There’s so much new music being released in the modern world, it’s become all too easy to miss the good stuff. This fact hasn’t escaped The Morning Line. Their 2026 release ‘Stars’ provides a handy recap of the best bits of the San Franciscan band’s catalogue, even stretching as far as including a couple of the year’s singles. It’s more than a standard compilation, though; for those who’ve been on board for a while, there’s still interest, since ‘Stars’ goes to the effort of remixing some of the previously released stuff to bring it up to scratch. With that in mind, and whichever way you look at it, ‘Stars’ has all the makings of a career defining disc, showcasing a superb blend of college rock, power pop and other retro sounds.
Tag Archives: college rock
THE DAMBUILDERS – Shrine 2026 / I Hope We’re Not Too Late
Back in the 90s, The Dambuilders released a string of albums that gained a cult following. With competition from the likes of Cracker, Sponge, and a wealth of other alternative bands circa 1994/5, they never hit the “big leagues”, at least in the truest sense, but they were one of those acts that really seemed to capture the essence of the US “college rock” sound. In the UK, their fifth album ‘Ruby Red’ could occasionally be spotted in London’s bargain bins, and for those who took the time to listen, it was an album that offered much to enjoy – especially for lovers of the equally undervalued Green Apple Quick Step and Mother May I.
LUNISON – Fakepink
Lunison’s debut EP ‘See Me As A Friend’ – released in 2024 – presented five tracks where a rock sound was twisted into some very interesting shapes. Its key cuts showed how varied the band could be: ‘Name 3 Songs’ managed to open with a riff that mixed garage rock and an almost post-grunge dirtiness, only to turn that on its head with a huge, melodic chorus full of ringing guitars sounding like a throwback to a great Gin Blossoms tune; ‘Smile, Cruel World’ borrowed from a couple of The Black Keys’ more groove-centric numbers, but added a more melodic vocal, again, calling back to a world of 90s pop-rock sounds, and ‘Velcro’ introduced a reverbed, 50s guitar twang in places, which set against a pumping bass and harmony vocals ended up sounding like a funky take on something from Arctic Monkeys ‘AM’.
THE MEDIOCRE FRIENDS – So, This Is It? EP
Gay Elvis has been a regular fixture on New Jersey’s underground rock scene for a number of years. You might know him best as a member of Readymade Breakup or The Blakes. You might have encountered him as a member of The Vice Rags, a once raw garage rock band who took a dramatic turn to become a very melodic retro rock band on their second LP. There’s a chance you stumbled across his solo EP, but there’s an even greater chance that you don’t know Elv at all.
The Mediocre Friends was a new name on his CV for 2024, but the roots of the band go back way further. The musical project brings Elvis back into the musical fold alongside his old high school buddies – the guys responsible for him taking his first steps as a musician. Years on, they reconvened to record a bunch of songs, sort of as “unfinished business”, if you will. The four completed tracks were released to Bandcamp in the June of 2024, by which time, personal disagreements had actually split the band of friends once again.
GENTLEMEN ROGUES – Surface Noise
Since their formation, Austin’s Gentlemen Rogues have created great music that’s hugely indebted to the older college rock sound. Via a series of EPs, their very retro approach won them a loyal audience within the rock underground, and comparisons to The Replacements certainly didn’t hurt their progress. Over a decade since their humble beginnings, their 2024 release ‘Surface Noise’ finally sees the band stretching beyond their preferred short playing format with a full album’s worth of material, and it comes as a great relief that their punchy music doesn’t necessarily need to be heard in short bursts to have the greatest impact.