The always entertaining Bowling For Soup are kicking off what promises to be another successful year with a cover tune. Teaming up with able machines (featuring power pop cult hero Linus of Hollywood), they’ve reworked a 90s classic, Elastica’s ‘Connection’, and created something even more indebted to new wave than the original cut.
Those keeping a close ear on the indie/shoegaze scene over the past year will almost certainly have encountered KEELEY. The eponymously named band fronted by Keeley Moss have played a truckload of live dates, and shared stages with Echobelly and Terrorvision. On a great collection of recorded works, Moss and her band have created a musical legacy surrounding the murder of tourist Inga Maria Hauser, giving their work a more emotive and often cerebral quality than your average shoegaze act.
In 1994, just before the arrival of KoRn and the rise of what would soon be dubbed “nu metal”, the US metal scene was already thriving. Thrash had started to wain, but a whole world of band’s plying doom, sludge and hardcore elements helped to keep music fans of a heavier persuasion more than entertained.
Since the release of their ‘Brave Warrior’ EP in 2021, Irish-Anglo band KEELEY have been a great source of thoughtful indie and shoegaze sounds. Their songs, mostly based around the disappearance of traveller Inga Maria Hauser, have provided a superb vehicle for the charismatic Keeley Moss, and whether delivering shimmering, atmospheric tunes (‘To A London Sunrise’) or really catchy pop-rockers (‘The Glitter & The Glue’), the band’s output has managed the rare feat of maintaining a high quality even with a prolific release schedule.
Ska punk reggae supergroup The Kilograms, featuring Sammy Kay and ex-Mighty Mighty Bosstones man Joe Gittleman, released an enjoyable EP during the first quarter of 2024. Although only a two track single has emerged since then, The Kilograms have continued to be a going concern and have been appearing at live venues across the US.
They’ve got another tour on the horizon, kicking off in December, then taking the band into 2025. Many of next year’s early dates will find The Kilograms sharing stages with 90s ska favourites Big D & The Kids Table.