Sample “Swings & Waterslides” the debut track online from Cheshire UK band Viola Beach. A neatly constructed and imagined bit of a A+ indie pop, “Swings & Waterslides” is made of the sort of UK indie DNA that compose potential breakout bands. A very strong debut and band to definitely keep an eye toward.
Viola Beach 
(Soundcloud)
Fall into the fast and far-out psychedelics, guitar-jangly reverb-heavy vibe and superbly synth-driven inner dimensions of “Soaked” a new indie rock single from Sun Drug which is the third to release since the LA band’s career debut track “Easy In Your Attitude” hit earlier this year. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
Sun Drug 
(Soundcloud)
We enjoy the percussion-driven indie instrumentals and brilliant succinctly-catchy verses of a new sing-along gem “I Wear Glasses” from LA producer Mating Ritual who RAEKO also recently featured on his synth-tickled jam “Everybody Knows”. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
Mating Ritual (Soundcloud)
Unlike many Brit bands who become part of the powerful UK hype infrastructure, the Manchester band Blossoms is building a truly organic international buzz that is solely based on their talent. Back home, that machine is more present and why not? Whether in studio or onstage, they consistently deliver the goods. Blossoms have mistakenly been categorized as a psych band and while past tunes have included some of those elements, “Blown Rose” is a beautiful track that shows off their depth without a hint of psychedelia. It’s got jangly guitars and an alluring melody that reminds of fave music from any decade harking back to the 60’s. Yet, it’s totally modern. It’s one of those rock songs that should become a massive pop hit, but songs in this vein often miss the mainstream mark for some strange reason. Let’s hope it does reach the upper part of the charts. At the very least, it should be a long-term live winner for them and it will be a killer album track. Hopefully that first Blossoms full-legth will drop in the not too distant future. Reviewed by Bruce Rave.
Check out Bruce’s weekly “Go Deep” radio show; air dates and times for “Go Deep” as well archived past shows can be found on Bruce’sblog. Don’t forget to follow Bruce on Twitter too!
Hear my interview chat with the band, that took place at The Great Escape last May.
We’re into Burger Records recently picked up new one “Too Bad So Sad” in which songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/composer Michael Rault relishes his listener in some quite outstanding funk-guitar-infused psych-rock-digs that meshes seamlessly with his luminously-melodic poppy-hooked vocals. “Too Bad So Sad” is off Rault’s recent “Living Daylight” EP (out now) which (according to his press kit) is a sonic fusion of rambling psychedelica wrought with Rault’s own special concoction of life-encompassing wacky-bittersweet motives weaved into the songwriting. Check out the EP for yourself and look for Canadian artist Michael Rault on his UK/European tour this November. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
UK / EU Tour Dates
Nov 8 – Leeds, England – Oporto
Nov 9 – Manchester, England – Castle Hotel
Nov 10 – London, England – The Victoria
Nov 11 – Guildford, England – Boileroom
Nov 13 – Newcastle, England – Think Tank
Nov 14 – Leicester, England – Soundhouse
Nov 18 – Antwerp, Belgium – De Roma w/ Jacco Gardner
Nov 20 – Lille, France – La Peniche w/ Jacco Gardner
Nov 21 – Brugge, Belgium – Cactus w/ Jacco Gardner
Nov 25 – Strasbourg, France – La Laiterie Club w/ Jacco Gardner
Nov 26 – Munster, Germany – Gleis 22 w/ Jacco Gardner
Nov 27 – Mainz, Germany – Schon Schon w/ Jacco Gardner
Nov 28 – Konstanz, Germany – Kulturladen w/ Jacco Gardner
Nov 30 – Nuremberg, Germany – Club Stereo w/ Jacco Gardner
Dec 1 – Tubingen, Germany – Sudhaus w/ Jacco Gardner
Dec 2 – Yverdon, Switzerland – L’Amalgame w/ Jacco Gardner
Dec 3 – Zurich, Switzerland – Bogen F w/ Jacco Gardner
Dec 4 – Nancy, France – L’Autre Canal Club w/ Jacco Gardner
Dec 5 – Nantes, France – Stereolux w/ Jacco Gardner
Dec 6 – Caen, France – Le Cargo Club w/ Jacco Gardner
Michael Rault 
(Soundcloud)
We are wowed by the indie psych-rock trappings of Melbourne male-female duo Manor (Caitlin Duff and Nathaniel Morse) on their soulful sweetly-quieting modest-cadenced guitar-driven Led-Zeppelin-deep new one called “Can You Hear Me Talking At You” which we like immensely for its schmaltzy 70’s lounge vibe vocal style, radiant glitter-tinged subtler-than-day synth accents and brightly-blanched guitar riffing. “Can You Hear Me Talking at You” is the title track off the duo’s forthcoming soon-to-released debut album and is the first material from Manor since their 2013 “Architecture” EP. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
MANOR 
(Soundcloud)
Brighton male-female duo True Noir capture our utmost attention with their lightly-treading sense-saturating charmer melody on “Creation” a lovely slightly-hazy golden-edged guitar-tinged ethereal beauty which is richly-laden with the sort of profound emotive power that makes it a potent candidate for a movie soundtrack. Excellent dynamic! Reviewed by Erin Shay.
True Noir (Soundcloud)
Minneapolis-based Carroll has crafted a hazy summer jam worthy of airplay across all alternative stations in the country. “Alligator” is an immediately tangible indie-psych rock single that instantly sets you into a trance. The guys are releasing debut self-titled LP (via eOne Music) on September 18th. Reviewed by Tony Perkis.
Carroll 
(Facebook)
We like the far-out atmospherics and mid 90’s to early 00’s school-of-rock vibe of new Essex, UK band Wayde who recently debuted their career-first-single “Eleanor”; which we really enjoy for its indie-hazy guitar-riff-heavy instrumentals, slow carefully-muted dramatic-paused pace, luminously-melodic fine-tuned calm-simplicity and sultry-sensitive quiet-shout vocals. Excellent track. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
WAYDE (Soundcloud)
Fake Palms is a four-piece Toronto-based lo-fi post-punk noise-pop group (begun in 2011 as a solo bedroom music project of front man Michael Le Riche) that prides itself on a natural effects-free style, sensible pop-driven vocals and righteously-heavy garage-gritty indie instrumentals from the group’s newest members (Slim Twig drummer Simone TB, Patrick Marshall of Burning Love/Nice Head and Lane Halley from Hooded Fang). With the addition of the new members (in 2015) Fake Palms is set unleash their fully-raucous self-titled debut album (which is based on demos from le Riche) via Buzz on August 28, 2015. We totally dig the EP’s stellar new poppy-hummable feedback-heavy distorted-rhythm-riffed second single “Sparkles” (which follows the group’s April career-debut track “Sun Drips”) for its finely-tuned balance between a loaded barrage of heavy-metallic-percussion-led instrumentals and le Riche’s divinely-spun poppy vocals. Apparently, Fake Palms created “Sparkles” in two very focused hours; Le Riche says it was “an experiment to see how off center we could get musically, counterbalanced with classic pop melodies… at the end of the day we’re trying to make music that you can hum along to”. Be sure to catch the new instrumentally-improved Fake Palms on tour during the late summer/early fall starting with an August 22nd start date in Montreal. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
8/22 Montreal, QC @ Bar L’Esco
8/23 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
8/24 Brooklyn, NY @ Palisades
8/25 Baltimore, MD @ The Crown
8/26 Washington, DC @ DC9
8/27 Chapel Hill, NC @ The Cave
8/28 Athens, GA @ Caledonia Lounge
8/29 Nashville, TN @ The Crying Wolf
8/30 Detroit, MI @ PJ’s Lager House
9/10 Toronto, ON @ Silver Dollar
9/11 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
9/12 London, ON @ Call The Office
Fake Palms (Facebook)
