Lemongrab: Yoko

German garage post-punk Lemongrab latched upon a disco-tinged backbeat for their new single Yoko, a well-deserved reappraisal for an artist who has been the punch bag for decades, rising deservedly so to the same level as Paul and John. The sound of bands like X-ray Spex and the Au Pairs is all over this one. Odds are they own a copy the latter's Live in Berlin album, a blueprint for serious music that people can dance to. It is the first taste from their new Another Kind Of Freedom EP. Take note of the nod to John and Yoko's first meeting at the end of the video.

Thistle Sifter: tour dates

English musician Pete Barnes takes his post-rock project Thistle Sifter on the road again, promoting the Forever The Optimist album: "He has a knack for creating soundscapes that are wrapped in neo-classical textures, some of them quite abstract (Weightless), but also going into Depeche Mode meets Mogwai (One Fleeting Glance). The softly tinkling Endling is covered in hiss, from which the choice synth notes can escape to a supposedly better place. Barnes has plenty of reason to be seriously worried, but all is not lost as he wraps up his statement with the soft-spoken title track. It would help if people stopped being so greedy and stupid though. Only then the Anthropocene can become an era that does not end in destruction".

Martyrs: Last Summer EP

Welsh synth duo Martyrs wrote a bunch of love songs for their Last Summer EP, wrapping them in lush melodies (Hyacinth) as well in-your-face made for the dance floor percussion (Sunburn Under Blue Linen). Love, loss and lust all get their place in the spotlights.

Michael Hall and Jon Howells don't give a fuck about what is fashionable right now and recording their music in splendid isolation, away from the suits and A&R types gives them the freedom to release anything they feel that deserves to be heard. This DIY ecleticism resulted in a string of EPS that all sound different, safe for the vocals who were left as is. People who think that utterly danceable music and meaningful lyrics can't share the bed willl stand corrected.

Kristóf Hajós: new album "Dark Matter, Light Heart" in November; stream "Fifty Times Over (we own the world)"

photo: Marcel Heijnen

Dutch-Hungarian indie crooner Kristóf Hajós will release his new album Dark Matter, Light Heart on November 4, 2026 via Tiny Room Records. He teamed up with like-minded American singer-songwriter Jesse Blake Rundle for the self-deprecating lead single Fifty Times Over (we own the world), proving that plenty of swagger and a sense of humour go a long way if you want to a lo-fi anthem that will live rent free in one's head for days on end.

Rampressure: Yish

London-based noise quartet Rampressure created a sonic assault, kept together by a monolithic backbeat. Yish sounds ugly and nasty on purpose - the band made the wise choice to record it live in order to loose nothing of the intensity they were striving for. They go for the throat and once they have secured a firm grip, they don't let go. Resistance is futile.