Douglas Heart – “Komplex”

It’s a shame that Gothenburg’s Douglas Heart are so little-known that their Apple Music bio offers the most comprehensive backgrounder on the early aughts dreampop outfit, but at the same time, hats off to K. Ross Hoffman for managing to compile as much information as he did. I’ll refrain from repeating the whole bio, but […]

Blurred City Lights -「花束」

Nagoya’s Blurred City Lights released their very good double-EP-slash-second album Utopia/Dystopia earlier this year but today I’m going back not just to last year’s debut 天使のいない街で , but to their second-ever single 「花束」 (aka “Flower”), which they dropped in December of 2022 accompanied by a simple animated video. Why that song, and now? Well this […]

My Bloody Valentine – “You Made Me Realise”

I’ll probably be just about landing at home in Toronto when this post goes live, but still it seems appropriate to close out this trip with a nod to Ireland’s greatest ‘gazers, My Bloody Valentine, though the country’s claim on the band is not necessarily the strongest. Though they were formed in Dublin, only drummer […]

Just Mustard – “Seven”

Carrying on with the “hey I’m in Dublin” series: Just Mustard announced their return to action a couple months ago but haven’t yet revealed exactly what that return entails, at least with regards to new recordings. So while we wait, let’s go back to November 2019, when they released the single “Seven”. Because of its […]

Cephalo -「ルート225」

It has been exciting to see Tokyo’s Cephalo taking last year’s Fluorite Code international, though only to nearby nations like Thailand and Taiwan, so far. It’s interesting to see the band working that record while frontwoman Fuki also handles promotion for 混乱するアパタイト, the debut album from her other project, the more pop-oriented duo iVy. Also […]

Ride – “Taste”

I’m in London this week to catch a show by Ride’s Andy Bell’s side-project which has been dug out of mothballs after many years. No, not that one. Or that one. In any case, being abroad will keep posting brief for the duration, but I am reminded that I’ve never posted – or even seen […]