Indierock | Alternative 303 Items

Legions Of Doom, the doom metal supergroup featuring members of The Skull, Trouble, Saint Vitus, Corrosion Of Conformity, are set to release "All Good Things" b/w "Into the Fire" on 7" vinyl via Tee Pee Records. Originally intended for the third The Skull album, work on "All Good Things" began before the passing of Eric Wagner (ex-Trouble) passed away in 2021. With Wagner's lyrics, Karl Agell (Lie Heavy, C.O.C., Blind) takes the lead on vocals, joined by The Skull's Ron Holzner (also ex-Trouble) on bass, Lothar Keller on guitar and Henry Vasquez on drums, with Scott Little on guitar and David Snyder (Trouble, BlackFinger) collaborating. Lyrics of hope and patience top a fluid, heavy verse and crunching chorus riff in righteously metal fashion. The Deep Purple cover "Into the Fire" on the B side finds the band putting their own spin on a classic from In Rock, and celebrating the roots of doom in early ‘70s swinging groove.After the untimely passing of Eric Wagner, one of doom metal’s most notable and esteemed singers and songwriters, The Skull bassist and bandleader Ron Holzner contemplated long and hard on whether it would be possible to carry on. An idea was born after nine months and a lot of soul-searching. Recalls Holzner, "I decided I want to honor the memory of Eric by still playing some of the songs that he crafted, and ones that (guitarist) Lothar and I wrote with him in The Skull. I want his spirit to become eternal through his words and melody. And I also want to play many songs from the catalogs of everyone involved. We want to honor Eric as well as Reed Mullin (Corrosion Of Conformity), Armando Acosta (Saint Vitus), and most recently, Mark Adams from Saint Vitus. We have all lost someone close and special to us that we have spent much time making and playing music with over the years."And so, Legions Of Doom has come to exist with an all-star lineup of some of Doom’s most prestigious figureheads, here to share their ultimate heavy truth, taking the genre from what is known into uncharted territories. 1. All Good Things 4:112. Into The Fire 3:26

Matt Loveridge is a prolific multi-instrumentalist condemned to Bristol, UK. He has over sixty solo records under various monikers, done before and after his time in Beak>, none of which appear on major streaming platforms, nor get much attention. His work as Mxlx is a miasmatic fog, and he tosses the listener deep into it. Kicking Away At The Decrepit Walls Til The Beautiful Sunshine Blisters Thru The Cracks is his most celebrated release (if one counts hate mail), and it appears here for the first time both on vinyl and somewhere not on his own site.

Songs swerve between ambient, electronic ambient noise, metal, and industrial. Vocal harmonies ride arpeggiated basslines and shimmering synth lines, ascending upwards before plummeting into distorted screams. And yet, Loveridge’s aggression does not overlook introspection. He faces one stripped of all pretense, creaking “I’ve got that dumb skull of yours locked in place,” apologizing, “I’m sorry for all that I’ve done in the name of myself” and laughing in one’s face, “Just kidding, I hope you rot in the ground.” Drawing from an obsession with literature, he’s converted a life stricken with bouts of depression and homelessness into febrile sonic turbulence. He channels the intensity of groups like Pharmakon and The Body, while embracing compositional noise like Colin Stetson. With droning organs, emotionless chanting, and fleeting walls of sound, his results have more to do with cosmic futility than petty score-settling.

Mxlx produces barren liturgies of raw emotion, like a fallen medieval monk given a synthesizer. He pulls the listener from comfort, spits in their eye, and abandons them as roadkill. An explosive catharsis not for faint hearts or distracted minds.

Ed Askew, NYCs legendary singer-songwriter / painter is back with another collection of haunting ballads. Last year's '2020' pretty much summed what the world was going through with incredible torch songs filled with hope and mystery. 'Sleeping With Angels' is no less, a tear-inducing album of elegiac and fragile melodies with Ed's unmistakable voice and his 1964 Martin tiple. Recorded mostly in May 2019 this is an extraordinary document of a songwriter at the top of his game, an album of hope and joy.

What Kind of Human Have I Become is a new vehicle helmed by Matt Plunkett (Cuticles, The Trendees, etc.). Conceived as a solo endeavor, the designation got a bit blurry following an invitation to record his new songs with Stefan Neville (Pumice, etc.) at the studio he shares with Ben Holmes (Oksun Ox, etc.) in Auckland.

Once in the studio, Plunkett’s songs puffed in a wholly new way with Neville at the controls, and backing and bits from both Neville and Holmes perhaps channeling Nag and Bendie. Fans of Matt’s past and current activities will find much to rejoice in here; Avoiding The Diggy Diggy Dogs plucks three songs from the sessions. More to come in due time.

As subjects of a recent career spanning vault-clearing anthology, the likelihood that more old recordings by The Strange Girls might surface was an unlikely one. Thankfully it’s just what happened. Culled from leaky audience video recordings, Truly & Lyric features two Clayton Noone songs that never surfaced elsewhere. These date from around 2002 and feature the core duo of Kaaterama Morehu and Noone. Draped in artwork by Mark Anderson (Greymouth), Truly & Lyric offers another fleeting glimpse at The Strange Girls’ downcast beauty in action. Limited to 200.

These four songs, recorded in 1977, are the only recordings of the original 4-piece line-up of the Australian band X featuring Ian Rilen (Rose Tatoo), Steve Lucas, Ian Krahe, and Steve Cafiero. Three of the songs (Home is Where the Floor Is, TV Cabaret Rules, and Hate City) were released on the 1985 compilation "Why March When You Can Riot" while Good On Ya Baby was later re-recorded for the X-Aspirations LP. While their debut LP, X-Aspirations, is rightly lauded as an Australian punk classic, this batch of songs is often overlooked because they never received a wide release. This is the band at their most snotty and rambunctious. This is an authorized one-time press of 500 copies on black vinyl by Dirt Cult and Green Noise Records

“If rock ’n’ roll’s a dream, please don’t wake me.”

Midwife’s No Depression In Heaven, her fourth studio album, was written primarily in the back of vans while on tour endlessly over the course of the past few years. The record engages with the contemplative spirit of rock ’n’ roll from within a body in motion.

No Depression In Heaven explores themes of sentimentality, the interplay between dreams, memory, and fantasy, and a familiar subject seen throughout all of Midwife’s work: grief. Madeline Johnston takes a look at the tender and transcendent underneath a hard exterior of leather and studs, exposing a different side of the heavy music scene, where Johnston’s project has been living and evolving.

Recording at home in New Mexico between 2021 and 2023, Johnston aimed to create something that was rough around the edges, returning to a free recording process that was less focused on perfection and more attuned to expressing the spirit that lives inside of the songs. The album features collaborations with Chris Adolf and Michael Stein of American Culture, Ben Schurr and Tim Jordan of Nyxy Nyx, Angel Diaz of Vyva Melinkolya, and Allison Lorenzen.

Inspired by ephemeral moments that make up life on tour, the totemization of vehicles, outlaws, and the psyche of America’s underbelly, No Depression In Heaven affirms Johnston’s existential status as a woman of the highway.

Hole Erth, Chaz Bear's eighth full-length studio record as Toro y Moi, is the genre shapeshifter's most unexpected and bold move to date, with Bear diving headlong into rap-rock, Soundcloud rap and Y2K emo. The album blitzes anthemic pop-punk next to autotuned, melancholic rap - two genres that inform one another now more than ever before _ and packs in the most features ever on a Toro y Moi album. A sense of nostalgia sneaks its way into almost every Toro y Moi release, but angst is an emotion that Bear has never intentionally explored the way he does here. Tracks like "Tuesday'' channel a specific, yet forever-relatable sense of adolescent unease. A distorted guitar riff leads into a repeating chorus that conjures misunderstood teenagers singing aloud, maybe too loud, while riding bikes through American suburbs. This foreboding can also be heard on "HOV," though not without poking some fun with lines like "Romance is so cold / My advice? To bring a coat." Bear has the energy, but is acutely aware that his energy isn't forever. At a time when the internet is blending multiple genres into one at an increasingly rapid pace, Bear accomplishes the rare feat of keeping up with the contemporary alternative listener. Constantly changing, evolving and experimenting is the heart of Toro y Moi, and on Hole Erth Bear challenges but also reclaims himself, embracing the myriad sounds and eras that formed him, while crashing new worlds together.

It feels like an infusion: the saline solution flows into you through the cannula, but is slightly cooler than your body temperature, which is why this pleasant cold spreads through you. Of course, this infusion is the 7" EP by MANTAROCHEN, this light-shy creature from the depths of Leipzig's underwater world.The hushed guitar, coarsely pixelated like a VHS tape from the 80s, flits through a labyrinth of melodic, organic bass lines. The rhythm machine drives the six songs mercilessly and nonchalantly towards the abyss. Strangely enough, the synths don't breathe in any additional coldness, but rather wrap the coldwave...

A sprawling patchwork of the artist’s dreams and fears, Parannoul’s third album After the Magic explores the enigmatic solo artist’s life in the wake of his second album’s overnight success.

Expanding on the shoegaze-shaded emo that made Parannoul’s To See the Next Part of the Dream so beloved by lo-fi and indie rock fans alike, After the Magic sees the anonymous auteur striving to write a follow-up as worthy of acclaim as the last.

Across the album’s ten songs, Parannoul plunges yet deeper into his diverse pool of influences, coming back to the surface with a record that captures and extends the magic of its predecessor. Unexpected flashes of orchestral ambient and glitched-out electronica meld seamlessly with Parannoul’s signature passages of noisy, distortion-laden shoegaze, offering a real time glimpse into the maturation of one of indie rock’s most exciting artists.

While Duster went into hibernation in theyear 2000, Clay Parton's four-track neverstopped rolling. Recorded alone at homeover several years, Birds In The Groundis an album of 30-something, post-9/11malaise. Under his Eiafuawn (EverythingIs All Fucked Up And What Not) acronym,Parton hides beneath layers of fuzzy andclean guitars, his hesitant, cottony vocaldisappear into noise. This deluxe pressingis packaged in a gorgeous tip on sleeveand includes the complete lyrics for thiscryptic entry of the Dusterverse.

Belarusian post-punk / synth pop group Molchat Doma have always exuded the kind of brutalist aesthetic of the architecture that adorns their album art. It's cold, gray, imposing, industrial_and yet there are human hearts beating within those foundations. In the wake of their breakthrough success in 2020, the trio endured a polarity of experiences, from the nadir of an uprooted life and forced relocation away from their native Minsk to the apex of headlining massive shows across the world. It was in this headspace that the band settled into their new home of Los Angeles to finish writing their fourth album Belaya Polosa, a testament to change in difficult times, a love letter to the digital pulse of the `90s, and a technicolor reinvention of the band's somber dancefloor anthems.From the opening synth swell and drum machine throb of "Ty Zhe Ne Znaesh' Kto Ya," to the goth / post-punk austerity of "Son", to the swirling electronic textures mixed with reverb-drenched guitar flourishes, expansive space, and yearning vocals of title track "Belaya Polosa" - that suggests Depeche Mode at their most reflective or The Cure at their most downtrodden - to the sultry and seductive "Chernye Cvety"_ a track reminiscent of Duran Duran's early `90s output in its fusion of dreamy guitars and authoritative mechanized beats _ and the interwoven layers of instrumentation, soaring chorus, and melodic sophistication of "Ya Tak Ustal", it's clear that Molchat Doma are operating on another level.Molchat Doma gained following with earlier albums that sound like third-generation bootlegs of banned recordings from the Eastern Bloc made after a few key entries in the Factory Records catalog were smuggled in from the West. Belaya Polosa propels them into a new direction while retaining their cold minimalist delivery they're known for. The basement grime and dirty tape-head sound of their previous work are now making space for digital luster and shimmering production values.And while Molchat Doma's broadened aural spectrum adds a syne...

Trailer Bride's 1996 self-titled record is a long-lost relic of the blooming Chapel Hill, North Carolina music scene of the '90s. Superchunk, Polvo, Archers of Loaf and other indie rock darlings were leading the town's indie rock movement while Southern Culture on the Skids were pushing the alt-country genre forward. Then comes Trailer Bride who combined both of those worlds with a gothic, lo-fi sound that centers around Melissa Swingle's atmospheric vocals and cryptic lyrics. Swingle started Trailer Bride following the demise of her band Pussy Teeth and would later go on to form the indie rock duo The Moaners with Laura King (Bat Fangs, Speed Stick), but the dark, southern sound that defines Trailer Bride's debut record provides a mystifying listening experience a quarter-century later. No Depression said it best in their 1997 review: "They're impossible to describe, but whatever you wanna call it, they sound really good." The album is available for the first time ever on vinyl for Record Store Day Black Friday 2022. This 25th anniversary edition is pressed on cloudy orange vinyl and remastered for vinyl. Limited to 1,500 copies worldwide.

Nick Garrie was an unknown backpacker until his music was discovered in the late ’60s while busking in the South of France. Recognising his talent, work on a collection of recordings followed which would culminate in his legendary debut album The Nightmare of J.B. Stanislas. Set to be released in 1969 on the influential French label Disc’Az, however due to the suicide of the label’s founder, Lucien Morisse, shortly before the album’s release date, only about 100 copies of this psych pop/soft rock masterpiece came into circulation. It became a cult album in the truest sense and was finally reissued almost 40 years later. With the death of Morisse, Nick took some time away from recording only to return under an alias, writing with Oscar and Golden Globe winning composer Francis Lai. His directory of credits only grew as he worked with Paul Samwell-Smith (The Yardbirds), Alun Davies (Cat Stevens’ Band), drummer Gerry Conway and Leonard Cohen. Nick Garrie grew his audience in Europe, penning an album that would top the charts in Spain. In 2005 the album The Nightmare of J.B Stanislas was reissued, achieving critical acclaim from The Independent, BBC & Record Collector. Nick’s resurgence combined with fascination of his back story led to a new generation of music fans and musicians appreciating Garrie’s work. In this tim he was collaborated with the likes of Duglas T. Stewart (bmx Bandits) Norman Blake and Francis McDonald (Teenage Fanclub) and Gary Olson (The Ladybug Transistor). Now, for the first time ever, the classic title track is to be released as a 7” single. It is also the first ever vinyl release of Nick’s work on a UK label. The B side is a song close to Nick’s heart Around the World. This track was also written in the ’60s but had never been recorded before. It was recorded at Nick’s home in late 2023 with the help of fellow 9X9 recording artist Jamie Whelligan and musician/producer Nick Frater.

Vargen is the eponymous fourth album of acclaimed Swedish Bob Dylan interpreter and singer-songwriter Vargen (“The Wolf” in Swedish). Through 9 tracks he continues to showcase his ability to infuse his music with all kinds of emotions, something that is palpable in every single note. It takes the listener on a ride with the likes of lounge-inspired and hum-worthy “Toxicon”, Nick Cave-esque “The Bullfighter” and features a guest appearance by Swedish guitar legend Jojje Wadenius on “Them Cats”.

Brand new Live Album for the Portland based legendary psychedelic-progressive rockers Danava !!! First two songs were recorded during Danava European Tour back in 2008, the other four tracks were recorded during European Tour in 2023. An absolute must have !!!

Remixed and remastered reissue of the legendary Orquesta DEL Desierto sophomore album. Unable to tour as a group due to commitments to other projects but fueled by the success of the debut release, Brown immediately turned to booking another recording session for the band. Hoping to further expand the group’s dynamic sound, Brown and Stahl solicited song contributions from Mike Riley and Country Mark Engel for the second album. While the core of Brown, Stahl, Riley, Engel and Lalli remained intact for the second session, the group’s diverse approach benefitted from the addition of drummer Adam Maples (earthlings?) and percussionist/drummer Pete Davidson. Additionally, the group was joined at famed Joshua Tree studio Rancho de la Luna by pianist Tim Jones and Bill Barrett on trumpet. Released in 2003, Dos was immediately embraced as a “. . . compelling fusion of Latin stylings and psychedelic-tinged blues that is a real alternative these days” (cosmiclava.com). Bolstered by similar acknowledgements and reviews of their second album, Orquesta del Desierto committed to a series of performances throughout southern California and a European tour in 2004. Joined by drummer Bryan Brown, these shows have become legendary among the fans who were able to attend the band’s only active period of live performances.

Remixed and remastered reissue of the legendary Orquesta DEL Desierto self-titled debut album. Recorded at the Green Room Studio in Palm Springs in 2001 and released on the seminal desert rock label Meteorcity Records in 2002, the band’s debut album immediately gathered critical acclaim for its ability to forge a new dynamic in a genre that was rapidly filling with groups cloning the heavier sounds of Kyuss. “There are, quite simply, no faults here – this is a beautiful, potent album that gives just as much attention to pop hooks as it does to atmosphere. As you can imagine, the results are astounding,” (indieville.com).

With a discography spanning decades, Panic! at the Disco's chart-topping hits range from pop-punk to soul to rock -- now, Rockabye Baby is calming things down to give you all the timeless Panic! classics, with a completely reinvented, baby-friendly sound.

The full album features lullaby-ified, nostalgia-inducing classics like “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” and “This Is Gospel,” as well as Brendon Urie's newer superhits. Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Panic! at the Disco is sure to have you and your baby sound asleep by "Nine in the Afternoon".

Instead of distorted guitars and thunderous drums, we've used mellotron, glockenspiel, and chimes to highlight Tool's dreamy melodies on ROCKABYE BABY: LULLABY RENDITIONS OF TOOL. These incredibly lush lullaby versions of Tool's best known songs will captivate and engage your baby while they drift off to slumberland.

The lullabies on this album use the airy melodies and beautiful imagery of Coldplay's best material, cutting to the heart and soul. Whether your little one is just plain Jane or sweet little Apple, these beautiful lullabies will warm their hearts and put a smile on their faces.

Radiohead weave worlds of incredible sounds, design and imagery. Lush arrangements combine with epic performances. Their album KID a imagines the scope and power of music created by a newborn child. What will you baby dream about while drifting off to these seren interpretations of Radiohead's best-loved songs.

Six years ago, Oum Shatt released a critically acclaimed debut album that led to Song of the Year awards from Berlin Radio Eins ("Gold To Straw") and TAZ Popblog ("Power To The Women Of The Morning Shift"), as well as BBC and Arte features and appearances at Sxsw, Transmusicales in France and Electric Picnic in Ireland.

Now, the Berlin-based band, whose members are otherwise known from bands such as Kissogram, Fenster, Die Türen, Golden Showers and Peaches, consisting of singer and songwriter Jonas Poppe, founding member Chris Imler on drums, guitarist Richard Murphy, and Rémi Letournelle on bass and synthesizer – return with a second effort that even surpasses their debut. Building on the minimal-rock style of their debut album (Vogue Magazine), OUM Shatt weaves a mystic, at times psychedelic soundscape with meandering guitars, a wild percussive aesthetic, and Jonas Poppe’s evocative, mantra-like baritone. "Opt Out" also stands as a thematic concept album, delving into the individual's various forms of resistance against societal expectations. While drawing from obscure influences, the album remains unmistakably unique.

The Caledonian Dream is a supergroup from Glasgow, Scotland. They bring you the single, "Shot at Glory", a rousing terrace anthem that will surely help the Scotland National Football Team win their Euro 2024 campaign in Germany. Tired of the dirge that is our sporting national anthem, "Flower of Scotland" by The Corries, and the depressing, negative tone of Scotland's previous official World Cup song, Del Amitri's "Don't Come Home Too Soon", three old friends - John 'Sponi' Murray, Dave Clark & Bruce Jolliffe - made the decision to shake things up with a stomper to get the national blood pumping again. They took to the studio, melded proud lyrics, conquering beats, and tear-jerking pipes to produce what surely should be Thee Scottish football song for AT Least the next 200 years - our very own trophy-lifting soundtrack. Now the boys hope the tune will go viral, go mental - so please share it FAR AND Wide!

You’ve Changed Records presents a special limited edition first-ever vinyl pressing of Julianna Riolino’s debut EP “J.R.”. Previously available only through digital channels, J.R. predates her 2022 breakthrough full-length “All Blue”, feted by the New York Times, Pitchfork, Uncut, and NPRs Mountain Stage, among many, many others, as well as Julianna’s stint in Daniel Romano’s Outfit. For the most part, J.R. omits the county, americana, and folk influences heard on All Blue though there is a shock of recognition in the always surprising power and pure tone of her voice. Rich in melody and early confidence, Julianna Riolino here draws from classic girl-group pop and contemporary indie while establishing a characteristic song-writing template of interpreting foundational texts and iconography to portray uniquely personal experiences and emotional truths. “It’s like it’s who you are before you grow more” she says of J.R. now. It’s an important step in the formation of an important and thrilling artist, and one of today’s greatest singers.