POST CATEGORY : Post-Punk

SPRINTS – ‘Modern Job’

We’ve been tracking Dublin-based post-punk outfit Sprints for a while now and have impressed no end on each time of asking with their raw, raucous and potent post-punk sound.

Following on from the phenomenal Manifesto EP earlier thai year, Sprints return with news of new EP called A Modern Job, which is due out via Nice Swan Records on March 11 2022. Sprints have already left an indelible mark with releases to date and like their previous work is a fired-up, raucous blast of post-punk. Exploding out of the blocks with ferocious vitality and energy, Karla Chubb’s spoken-sung vocals bite and rise with a focused anger amid the dark, bass-heavy rumblings, sharp guitars and searing noise. Dark, brooding and bone-rattling, potent and poignant;  impressive stuff as usual.

Listen to ‘Modern Job’ below:

Gushh – ‘Tired, All The Time’

We’ve been keeping a close eye on Gushh – solo project of Bristol-based artist Richard Stockley – throughout 2021 as we have drip fed a series of epic and beautiful cuts that will make the bones of a forthcoming EP.

Stockley looks after everything involved – composing, recording, mixing, mastering and artwork – as Gushh revolves around the concept of looping elements and building tracks whilst telling a narrative through old-timey samples from forgotten pieces of media.


‘Tired, All The Time’ is the latest lifted from a forthcoming EP, and is yet another marvelous example of the wonderful wizardry weaved by Gushh. Guitars twinkle and shimmer, bright riffs twinkle atop multi-textured fluttering layers of cosmic brilliance while we are wooed into a woozy stupor by a hypnotic groove and spellbinding charm. Sweeping by with an air of cinematic grandeur, it builds and builds with an undercurrent of euphoria toward a triumphant climax of epic proportions. Yet another mesmerising track from Gushh.

Listen to the epic brilliance of ‘Tired, All The Time’ below.

Nihiloceros – ‘Halfway Human’

Nihiloceros are a trio from Brooklyn, NY who trade in powerful, heavyweight and muscular jams taking influence from post-punk, grunge and 90s alt-rock.

The trio’s latest single, ‘Halfway Human’, taken from their recent EP Self Destroy, is a perfect encapsulation of their raucous, rockin; wares. Fuelled by crunchy guitars, meaty riffs and barreling barrage of loud, pounding drums, ‘Halfway Human’ is bristling with an untamed raw energy that burns bright amid the scuzzy, fuzz and distortion filled environs. A muscular, powerful and terrific blast of crunching alt-rock that is refreshingly unsubtle.

Listen to ‘Halfway Human’ below and why not check out the EP here.

English Teacher – ‘R&B’

Last year London label Nice Swan began the ‘Nice Swan Introduces’ series facilitating releases from a whole raft of new and exciting talent including Jelly Cleaver, Courting, Sprints, Hallan, Malady, Mandrake Handshake & Anorak Patch, and English Teacher’s ‘R&B’ is latest entry in the series.

Leeds quartet English Teacher trade in meaty and razor-sharp sprawling post-punk alchemy and waste no time in setting the wheels in motion on ‘R&B. Part of an inaugural compilation that is penned for release in August, ‘R&B’ is built upon a speedy bassline and Lily Fontaine’s deadpan vocals before exploding with a searing riffs, soaring guitars and crunching drums, all bathed in a wall of fuzz and distortion. A huge, epic and absolutely magnificent crunching anthem – turn it up loud.

Listen to ‘R&B’ and keep an eye out for the compilation come August:

Death Hags – ‘Chaos Magic’

Death Hags is the moniker of Los Angeles-based, French artist, Lola Jean, who carefully crafts hypnotic, dreamy and psych splashed aural escapes from the secluded hideaway hills of East LA.

An enigmatic creative force, Death Hags output over the past 18 months or so has been stellar, with a ready supply of hypnotic, futuristic and minimal electronica. Death Hags’ latest single, ‘Chaos Magic’ is a variation of this form. Just as an intoxicating, escapist and hypnotic, ‘Chaos Magic’ sees shimmering guitars replace synth as the driving force as Jean’s hushed honeyed vocals cruise calmly over a melodic patter of soft drums and haze of dreamy atmospheric tones. A beautiful, melodic and hazy jam from a reliably brilliant artist.

Listen to ‘Chaos Magic’ below: 

’59 – ‘The Forbidden Zone’

’59 is led by Ryan Ehresman, a synth-obsessed writer and producer based out of San Francisco who create exhilarating, manic and kaleidoscopic psych-splashed post-punk/krautrock sounds.

’59’s latest is called ‘The Forbidden Zone’ and it is an absolute beast. Fuelled by a relentless electronic beat, pulsing synth, repetitive guitarlines, buzzsaw riffs and sharp rhythm section, ‘The Forbidden Zone’ makes for a taut, furious and intoxicating whirlwind of somewhat frenzied sounds – with moments of melodic respite and relative calm strewn throughout. ‘The Forbidden Zone’ feels organic in its composition and exudes exhilarating energy and is brilliantly manic and unique. One of the finest tracks of 2021, ‘The Forbidden Zone’ more than hints that keeping tabs on ’59 is going to be exciting.

Listen to ‘The Forbidden Zone’ below now:

Spirit Award – ‘Shout (Kill the Rich)’

Shout (Kill the Rich) is the latest sprawling single from Seattle-based psych-rock outfit Spirit Award.

Taken from their third album, Lunatic House, Shout (Kill the Rich) showcases a fearlessness to explore psychedelic rovings and embrace chaos and jarring jerky aggression; and striking a perfect balance between these two facets is the cornerstone to which everything else is built. ‘Shout (Kill the Rich)’ is a living, breathing and ever-changing kaleidescopic explosion, it opens with a grimy, chaotic and caustic energy as they explore a sound on the margin with taut drums, jerky riffs and swirls of distortion as it stares dead-eyed, with an ominous, vacant air of menace amid a sense of the otherworldly and rising tide of claustrophobia before reseeding to calmer climes. The gritty makes way for shimmering guitars, warm layers of lush synths and melodic sweetness to offer a sense of comfort and positivity. A magnificent and sprawling exploration – simply stunning!

Listen to ‘Shout (Kill the Rich)’ below:

Sprints – ‘Swimming’

Sprints are Dublin-based post-punk foursome – of Karla Chubb (vocals/guitar), Colm O’Reilly (guitar), Sam McCann (bass) and Jack Callan (drums) – who together, create a raw, raucous and potent post-punk sound – one bursting with a ferocious blend snarling vocals, driving rhythms, meaty riffs, swagger and noise.

Sprints have already left an indelible mark with 2020 singles ‘Manifesto’ & ‘The Cheek’, and are back with ‘Swimming’, the third and final track lifted from their four-track debut EP Manifesto (produced by Daniel Fox from Girlband). ‘Swimming’ is a powerful force of nature, exploding to life with a raucous energy Chubb’s raspy vocal ricochets off the intense locked in rhythmic power below. It is a thunderous ride atop driving bass groove, choppy guitar tone, meaty riffs and pounding drums. Like previous singles, ‘Swimming’ is a huge, explosive, taut and confident anthem – a simply stunning tune.

Listen to ‘Swimming’ below and Sprints’ Manifesto EP is out on March 26.


San Salvo – ‘Khanta’

San Salvo are a neo soul / psych outfit from Brooklyn; a collaborative project of Jared Schapker (Grandpa Jack), Matt C. White and Sean Smith (Rubblebucket / Kaleta & Super Yamba Band).

Together the trio have carved out a rather special place on the musical landscape with timeless psych-infused soul and funk, anchored and propelled by an enviable love of groove. Their new EP ‘Rarities’ is a colourful and imaginative exploration in sound, with a focus on mood and groove, and single ‘Khanta’, provides a succinct distillation of their sonic adventures in four wonderful minutes. Composed of a grooving rhythm section, soaring hornlines, and fuzzed out guitar and psychedelic brush strokes ‘Khanta’, is a churning, winding groover bathed in a swirling haze of shimmering tones, psychedelic keys, and parps of rich brass. ‘Khanta’ is a thrilling and pulsating powerhouse of rhythmic fervour that is totally irresistible and will leave an indelible mark on your soul.

Listen to ‘Khanta’ below – and check out the EP ‘Rarities’ here too.

Beige Banquet – ‘Cold Yoghurt’

Beige Banquet is the solo project of East London-based Tom Brierley who creates drum-machine-driven and self-produced outsider/weirdo/art punk.

Beginning life in early 2020, the project yielded a treasure trove of tracks written and produced in a dank East-London bedroom during the first part of last year in circumstances familiar to many musicians, Brierley switched focus from performing to recording, and the fruit from that labour is debut album BETA.

Brierley offered a taste of what to expect with ‘Wired/Weird’ in December and second single from the album, ‘Cold Yoghurt’ is similarly spikey, agitated and drum-machine-driven post-punk. It is a frenzied jam fueled by metronomic, capping electro beat the underpins the repetitive guitar lines, jerky riffs and sharp rhythm section. This somewhat frenzied sound is perfectly complemented by the stream-of-consciousness lyrics and manic delivery, that seems to have tunnel vision and mirroring the coalescing of the sharp, angular noise that comes together slowly, fusing into a formidable intoxicating jam.

Listen to ‘Cold Yoghurt’ below – and I implore you to check out the new album BETA, 32 minutes of brilliant drum-machine-driven, frenzied guitar wielding mayhem. Stream it here, and it is out now on Just Step Sideways Records