Our inbox is over flowing again so we are letting you good people know exactly what is new and available out there in the music world. Today we bring you quite a mix, we span the globe and musical genres from Indie Pop to brutal French Hardcore. Hope you enjoy these picks by our writing staff. If you want to see your band on one of these lists, send us streaming music and as short bio.
Band Name: Two-Man Giant Squid
BMN Score: 10/10
What the band says: "I was a DJ in 2015" is about the EDM-boom in the 2010s when it felt like everyone you knew suddenly became a DJ. Its a tongue-in-cheek take on a polarizing time in music culture. The music video shows DJs at a "DJs Anonymous" meeting reconciling with their "traumatic DJ past." And its all true.. frontman Mitch Vinokur was a DJ before starting the band. Its a wonderful indie track that has both punky and danceable elements throughout as TMGS sends their love letter to music's most misunderstood hero, the DJ.
What we say they sound like: You take the Talking Heads and you add some LCD Sound System with a sprinkle of Post-Punk and you get an approximation of the new brilliant tongue and cheek track by Brooklyn's Two-Man Giant Squid. This band is quickly becoming the best band in Brooklyn. Their live show is energetic and intense but many bands can say that, this band actually writes great singles on top of that. This track has a pop aspect the band hasn't touched on much on their epic debut album ‘Intro To Basement’ so it's nice that their first follow up track is different but equally an indie rock masterpiece.
Song to add to your playlist: I was a DJ in 2015
Band Name: Demoted
BMN Score: 8.5/10
What the band says: My name is Cullen Gallagher, I live in Brooklyn, NY and play guitar and sing in a punk band called Demoted. Our new album, Shit for Brains, was self-released on cd/tape. That album is me with Phil Harrington on bass (we live in Brooklyn) and Chris Hopkins on drums (Chris lives in Fort Worth, Texas). We half-jokingly call ourselves "the laziest working band in show biz," and proof of that is the album was recorded in 2022, the cds/tapes produced in Oct 2023, and only now, in March 2024, are we "releasing it." At this rate, our first tour will be the nursing homes that we're considering. The project started off as a one-man band for me after my old band, Night Squad, broke up, and I had lots of demos recorded. Fuzzy Warbles Cassettes released a tape of them, which lead to the full band forming. Phil used to play in Night Squad with me, and Chris played in Anti-Difranco who NightS quad used to share bills with.
What we say they sound like: Ok, if you start a track off just like “Rise Above” and then have an Ian McKaye-ish vocal you are gonna have my attention. The garage rock solo and analog feel makes this feel like I'm back at a Sunday afternoon Hardcore matinee in NYC. For you punk hardcore fans the nostalgia of this one will make you right at home. It's a minute of punk hardcore glory destined for any Monday morning playlist
Song to add to your playlist: I Feel Like Shit
Band Name: Side Saddle
BMN Score: 9.1/10
What the band says: “The song is about checking in with yourself,” shares McGuinness. “A good friend of mine once compared going to therapy to taking your car in to get serviced. I thought about that a lot before my wife gave birth to our son. I was in therapy, and wanted to make sure that I was mentally fit to welcome my first child into the world, and step up my game as a partner. That became the inspiration for the lyrics of ‘Moving out West’. Sonically, we wanted the tune to have a windows down, blazing down the highway, road trip kind of feel, which I think we accomplished.”
What we say they sound like: This track has an early 2000's feel to me and invokes everything from Band Of Horses and Nada Surf to Beach House or Death Cab, i suppose. I can't quite place what it reminds me of but it's jangly and pop. The vocal a is nice because it's a great vocal timbre that compliments the overall track. I really like the album cover too, this bands branding is on point.
Song to add to your playlist: Moving Out West
Band Name: Secrecies
BMN Score: 8.9/10
What the band says: Within the music, there's a strong presence of intricate electronic manipulation and ambient textures that add a futuristic, unpredictable dimension. The guitar is drenched in reverb, chorus, and delay nodding to 90s shoegaze influences, giving the album a sense of grandeur and epic storytelling while delving into themes of transcendence, introspection, and the cosmos. The album encourages listeners to reflect on their place in the universe, with each track contributing to a cosmic narrative.
What we say they sound like: The ethereal indie pop composition evokes a fusion reminiscent of integrating lyrical elements and dance-infused rhythms akin to the Orb. Upon the commencement of the piece, a subdued semblance akin to a mellower rendition of College or Electric Youth is discernible. Despite its enticing catchiness, the song's hook is somewhat delayed in its arrival. Although the band self-identifies with the 90's shoegaze genre, while there are shared aesthetic elements, it diverges from the typical essence of contemporary shoegaze. One might argue it leans more towards electro indie pop; however, such categorizations are trivial in comparison to the track's inherent quality, which is notably commendable.
Song to add to your playlist: Cathedrals
Band Name: Contre-feux
BMN Score: 8.6/10
What the band says: Formed in early 2020 in the Bordeaux region, Contre-Feux play Screamo-tinged Punk/Hardcore. Fast, aggressive and melodic, their music is influenced by bands such as Converge, Envy, Tragedy and Amanda Woodward, whose lyrics are in French.
What we say they sound like: Dark metal-ish hardcore in French. I actually like the song, I never understand hardcore lyrics anyway, I mean it very well could be in english. It starts like more of a grindcore song but evolves into more main stream sounding metal. It's an interesting mix of genres but is energetic and brutal throughout. The vocal is on point!
Song to add to your playlist: Gibier le soir