I watched a documentary about a naughty domesticated Honey Badger. He was so intelligent that he always found a way to escape from it’s very nice penn…eventually it disappeared. The honey badger was no more.

Whilst I may worry about what has happened to the aforementioned honey badger, this weeks marvellous submissions have confirmed my faith in indie music and it’s ability to escape the travails of this whole masky virus thing.

No gigs, Pah! No money from gigs pah! Less money being spent on their music, Pah!!!… These acts don’t care they just keep on finding ways to keep on, so please give them your support in any way possible.

If you see a stray honey badger on your travels, see if it answers to the name Cecil.

 

The English Rain

Track: She’s A Rainbow From: Echoes Of You (album) Label:  Self released Out: Album out 27.08.20

The 90’s gave the world many things. Internet, Sony Discmans, Timmy Mallett and the Playstation. The best thing though, was this sort of jangly indie-pop sound. Crystalline riffs to die for…

 

Lucie Too

Track: Hamming From: Hamming (single) Label:  Thistime Records Out: Now

There is something about much Japanese indie-pop and the contrast between the sweetness of the vocals and the guitar fuzz that resonates on so many levels. Lucie Too have been around for a few years now and are rapidly becoming the best from the region.

 

Bobsled Team

Track: This Pink Moon From: This Pink Moon (single) Label:  Self released Out: Now

Belfast based act, making the space between Weekend Lovers and Poppongene entirely their own. Dreamy. Weird, Jangly. Brilliant !!!

 

Awful Sirs

Track: C’mon  From: Looking Up (album) Label:  Self released Out: Album out now

California’s Awful Sirs, seem determined to intentionally slip between the cracks of genuine melodic 60’s garage rock and the modernity of todays better left field jangle acts like Primo! Totally enthralling energy throughout.

 

MADBIL

Track: El Cielo Puede Esperar From: El Cielo Puede Esperar (single) Label:  Hanky Panky Records Out: Now

Soft, fluffy, twee inflected, jangly indie-pop. Taking the best parts of the Spanish acts they have heard at the Madrid Popfest and then paying extra homage to The Yellow Melodies, this is jangly twee just as the spanish pop gods intended!

 

Flatheadstanley

Track: Waiting Outside  From: Waiting Outside (single) Label:  Self released Out: Now

Inspired by artists such as Toro y Moi and Parcels, but so more much cooler than all that due to the lo-fi rock  reverb and distortion that adds grit to the floaty sweet. 

 

Vanessa Van Ness

Track: The Muscle (Song For Kate)  From: The Muscle  (Song For Kate) (single) Label:  Self released Out: Now

Incredibly powerful and beautiful in its sense of feminine strength and melancolia, with vocals that simultaneously evoke notions of Cat Power and Hope Sandoval.

 

Ailbhe Reddy

Track: Between Your Teeth From: Personal · History (album) Label:  Self released Out: Album out 02.10.20

Apparently this is indie-folk? If so this Dublin based singer-songwriter is both the jangliest and coolest example of the genre you will ever find !!!

 

MFAB

Track: Hey Now (To Ya)  From: Hey Now (To Ya) (single) Label:  Self released Out: Now

MFAB mixes simple modern surf rock vibes to the unmistakable playfulness of The Monkees… A perfect. Simple, Pop tune.

 

The Calamity

Track: Landlord  From: Landlord (single) Label:  Grandflat Recordings Out: Now

Imbuing the Mardy Bum style jangle of  the Arctic Monkeys to the definitive indie-pop clarity of Lost Ships. This is a sound we have heard many times over the years, but when it is this right, it is still fresh and perfect!

 

Cowboy Dinosaur

Track: Portland  From: Ford the Fjord (album) Label:  Rue Defense Out: Album out 21.08.29

Cowboy Dinosaur is the solo project of Portland multi-instrumentalist Blake Hickey and presents an irresistable contrast between his beautiful melodic urges and the need for 90’s fuzz, reverb and distortion. Teenage Fanclub with that slight bit of extra grumble.

 

Caved Mountains

Track: Soft White Lights  From: Soft White Lights (single) Label:  Self released Out: Now

Continuing with the 90’s essence, Caved Mountains slide chiming, isolated pychedelic riffs, through all manner of the best the 90s alternative rock scene had to offer. Dunedin meets the Red Hot Chilli’s...

 

Mi Luz

Track: Miami  From: Mi Luz (EP) Label:  Self released Out: Now

The promo blurb refers to the solo project of New Jersey’s Own Murphy as “boppy shoegaze”. I’d go with that, but also add the sweeter inflections of The Pains of Being Pure At Heart sound into the mix, just to get closer to the correct description for this fresh, vibrant, jangly indie-pop (ish) aesthetic.

 

Mount Mural

Track: Northbound  From: Northbound (single) Label:  Self released Out: Now

The ambience of Ruby Haunt meets Sarah Records fluttering jangle in the extended intro, that develops to Carriers style fuzz, all within the elongated blink of a particularly gorgeous, gaze inflected eye.

 

Superlove

Track: Jarvis Put The Record On  From: Jarvis Put The Record On (single) Label:  Safe Suburban Homes Records Out: Now

Taking all the best elements of the current trend for charity shop pop and lacing the best of jangly hooks and slight fuzz, Berlin’s, Superlove, justifies theselves as the latest inclusion in the wonderful Safe Suburban Homes Records “cassingle series’.

 

Pseudo Cool

Track: Modern Man From: Modern Man (single) Label:  Self released Out: Now

Pop punk from South Wales, that nibbles away at buzzsaw Buzzcocks style guitars, whilst keeping one attitude filled eye of fuzz layered melodies. Already getting deserved play on the BBC.

 

Zach Bellas

Track: Dearly Departed From: This Was Not The Plan (EP) Label:  Self released Out: Now

Ex Groundscore man Zach Bellas grinds out Harrison Whitford style hazy atmospheres and imbues them with the most vibrant of jangle rock riffs.

 

Mylittlebrother

Track: Janey From: Janey (single) Label:  Self released Out: Now

Jangly, hazy, sun laced psyche, all the way from the freezing wastes of Cumbria. Louder Than War gushed “there is something special happening in the Lake District” and the melodic intent of this track certainly underlines that.

 

Cibeles

Track: Ave de Corral From: Ave de Corral (single) Label:  Self released Out: Now

Costa Rican fuzz laden alt.rock that infuses the best of all manner of jangle-gaze ‘wall of sound’ inflections.

 

Shoken Boys

Track: Ave de Corral From: Ave de Corral (single) Label:  Self released Out: Now

Mercury Rev riffs with all the post-punk jangly and theatrics of Echo and the Bunnymen. High praise indeed…but deserved for this Israelian foursome.

 

Michael McCartney

Track: Perfect Crime From: Perfect Crime (single) Label:  Self released Out: Now

Vintage pop-rock with just that hint of garage grumble and swathes of melodic intent. The best act Futureman Records has not signed ‘yet’!

 

Blacks Beach Boys

Track: Piehole From: Black Beach Boys (album) Label:  Dowd Records Out: Album out 21.08.20

Grabbing at Dinosaur Jr fuzz and sliding all manner of jangly lo-fi rock into the mix, this San Diego foursome seem determined to bring the best of the 90’s back into the musical conscience.

 

Tennis Club

Track: Dear Friend From: Bryce Drive (EP) Label:  Self released Out: EP out 07.08.20

Very much singer-songwriter, a bit near to the whole balladry thing, but incredibly beautiful lyrically and in terms of the sparse jangly acoustic guitar. Truly stunning.