Martyrs: Grey Wolf Grey

Welsh synth duo Martyrs are in full-on retro mode on their new single Grey Wolf Grey, using every '80s production trick they had at their disposal as they look into the mirror to find out that their hair has lost its shine and is turning grey. Lamenting the fact that nobody warned them that this could happen - "They don’t sing about it on the radio".

Jon Howells put his recently acquired Fender Bass VI to good use to supply both rhythm and melody, besides his array of guitars, synths and choice bits of tubular bells. Singer Michael Hall unleashed his inner New Romantics crooner capabilities. It does not sound new, but it does sound that it has been always there waiting to make itself finally heard decades after it was created.

The Bullfight: "Swaying Dimly in Darkness" live video

Watch Dutch folk noir band The Bullfight perform Swaying Dimly in Darkness at Beauforthuis in Zeist on October 4th. It is a song about couple who have been together for many years and now both of them that the boat they are in is no longer big enough to hold them both. Originally released on their One Was A Snake album, the song was also included on the bonus disc with that album in full that came with Shame, Guilt, Deception - Individuals Chapter I and the retrospective 3CD set The Storm Behind Our Smiles.

Bad Waitress: In The Hollow

Toronto quartet Bad Waitress have left the constraints of punk far behind on their In The Hollow album. The anger and angst are still there, but they cast a far wider net both musically and lyrically. Naming one of their songs I Wish I Was A Mars Volta is a dead giveaway. They have inserted elements from art-rock, noise and progressive metal into their sounds, plus quite a few good old power chords, as the solid bit adventurous backing for songs that deal with gender and sexuality, growing up in the sticks and rampant consumerism.

They cover a lot of ground, running the risk to take on more than they can chew, but somehow it all fits. It has been five years since their previous album No Taste, after which the band members went their separate ways before regrouping and discussing what they had learny in between. That pause plus life experience did wonders for the intensity and far more mature subjects that have found their way into their art.

Elmer: nothing

Lo-fi musician Eddie Mead has been releasing music in various guises for over 20 years. Naming himself Elmer now he resurfaces with a new album after a 5-year hiatus brought upon him by (mental) health issues. He named it nothing, a self-deprecating title for a journey into his inner self by way of shoegaze, sludge, psychedelica and sounds inspired by old school arcade games.

He has obviously has had a hard time getting rid of his demons - some of the meds took away all joy in his life. By using a shitload of tracks some of the tracks come close to collapsing, but it when it somehow clicks - as in the sprawling hosting ghosts and the slow moving wimpontherocks - Mead manages to get a grip on both himself and the listener.

heavyskint: Headstone

Scottish blues-infused rockers heavyskint pinched just a bit from All Along The Watchtower for their Headstone single, probably not enough for having a day in court for copyright infringement, but it will give them a way in into the boomers market.

The song deals with making mistakes and not being to rectify them properly, which pisses them off. Plugging in and churning out a track with plenty of swagger was a good way to blow of some steam. The video was made by Daniel Blake and Jamie Kelly.