Blueboy - One 7"

 

Fans of Reading, UK indie pop band Blueboy, or anyone that celebrates the Sarah Record band roster, will thrill to know that the band is back with a two-track single titled One. Consisting of the title track and and acoustic version of "Air France", one of he many excellent songs on their 1992 debut album If Wishes Were Horses. This new 7" shows two sides to Blueboy. "One" is sweet but up-tempo jangle pop while "Air France" reveals their ability with pastoral pop. To our ears, this recording is no nostalgia exercise. This is quality pop music for today and would hit our playlists regardless of whether it was recorded buy Sarah Records legends or (all lower case) new kids on the block.

The single is out now in digital and vinyl formats. For this recording Blueboy are founding member Paul Stewart joined by Gemma Townley, Mark Cousens and Martin Rose, all of whom were members in the '90s.

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"R&D" by Dom Sensitive

 

We have known and appreciated Dom Trimboli with his projects Dom and the Wizards, Wireheads and others, but now we apparently have the privilege of being exposed to his sensitive side. Yes, a new Trimboli project is labeled Dom Sensitive and debut album Leather Trim will be available September 27 via Dinosaur City Records. We will let the listeners decide whether the new project reflects Dom's sensitive nature. And they can start the evaluation with first single, "R&D". The track is an audacious change in musical style with breathtaking results. For this outing, Dom's free-flowing poetic lyrics are delivered in a rap riding a bottom-heavy arrangement. It is a trip -- a good trip and it should bring a satisfied smile from the opening to the close.

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"Three Times The Drama" by Azure Blue

 

It is the season for summer hits to massage our ears. One offering that is high on our list right now is "Three Times The Drama", an up tempo synth/dream pop by Sweden's Azure Blue. Sharply crafted and uplifting, with a wash of melancholy, it is memorable and begs for repeated listens. It is but one of the gems that we expect to find on the project's upcoming album Night of the Stars. However, this one is special because it is dedicated to main man Tobias Isaksson's mother, who recently passed. Our sympathies to Tobias.

The single is out now as a digital release via Matinee Recordings.

Matinée Recordings · Azure Blue - Three Times The Drama

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"About The Girl" and "Everything Is Big" by Emma Russack

 

A folk pop singer songwriter possessed of great range and undeniable talent, Emma Russack has appeared on these pages before for her solo work as well as her collaborations with Lachlan Denton (The Ocean Party/Pop Filter/Partner Look). The Melbourne artist's new album About The Girl will be released August 22 via Dinosaur City Records. The two singles shared so far are "Everything Is Big" and, just this week, the title track. "About The Girl" has a synth pop arrangement that add instrumental depth to Emma's deft songwriting. "Everything Is Big" is a surging, rhythmic track that gathers power as it progresses. Taken together, these songs should give everyone an appreciation for what is coming in August.

Emma Russack · About the Girl

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"In A Shell" by Mystery Waitress

 

Mystery Waitress is back on our pages with the haunting closing track from their upcoming LP Bright Black Night. "In A Shell" sets a mood that has us reflecting on loneliness and the difficulty in finding connection in our lives. Weighty stuff for a Monday, perhaps, but a smashing good song.

Bright Black Night is the Wellington, NZ band's second album. It will be released August 2 via Flying Nun Records.

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"Give Your Heart Away" by Chime School

 

As schools in the northern hemisphere approach the end of school year, the schools and their students often celebrate the fruits of the teachers' and students' efforts over the course of the year. A case in point is San Francisco's Chime School where head boy Andy Pastalaniec has been working on his project The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel. The first single is "Give Your Heart Away", a jangling gem of a song that is the perfect soundtrack for, well, giving your heart away. We unhesitatingly observe that if the rest of the album matches "Give Your Heart Away", Andy's place at the head of the class is secure. However, no grades will be final until Chime School releases the entire LP on August 23 via Slumberland Records.

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"Life Downstream" by Pop Filter

 

The beat pounds the listener's chest from the opening note and the song chugs along with a swaggering groove up to the guitar solo finish. That's "Life Downstream" by Melbourne's Pop Filter, a bracing new single that laments the life of the common folk downstream from the capitalism's winners. The song is out on digital platforms via Osborne Again (Aus/NZ) and Bobo Integral (rest of the cosmos).

Various links for "Life Downstream"

"Oyster Cuts" by Quivers

 

Five weeks ago we shared the news that Melbourne's Quivers have signed to Merge Records and will release a new LP titled Oyster Cuts on August 9. The post also included  the crunchy pop rock gem "Apparition", the first single from the album. Recently the band released the album's title track as the second single. "Oyster Cuts" starts out with a thumping beat which is then joined by popalicious female vocals and synths. It is a hit today, and it would have been a hit in the '80s.

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"Phone" and "Crystal Ball" by Nightshift

 

From time to time we scroll through the WYMA music library and recall a band that thrilled us in the past but hasn't released a recording recently. That happened earlier this week when we were listening to the fine 2021 Zoe by Glasgow's Nightshift. We agreed that it would be quite wonderful if the band were to issue another album. Their brand of pop/rock always surprises and delights with unexpected angles and a touch of the experimental. Not quite a day later we learned that Homosapien will be released July 26 via Chicago's Trouble In Mind Records. Based on the two singles to day, the recently released "Phone" and its predecessor, "Crystal Ball", we are expecting the album to be one of our more often played releases of 2026.

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"Be Kind" by The Male Gays

 

Here at WYMA we are fans of accepting people the way they are rather than setting up barriers. A simple rule could just be, well, be kind. Heck, we don't even do negative reviews here. If we don't like a release, why ruin someone's day and make their mother cry?

So, we were happy to receive "Be Kind", the first single by The Male Gays. It is a slow-burning and sincere plea for tenderness. The song is the title track of the project's three song single/EP which will be released August 2. Expect insight, humor, and entertaining music.

And who are The Male Gays? Two gay, self-described music nerds named Guy Blackman and Bart McDonagh. But however correct, that phrase may be, it undersells the gentlemen. Guy and Bart have played in several bands, but they have made a considerable mark in the indie music world in their roles at fine labels Chapter Music (Melbourne) and Domino Records (London), respectively. They have both earned our respect and thanks for releasing some of our favorite music over the years.

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Rural France - Exactamondo!

 

Did you know that there are masters of powerpop resident in Wilshire, UK? Well, you do now so that's all for now ...

Admittedly, a few more words wouldn't be inappropriate. Said masters are Rural France (to be honest, we try not to try to follow the geography here). They wowed us in 2021 with a fine album of jangle and powerpop and enough rough edges to show a potential for growth -- and perhaps a nod to the 'rural' portion of their name. The gang is back with Exactamondo!, a ten-track LP that suggests that, quite astoundingly, they might have just been playing with us the first time around. Exactamondo! hits the bullseye so often that the bullseye is obliterated. Fuzz, jangle and powerpop abound, delivered with swagger and confidence. The themes can have an edge, but the melodies are vibrant and exciting. Spend for this album and you just might find that it is one of your most played 2024 acquisitions. 

Rural France are Tom Brown and Rob Fawkes. Exactamondo! is out now via Meritorio Records 

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"Monumental Ensemble" by Sad Eyed Beatniks

 

We've checked in on our favorite San Francisco beatniks, and they still seem to have sad eyes. But the mopey vibes don't extend to their songcraft, as evidenced by the just released "Monumental Ensemble". The song is the second single from  the upcoming Ten Brocades LP, due July 12 in digital and vinyl formats via Meritorio Records. A gentle strum and jangle and a relaxed arrangement transports us to a special place. As we've said before, this new album from Sad Eyed Beatniks is going to be special. Don't miss it.

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Oh Boland - Western Leisure

 

Exact portions are unknown, and vary among the tracks, but the music created by Oh Boland for Western Leisure seems comprised of powerpop, garage, punk, jangle, barroom sing-a-long, chaos, and maybe, just maybe, a bit of whisky. The band sounds like they are on the precipice, and we are on the edge of our seats -- or standing and jumping around the room. From start to finish it is original, captivating and so full of vibrant storytelling that we want to grab our coats and head out on the town. Of course, we would take the music with us.

The main man here is Irish musician and songwriter Niall Murphy. Western Leisure is Oh Boland's third album, and is out now via Meritorio Records an Safe Suburban Home. Niall deserves your ears, and you deserve this album.

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Neutrals - New Town Dream

 

Giving voice to the lives, challenges and memories of the generation ensconced in "new towns" in Thatcher's UK, New Town Dream by Bay Area band Neutrals is at time trenchant, at times wry, but always direct and perceptive. But most importantly, vocalist Allan McNaughton has crafted songs that are concise, vibrant and simultaneously punchy and melodic. Stylistically, the band has found that elusive sweet spot between wiry, spikey post punk and jangle pop. It is a territory that DC's Dot Dash do well (admittedly, with more of a powerpop slant), but few others currently playing do. As for Neutrals, they absolutely nail it. The arrangements are dynamic, inventive and multi-dimensional, with forays into electro-pop and dub (see the fourth embedded track below, we couldn't resist Scots accented dub). The quality and variety on offer with New Town Dream places it very high on our list of 2024 album so far. But it isn't only impressive, it is very enjoyable and we will be playing it for a long, long time.

New Town Dream is out now in vinyl, CD and digital formats via Slumberland Records.

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Various links for New Town Dream

Kindsight - No Shame No Fame

 

Welcome to No Shame No Fame, an album that is easily one of our top five albums of the first half of 2024. The creation of Copenhagen's Kindsight, it is dynamic, melodic, spirited and uniformly superb. Each track sounds honed to perfection in every detail while never seeming slick or over-produced. As always with this band Nina Rasmussen's vocals are a distinct highlight. Yet the other members are equal players in the creation of the aural brilliance. We suppose that if one had to choose one style it would be the compromise term pop rock, but in reality the band's range is too large to pigeonhole. They can be as dreamy as the Sundays, as poppy as Alvvays, and veer into shoegaze; and in reality, each track probably is falls into at least two of those camps. No Shame No Fame is a truly inspired set of songs and you would be failing yourself in the self-care department if you don't check it out. A few of the gems are below, beginning with the soaring wonder that is "Tomorrow".

Kindsight are Nina Hyldgaard Rasmussen (vocals/guitar), Soren Svensson (guitar), Anders Prip (bass), and Johannes Jacobsen (drums). No Fame No Shame is out now in vinyl, digital and CD formats via Rama Lama Records.

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"Pro Volunteer" by Lame Drivers

 

What a great way to start the weekend! "ProVolunteer" is a rousing, surging indie rock anthem suffused with buzzing guitars, pounding drums and gang vocals in the chorus (if a threesome can be a gang). It is the latest single by Brooklyn's Lame Drivers and is taken from their upcoming LP Become An Island. The trio seems to take its inspiration from various points on the pop compass, but a comparison to Guided By Voices would not be in error. In our opinion, when you are in that lane of musical traffic you are going to go far -- even if your driving is lame.

Lame Drivers are Jason Sigal (guitar), Joe Posner (bass), and Jeff Wood (drums). Become An Island will be out in vinyl, CD and digital formats on June 28 via Jigsaw Records and Bleeding Gold Records.

lame drivers · Professional Volunteer

And as an extra treat, here is the previously released title track for the album --

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Lightheaded - Combustible Gems

 

What are the best tracks on Combustible Gems, the new album by New Jersey's Lightheaded? We would nominate tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. You may dismiss such a statement as a cop out when discussing an album with eight tracks, but here is the deal: We a fans of indie pop. And when we listen to an album that sounds like the most knowledgeable DJ has curated a list of unknown guitar pop diamonds that spans Glasgow twee, New Zealand strum and jangle, '60s craftsman hooks and vocals, '80s and '90s British guitar pop, current San Francisco pop renaissance and lots more, we damn well are going to embrace it wholeheartedly. So there you are. Check out a few charming earworms below and then decide whether you want digital, vinyl or CD formats. Combustible Gems is out now via Slumberland Records.

Lightheaded are Sarah Abdlebarry (guitar), Stephen Stec (guitar), Cynthia Rickenbach (bass) (apologies to the drummer as we don't have his name).

Bandcamp for Combustible Gems

Sarah Abdlebarry (guitar), Stephen Stec (guitar), Cynthia Rickenbach (bass) (apologies to the drummer as we don't have his name).

Lightheaded are, simply, a great pop group. Their songs are full of melody and harmony, are bittersweet and memorable, familiar yet original. Their sound is a perfect mix of jangling guitars -- featuring Sarah Abdlebarry's exquisite, tasteful, but punchy Gretsch lead played over Stephen Stec's Rickenbacker chime -- anchored to singer Cynthia Rickenbach's Hofner Violin bass, which sounds like the bass on Michel Polnareff's first LP.

"Hugging Horizons" is the Sound of Young New Jersey. It's soul music, but by experimenting and playing around, they have accidentally invented some sort of New New Pop. "Because of You" ends the album on a real high, featuring Johnny Marr style guitar and some gorgeous strings. It's poignant and sophisticated, but still eager, slightly gauche even. And as always refreshingly, wonderfully, naively sincere.

Combustible Gems is a jump into the sparkling blue water, excited experimentation, exploration, finding themselves, with the effervescence of youth that makes for great debut LPs. It has the youthful urgency of Comet Gain, the wide-eyed nostalgia of early Orange Juice, the suss and anti-macho swagger of those early Pastels singles. It yearns for something, it is an exciting, stumbling, falling, laughing , charming, great pop debut.

New Jersey band Lightheaded make indie pop that casts a wide net. Their 2023 EP, Good Good Great!, was five songs that moved quickly from dour jangle pop to '60s-informed instrumentation that called to mind the chamber pop sweetness of the Beach Boys or the folksy sensibility of the Byrds. There were even hints of the reverb-saturated wave of dark pop that reigned supreme on the earliest Captured Tracks releases. All of these touchstones are revisited and expanded upon with Lightheaded's proper debut album, Combustible Gems. Every song takes a slightly different approach while maintaining a consistent songwriting aesthetic, which makes for an album of colorfully diverse highlights that doesn't feel too piecemeal. The production is deep and defined, also, giving the synths of opening track "Always Sideways" a little extra sparkle and the naive 12-string leads of "Dawn Hush Lullaby" an added push that wasn't there on the EP. Vocalist Cynthia Rittenbach's performances have a balance of drive and restraint that calls to mind twee standard-bearers like Camera Obscura or Belle & Sebastian, as the instrumentals shift between twinkly, acoustic, Smiths-y melodrama on "Still Sitting Sunday," mod-tinged peppiness-meets-Sarah Records shakiness on "Bright Happy Girls," cavernous synth arpeggios and gothy harmonies on "Hugging Horizons," and other interpretations of melodic and sensitive indie sounds. Erin Turner's violin arrangements add the final touch that makes Combustible Gems an exceptional entry in the indie rock pantheon. Closing track "Because of You (3 Sundays)" puts Turner's strings in the foreground, with graceful waves of violin harmonies sharing space with surfy guitar lines and aching vocal arrangements. While Combustible Gems is only a few tunes longer than Lightheaded's previous EP (with eight songs total), the band packs every song with ideas and sounds that are tastefully crafted and always changing. Even for as intricate as the album's construction is, it's assembled with a touch so light that it creates an easy, repeatable listening experience. Combustible Gems is a striking debut, on par with some of the work that informed it in a continuum of gorgeously imperfect indie pop.

"Everyone" by Voom

 

Here is a relaxing, folky pop tune about a very unrelaxing event: The Big Bang, You know, the world explodes and everyone is burnt toast, blown to smithereens or whatever happens in The Big Bang. The event sounds scary, but the "Everyone" is ultra cool so we have that going for us, which is nice. Besides, the central message is that we are all connected, even if it takes The Big Bang to demonstrate it.

The song is by Auckland, New Zealand's Voom and is out now as a digital single via Flying Nun.

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"Grass Walls" and "A Power of Wides" by Oh Boland

 

With each singles release from the upcoming Western Leisure from Oh Boland we get more excited to hear the entire album. We realize that you may be reading that first sentence and thinking 'buy WYMA has only feature one single'. Well, you wouldn't be wrong. But we are correcting that right now by posting the final two singles, "Grass Walls" and "A Power of Wides". It seems to us that what Niall Murphy, aka Oh Boland, does very well is blend garage, power pop and a touch of punk into a rousing tune that prompts us to pump our fist and move about. Check out the tunes below and note that Western Leisure will be released May 31 via Meritorio Records most everywhere and Safe Suburban Home in the UK.

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Yea-Ming and The Rumours - I Can't Have It All

 

With clear-eyed introspection and determination to chronicle her journey to find her true self through the layers of expectations and perspectives of others, Yea-Ming Chen has created an authentically-voiced collage of her journey titled I Can't Have It All. She -- along with her band Yea-Ming and The Rumours -- also have crafted a top quality pop album. With tracks of '90s twee oriented guitar pop and country shaded folk rock, and melancholy but beautifully sung lyrics riding bright melodies and sweet hooks, this album deserves to be a regular on your summer soundtrack.

In addition to Yea-Ming, the players are Eoin Galvin, Sonia Hayden, Jen Weisberg, and Luke Robbins. I Can't Have It All is out now via Dandy Boy Records.

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