Bible Club and the thoughtful proggy alt rock / fear gach punk meditations of "Umbra" (Official Video)

 

"Through squinted eyes, I watch a man steal my bike / He makes light work of the chain / A Combination lock to bind myself along with the rest of them / Dark palms blot the sun in a desperate attempt to shield his blessed way..."


The thoughtful proggy alt rock / fear gach punk meditations of "Umbra" by Bristol's Bible Club, the title track of their sophomore EP dropping April 11th (2025) via Velvet Echoes, is dripping in the youthful anxiety of a fucked up world, an existential diatribic stomach ache. I am loving the beautiful guitar distortions, pulling crystallines shapes against rolling bass and drum anchors one minute and then potent angsty pummels the next. This tightly wound, jammy musical framework is perfect for the compelling vocal performance. The inherent tensions between the ever growing musical fury and evocative spoken social commentary is palpable.  

"I cast off these things
As I grow older, and weary
A leaf, suspended
Breaking loose of the bough that hangs over you
Like most of us, it descends freely
It doesn’t know that it’s already tied down
Looking back on it all, it doesn’t make that much sense now

Everyone cycling around not knowing why or how 

Just drudging on
for a bliss that’s promised
Rid me of this mind now
Tell me there’s truth, things will get better
The leaves keep on falling down
Just to be torn in the shredder
As I cast off these things
I grow older and weary
Rid us of these glassy eyes

Allow us all to see clearly"

As a baby boomer who has lived a long time and hoped that mankind, that our governments would evolve somehow, this past election (in America) has gutted me hard. The discussions with my adult children can be tough but we grab at straws of hope. That is ultimately what we all have to do, right? And ultimately as existential, as gloriously serious "Umbra" feels, there is hope coursing in between the poetic lines, the hard lines, deep lines like the ones on one baby boomers face.

LINER NOTES (excerpted):

[Serving as a powerful introduction to their most ambitious and conceptually focused work to date, 'Umbra' sees the four-piece crafting an intricate landscape that perfectly captures their evolution since their debut EP AD. The band describes the track as "a condemnation of societal monotony," layering politically charged spoken word over their signature blend of post-rock, post-punk, and shoegaze sensibilities.

"Umbra captures the stark awareness of a world stuck in disarray," the band reflects. The track's sonic architecture is built around what they describe as "interwoven guitars... sometimes stark and asymmetrical, sometimes unified and powerful," creating a dynamic foundation for their unflinching social critique of modern society. Staying true to their artistic vision, the band emphasises, "We try to keep our music diverse and unconventional." This commitment to innovation is evident throughout 'Umbra,' which defies easy categorisation while maintaining a cohesive artistic statement.

Produced by Dom Mitchison, the single exemplifies the band's creative evolution."We wanted to focus on our songwriting and explore where we could take our next project, with a developed sound and a core concept," they explain. The studio experience with Mitchison proved transformative: "It felt like a studio experience that we've truly grown from."]

I look forward to dipping into "Umbra" the EP-

Hang in there, show up to the fight, fight hard. Fuck Trump / Fuck Elon Musk. 

Full Lyrics:

Through squinted eyes, I watch a man steal my bike
He makes light work of the chain
A Combination lock to bind myself along with the rest of them
Dark palms blot the sun in a desperate attempt to shield his blessed way
I cast off these things
As I grow older, and weary
A leaf, suspended
Breaking loose of the bough that hangs over you
Like most of us, it descends freely
It doesn’t know that it’s already tied down
Looking back on it all, it doesn’t make that much sense now
Everyone cycling around not knowing why or how
Just drudging on
for a bliss that’s promised
Rid me of this mind now
Tell me there’s truth, things will get better
The leaves keep on falling down
Just to be torn in the shredder
As I cast off these things
I grow older and weary
Rid us of these glassy eyes
Allow us all to see clearly
Washed up
The smell
Of grease and fat
Fills the air
Bad taste
Bad smell
Little man
Small brain
Snake eyes
Thick lies

-Robb Donker Curtius

  

NOTES on the term fear gach punk which I coined in 2021.

There are probably a couple dozen bands that have a particular sound, a sound that feels potently feral, politico, tribal with scowling vox in between talking / ranting /somewhat singing. In a sense diatribal, angry, rabble rousing touching on big issues, societal issues, the oppressive nature of governments, the corporate thumb on everyday people, the assault on the "other", free speech and self determination, punching back, saying fuck you to racism, classism, and all kinds of sexism. While I will not mention these bands I have a sense that their sonic D.N.A., their seeds of malcontent and justice seeking might stem from two musical outfits, maybe directly, maybe tangentially, namely Death Grips (2010) out of Sacramento, California and Idles (2009) out of Bristol, England. It is what I imagine anyway and I am sticking with it (for now).

I think this sound is so potent, so prevalent that it deserves a new genre, a new name. I am going to call this genre feargach punk as redundant as that maybe.

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6o0TuDUeaxV6qUpT1LNgtk

https://www.instagram.com/bibleclubband/

https://www.facebook.com/BibleClub5643#



With the release of their debut EP, Bible Club embark on their first tour. Having established themselves in Bristol, London, and Southampton, the band deliver their sound to new places. With a captivating live set that dynamically shifts from punchy tracks to post rock soundscapes, Bible Club’s permeating sound is a refreshing and unique experience.

Bible Club, post punk, alternative rock, post rock, fear gach punk, "Umbra" EP, "Umbra" single, progressive rock, art punk, dense musicality, "Umbra" (Official Video), Bristol, London, 

Jefferson Pitcher and the full throttle abstractions, and vox populi freedom fists of "Cartpushers" (Official Video)

 

"Are you ready to feel unknown / The blood of unknowable renown / Are you locked in, down, or out? / Steady for rekeying here..."

The full throttle abstractions, and vox populi freedom fists of "Cartpushers", by stalwart artist, singer-songwriter, musician Jefferson Pitcher, is so dramatically drawn that it feels like the theme of movie, one that might contain dark espionage, illegal nation building or real life revolutions for the betterment of people crushed by oppressive thumbs. This is the thing though, impactful music with such politico tensions can be used by many sides. I am thinking of when Jack White shot a public cease and dissent letter to the Trump campaign for using "Seven Nation Army", but I digress. 

There is so much sonic density and perfectly placed production embellishments on this track that makes it's way into your head. The angular guitar rhythms that fall against dissonant places, the truly bolstering bass work (Love it), the glitch ambience full of bending synths, the sort of hyper surfy drum beats, the layers of lead guitars and, of course, Pitcher's evocative vocal presence. Pitchers sonics seeds seem to have included Radiohead’s "In Rainbows" and while I can definitely feel that, I also thought of Porcupine Tree and maybe oddly enough, and especially because of the outro where the guitar lines feel kind of Western Pop noir-ish, I felt the pop prowess of a song like Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer" (love that song).  

So, in my head, "Cartpushers" might be best described as an alternative rock pop noir song and while I don't know if Pitcher would agree, it certainly casts filmic images in my head. Such a cool vibe. 

Lyrics:

Are you ready to feel unknown
The blood of unknowable renown
Are you locked in, down, or out?
Steady for rekeying here.

And the king will be carried in on silk tonight
The farmers and cobblers and Cartpushers will be ready

Are you cut in, down, or out
For the beast to finally take throne
I cut my tongue on a knife made from an eel bone
Is there some stigma we should know about
Now we trust you with our aviary lives

And the king will carry us
On silk tonight

The farmers and cobblers and Cartpushers will be ready
They will be heroes. They will be our heroes.

“Cartpushers,” exists on Jefferson Pitcher's latest album, "The Bellow" and is the second release after "The Crane".  Northampton, MA | Lost Forest Records.

LINER NOTES excerpts:

[Picking up where “The Crane” left off, the production sparkles throughout, calling to mind the sonic flourishes of Radiohead’s In Rainbows and the intensity of new work from The Smile, both intense and driving, though warmly enveloping. When paired with Pitcher’s wonderful guitars and the band’s nuanced arrangement and playing, it provides a uniquely effective platform for Pitcher’s voice to expand, transform, and evolve with great muscularity across during the course of a too-short-for-me three minutes and forty nine seconds. Any song that ends before I’m ready to be done listening has found the elusive magic. There is an extended version on the forthcoming full length Lp, “The Bellows,” that satisfies completely, and you should be sure to watch the oddly compelling, disconcerting, and slightly frightening video.

When we arrive at the chorus with a lush and beautiful layering of guitar melodies and harmonies, I am completely in the world of The Smiths, no small feat. While Pitcher has an uncanny ability to conjure everything from Johnny Greenwood dissonance and the soaring ferocity of Billy Corgan, he can also deftly guide us into the ether, on lofty, mingling melodies like Johnny Marr. This second single purports that we are in for an expansive and grand Lp, a completely realized vision after decades of work.

Pitcher wears his influences on his sleeve, citing Radiohead, Arcade Fire, and The National as guiding lights, and fans of those bands will recognize the aesthetic embedded in his songwriting. However, "The Crane" isn’t mere homage—it’s a song crafted with a sense of emotional depth and meticulous performance that stands on its own. For those who appreciate the swelling grandeur and nuanced melancholy of the aforementioned artists, this track will be more than just familiar. It’ll feel like home.

Pitcher returns to the studio in May to begin work on an instrumental jazz quartet imagining of The Bellows, followed by another song cycle next winter. Press inquiries can be directed to info@jeffpitcher.com or and additional info can be found via Pitcher’s website.]

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ymlyYBC5jIcpyo3YQmyCf

https://soundcloud.com/jefferson-pitcher

https://jeffersonpitcher.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/pitcherguitars/

https://www.jeffersonpitcher.com/



Jefferson Pitcher is an innovative singer-songwriter known for his genre-defying music that combines intricate melodies with personal narratives. His previous works include the critically acclaimed albums: Of Great and Mortal Men and To All Dead Sailors. Pitcher has released music with Sedimental (USA), Attenuation Circuit (Germany), Jealous Butcher (USA), Striking Mechanism (USA), Standard Recording Co. (USA), Digitalis Recordings (USA), Camera Obscura (Australia), Tape Drift Records (USA), Lost Forest (USA), Moonpalace (Spain), Dutch East India (USA), Words on Music (USA), Tract Records (USA). He has performed and recorded with a wide range of artists including Radar Bros., Will Johnson, Denison Witmer, Pauline Oliveros, Fred Frith, Ikue Mori, Okkyung Lee, Scott Amendola, Mark Dresser, Mike Bullock, Tim Keiper, Doug Van Nort, Jonathan Chen, Jason Robinson, Bob Weiner, Rosie Thomas, Christian Kiefer, and many more.

Pitcher’s work has garnered critical acclaim from outlets including Pitchfork, All Things Considered, WIRE, Blurt, Prefix, KQED, Brainwashed, and many more, for its originality and emotional depth, establishing him as a leading figure in the landscape of thoughtfully challenging artists welcoming you into a fully realized, unique sonic world.

Jefferson Pitcher, singer-songwriter and genre-bending artist, returns to conventional song from a long stint in the world of improvisation and noise with a triumphant, expansive, full-length record: The Bellows. Scheduled for release on April 11, 2025 The Bellows stands as testament to Pitcher's inventive approach to music and his ability to synergize disparate facets of sound.

Drawing sonic inspiration from the introspective and experimental tones of R.E.M’s New Adventures in Hi-Fi and Radiohead's In Rainbows, Pitcher and a team of collaborators craft a music that is both ethereal and grounded, sweeping and intimate. The album's atmospheric production and detailed arrangements will immediately appeal to fans of The National, while its lyrical intimacy and narrative quality will resonate with those who appreciate The Decemberists' storytelling prowess, as Pitcher investigates an imagined world where water is scarce, and birds are the dominant species. The album's songs are a journey through the corridors of angst and introspection, featuring Pitcher's signature blend of poetic lyricism and diary-like reflections. Each track serves as a chapter in a larger narrative, weaving together personal anecdotes with universal themes on parenthood, masculinity, environmentalism, and nature in a way that is both haunting and profoundly relatable.

Jefferson Pitcher, alt rock, art rock, progressive, fusion rock, blendo rock, jazz fusions, post punk, new album "The Bellows", second single "Cartpushers" Official Video, Northampton MA, songwriter, guitarist, 

Minnie Birch and the breadth, scope and confessional beauty of "All on the black"

 

"If the night, wont let you rest / Let me show you what I wear to go out dancing at 3am..."

The breadth, scope and confessional beauty of "All on the black", by Hemel Hempstead, England based singer-songwriter Minnie Birch, is a rare artistic outreach that feels like a personal glimpse, a cache of letters and photos in a wooden box kept underneath a bed away from prying eyes. This is to say that nothing here is untoward but Birch's vocal countenance feels so intimately drawn / constructed from shards of pain into something so heartfelt that we, as the audience, feel like eavesdroppers. Birch, within her words, open her heart in what feels like a risky loving proposition of sorts, lays her feelings on the line despite the result might cause emotional bruises. There is the sense that this gift is being offered to someone who has also had their heartbroken as well. Two people who despite being through the messes of life are willing to kind of clean each other up as well as themselves.

"All on the black" with it's sparse folk, folk indie pop atmospheres is one of those songs that I want to blow up in such a way that all kinds of artists cover it. It is a simply put, a goddamned beautiful song from concept to execution. A forever song, a timeless song and Birch's dancing, pirouetting moving vocal melodies are so evocative, so beyond pretty.

Minnie Birch offered this:

"Releasing music for the first time in 4 years since fighting off cancer. I am achingly proud of this and hope you love it."

I do love it and cannot imagine anyone not loving it and congratulations on your fight. I personally know a few loved ones who have has such battles. It is an incredibly difficult fight indeed. In the end, "All on the black" feels like a terribly moving, beautiful indie film that I want to see. 


Here are the poetic lyrics:

If the night, wont let you rest
Let me show you what I wear to go out dancing at 3am
And if you're scared of the morning light
Let me cut it and roll it and we can smoke it away if you like.
We can go to sex clubs
when they've shut the bars
Anywhere that will take money for alcohol
Money that isn't even ours
I will never judge you
for the hand you've been dealt
I once put it all on the black, I lost the lot
I know a little about how you must have felt
I only date inappropriate men
they have tattoos on their chests reading "I will never call you again"
They're wearing red flags, they're still the ones I choose
Because it hurts a little less if you already know just how you're going to lose
We can go to sex clubs
when they've shut the bars
Anywhere that will take money for alcohol
Money that isn't even ours
I will never judge you
for the hand you've been dealt
I once put it all on the black, I lost the lot
I know a little about how you must have felt
or maybe we could stay home, shut all the doors
and you could wake up next to someone who just wants to love you a little bit more
You could sober up, go take a shower
learn that the best thing about you is your pain, it is your power
but we just go to sex clubs, once they've shut the bars


LINER NOTES (bracketed):

[This is a song about rock bottom. It is a song about dragging yourself out of rock bottom. It is about the magic you can still find when you’re down there, and the people who will love you through it. It is about realising that your pain is your power. There is no obvious movie happy ending, more a series of forever believing that things will get better, dancing in the good moments and making lemonade in the darker times (or as I have always done, when life has given me lemons, make songs! - minnie birch]


-Robb Donker Curtius

Minnie Birch · All on the black

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/25AnoUdAGEOdsj3fEGW6aN

https://www.instagram.com/minniebirch

https://www.facebook.com/minniebirch


Minnie writes dark, plaintive, beautiful music about life, love and loss. She has been BBC radio 1s introducing artist of the week and her last record was a Sunday Times top 100 record of the year. She is releasing music for the first time in 4 years, having taken time out due to fighting a rare form of tissue cancer. This song is a return to form but with the added desire and drive of someone who thought they'd truly lost the lot...

Minnie Birch, UK singer songwriter, musician, folk, folk indie, pop, baroque pop, indie, dream pop, bedroom pop, "All on the black", beautifully evocative vocal presence, stunning, forever song, 

Stray Fossa and the youthful skip and jump of "Change The Film" (Official Video)

 

"We were turning into old / Versions of ourselves / If it were only up to me / I’d get used to no one else..."

The youthful skip and jump of "Change The Film" by Stray Fossa, feels like lifting the needle off that very special vinyl record and going back to a prior groove, trying to recapture what you felt at a precise time. Listening to the dreamy, post punk drawn guitar lines, the dreamy dancing musical shifts, the drum shuffles and airy pretty vocals feels cast in 90's or 2000's indie atmospheres. I am flashing on a band like Acid Ghost sans the shoegaze haze or maybe a bit like Castlebeat with a more bedroom pop / emo leans. Stray Fossa possesses the ability to take you back while holding your hand and running forward. This is to say that while a certain sonic nostalgia might be happening, the sounds feel totally cast in today and, besides, these guys still feel like total romantics through and through. 

LINER NOTES (bracketed):

[Buried in iPhone notes there must be more than 50 drafts of this song. Nothing was working until my bandmate/brother weighed in. It’s funny. An EP and two albums later, this is our first collaboration on lyrics - we usually squirrel away to write these. Funnier still: it is about trusting another person - their perspective and intuition, when it comes to changing your own. "Change The Film" is the first single of 2025 with more to come and features art by Mexican visual designer, Melissa Santamaria. The music video, filmed entirely on Super 8, captures a summer spent writing and recording new music together in the small mountaintop town we all grew up.]

Nice to hear these boys again. It's been a while. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

spotify
strayfossa
bandcamp
facebook
instagram
youtube
soundcloud


Homemade indie out of bedrooms in Boston, Hamburg, and Munich.

Stray Fossa, indie rock, post punk, dream pop, shoegaze tones, indie pop tones, psychedelic, "Change The Film" (Official Video), Boston, Hamburg, Munich, nostalgic, 90's / 2000's leans, 

Dew Claw and the chunky shoutabout garage rock jubilation of "Wall" (Official Video)

 

"I / well I slumped down in the past / then you came into my world and woke me up..."

The chunky shoutabout garage rock jubilation of "Wall" by Camas, Washington based Dew Claw, and from their upcoming "E.L.F" album dropping on May 9th (2025) on Dromedary Records, has that pure indie rock sound that screams medium sized sweaty venues and gentle moshing while holding up your beer. I couldn't help but think of 80's / 90's alt indie seeds like Dinosaur Jr and Hüsker Dü or 2000's indie rock / power pop distillations like Good Shoes or Tokyo Police Club. I feel the same kinetic energy and Americana rock underpinnings and punchy power pop swings while keeping the distortions in that jangle pop vein. Really enjoying Stephen Hunking's lead guitar lines that feel like double leads, that have the spirited almost punk bubblegum / glam tones of 70's power pop bands. I am thinking of the amazing Steven Hufsteter, the iconic lead guitarist for 70's killer power pop band The Quick (reference Pretty Please) or Pezband's vocalist guitar shredder Mimi Betinis. Chris Xefos (with penis firmly attached) provides throttling basslines. Check out the LINER NOTES to find out about these guys musical leans and history. 

LINER NOTES (bracketed):

[Stephen and Chris have been good friends since high school, discovering and playing music together over this entire time. During their NY/NJ fertile alt-rock period, the King Missile-Hypnolovewheel mafia was STRONG. The 2 bands shared a member for a time and Chris lent a hand with production duties on the first Hypno/Alias release.]

[Since 2004, Dew Claw has been the music project for which Stephen Hunking has released his meditations on life, love, parenting, personal themes, and other abstract musings. Stephen has created 4 full-length releases plus various singles and EPs under the Dew Claw umbrella over the last 20 years, while also being a member of the NY combo, XL Kings during the ‘10s and their 2 full-length and 1 single releases. Also, during that time, Stephen was a creative force behind the intercontinental band Grand Union, a collaborative venture with Frode Strømstad (I Was A King), which vetted 3 single releases. Stephen initially honed his musical skills and songwriting chops as a member of the group Hypnolovewheel (1987-1994), with 2 albums independently released and another 3 albums on Alias Records, along with assorted singles and compilation appearances.]

[Chris Xefos is best known as a member of King Missile during their 1989-1994 era. This indie-to-major label period for KM brought about the college-rock smash “Jesus Was Way Cool” and alt-rock hit “Detachable Penis”. Post-KM, Chris settled into San Francisco as a producer, engineer, and musician, working on solo albums for former Camper Van Beethoven members: Victor Krummenacher, Jonathan Segel and Greg Lisher amongst other projects. Chris was also a performing member of guitar instrumental groups Flotation Device and Rattletrap, the latter featuring Bruce Anderson of art-punk legends MX-80 Sound. In 2019, Bruce drafted Chris into MX-80 Sound and Chris played an expanded role as both band and recording engineering team member for their 2024 (and swan song) release, Better Than Life on Byron Coley’s Feeding Tube Records.]

[In 2025, Dew Claw is set to release their latest full length, titled E.L.F. The album contains 10 songs, ranging from Stephen’s personal recordings to full-band arrangements, realized by enlisting generous contributions from: Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen (Rural Tapes/I Was A King), Frode Strømstad, Dave Rick (King Missile), Kurt Bloch (Fastbacks), Gary Olson (Ladybug Transistor), Alison Faith Levy (Loud Family) bolstering DCs own instrumental talents in bringing these songs to life. For this record, Dew Claw formulated their initial musical inspiration from the transition period of classic English rockers The Move into Electric Light Orchestra. The Dew Claw team dabbles in traditional orchestral instrumentation in a very studio-built affair. However, when called upon by the song, they still can’t help but get back to their roots and (alt) rocking out. Like traditional Dew Claw material, these songs come from a very personal place for Stephen. However, on E.L.F., Stephen has allowed himself to be more open to collaboration, to open up his perspective and allow these songs to breathe freer and grow in a new light. Farmer power!]

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6dA53UVLCcNtIAmcVkYf9h

https://dedewclaw.bandcamp.com/album/mouse-trap-b-w-fantastic-voyage

https://www.instagram.com/dewclaw2.0/

Stephen and Chris have been good friends since high school, discovering and playing music together over this entire time. During their NY/NJ fertile alt-rock period, the King Missile-Hypnolovewheel mafia was STRONG. The 2 bands shared a member for a time and Chris lent a hand with production duties on the first Hypno/Alias release.

Dew Claw, Camas Washington, indie rock, post punk, garage rock, jam rock, power pop / glam, new album "E.L.F" via Dromedary Records, songwriter / guitarist Stephen Hunking, bassist Chris Xefos (King Missile), 

Max Pope and the funkified alt-indie tweaky beauty of "Borderline"

 

"it was over by the time that I caught up / didn't wanna say it out loud..."

The funkified alt-indie tweaky beauty of "Borderline", by South London artist, songwriter, musician Max Pope, feels instantly magnetic and shiny. A super dancey attraction that you want to be close to and revel in. It's not only the sonic joy, the communal party feel and Pope's vocal countenance that is more like beautiful hugs than swagger, but the breath and scope of the sound. The droning ambience feels wonderfully dreamy, the super funky bass and snappy beat feels both new and nostalgic and the indie blues funk guitar attacks in combination with all these lush layers had me flashing on Prince (miss him so much).

"I’m stuck at the borderline

Losing what I thought was mine
What a waste of time
What a waste of time
I’m stuck at the borderline
Losing what I thought was mine
What a waste of time

What a waste of time"

Max Pope speaks on the single, “I was in LA, and found myself falling out of love with a city I once thrived in as I realised it’s true shallow nature. Somewhere along the line, I discovered a strange power in the anonymity I was feeling. Miles away from the reality of my daily existence, I was free to ‘be’ anyone. My trip became a blur – much of the time spent in the back of an Uber, driving between writing sessions, surrounded by people I felt disconnected from and feeling disillusioned with my sense of purpose. All of that combined with some very wavy nights, I felt an animalistic desire to lean into self-sabotage”.

With "Borderline", Pope has crafted something that feels at once precisely crafted and improvisational, a sonic gift with a big bright red bow on top. An inviting house party where all is welcome.

LINER NOTES (bracketed):

[That vulnerability and willingness to embrace inner chaos is very apt in ‘Borderline’, Pope’s first new music since his 2022 debut LP ‘Counting Sheep’ which earned praise from The Line of Best Fit, CLASH, BBC Radio 6 Music, and BBC Radio 1. The new single is indicative of a venture into a darker territory; more woozy, jagged and saturated with colour, a precursor of further new music to come later this year.]

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1pW42WHCsBicnNoBkcbD7i

https://www.youtube.com/@MaxPope

https://maxpope.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/themaxpope/

https://www.tiktok.com/@themaxpope

https://www.facebook.com/maxpopeofficial

https://x.com/themaxpope

https://www.maxpope.com/


Rooted in the rich musical landscape of South London, Max Pope honed his craft at the Brit School, performing alongside artists like Loyle Carner. Since then, he has collaborated with a wealth of accomplished musicians such as Mahalia, Tom Misch, Yussef Dayes, and ABRA, among others. Pope shapes a distinct sonic identity, defined by his signature guitar tone and unmistakable vocals.


2022 saw the release of Pope's debut LP ‘Counting Sheep’ which earned praise from The Line of Best Fit, CLASH, BBC Radio 6 Music, and BBC Radio 1. His new single 'Borderline' is indicative of a venture into a darker territory; more woozy, jagged and saturated with colour, a precursor of further new music to come later this year.

Max Pope, South London, singer songwriter, musician, artist, bedroom pop, indie rock, alt pop, alt indie, funky fusions, dance, "Borderline", woozy,  magnetic, funk alt indie leans, 

Uwade and the soulful indie pop cathode ray imagery of "What We're Made Of" (Official Video)

 

photo courtesy of (c) Shervin Lainez

The soulful indie pop cathode ray imagery of "What We're Made Of", by singer songwriter / musician Uwade, stirs up my brain and stuns me with it's beautiful narrative. This is the thing, the blend of things and generational touchstones are so plentiful as to make me dizzy. I feel something seeded from 70's soul pop as much as contemporary blends of folk / pop / soul too like a confessional / attitudinal amalgam of Roberta Flack and Fousheé. But there are also elements here that have slivers of house and 90's post punk and emo, if not exactly sonically but in that important vibe department and why am I thinking of the sideways alternative edges of a band like Lowertown as well (?). 

Sometimes my brain goes scattershot and fragments of new songs (to me) coalesse into all these kind of possible seeds. In the end, Uwade's vocal countenance is emotionally deep and gorgeous and "What We're Made Of" with it's soulful orchestrations of sound floating around these lush vocal melodies is so endearing and swaying. Like a dance of pure love and longing with all the required pains, doubts and midnight suffering. I love this song. It is what I call a forever song because as I alluded to earlier, it feels seeded from different musical eras and genres. A pure organic distillation of many things.

"What We're Made Of" exists on Uwade's upcoming full length "Florilegium" that drops April 25th, 2025. 

Check out these LINER NOTES (bracketed):

[Over the past few years it seems Uwade has been everywhere, quietly. Her emotive voice is what opens Fleet Foxes’ Grammy-nominated album, Shore; from there she’s gone on to tour extensively in support of the band, along with opening for R&B and indie stalwarts like Jamila Woods, Sylvan Esso, The Strokes and more. Her solo output included a handful of singles, like the buoyant “Do You See the Light Around Me?” and the more somber “The Man Who Sees Tomorrow.” But now, finally, comes a full-length entirely her own, a shimmering anthology that finds sweetness and light in sorrow, an amalgamation of disparate influences and recording sessions seamlessly fitting together through her expressive, expansive voice. 'Florilegium' winds through genre, through death, break-ups, friendship, and failure. Here, she wanted to honor as much of herself as she could — her family and Nigerian heritage, her scholarly tendencies, her background in choirs, the literature that moves her, the melodies of artists like Fela Kuti, Yebba, and Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, who inspired her to start writing songs at the inception of her music-making. Currently in her first year of a PhD program in California after studying Classics at Columbia and Oxford, it’s hard not to draw a throughline that Uwade does craft her songs with a studied, careful hand. Cerebral and curious, each musical moment feels tactile, deliberate, and thoughtful — but also fresh, like something just discovered.]

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/57qPRqUfnRY0KJtO5lrjWL

https://www.instagram.com/uwade.music

https://www.uwade.com/

https://www.facebook.com/uwade.music

https://uwade.bandcamp.com/


Over the past few years it seems Uwade has been everywhere, quietly. Her emotive voice is what opens Fleet Foxes’ Grammy-nominated album, Shore; from there she’s gone on to tour extensively in support of the band, along with opening for R&B and indie stalwarts like Jamila Woods, Sylvan Esso, The Strokes and more. Her solo output included a handful of singles, like the buoyant “Do You See the Light Around Me?” and the more somber “The Man Who Sees Tomorrow.” But now, finally, comes a full-length entirely her own, a shimmering anthology that finds sweetness and light in sorrow, an amalgamation of disparate influences and recording sessions seamlessly fitting together through her expressive, expansive voice.

Uwade, singer songwriter, musician, folk, dream pop, indie pop, indie rock, "What We're Made Of", upcoming full length "Florilegium", timeless vocal melodies, chamber pop, beautiful melodies, evocative voice, 

Winston Goertz-Giffen and the wonderfully wonky sonic tensions, musical, percussive, glitchy of "100 Magical Coins"

 

"there are no batteries / the charge assault and battery / the neverending chattering / the neverending clamoring..."

The wonderfully wonky sonic tensions, musical, percussive, glitchy of "100 Magical Coins", by Gainesville - Florida experimental post punk / indie rock artist Winston Goertz-Giffen, pushed you along towards a kind of desperate stream of human traffic like adrenalized blood cells coursing through your veinal system, at least in my mind. From the recently released, curiously named album "Healthy Minds Pity Folk Disease vol. ii", there is a sense of precisely formed compositions colliding with improvisational machinations (or vice versa) and iconic artists like Devo, like Pere Ubu, like Oingo Boingo, like Talking Heads come to mind or at least partially into view. 

I am appreciating the sheer urgency, even musical angst expressed in musical rushes, in angularities and off kilter timings. This is the kind of music that can equally inspire or be used to illicit confessions depending on the use, the situations, the placements (smiling). 

ABOUT the album "Healthy Minds Pity Folk Disease vol. ii" via LINER NOTES:

[Most of these songs were written and recorded in a week, except for "He Lives" and "Rain on Metal". Genre-wise, it's all over the place. I used the exercise to experiment with a variety of recording strategies, some recorded to tape on a Tascam 388, several different DAWs, sometimes writing with drums as the starting point, modular synth improvisations, subtle tape manipulation, and one cover of the late great Seth Gibbs performed by my old band Saything. But mostly, it was an exercise in not being too precious.]

Enjoy "100 Magical Coins" and utilize responsibly. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://winstongg.bandcamp.com/album/healthy-minds-pity-folk-disease-vol-ii

https://www.facebook.com/winston.goertzgiffen



Winston Goertz-Giffen Gainesville, Florida

Recorded in my home studio except for drums recorded at Pulp Arts in Gainesville, FL and Santo Recording in Oakland, CA. “He Lives” written and recorded by Seth Gibbs at Superpop Records and performed by Saything. “Rain on Metal” is a collaboration with Lee Williams, my brother in Of*

Winston Goertz-Giffen, indie rock, art pop, post punk, proto, experimental music, glitch pop, avante garde, Gainesville - Florida, artist, musician, genre agnostic, improvisational, precise, odd, "100 Magical Coins", 

Andrew Savage and the potent rustic indie rock passion of "Parking Lot Puddle"

 

"It's better late than never you said / Get back on your feet now get out of your head / It's a beautiful world why are you so insecure..." 

The potent rustic indie rock passion of "Parking Lot Puddle" by Pennsylvania bred, Austin-Texas based DIY indie rock singer Andrew Savage and his band cuts to the quick of things. This potency feels organically drawn, the stuff of tight quarter venues with an eager audience leaning forward against the waist high stage. I am absolutely loving the big tight downbeats, Savage's vocal countenance that feels seeded by the thoughtful artistry of iconic bands with southern indie rock roots like Counting Crows or R.E.M. or The Plimsouls. I am also digging the lead guitar attacks, emotional embellishments that quenches the lyrical content, hardening them, "Remember that nightmare / well it began as a dream / Tell me where, tell me why did I lose my best friend / As those lights flicker faces compete for my thoughts / Well I loved you then but now I love you more..."  

[Parking lot puddle is the second single off of my upcoming full length, it was recorded live in studio with my three piece band and an additional guitar, percussion and back vocals were overdubbed - andrew savage]

As an indie music writer for 16 years now, I am feeling a return to this kind of roots rock aesthetic. To guys and girls facing off in recording spaces and playing what is essentially live cores of sound to be added onto with additional tracks. Surely, I am not saying that there is anything wrong with a one person band, there is not, but there is something about multiple artists contributing passionately to a songwriters vision, helping to manifest it that makes me feel happy.

Maybe after we go though this devolving culture wars, things will get back to normal. Small and medium venues will propagate as we need to build communal spaces up where we can all get along. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2GABmoPNTZki6hdGnujrzy

https://www.instagram.com/andrewsavage_music/

https://linktr.ee/Andrewsavage


Austin Texas based DIY folk singer originally from Pennsylvania. Music is medicine

Andrew Savage, folk, indie rock, folk indie, 90's, jangle pop, folk country, twang pop, "Parking Lot Puddle", singer songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, Austin, upcoming album, potent songwriting,

Hooveriii and the beautiful psych rock sweep and swagger of "Westside Pavilion Of Dreams" (Official Video)

 

"baby / I've been feeling so lonely / like you don't even know me / even when I'm away..."

The psych rock sweep and swagger of "Westside Pavilion Of Dreams" by L.A.'s Hooveriii, and from their 5th full length album "Manhunter", has as much to do with the pure unadulterated rock heaviness as it does with the through the looking glass atmosphere. I mean, as grounded as the bottom heavy massiveness is as classic rock anchors, there is an off kilter thing happening here as well. Artistic drunken stumbles and 60's hippie high acidic moments to be had. 

The song, accompanied with a wonderfully wacky absurdist Official Video is pure escapist stuff and, quite frankly something that is much needed during these fucking frightening times. Psychedelic rock has always been fused in a 60's seeded counter culture and a battering ram of social change against foreign wars, against the ruling class and all it represents. AND yes, against a Nazi billionaire who attempts to produce a small army of eugenically produced super children while trying to rid society of the unkempt, icky lower class. 

I love the huge sonic guitar plunge here, the extraordinary bass line that has a John Entwistle kind of sound and mastery, the free wheeling drum work, the cosmic organ / synth pushes, the squealing bending lead guitar lines and the dreamy vocal expressions. It's all here to partake in and spread around. 

Hooveriii is Bert Hoover (guitar and vocals), Gabe Flores (lead guitar and vocals), Kaz Mirblouk (bass and synths), James Novick (synths), Casey Sullivan (vocals and synths) and Owen Barret (drums).

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://levitation.fm/collections/hooveriii?

https://hooveriii.bandcamp.com/album/quest-for-blood-2

https://linktr.ee/hooveriii?

https://www.facebook.com/hooveriii/


Hooveriii


Los Angeles, California


Hooverii is Bert Hoover (guitar and vocals), Gabe Flores (lead guitar and vocals), Kaz Mirblouk (bass and synths), James Novick (synths), Casey Sullivan (vocals and synths) and Owen Barret (drums).

After four albums of extra-dimensional exploration, Hooveriii delivered “Manhunter” with the controls set directly for the heart of the cosmic groove. Expertly synthesizing their influences and still managing to bring even more to the party, from spiky post punk to beautiful new age excursions and mammoth 70’s arena rock hooks, “Manhunter” delivers not only their best album yet but an instant classic for all the psych-heads, stoners and dimensionauts.


Hooveriii, psychedelic rock, alt rock, classic rock, garage rock, glaze rock, sweep and swagger, 5th album "Manhunter", Los Angeles California, "Westside Pavilion Of Dreams" (Official Video),

Koshari and the darkly drawn vast alt rock rabbit holes of "I Am Life"

"Why have you replaced the very light in my face? / To take me where you want to be? / Look what you’ve made me, all alone. / This cage you gave me, for my throne. / I’m all alone."

The darkly drawn vast alt rock rabbit holes of "I Am Life" by Falls Church, Virginia based Koshari, and from their 6th full length album "In the Shadows, take your hand and leads you through a heavy enchanted rock narrative. Against stark pretty guitar picking, a blend of baroque pop and Gothic rock darkness descends with layers of impending doom filling the spaces. The sheer density of guitars, bass and wonderfully assaultive drumming creates gritting distortions offset by beautiful dark drones of sound cut against Barbara Western's compelling vocal countenance that has elegance dripping from her evocative shades of melancholia. Against the thoughtful provocative lyrics and amid the serious gravitas there is something comforting in Western's beautiful lilt. The track written, shaped, by guitarist Bryan Baxter with the outstanding talents of bassist David Gassmann and drummer Brian Moran is perfectly rendered with musical bravado and true emotional depth. It all works with equal parts mystery, literate connective tissue and political commentary.

LINER NOTES (bracketed):

["I Am Life" presents a unique fusion of imagery of gothic fiction and pressing societal issues, drawing parallels between Frankenstein's monster and the modern-day villainization of immigrants. The song's dual-meaning lyrics speak to the complexities of human experience, inviting reflection on both personal and collective struggles. The lyrics of "I Am Life" are layered with rich symbolism, creating a thought-provoking commentary on humanity, otherness, and survival.]

[Baxter reflected on the collaborative process, saying, "We all worked hard to ensure that this release truly reflected the themes we wanted to explore. It was a fantastic experience working with J. Robbins, who understood our vision and helped bring it to life."]

["In the Shadows" - Side A was recorded and mixed at The Magpie Cage Recording Studio, with all tracks mastered by Chad Clark at Silver Sonya. The album is slated for release later this year, but for now, "I Am Life" serves as a taste of what’s to come.]

[The video was directed by Dewey Tron and footage was contributed by Beth Robinson, StrangeDolls.net.]

Koshari's latest album  In the Shadows, drops on June 1st, 2025.

-Robb Donker Curtius

LYRICS

Why have you replaced the very light in my face,

To take me where you want to be?

Look what you’ve made me, all alone.
This cage you gave me, for my throne.
I’m all alone.

As I wait so many days, your love just seems to fade.
I don’t agree that I can’t have what you have had with ease.

Would you please, please erase, the awesome hate in this place.
And sing me a sweet, sweet melody.

Look what you’ve made me, all alone.
This cage you gave me, for my throne.
I’m all alone.

I am not the monster you created.
I am life.I am life.I am life.

I am not the monster you created.
I am life. I am life. I am life.

Your eyes look to me now.
Your eyes look through me now.
I’m alone.

I am life. I am life.
I’m all alone.

I just want a home.I just want a home.

I am not the monster you created.

Why am I such a disgrace, a devil you wish to displace?
You take from me everything that I might need.

So I sit and then I pace.
Think of what you say is humane.
And then dream.

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://soundcloud.com/koshari

https://koshari.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-life

https://x.com/Koshari_Music

https://www.kosharimusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/KoshariMusic


Built around the sparkling voice of Barb Western and the signature guitar playing of Bryan Baxter, Koshari blends the spacey, effects-drenched swirl of bands like My Bloody Valentine or Beach House with a bit of aggression and heaviness. The result is a creative voice at once familiar yet without close analog

Koshari, alt rock, shoegaze, post rock, art rock, indie rock, evocative vocalist Barb Western, songwriter / guitarist Bryan Baxter, sixth album "In the Shadows", single release "I Am Life", poltico music, 

The Blue Knots and the meditative crystal illusions of "Sidra"

 

"lavender siren blows / versions of earth work..."

The meditative crystal illusions of "Sidra" by The Blue Knots, the curious musical project of Danielle Stech-Homsy, feels like a stream of consciousness, sideways leaning as if to fall into some abyss, maybe through a purple portal. Running on cyclical chords, there is simplicity here and glitchy electronica as purposeful other wordly ambiance, a multi-colored psychedelic swing for Danielle's dreamy vocal countenance. While I have not heard the album that "Sidra" exists on, I get an intuitive sense that I might hear blends of baroque pop, experimental performance art atmospheres, post punk-esque dream pop, psych folk and more.

From an artistic standpoint, I could see this kind of song or sound in an indie film about other beings, strange affairs or situations. I could hear "Sidra" as a counter position soundtrack to a film like "Cuckoo" (it's worth seeing by the way) or even a David Lynch (R.I.P.) vehicle that never was.

LINER NOTES (bracketed):

["Sidra" is the opening track of the Blue Knots' debut album, "Becoming Noise". This cosmic, soaring single announces the latest project of experimental pop musician Danielle Stech-Homsy, formerly known as Rio en Medio.]

[The Blue Knots fuses influences from avant-garde classical to psychedelic folk to create surreal, impressionistic songs using primarily piano and voice. Moving in broad arcs of experimentation, Danielle paints luminous and trans-rational invitations to emotion as a destination in and of itself. Her intricate rhythms and unusual harmonies tap the mind’s capacity for slowing and receiving, an alchemy of personal and common memorial rites.]

[As Rio en Medio, Danielle released four expansive records, rooted in acoustic string instrumentation. Her first album, Bride of Dynamite, was released via Devendra Banhart's Gnomonsong label, leading to collaborations with artists such as Grizzly Bear, CocoRosie, koto master Shoko Hikage and many others. Rio en Medio’s work has garnered praise from publications such as Pitchfork, Gorilla vs. Bear, Treblezine, The Wire, Relix and more.]

["Becoming Noise" will be released on April 25th, 2025.]

-Robb Donker Curtius 

 

The Blue Knots · Sidra

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4SIYDqbttkhZT53UIzmOyC

https://soundcloud.com/theblueknots/sidra

https://theblueknots.bandcamp.com/album/sidra-single

https://www.daniellestech-homsy.com/


The Blue Knots is the most recent musical project of Danielle Stech-Homsy, an American musician whose work spans the playful, the evocative and the transcendent. An evolution of her previous band, Rio en Medio, the Blue Knots fuses influences from avant-garde classical to psychedelic folk to create surreal, impressionistic songs using primarily piano and voice. Moving in broad arcs of experimentation, Danielle paints luminous and trans-rational invitations to emotion as a destination in and of itself. Her intricate rhythms and unusual harmonies tap the mind’s capacity for slowing and receiving, an alchemy of personal and common memorial rites.

The Blue Knots, dream pop, alt folk, folk, baroque pop, indie pop, surreal pop, new age, singer-songwriter Danielle Stech-Homsy, avant-garde classical, psych folk, "Sidra", new album "Becoming Noise",

Risley and the full throttle cascading rush of "Common Thread"

 

"In every thought, in every cell / In every wish and magic spell / In every atom, in every star / All the spaces, every part..."

The full throttle cascading rush of "Common Thread", by Portland's Risley, feels as unrelentingly jammy as it does dreamy. The potent runaway distress and distortions, offset by existential lyrics and a kind of late 80's / early 90's alt rock / post punk dream theater makes for a heady, sideways leaning blend like an amalgam of artists like Love & Rockets, Pale Saints and Deftones (or something in that artistic vein). The heavy guitars, beautifully busy bass lines, feril drumming and kind of Americana rock rebel yell makes for an entrancing banger. The track exists on the band's new album "Umbra Penumbra". 

SEE Selected LINER NOTES (bracketed):  

[Their new album, "Umbra Penumbra", dropped on January 24th, 2025 and was celebrated with an album release show at Mississippi Studios, with guests, Mini Blinds and The Fourth Wall on January, 23rd. The record also notably features a guest appearance on the song ‘Walls’ by Dave Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam) on drums.]

[Named after a cat, Risley was formed in 2016 by Michael Deresh. Risley’s self-titled debut, ranged widely in style and personnel. It featured 12 friends from bands like Genders, Sunbathe and Typhoon joining him throughout the album’s 22 tracks.]

[Deresh has been a fixture of the Portland music community for ages. He was one of the founding members of PDXPOPNOW! From 2002-2010, his band Tea for Julie opened for acts like The Lemonheads, Menomena, Snow Patrol, Evan Dando, Matt Pond PA, The Ocean Blue and The Thermals. Their two albums were in heavy rotation on Seattle’s KEXP and Portland’s KNRK.]

[Over the last few years, Risley’s lineup and sound settled in and gained focus as they really gelled as a band. Jaime Hazerian relocated from LA where she’d been playing guitar in the post rock band ‘Arms for Tripoli’ and touring with Pinback. She and Michael were a natural fit, musically finishing each other’s sentences and collaborating prolifically. Andrew Meininger (Wampire, Bed) brought a real dynamic, nuanced and energetic pulse on drums to the often dreamy vibe. Tyler Rachal took over bass, delivering stalwart and sticky hooks that provide foundation to the many interwoven guitars.]

LYRICS:

In every thought, in every cell
In every wish and magic spell
In every atom, in every star
All the spaces, every part
In every number locked inside
In every word used to describe
In every thing, living or dead
You can trace the common thread

On a speeding wave of space and time
No reason, meaning or design
No control

At any moment, at any time
Any sequence can align
Any chance that you take, any decision that you make
Every cause and effect
Can expose the common thread

On a speeding wave of space and time
No reason, meaning or design
No control

HOPE you check the album out and if you dig it, offer support to Risley from seeking out there live shows to purchasing their sonic art. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3OBCS2pc06HxS2fxBZoAyg

https://www.instagram.com/risleyband/

https://www.facebook.com/risleyband/


Portland’s Risley (Riz – Lee) is a four piece band that can be described as dreamy and nostalgic Indie Rock with a twist of 80s British influence. A web of interlaced dreamy guitar melodies often sit atop a driving rhythm section to stage the back drop for soaring vocals and thoughtful lyrics.

Risley, alt rock, indie rock, runaway distress and distortions, existential lyrics, Portland Oregon, "Common Thread", jammy, tightly wound sound, jangly, heavy guitars, new album "Umbra Penumbra",

half of a rainbow and the sad grace and grandeur of (All My Body Is) "Hope"

 

"Here I go, here I stay / Another year went passing by / Aye-aye..."

The sad grace and grandeur of  (All My Body Is) "Hope" by half of a rainbow, the indie rock project of German singer-songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Johannes Harder, is perfect in it's potent narrative. An ardent fan of Harder's style and musical gifts, he has been developing as an artist and seems to be broadening his craft. Maybe his gift has, in the beginning, been wrapped in paper, now maybe wrapped in ornate gift wrapping paper. Either way, at it's core, Harder's sound feels seeded with the same kind of D.N.A as an Elliot Smith and The Cure and even early The Smiths. You may think of other seeds as you listen but key, in my mind, is a beautifully vocal countenance, sort of aloof and melancholy, sort of intimate yet vast, and a songwriting prowess that has a sense of musical history (to my ears) coming straight through from dance hall music, indie rock, folk indie (and emo folk), proto punk and post punk. I can hear threads of all of it within half of a rainbow's conceptual sound and emotional plays. 

"Hope" begins with Harder's signature strum that pushes forward while providing a subtle back beat as well. Again, I love his voice that often times lays in a middle / bottom register of melancholia before ascending into higher sort of emotional wail with a kind of whipping soft yelp (that I love). I will not piece and parse the entire song but, suffice it to say, the songwriting here feels personal, relatable and formidable. 

Lyrics and Liner notes excerpts:


"We went into the town of goats
All my body is hope
And as the fireworks erode
All my body is hope
All my body is hope

The Polish anthems are surrounding us by midnight
We're alive, we're alive
And intention less we wander through the sonic wars of dawning
We survive, we survive"


Incorporating visual artist and long-time collaborator Myra Anmeskog in his live shows, Harder blurs the lines between music and visual art, creating a multifaceted experience. Supporting the release of his 2024 EP Saw You In A Dream, Harder launched The Dream Archives, a website where he collected diary entries of his dreams and audio recordings of himself falling asleep. The project also includes
a booklet with surrealist hand-drawn illustrations by Amneskog, an attempt to visually capture the dreamlike essence of the EP.

half of a rainbow’s latest album, Live at Loophole!, encapsulates the raw atmosphere of his full-band shows in Berlin’s underground scene. Ranging from early 2000s indie pop influences to explosive alternative punk pieces, the album showcases Harder’s untamed energy on stage. with a childlike fascination for simple ideas.


-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4j9BBRiW8LzDU4bN5w9IPK

https://www.instagram.com/half.of.a.rainbow/

https://www.halfofarainbow.com/

https://halfofarainbow.bandcamp.com/track/charlotte-in-tokyo



half of a rainbow is the indie rock project of German musician Johannes Harder, a Berlin native whose music blends lo-fi charm with heartfelt songwriting. Rooted in the tradition of DIY recording, Harder draws inspiration from home-recording legends like Guided By Voices and the intimate melancholy of Elliott Smith, while embracing a deep love for experimentation.

Growing up in Berlin's vibrant creative scene, Harder found his voice in a mix of quieter, introspective songs and eclectic outbursts of heavy electric guitars. Much of his music is recorded on cassette, a choice that embraces the analog warmth and imperfections of tape recording, giving his tracks a dreamlike, almost fragile quality—like snapshots frozen in time.

Incorporating visual artist and long-time collaborator Myra Anmeskog in his live shows, Harder blurs the lines between music and visual art, creating a multifaceted experience. Supporting the release of his 2024 EP Saw You In A Dream, Harder launched The Dream Archives, a website where he collected diary entries of his dreams and audio recordings of himself falling asleep. The project also includes a booklet with surrealist hand-drawn illustrations by Amneskog, an attempt to visually capture the dreamlike essence of the EP.

half of a rainbow’s latest album, Live at Loophole!, encapsulates the raw atmosphere of his full-band shows in Berlin’s underground scene. Ranging from early 2000s indie pop influences to explosive alternative punk pieces, the album showcases Harder’s untamed energy on stage. with a childlike fascination for simple ideas.






half of a rainbow, "Live at Loophole!" album, whimsy, ID rock, art rock, alt pop, Berlin Germany, singer songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, (All My Body Is) "Hope", orchestral pop, emo, bedroom pop, post punk,