POST CATEGORY : Introducing

Introducing: Mudge the Dog

Mudge The Dog are a Californian duo composed of Carrie Potts (guitar, vocals) and Luke Rossi (drums, bass) who specialise in scuzzy, fuzz-filled punk/garage leaning indie. 

Formed in 2021, the pair have just released a debut, three-track, self-titled EP, and it is a treat. Mudge The Dog offer a treasure trove of scrappy, endearingly lo-fi and fuzzy garage jams; opening with the melodic meanderings of the addictively catchy ‘Hey Dad’. But amid the glorious hooks and allure, guitars crunch and riffs buzz as vocals bite above the infectious swagger which feeds perfectly into ‘Familiar Stranger’ & ‘Sinner’. While the latter pair are both just as irresistibly catchy as the opener, there is an added zip as guitars fizz with biting riffs duke it out with a frenetic rhythmic energy while all bathed in a glorious layer of fuzz.

The EP is short and sweet, zipping along with a real honest charm and packed with an effervescent energy, catchy riffs and mashed with earworm hooks and in doing so have created something that thrives between brash and beautifully catchy – a joy to listen to.

Introducing: The Bug Club

The Bug Club are the creative trio of Sam Willmett (guitar/vocals), Tilly Harris (bass/vocals) and Dan Matthew (drums), from the little-known rock n’ roll hotbed of Caldicot, Monmouthshire.

Together they craft tight-knit, catchy and memorable tunes; sometimes blistering, fiery and fierce and other times, melodic and playfully addictive, and always fizzing with humour and riffs-a-plenty – attributes on display in abundance on their wonderfully titled debut EP Launching Moondream One.

Propelled by a relentless, driving energy, it ones with ‘Check Mate’ as it stomps along with a swagger and fiery attitude as raucous riffs buzz through lashing of scuzzy fuzz, all adorned with sweet harmonies and hooks you could hang your hat on. On the other hand, ‘All Of The Scariest Monsters Live In London’ offers the first taste from the other side of their personality; that prediction for melodic and playfully addictive pop. A mellow and melodic ditty, it skips along a playful beat while a bright strum illuminates the woozy and breezy vocals the cruise above – it is a hazy and dreamy beauty. Meanwhile, ‘We Don’t Need Room For Lovin’ falls between the two, something of a bridging point between the boisterous and playful bounciness, as does closer and title track. A brilliant and utterly addictive EP that will have you going straight for repeated plays time and time again.

Launching Moondream One is out now on Bingo Records.


Introducing: Tallulah.

Tallulah. is a 19 year old artist and musician from Oakland, California who delights, excites and enthralls with her indie-meets-dream-pop stylings.

Tallulah’s propensity for bouts of mesmerising melodic dreaminess is born out on debut EP Revert; a three-track introduction to these delectable talents. ‘Day Job’ is hazy and melodic as a synth gently pulses alongside the steady grooving drumbeat  while the shimmering twang and woozy atmospheric swirl creates a lush and alluring elixir for the hushed, dreamy and nonchalant vocals to thrive. ‘Hysteria’ is the most bristling indie-rock type of the three. Those now signature dreamy vocals float gracefully above a haze of mild fuzz and distortion as a propulsive riff ushers us forward through a sea of lush shimmering synth and swirling hazy atmospherics. ‘Here’ is a woozy subtle, spellbinding and lush sea of textures, soft-edged synths, blissed out tones and flourishes of dreamy psych-folk. It bubbles along a rippling rhythm as guitars shimmer and chime and synths twinkle with a lapping groove growing and swelling with intensity as   Tallulah’s smooth, light and mellifluous voice breezes above, as per usual.

Taken individually, each of these are fabulous singles in their own right but taken collectively the offer even more – a wonderful introduction from an artist we’re hopefully hearing a lot from soon.

Tune in below:

Introducing: Fox Grin

Nashville-via-Atlanta outfit Fox Grin return to the fold in March following a period of hibernation with new album Dusk; a colourful, kaleidoscopic explosion of bright indie-pop, dreamy psych and vibrant art rock edges.

Primarily based around the pairing of Thomas Chapman (vocals / guitar / keys) and David Bean (bass / backing vocals), the new record follows 2018’s King of Spades, and is sparkling with colourful innovative ideas, strong grooves and pop goodness. Take ‘Broken Watch’ for example. It is an elegant and dreamy slice of sparkling indie-pop, rich in melody and dripping with sunny vibes it dazzles with lush pop orchestration and gorgeous vocal harmonies. This is radiant pop par excellence as Chapman’s hushed, heartfelt and velvety tones are wrapped in a warm, hazy and colourful psychedelic swirl. ‘Skull Candy’ meanwhile, offers a different side to their innovative formula. Glistening guitar lines, chiming keys and annular riffs race and run in tandem with meaty bubbling bassline and propulsive post-punk/krautrock groove to deliver a driving yet dreamy slice of psychedelic-pop peppered with powerful melodies and sweet harmonies. A mesmerising blend of lush pop, dreamy psych and jerky art-rock delivered with an abundance of charm and warm, hazy vibes.

Listen to ‘Broken Watch’ & ‘Skull Candy’ below and if they are to your liking, why not check out new album Dusk, here?

Introducing: Stella Donnelly

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Wales-born, Australian singer-songwriter Stella Donnelly built a much warranted reputation on the back of her 2018 debut EP Thrush Metal – a stunning collection of deceptively simple, sparse but compelling acoustic tracks filled with witty, stark, honest and frustrated musings tackling subjects like sexual assault, victim blaming and misogyny.

Following on from last year’s EP, Donnelly has announced her debut album, Beware of the Dogs will be released on March 8 via esteemed indie label Secretly Canadian, and the 13-track LP is led by the single ‘Old Man’. Joined by a full band, on the surface ‘Old Man’ is a breezy, easygoing and sparkling piece of indie-pop but amid all the warm melodies, it’s a song that finds a perfect balance between dreamy and acerbic, with a sharp message aimed at taking exploitative men to task. Once again, Donnelly has proven herself to be a masterful voice of rage, wit, humour and compassion.

Check out ‘Old Man’ and the Fiona Jane Burgess directed video below and the debut LP, Beware of the Dogs is out on March 8 via Secretly Canadian. You can listen to debut EP Thrush Metal here too – it’s very, very good indeed.

Stella Donnelly plays The Grand Social, Dublin on April 29 – Tickets €15.

Introducing: Los Blancos

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Los Blancos are slacker/garage-rock foursome from Carmarthenshire, South West Wales.

A band bonded in friendship, Gwyn, Dewi, Emyr and Osian have known each other since school days, there is a quiet, understated confidence underpinning Los Blancos’s ’90s inspired garage sound. Drawing inspiration from the slanted sounds of Pavement, Brian Jonestown Massacre and the playfulness of Mac Demarco their songs are simultaneously gloomy yet hopeful and sun-kissed.

Sung in their native Welsh, Los Blancos’ scuzzy, fuzz-filled sound mutates somewhat between each release. ‘Cadi‘ is a ragged hook-filled rattle revolving around frenetic riffing and insistent percussion that combine in a languid, very Velvet Underground kind of way. With ‘Chwarter I Dri’ the melodic meanderings and ramblings are punctuated by soaring riffs, melodies and towering vocals while ‘Cadw Fi Lan’ offers a hazy meander sojourn to warm and swooning sliding guitar-led alt-country meets lo-fi indie. Aside from their native tongue and dash of garage fuzz, the other constant is Gwyn Rosser’s voice, his drawl consistently delivering that added emotional punch with aplomb.

These are songs that cheerily worm their way into your heart through perfect songcraft and you can check out some choices cut below.

Introducing: DefByMisadventure

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Originally from Co Tyrone, DefByMisadventure (aka Marius Magfhogartai-Marius) is an Irish producer based in the UK – Preston to be precise.

DefByMisadventure has a clear preference for head-nodding and lavish explorations of genres and styles but the hip-hop influence looms largest on the horizon, as evidenced by introductory tunes ‘Chevynova’ & ‘Versacered’. Both tracks are smooth, cool as fuck hip-hop inspired electronic tunes, with popping beats, slick samples and swaggering grooves, and all permeated entirely with an elegant air of chicness. Moving along an uptempo, stuttering snappy beat combo, ‘Chevynova’ swaggers on its way with sultry sax-solo sample and vocal snippets adding a final veneer of allure to this infectious production. While the bumping beats remain, ‘Versacered’ offers a more chilled and elegant side to his approach. Fueled by a bouncy beat and infectious rhythmic groove, it bobs along a rippling of chiming synths, popping percussion, as it moves along on its merry way with quite a swagger. Two sublimely cool tracks to introduce you to DefByMisadventure’s wares.

Listen to both ‘Chevynova’ & ‘Versacered’ below now:

Introducing: Sulkin’ Raven

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Sulkin’ Raven is the brainchild of Kevin De Nicolo, an electronic music producer, composer, and DJ hailing from North Hollywood, California.

Sulkin’ Raven’s intricate and delicately woven, glitchy atmospheric electronica flows from a well of ambient sounds and interspersed with subtle grooves and melodies, and charming computer game synths and 8-bit sounds – a fine and fascinating balance that his recently released Strange Days + Other voices EP is testament to.

‘Help! I’m Ambient’ is, as the name suggests, a work of slow burning ambient sounds. This is one to get lost in, as it evokes moods, feelings and memories on this magical trip through ethereal, atmospheric textures. ‘Not Near Whatever’ is simply gorgeous as it unfolds radiating a sense of awe and wonder as sounds drip, splash and twinkle amid the chiming tones, glitchy sounds and flourishes exuberant light. It bubbles and fizzes with playful computer game synths and 8-bit sounds delighting in delivering irresistible melodies. ‘I Can’t Even’ is a sort of crossing point between the two above; ethereal tones and atmospheric textures abound while slivers of synths and 8-bit sounds create a retro-futuristic vibe. Be they dreamy, playful, or both, Sulkin’ Raven wares are magical and beautiful instrumental electronic jams.

Listen to some choice cuts below and if you like what you hear, check out the new EP here.

Introducing: Kneecap

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Regular patrons of the site will be aware of my fondness for music of Welsh origin, and especially that performed in their native tongue.

Given this predilection, it gave to wondering about Ireland’s own native language and the comparatively scarce amount of contemporary music performed as Gaeilge. Now, that is a topic for another day and deserving of more attention and further examination (thesis anyone?) but it did bring my attention to Kneecap; a satirical hip-hop trio from Belfast who perform in Irish.

The three members; Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Provaí combine a fluency in Irish with an amazing delivery and a wry sense of humour to produce one of the most unique homegrown records of 2018.

Over eight tracks, their mixtape 3CAG offers a satirical take on life for young people, with a particular west Belfast slant. If like me, your command of Irish leaves a lot to be desired, it doesn’t matter a jot. The beats are superb and so infectious, and the flow and lyrical skill on show is second to none, with plenty of laughs thrown in for good measure – anyone who might be skeptical to begin with will be easily won over, just press play on ‘Amach Anocht’, ‘Cearta’ or ‘Tá na Baggies ar an Talamh’ below.

You can listen to mixtape 3CAG in full here; and like mentioned above, it is one of the most unique homegrown records of 2018.

Kneecap have also announced an Irish tour for February 2019 – you can check the dates near you here.

Introducing: Lennard Rubra

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Lennard Rubra, is a multi-instrumentalist from Riccione, Italy whose proto punk sound is inspired by a youthful fascination is ’60s Brazilian folk music, The Smiths and John Cage.

In May of this year, Rubra released two EPs, Pleonasmi and Escapismo Primaverile, both self-produced, recorded and mixed at home – and both are treasure troves of spellbinding sounds.

‘L’archetipo di Artemide’ offers a perfect introduction to what Rubra is all about. Opening with a wash of dreamy-pop amid a melodic mist before haring off at a frantic pace; jerky, angular art-rock riffs dance with a relentless, inescapable Krautrock indebted rhythm as the hypnotic swirl of guitars, hazy atmospherics drone of psychedelia closes in. A hypnotic and captivating track, of epic proportions. ‘Paracusie’ is less of a freewheeling juggernaut as it tiptoes its way through an elegant and dreamy world of escapism, drifting with a weightlessness punctured only by bouts of stabby, jerky guitar work. A warm brew of beautifully hewn layer upon layer of shimmering guitars and spacey atmospherics. ‘Aquafan’ meanwhile falls somewhere between the previous two, blending a hypnotic escapism with mellow undulating vibes while it purrs with a flair for psych-pop and the bite provided by a rough-and-ready DIY approach to indie meets post-punk.

Sang in Italian, Rubra’s output offers a magical escape to a world of drifting dreamy atmospherics with exuberant proto-punk tones and free flowing experimental excursions thrown in for good measure.

Tune into some choice cuts below and if they are to you liking, you can find much more of the same here.