in 1979 on Fast Product; "Horrorshow"/"Adult/ery". The band's song "Your Attention Please" appeared as a free gold flexi-disc in the first issue of the London-based style magazine i-D. This song was later included in the band's 1981 (and sole) album Author! Author!. The Scotsman ranked the album number 75 in the list of the top 100 Scottish rock and pop albums of all time. John Peel invited the band to record two of his Sessions, once in February 1980 and another in May 1981. 

The group was part of a literary art-punk scene that centred on a pub called the "Tap o' Lauriston" at 80 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh (near Edinburgh College of Art), along with The Fire Engines and The Cubs.

[Spotify] Horrorshow 

“Candy Bar Killer”, Simone White

This way: Candy Bar Killer

Simone White appeared in the 1984 comedy-drama "The Wild Life" written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Art Linson. Eddie Van Halen and Donn Landee composed the film's score. 

White moved to NYC from London in 2000 where she began to play music onstage. She recorded her first album with producer David Domanich and musician and friend Frank Bango. White released the album, The Sincere Recording Company Presents, in 2003 on Bango's label The Sincere Recording Company. White's albums have included covers of songs originally recorded by Frank Bango, such as Roses Are Not Red, Wrong About You, Worm Was Wood and Bunny in a Bunnysuit.

I Am The Man, her second album, was recorded with producer Mark Nevers, (Lambchop/Calexico/Will Oldham/Silver Jews), in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2006 she was signed to the UK label Honest Jons. I Am The Man was released by Honest Jons/EMI in the UK, Japan, Italy and The Netherlands in 2007 and released in France, Germany and the United States in 2008 through distributors Indigo and Forced Exposure

[Spotify] Candy Bar Killer 

“Waisting my Time”, Mary Lou Lord

This way: Waisting my Time

Mary Lou Lord (born March 1, 1965) is an indie folk musician who started out performing as a busker in Boston. Mary Lou Lord first gained attention playing acoustic guitar and singing in and around Boston's subway stations, particularly on the Red Line, as noted by the name she chose for her music and lyric publishing company, On the Red Line Music, administered by BMI.

She met Elliott Smith through Slim Moon, the owner of Kill Rock Stars and her boyfriend at the time. Lord toured three times with Smith during the 1990s. Smith also wrote and helped Lord record a song called "I Figured You Out" in 1997.

Lord signed with the Sony subsidiary Work in 1997 and released the album Got No Shadow in 1998. On December 31, 1998, Lord and Kevin Patey, from the band Raging Teens, had a daughter, whom they named Annabelle Lord-Patey.

Her recording of Daniel Johnston's "Speeding Motorcycle" (which originally featured on her self-titled 8-song Kill Rock Stars release) was featured in commercials for Target stores, after which her label reissued the song as the lead track of a CD single which also included two demo recordings from the sessions for Got No Shadow. 

[Spotify] Waisting my Time 

“Jack's on Crack”, Brewer

This way: Jack's on Crack

Brewer is one of the only bands to receive the gold star review of "I'm not sure what they're doing" whilst performing a cover of "Walking in the sand" by the Shangri-las at the Islington Angel. Inspired by early garage rock bands such as The Monks and the late 80's explosion that was Pixies, Brewer writes what they want to hear manipulating three chord structures rooted in punk and singing about subjects ranging from epilepsy to food preferences. 

 

[Spotify] Jack's on Crack 

“Plastic Gift”, Fire Engines

This way: Plastic Gift

Lubricate Your Living Room (subtitled on some editions as Background Music for Now People) is the debut studio album by Scottish post-punk band The Fire Engines. It was released in 1981, through record label Pop Aural.

The album was conceived by Bob Last, with the Fire Enginers "playing the role of willing accomplice" in the words of Innes Reekie of Louder Than War, who describe the album's concept as "music to go out to, to put you in the mood for 'action and fun'." Indeed, the album's subtitle is Background Music for Action People.

Several members of the band, their manager Angus Whyte and several of their art school friends (including Paul Steen, who helped the band issue their first single), regularly visited Last's Edinburgh flat and became regulars at the nearby Tap o'Lauriston pub. It was in the pub and at Last's flat that the gathered people exchanged ideas which ultimately provided the impetus for a chain of Fire Engines releases which were released in sleeves featuring household objects and titled in parody to the langue of modern advertising, namely Lubricate Your Living Room and "Get Up and Use Me" and "New Things in Cartoons" singles.

The Fire Engines were an influence on many bands that followed, including Franz Ferdinand and The Rapture, with Meat Whiplash and The Candyskins both taking their names from Fire Engines songs. In August 2017 the band reformed to play a benefit for Leith Theatre along with Irvine Welsh and Ewen Bremner. The Fire Engines comprise David (Davy) Henderson (vocals/guitar), Murray Slade (guitar), Graham Main (bass), and Russell Burn (drums). The band name was inspired by a 13th Floor Elevators song. Henderson, Main, and Burn had previously been members of The Dirty Reds, along with Russell Burn's brother Tam Dean Burn, while Slade had played in Station Six. The Fire Engines' debut release was the "Get Up And Use Me"/"Everything's Roses" single, released on manager Angus Groovy's Codex Communications label in 1980; The band had recorded their entire set twice in a Fife bungalow with producer Wilf Smarties, at a cost of £46, with these two tracks selected for release. 

[Spotify] Plastic Gift 

“Caucsian Guilt”, Noh Mercy

This way: Caucsian Guilt

Formed in San Francisco in 1977, Noh Mercy was comprised of only two women: Esmerelda and Tony Hotel. The band's motto was "No Boys On Guitars" as a reaction against male-dominated rock 'n' roll. They didn't need boys or guitars. They harnessed the angularity of Devo, the punk/poet attitude of Patti Smith, and the art spectacle of Roxy Music, all ground down to a minimalist core of voice and drums. As prescient as bands come, Noh Mercy preceded the defiant queer rebellion of Riot Grrrl and the frenetic art minimalism of the early 21st century by decades. 

[Spotify] Noh!

“Criminal Waste”, Flowers

This way: Criminal Waste

The Earcom compilations of the late 70s and early 80s were solid gold. Somehow there were available even in the backwoods of Phoenix AZ. So many great bands, some are so etched into my brain. This one stands out.

The Flowers active from 1978–1980, were a punk band from Scotland, part of the Edinburgh scene which spawned bands such as Scars, Josef K and The Fire Engines. They are known for their feminist lyrics and "astringent" music. The band, and the musical scene of which they were a part, are profiled in the 2015 film Big Gold Dream.

The Flowers formed in 1978, when local band The Dirty Reds split into two offshoot bands, The Dirty Reds Two and the group which would become The Flowers.This latter group included Dave Carson (later of Boots for Dancing) on bass, Andy Copland on guitar, and drummer Russell Burn (later of The Fire Engines and Win). Carson invited Hilary Morrison to join as vocalist. Morrison was also the co-founder of two influential independent record labels, Fast Product and Pop:Aural, with then-partner Bob Last. The Flowers' music would be released on both of these labels. Within a year, founding members Carson and Burn had left. By the time of their first recording in 1979, the band had settled into the following lineup:

Hilary Morrison (credited as “HL Ray”) – vocals, Andy Copland – guitar, Fraser Sutherland – bass, Simon Best – drums

The band played regularly throughout the UK, often opening for Human League and The Mekons, and also touring with The Beat and OMD. The Flowers played the 1980 Futurama Festival in Leeds, which was headlined by Siouxsie and the Banshees. 

[Spotify] NO

“Dead Head”, Deep Tissue

This way: Dead Head

Deep Tissue are poison-tipped, layered in thrifted velvet and plucked from a stash of rusting, ornate dragon-handled knives - a punk band whose zeal and fervor for a passionately lived life is cloaked in a shimmery, cobalt and onyx darkness. Their debut full length record, Patience or Fear crashes with ringing gaze-y guitars and jagged post-punk melancholy, an immersive soundtrack to the darkest dream sequence in your favorite 90’s auteur film. Formed in the summer of 2017 and consisting of five of your weirdest Philadelphia friends-- Lauren Leilani Iona (vox), Shaun Nelson (guitar), Geoff Smith (guitar), Arthur Wurt (bass), Adam Moffitt (drums)-- their sweeping, charged and emotional hooks, cavernous rhythms and tribal instincts sweep you away on a tidal wave of euphoric goth-tinged bliss. 

[Spotify] Dead Head 

“The Takeaway”, Cornelius deVallance

This way: The Takeaway

Cornelius deVallance is a new collaboration between Michael Cornelius and Brendan deVallance (who dat?). They cut their teeth making music together back in the early 80s in the Jr. Chemists (recorded on the Arizona Disease EP). For this track they are covering a song by Brendan’s old band The Misery Love Co. “The Takeaway” (Cheers to Debi). It is available on most streaming services.

[Spotify] The Takeaway 

“Raging Fire”, Nina Hynes

This way: Raging Fire

Nina Hynes is an Irish musician and music producer from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. She releases music through her own label Transplant Records on www.ninahynes.bandcamp.com/ and also privately to subscribers.

Nina made her music debut in 1999 with the release of the EP 'Creation' on Reverb Records. Nina had several successful tours of North America and won the support of Nic Harcourt at KCRW, among others. Following her first LP the 2002 release 'Staros' on Reverb Records her successful single release 'Mono Prix' granted her success in her native Republic of Ireland.

She has gained considerable success in the European underground music scene most notable in Ireland, Czech Republic and Slovakia this popularity broadened through extensive touring with her band 'Nina Hynes and The Husbands' throughout 2002 to 2008. She toured extensively in the U.S. from 1999 to 2002. At an early age, she toured with experimental composers Hector Zazou and Brian Eno collaborator Harold Budd. Jane Birkin and Melanie Gabriel covered Nina’s songs on Hector Zazou's album Strong Currents in 2003. She sang on the 2009 Abbey Rd. Children in Need single ‘All you need is love’ by The Beatles and singing on ‘My Favorite Things’ from The Sound of Music for CIN album. 

[Spotify] Raging Fire 

[Charming Live] Raging Fire 

“Virginia Reel Around the Fountain”, The Halo Benders

This way: Virginia Reel Around the Fountain

The Halo Benders was a band formed in 1994 as a side project by Calvin Johnson of Beat Happening and Doug Martsch of Built to Spill. They released their first album, God Don't Make No Junk, in 1994. They followed up in 1996 with Don't Tell Me Now and in 1998 with The Rebels Not In.

Following a hiatus through the early 2000s, the Halo Benders reformed in March 2007 for a pair of shows at the Visual Arts Collective in Boise, Idaho. The band featured Doug Martsch, Ralf Youtz, Calvin Johnson, Brett Netson, and Stephen Gere. November 2010, a reformed version with Doug, Calvin, Ralf Youtz and Wayne Flower appeared for a benefit for Friends of Mia, a child who had started an organization to help children with cancer and their families before herself passing away of cancer, at the Capitol Theater in Olympia, WA.  

[Spotify] Virginia Reel Around the Fountain 

“This Heaven Has Bars ”, Pot Valiant

This way: This Heaven Has Bars

American band from El Cerrito, CA, in the San Francisco area. Featuring Brian Jay, Craig Miller, Dave Henwood, Nicolai Gancheff. They carved out a mid 90s assult of punk soon to emo-me.  

[Spotify] This Heaven Has Bars  

“Making Plans for Nigel”, XTC

This way: Making Plans for Nigel

Here's one of the great songs. "Making Plans for Nigel" is a song by English rock band XTC, released by Virgin Records as the lead single from their 1979 album Drums and Wires. It was written by Colin Moulding, the band's bassist. The lyrics are told from the point of view of overbearing parents who are certain that their son Nigel is "happy in his world", affirming that his future, to be spent working for British Steel, "is as good as sealed", and that he "likes to speak and loves to be spoken to". 

The single marked XTC's commercial breakthrough. It spent 11 weeks on the UK Singles Chart and peaked at No. 17. In 2016, the song was ranked number 143 on the Pitchfork website's list of the 200 best songs of the 1970s. It was also ranked number 73 in NME list of 100 best songs of the 1970s.

XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (vocals, guitars) and Colin Moulding (vocals, bass), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in a variety of styles that ranged from angular guitar riffs to elaborately arranged pop. Partly because the group did not fit into contemporary trends, they achieved only sporadic commercial success in the UK and US,

[Spotify] Making Plans for Nigel 

“Entirely Different Matters”, Unwound

This way: Entirely Different Matters

Unwound is an American post-hardcore band. Formed in 1988 in Tumwater and Olympia, Washington, the band currently consists of Justin Trosper (vocals, guitar), Jared Warren (bass guitar), Sara Lund (drums), and Scott Seckington (guitar).

Originally founded by Trosper, bassist Vern Rumsey and drummer Brandt Sandeno under the name "Giant Henry," Sandeno was replaced in 1992 by Lund who performed on their debut album in 1993. Largely based in Olympia throughout the 1990s, the trio consisting of Lund, Trosper, and Rumsey recorded seven albums, plus numerous singles, and toured relentlessly until the band's dissolution in 2002. Often classified as noise rock in addition to post-hardcore, Unwound played a sharply dissonant and angular style that made use of unusual guitar tones, and garnered attention locally for their relentless touring schedules, favour towards "all ages" venues and their strong DIY ethics. Unwound was largely associated with the independent record label Kill Rock Stars throughout the 1990s, with the band's debut album, Fake Train (1993), being the first non-spoken word release from the label.   

[Spotify] Entirely Different Matters 

“Boomerang”, Xmal Deutschland

This way: Boomerang

Xmal Deutschland often written as X-Mal Deutschland, was a German gothic rock band. Founded in 1980 with a completely female line-up, they had chart success both in and outside their native country. Their last album was released in 1989.

Xmal Deutschland was formed in 1980 by Anja Huwe (vocals), Manuela Rickers (guitar), Fiona Sangster (keyboards), Rita Simonsen (bass) and Caro May (drums) in Hamburg. Their first single, "Schwarze Welt", was released a year later on Alfred Hilsberg’s ZickZack label. The band also contributed to the label compilation Lieber Zuviel Als Zuwenig (ZZ 45). Around this time, Rita Simonsen was replaced by Wolfgang Ellerbrock. 

In 1982, the band released the goth classic "Incubus Succubus". Caro May left the band and formed a new band, and was replaced by Manuela Zwingmann the same year. While German audiences were less than receptive at first, a United Kingdom tour opening for Cocteau Twins resulted in a deal with independent label 4AD. Their debut album, Fetisch and the singles "Qual" and "Incubus Succubus II" were released in 1983, all three making the UK Indie Charts, even though the band wrote and performed in German.

[Spotify] Boomerang 

“Thistrainwillnotstop”, Lowercase

This way: Thistrainwillnotstop

Lowercase (sometimes stylized as lowercase) was a band from Palm Desert, California, led by Imaad Wasif on vocals and guitar and Brian Girgus on drums. The band put out 2 full-length albums on the Minneapolis label Amphetamine Reptile before recording their last LP for Vern Rumsey of Unwound's label, Punk in my Vitamins. Tours with Sebadoh, Karp, Unwound, Hovercraft, Caustic Resin, The Lies, Faith No More, and Chokebore helped gain them a national as well as international following.

The band first formed in 1993 in Palm Desert, California by guitarist and vocalist Imaad Wasif and drummer Brian Girgus. Initially, Girgus played bass, however he switched to the drums when the group faced difficulty finding a drummer. The band issued their debut 7-inch single titled Two Songs in early 1994 through Punk in my Vitamins?, an independent label operated by Vern Rumsey, the bassist of Unwound. The duo followed this up with a second 7-inch single, Brass Tracks, which was issued in 1995 through X-Mas Records. That same year, the band was signed onto Amphetamine Reptile Records, who issued their debut full-length All Destructive Urges... Seem So Perfect on November 11, 1996. That same year, the band moved out to San Francisco, where they would stay until their disbandment in 2000. This LP from 1999.

 

[Spotify] Thistrainwillnotstop 

“Oyster Cuts”, Quivers

This way: Oyster Cuts

Quivers, of Melbourne, Australia, have been a cathartic jangle pop band for long enough now to get supportive ears at Pitchfork, NPR, JJJ and even the band R.E.M., who once slid into the bands DMs to send fire emojis. Quivers have performed at Dark Mofo, Meadow, Boogie, and SXSW after which they filmed a session for beloved Seattle station KEXP. They have also supported the likes of The Hold Steady, Sonny & the Sunsets, and Methyl Ethel. Late 2022 saw Quivers love every minute of a much postponed 16-date US tour to celebrate 2nd album Golden Doubt, described by Pitchfork as “like a Go-Betweens with Coachella-conquering ambitions”. With a Bella-sung 7” single, If Only, now nearly sold out, Quivers have finished their next album, 'Oysyer Cuts'. It sees the band dive into a tougher and more expansive pop with both Bella and Sam sharing singing duties. There’s more angular than jangular guitars now, 1970s synth drones, and more songs about hometowns, friendship, giving in to love, and swimming away from grief. Quivers’ come alive on tour; four people and voices that build it up to let it fall apart and then build it back up again. 

[Spotify] Oyster Cuts 

“Slide The Needle In Under Blue Skin I Took A Picture So I Still Can Burn You”, Calm

This way: Slide The Needle In Under Blue Skin I Took A Picture So I Still Can Burn You

Calm was a short-lived indie rock band, from San Jose, California. Active between 1994 and 1996; and formed by Marc Bianchi (guitars, bass, vocals), Clay Parton (guitars, bass, vocals), and Albert Menduno (drums). Mainly as a trio, Canaan Dove Amber (guitars, bass, vocals), participated in Calm 7" recording.  

[Spotify] Slide The Needle In Under Blue Skin I Took A Picture So I Still Can Burn You 

“Opening”, Second Still

This way: Opening

Second Still is a three piece post-punk/coldwave band from Los Angeles, CA. Combining the definitive sounds of French coldwave with the unconventional time signatures of No Wave, then layering that hybrid with hauntingly beautiful vocal melodies, Second Still crafts a sound soaked in nostalgia but also one that marches onwards towards the future. Infectious bass lines infiltrate your body and attack your senses. Guitar phrases glide in undulating melodic waves that peak into moments of formidable delay feedback. Heavyweight drum machine beats feel like punches to the gut. Combing the 80s underground for only the best of influences like Xmal Deutschland, Garlands-era Cocteau Twin, Asylum Party, and Opera De Nuit, Second Still invokes the classic wave of La Vague Froide as their sound washes over you. Smooth running water slowly freezes as the sun’s reflection is blocked by a sound that is decidedly Second Still’s own unique imprint.  

[Spotify] Opening 

“Marie and the Undersea”, The New Pornographers

This way: Marie and the Undersea

Here is a band I will follow anywhere. The New Pornographers are a Canadian indie rock band, formed in 1997 in Vancouver. Presented as a musical collective and supergroup of singer-songwriters and musicians from multiple projects, the band has released nine studio albums to date. The band have received critical acclaim for their use of multiple vocalists and songwriters, as well as for the elements of power pop incorporated into their music. Pitchfork has described the band's sound as "peppy, gleeful, headstrong guitar pop", while Stereogum has retrospectively praised the band's debut album Mass Romantic as "one of the greatest and most immediate power pop albums ever rendered". 

[Spotify] Marie and the Undersea 

“New Jersey Blues”, 070 Shake

This way: New Jersey Blues

Here is some fascinating new music. 070 Shake (pronounced "oh seven oh shake"), is an American rapper and singer. She is best known for her guest appearance on English singer Raye's 2022 single "Escapism", which peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaked atop the UK Singles Chart, and won Song of the Year at the 2024 Brit Awards.

Previously, she signed with rapper Kanye West's record label, GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings, in 2016. Her debut extended play (EP), Glitter (2018), foresaw her receiving further attention in June of that year for her guest appearances on West's songs "Ghost Town" and "Violent Crimes"—from his eighth album, Ye—both of which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. During that same month, Balbuena also guest performed on labelmate Pusha T's album Daytona and New York rapper Nas' album Nasir. Her debut studio album, Modus Vivendi (2020), and its follow-up, You Can't Kill Me (2022), were both positively received by music critics despite failing to chart.

Aside from her solo career, Balbuena is also a member of the New Jersey–based musical collective 070, from which she adapted her stage name. The group has released one mixtape, The 070 Project: Chapter 1 (2016). 

[Spotify] New Jersey Blues