Indierock | Alternative 419 Items

“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.

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.

The first few months of 2024 has seen IST IST’s growing popularity expand further. Now a full-time band, they played to over 8,000 people across the UK and Europe including a first visit to Scandinavia and the sell-out signs going up at multiple German and Dutch shows including the 1,100 capacity Doornroosje in Nijmegen. ‘Light A Bigger Fire’ will be the follow-up to ‘Protagonists’, which reached number 41 in the Official Album Chart on release in March 2023 as well as securing them their third set of top ten positions in the vinyl, independent and physical charts as well as the number one download in the week of release.

Named after the iconic Abbey Road studio room where it was recorded, Studio 3 is Rogers & Butler's vibrant homage to the musical sounds of the sixties and seventies. From the electrifying opener "Soho Fantasy" to the mind-bending closer "Scarlett Letter," this album captures the melodic brilliance and raw energy that defined a generation. Blending the swagger of New York rock with the charm of the London music scene, Rogers & Butler's ear for melody and authentic sound will transport you back to the golden age of British rock. Each track on Studio 3 seamlessly blends past and present, to create a sound that is both nostalgic and refreshingly new. The twelve songs on this limited pressing vinyl were recorded live in a marathon two-day session with all the musicians in the studio, capturing lightning in a bottle and eschewing modern recording techniques such as auto-tuning, click tracks, and extensive editing. Joining the duo at Abbey Road were producer Don Piper (guitar) and veteran British musicians Andy Lewis (bass) and Ian Button (drums). The album was expertly engineered by Chris Bolster, known for his work with Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, and Oasis. With lush arrangements, infectious hooks, and timeless production quality, Studio 3 promises to captivate and inspire. This album is a must-have for fans who want to experience the magic of a bygone era through a modern kaleidoscopic lens. Limited vinyl pressing.

The first ever live album from this fiery and popular Melbourne punk quartet. On this the band run through a raging live set to reveal the full extent of their unparalleled live show. Real heads know that their records rule but their live shows positively shred. The proof is fully on display within the confines of this high energy pudding. A glorious package ready to reward the diehards (130k monthly Spotify listeners) and make new converts alike.

Jon Spencer teams up with Kendall Wind and Macky Spider Bowman - the rhythm section from Woodstock NY punk rock wunderkind The Bobby Lees - to chew bubblegum and kick ass.

Two years after “Spencer Gets It Lit” (Marc Riley’s BBC6 Music Album of the Year, “hugely entertaining”**** MOJO, “a sonic witchdoctor who’ll blow your mind” UNCUT****) there is still more work to be done saving rock'n'roll music.

“Sick of Being Sick!” will be released on limited clear 45rpm Super-Stereo cut vinyl.

Jon Spencer has been innovative force in the independent music scene since the mid-80s. An acclaimed live performer, he has toured all the continents except Antarctica and has amassed a dizzying discography as the leader of Pussy Galore, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Heavy Trash, and Jon Spencer & the HITmakers, as well as with Boss Hog, The Honeymoon Killers, The Gibson Brothers, and Taxi Girls.

His collaborations include (but are not limited to) working with Steve Albini, Add N To X, Nicole Atkins, Beastie Boys, Beck, Bomb The Bass, R.L. Burnside, James Chance, Coldcut, Chuck D, Dan The Automator, Jim Dickinson, DJ Shadow, Einsturzende Neubauten, Guitar Wolf, GZA, David Holmes, Japanese Popstars, Dr. John, Calvin Johnson, Steve Jordan, Khan, Moby, Money Mark, The Muffs, The North Mississippi All Stars, Princess Superstar, Puffy AmiYumi, The Sadies, Nancy Sinatra, Solex, Solomon Burke, Speedball Baby, Rufus Thomas, UNKLE, Unloved, Andre Williams, and Bernie Worrell.

His production credits include: Cheater Slicks, Demolition Doll Rods, Experimental Tropic Blues Band, Perrosky, Mike Edison, Jesper Munk, Sunshine & The Rain, The Bobby Lees, and Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton.

Aqua Blue VInyl. 2011 saw The Swellers release their sophomore album via FBR, "Good For Me," which was produced by Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room. "Good For Me" is a poignant exploration of nostalgia, personal struggles, and the quest for meaning. Standout tracks like "The Best I Ever Had," "Runaways," and "Inside My Head" showcased the band's knack for blending catchy melodies with introspective lyrics.

For the first time, Sketch by Ex Norwegian arrives on vinyl, featuring the original trio's final collaborative effort. Celebrate this seminal sophomore album, showcasing their masterful songwriting and timeless indie rock prowess, now with newly enhanced artwork. Pressed on translucent red vinyl, this limited edition captures every nuanced texture and haunting melody. The Sketch Red Vinyl Edition is a must-have for true collectors and fans of groundbreaking music.

12 years since it's debut, Ex Norwegian's third album, House Music, graces vinyl for the first time with a fresh remaster by Prof. Stoned. Notable for a dramatic personnel shake-up, this album continues to be a fan favorite with tracks like "Original Copy" and "Initiative Rock." This limited pressing on translucent blue vinyl, the House Music Blue Vinyl Edition, allows you to luxuriate in every sinister riff and earworm melody. A must-own for die-hard collectors and new fans alike.

Honour's debut album is a ligament stretching from Lagos to London and to New York, curling across the diaspora andbrushing the darker hues of blues, hip-hop, free jazz, ambient, gospel with Christian mythology and Yoruba folklore. Ascinematic as it is painterly, Alàáfíà is a meditation on themes of life, death and love that pulls inspiration from theunexpected poetic profundity of casual conversations, field recordings, literature, ephemera, or personal archives. Theresult is an impressionistic vision in Black and Blur that both exhausts and implicates language_substantiating a mythosproposed by Fred Moten that sublimates boundaries between everywhere and nowhere; history and the present; theindividual and the universal.Alàáfíà delineates a gothic landscape cut by overdriven beats, swooping orchestral blasts, choral bursts and ear- splittingfuzz, where the fleshly and spiritual realms commune. Dedicated to Honour's late grandmother, the title track began totake form after their last embrace and remains steeped in her influence and spirit_a tape-saturated composition thatstarts in Lagos and ends in London's smoke-stained cityscape, the song's dream-like quality developed out of the artist'sgrief and PTSD coping with this loss. Beneath the stretched guitar drones and stuttering loops, their grandmother'sshared faith bubbles to the surface."When Angels Speak of Love," borrows its title from two works by Sun Ra and bell hooks, respectively. Sculpting echoesof praise music into disorienting spirals perforated with syrupy DJ Screw-inspired breaks and sharp splinters ofmelancholic guitar, "When Angels Speak of Love" engages a conceptual dialogue with the spirits of both late thinkers,folding them into Honour's pantheon of ancestral guides. The album's ninth track, "Giz Aard ($uckets)," is a dirge ofregimented drums which anchor this somber melody as it whirls into a blizzard of heartache, uncertain if its consequencewill be death or eternal joy.The album's sole lyrical offering,...

Honour's debut album is a ligament stretching from Lagos to London and to New York, curling across the diaspora andbrushing the darker hues of blues, hip-hop, free jazz, ambient, gospel with Christian mythology and Yoruba folklore. Ascinematic as it is painterly, Alàáfíà is a meditation on themes of life, death and love that pulls inspiration from theunexpected poetic profundity of casual conversations, field recordings, literature, ephemera, or personal archives. Theresult is an impressionistic vision in Black and Blur that both exhausts and implicates language_substantiating a mythosproposed by Fred Moten that sublimates boundaries between everywhere and nowhere; history and the present; theindividual and the universal.Alàáfíà delineates a gothic landscape cut by overdriven beats, swooping orchestral blasts, choral bursts and ear- splittingfuzz, where the fleshly and spiritual realms commune. Dedicated to Honour's late grandmother, the title track began totake form after their last embrace and remains steeped in her influence and spirit_a tape-saturated composition thatstarts in Lagos and ends in London's smoke-stained cityscape, the song's dream-like quality developed out of the artist'sgrief and PTSD coping with this loss. Beneath the stretched guitar drones and stuttering loops, their grandmother'sshared faith bubbles to the surface."When Angels Speak of Love," borrows its title from two works by Sun Ra and bell hooks, respectively. Sculpting echoesof praise music into disorienting spirals perforated with syrupy DJ Screw-inspired breaks and sharp splinters ofmelancholic guitar, "When Angels Speak of Love" engages a conceptual dialogue with the spirits of both late thinkers,folding them into Honour's pantheon of ancestral guides. The album's ninth track, "Giz Aard ($uckets)," is a dirge ofregimented drums which anchor this somber melody as it whirls into a blizzard of heartache, uncertain if its consequencewill be death or eternal joy.The album's sole lyrical offering,...