27.08.2010-GAYNGS Relayted (Jagjaguwar,2010)

 

INDIE ROCK

   Gayngs represent a somewhat unlikely confluence of any number of recent musical trends, foremost amongst them the resurgence in hipness of such über-processed AOR acts as 10cc, Hall & Oates and Steely Dan. Indeed, producer Ryan Olson’s stated purpose when founding Gayngs (alongside Solid Gold’s Zack Coulter and Adam Hurlburt) was to create “a collection of drugged-up keyboards and slick bedroom production almost exclusively inspired by 10cc’s I’m Not in Love.” Relayted, Gayngs’ groaningly-titled debut album, shies away from actually covering said song, though the fact it includes a creepy cover of Godley & Creme’s saccharine enormo-hit Cry does make you wonder why they bothered being so coy.

     That’s not the whole story, though. Relayted is not without a scent of fromage, but it is, on the whole, artier, sexier and stranger than the output of Olson’s bemulleted heroes. It owes plenty to modern RnB production, and is certainly more leftfield in tone and taste than anything 10cc ever made.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/fme06e98

24.08.2026-FENNE LILY Big Picture (Dead Oceans,2023)

 

INDIE FOLK

   The singer-songwriter from Bristol has made a return with her third studio album Big Picture, and with it she continues her run of flawless albums. It differs slightly to her previous records, carrying a more jovial tone, but is definitely not without deep cuts.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/2ybrjr43

21.08.2026-BEACHES Blame My Ex (Self Released,2023)

 

ROCK

   Since emerging in 2013, sisters Jordan Miller (lead vocals and bass) and Kylie Miller (guitar), drummer Eliza Enman McDaniel, and keyboardist and guitarist Leandra Earl have continuously evolved their brand of pop-inflected rock, harnessing the vibrancy of their live shows and infusing their lyrics with a winking sense of humour. All of these ingredients are present on their latest offering, along with a sense of maturity that in no way makes the album feel less fun.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/0ehzhemk

18.08.2026-DEAD CONFEDERATE Sugar (The Artists Organization,2010)

 

ALTERNATIVE ROCK

   The 10 tunes on Sugar are more rock than ramshackle—still heavy on reverb and distorted, droning guitar—and they play like a who’s who of the band’s many influences. With its fuzzy guitar intro, opening track “In The Dark” nods to Sonic Youth, and “Mob Scene” (aside from frontman Hardy Morris’s Billy Corgan-esque vocals) could have been lifted from Led Zeppelin’s songbook, with Walker Howle’s proggy, wailing guitar and drummer Jason Scarboro’s thrashing beat.

   Lame lyrics aside, Sugar demonstrates Dead Confederate’s natural talent for grunge atmospherics, but they could use some songwriting workshops before tackling their third effort.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/wp7jh74s

15.08.2026-SCREAMING FEMALES Desire Pathway (Don Giovanni,2023)

 

ALTERNATIVE ROCK

New Brunswick's own Screaming Females are industry vets now, eight albums in, but they remain DIY basement players at heart — and oftentimes in practice. With a bit of synth and power-pop added to the mix, Desire Pathway is the sound of a long running band doing exactly what it does best: earth-quaking riffs; tight, propulsive drumming; and Marissa Paternoster's unmatched vocal quaver. Screamales are forever.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/mbswt8u7

12.08.2026-ANCHORESS The Art Of Losing (KScope,2021)

ALTERNATIVE POP

   As she skewers the messy, chaotic nature of grief in various forms, alt-pop artist Catherine Anne Davis' second album finds her turning to art for clarity.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/kkieg06x

 

08.08.2026-NZCA LINES Pure Luxury (Memphis Industries,2020)

 

INDIE POP / ELECTRONIC

   The album, from the start, boasts a silky funk bravado, with slick weighty synth lines and perfect dancefloor rhythms. Couple that with its nourishing slow sets and the level of quality on the production, ‘Pure Luxury’ aligns itself not out of place up against pop’s finest releases this year.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/k3hqtivw