In the spring of 2025, electronica duo Perpacity returned with an unexpectedly alternative sounding EP. Not only did some of the music from ‘Lille Flamme’ take on a slightly more angular sound than previous Perpacity tracks, but a decision to present the lyrics in Danish made everything a little more obtuse. Not that it was an entirely inaccessable release: at its best, the three numbers still showcased a musical unit who understood the need for a melody, even if those melodies were sometimes a little cold.
The Astronauts share new video for ‘Ease Up’
On their current single ‘Ease Up’, The Astronauts deliver an unashamed love letter to the early 90s. From the moment the main melody hits, the layers of sound tap into a heavy indie/shoegaze sound that’s unmistakeably retro. The tune is also massively appealing, but it’s likely to require three or four listens before this becomes really obvious.
TAXI GIRLS – Rainy / The Lion’s Share
On their 2023 EP, Taxi Girls packed a whole world of distorted and punky riffs into a little over eleven minutes. Sometimes sounding like a Frankenstein creation made from the best elements of Bully, The Soviettes and Shampoo, the material valued abrasiveness over finesse, but every one of those EP tracks served up a fantastic sound from the crossroads of indie and garage punk.
CHIMPAN A – Music Is Art Vol. 1
A collaboration between Magenta’s Robert Reed, vocalist Steve Basalmo, and a revolving cast of prog and rock oriented musicians, Chimpan A have a sound that’s varied and complex, but also often accessible. Although their 2020 debut album favoured longer arrangements, their overdue follow up ‘Music Is Art Vol. 1’ is home to a few much stronger, shorter pieces. There are a couple of epic tracks to be found during the eight song journey that blends pop, rock, electronica and prog influences into a smart and seamless menagerie, but the bulk of this long awaited release centres itself a little more around actual songs.
BLUE HERON – Emulations
Since their formation in 2018, US desert rock/heavy stoner band Blue Heron have been utterly committed to sharing massive riffs. Although parts of their 2024 full length ‘Everything Fades’ were a little more accessible from a vocal perspective, on a musical level, the album retained the kind of heaviness fans had come to expect, cementing the band’s reputation as one of the underground scene’s best and most intense acts.
Continuing a run of yearly new releases since 2022, ‘Emulations’ is a stop gap affair, combining four newly recorded tracks with a blistering live session, but it shouldn’t be considered a “filler” in any way.