The cover of Klangphonics‘ 2021 album Songs to Try takes an image of a forest and the sky above it, flips it, blurs it, and makes it something intriguing. The album does much the same with our perception.
In case you didn’t know, “deep house” is a thing, and Klangphonics might be the best proponents of it. The German trio eschew traditional DJ methods (How weird is it to write that?) and opt to create live electronic music from a blend of acoustic and electronic instruments (or sometimes household objects, tools, and even a riding lawn mower).
“Great Plains” starts off the record with dance grooves and drums that feel right at home in a night club or the Grand Canyon. The switch halfway through to the meditative song become a straight-up house banger is stunning. “Holocene” brings in Anna Metko on guest vocals that give the track a brightness that’s difficult to describe but lovely to experience.
“Dendrometry” (the study of the sizes and shapes of trees) is perfect for your morning run through the woods with its bumping beats, “wind through the leaves” synths, echoed birdsong, and encouraging bass line. “White Flower” takes off like a race car and doesn’t look back. “Heliosphere” uses Carl Sagan’s speech about all of us living on a speck of dust in a sunbeam to excellent effect and sends us out on an uplifting note.
The whole record is uplifting and intriguing…and danceable. These three are high on my must-see list now.
The first is Rico Casazza‘s remix of “Reach the Nucleus” (and a shorter radio edit of it closes the EP). It’s a lush track with Fille’s breathy vocals mixed well with thudding bas and bright synths that burst like sunlight through clouds. Alienata‘s take on “Portals” is a bit spooky and might open a portal to a creepy (yet sexy) dimension if you play it loud enough.
Sestrica remixes “Time Is a Circle” with sizzling electric cymbals and just enough distortion to make the slick dance track a little trippy. Clouser takes “Thistles” and makes it into a somewhat goth track that sounds like a rare B-side you heard once in a club and have been searching for decades to find.
It’s a slick EP from start to finish. You’ll love it for your next workout or dance playlists.
Mandy, Indiana — “one of the decade’s best new bands” (Bandcamp) — present “Cursive,” the latest single from their new album, URGH, out February 6th via Sacred Bones.
On URGH, Mandy, Indiana is a force of uncanny nature, grafting together a record that is as much a call to action as a parlay into oblivion and transcendence. It finds the band expanding their far-reaching sound with each member — vocalist Valentine Caulfield, guitarist and producer Scott Fair, synth player Simon Catling, and drummer Alex Macdougall — actively taking part in the songwriting process.
Following the “noisy, harrowing” (The Needle Drop) lead single, “Magazine,” today’s “Cursive” is a bristling techno track that recoils and unfurls, garnering drama from the juxtaposition of quiet moments and explosive commotion. The song’s accompanying video was directed by Stephen Agnew.
Catling comments: “‘Cursive’ is probably our most collaborative track to-date. Whilst Scott and Valentine often offer the initial impetus behind most of our songs, ‘Cursive’ was built up from a number of Alex’s rhythmic sketches and my bass sequence. Valentine added her vocals later and Scott worked to sculpt these elements together. It was exciting having everyone bring their own ideas to the table from the off, throwing them together and seeing what could come out of it — a bit of a step into the unknown for us as a band.”
Co-produced and co-mixed by Fair and Daniel Fox of Gilla Band, much of URGH was written during an intense residency at an eerie studio house in the outskirts of Leeds and recorded across Berlin and Greater Manchester. The process was shaped by adversity with both Caulfield and Macdougall undergoing multiple rounds of surgeries in the same time frame as the album was being written and recorded. The harrowing experience and the exhaustion of their respective recoveries bleed into the surreality of Caufield’s writing, blurring the line between inner turmoil and external chaos.
URGH is deeply personal,yet also reflects the violent, fractured state of the wider world as Caulfield’s lyrics grapple with sexual assault, systemic indifference, and the omnipresence of pain. While most of the lyrics are in her native French, the emotional clarity cuts through regardless of language. Caulfield still uses her voice as a distorted instrument and a weapon, oscillating between equal parts playful and eviscerating.
Following their acclaimed 2023 debut, i’ve seen a way, URGH sees Mandy, Indiana interpolating their own unconventional language into a mantra for self-determination and resilience, forging a template for a brighter future before it fades to black.
Mandy, Indiana will tour across Europe next year with shows in London, Paris, Berlin and more. All dates are listed below.
Mandy, Indiana Tour Dates Sat. Jan. 31 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz * Wed. March 25 – London, UK @ Heaven Fri. March 27 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Sat. March 28 – Glasgow, UK @ Room 2 Wed. April 8 – Dunkirk, FR @ Les 4 Ecluses Thu. April 9 – Paris, FR @ Petit Bain Sun. April 12 – Cologne, DE @ Bumann & Sohn Tue. April 14 – Copenhagen, DK @ Huset Wed. April 15 – Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree Thu. April 16 – Hamburg, DE @ MS Stubnitz Fri. April 17 – Tilburg, NL @ Roadburn Sat. April 18 – Rotterdam, NL @ Motel Mozaique
Revered producer and composer Daniel Avery announces his new album, Tremor (Midnight Versions) — a reimagining of his acclaimed sixth studio album Tremor — out March 6th via Domino with lead single “Haze w/ Ellie (Midnight Version).” Remixing the entirety of the record himself, Avery presents a nocturnal counterpart to last year’s Tremor with a collection of darker, club-focused reworkings, drawing the record firmly into the late-night hours. Today’s announcement lands alongside news of a spring North American DJ tour.
Tremor (Midnight Versions) continues the world Avery created on Tremor, reframing its material through a techno lens and speaking directly to the dancefloor. Stripped back, intensified and retooled for the strobe light, these tracks channel Avery’s long-standing relationship with club culture while maintaining the emotional weight and textural depth that defines his work.
Two Midnight Versions have already surfaced, “Rapture In Blue w/ Cecile Believe” and “Greasy Off The Racing Line w/ Alison Mosshart,” offering a first glimpse of this shadowed universe. The full project expands on that energy, positioning itself as a vital bridge between Tremor’s expansive, collaborative spirit and Avery’s enduring techno lineage. Avery comments: “For every tremor, there’s a reaction. These are the Midnight Versions. Songs reimagined and sent directly into the night.”
On Tremor, Avery welcomed an inspiring cast of collaborators, including the likes of Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Walter Schreifels (Quicksand / Rival Schools), bdrmm, Julie Dawson(NewDad), yeule, Ellie, Art School Girlfriend, yunè pinku, and Cecile Believe. Each artist left their indelible mark, yet the record’s true power lies in the communal spirit at its core. Marking his debut on Domino, the album was mixed by Alan Moulder (Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails) and David Wrench (FKA twigs, Frank Ocean), and mastered by Heba Kadry—each vital to the creative fabric of the record.
Daniel Avery Tour Dates Sat. Jan. 31 – Brighton, UK @ Patterns ^ Sat. Feb. 21 – Brussels, BE @ Fuse ^ Fri. Feb. 27 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds ^ Sat. Feb. 28 – Geneva, CH @ Audio ^ Fri. March 6 – London, UK @ Phonox Residency ^ Sat. March 7 – Bognor Regis, UK @ Bugged Out Weekender ^ Fri. March 13 – London, UK @ Phonox Residency ^ Fri. March 20 – London, UK @ Phonox Residency ^ Sat. March 21 – Manchester, UK @ Victoria Baths ^ Fri. March 27 – London, UK @ Phonox Residency ^ Thu. April 2 – Glasgow, UK @ Queen Margaret Union * Fri. April 3 – Dublin, IE @ Opium * Sat. April 4 – Belfast, UK @ Ulster Sports Club (b2b Richard Fearless) ^ Fri. April 24 – Toronto, CA @ Standard Time ^ Sat. April 25 – New York, NY @ Public Records ^ Thu. April 30 – Washington, DC @ Tigres de la Noche ^ Fri. May 1 – Chicago, IL @ Smoke & Mirrors ^ Sat. May 2 – Miami, FL @ The Ground ^ Thu. May 7 – Portland, OR @ Process ^ Fri. May 8 – Los Angeles, CA @ Into the Woods ^ Sat. May 9 – San Francisco, CA @ SquishFest ^ Sat. May 30 – Edinburgh, UK @ Dark Days (b2b Helena Hauff) ^
Just Mustard‘s third album, We Were Just Here, opens with squalling guitar that sounds like an alarm that has a battery that’s slowly going dead. The band was looking for hope on the album, and I can’t help but think that its title refers to the deja vu (and dread) we’re all feeling right now in the political atmosphere.
“Pollyanna” is, in fact, named after a character who was eternally optimistic, and Katie Ball‘s vocals have a lovely bounce to them while her bandmates practically summon a UFO from outside our orbit. “Endless Deathless” roars off like a spacecraft designed in an Irish farmhouse going to meet that UFO and ask anyone inside how we can fix this place. It’s a stunner that will immediately go onto your cardio playlist. Guitarist David Noonan joins Ball on vocals for “Silver” – a song that bounces back and forth not only between their microphones, but also between Noonan’s guitar Mete Kalyoncuoglu‘s.
Ball’s vocals on “Dreamer” echo all around you, keeping on the theme of euphoria (and the healthy search for it – “I don’t wanna go where I can’t feel a thing.”) prominent across the record. The title track is another stunner with guitars roaring everywhere. “Somewhere” has Robert Hodgers-Clarke on bass and Shane Maguire on drums creating a neat, smoky, and slightly menacing atmosphere as the guitars swell and fall like waves.
“Dandelion” seems to be about perseverance, as dandelions can and do grow practically anywhere and Ball compares herself to one as she hopes she won’t be overlooked by a potential lover. “That I Might Not See” is a song about being so euphoric you’re not sure if what you’re experiencing is real or not. “The Steps” has Ball following her lover across unexplored territory, and the closer, “Out of Heaven,” has the band coming back down to Earth…but now the Earth has changed.
That’s what they hope for all of us: That the planet will change after we all take the time to have an out-of-body experience or two. Small actions create large changes. We don’t need to return to a place we’ve already been. That moment, that place, is gone and has been for a long while. Here is now. Just Mustard is now.
Keep your mind open.
[You were just here? The subscription box is just over there.]
If you’re Go Kurosawa, former drummer and singer for psych-kraut-who knows? rockers Kikagaku Moyo, what do you do after your band’s final tour and album? You create an album on which you play and write everything and it becomes Soft Shakes.
It’s a lovely record of Kurosawa exploring his stunning talent to play anything by ear and to create whatever was in his head at the time without having to shape it with other people. “Moon, please” is a fun yet slightly haunting track layered with hand percussion, clarinet, and other stuff hard to define. “Sada no umi” mixes, I think, found sounds with trippy synths and Kurosawa’s vocal sounds.
Both “Soredesho?” and “Green Thing” show us how well Kurosawa can play acoustic guitar and mix them with various hand percussion instruments to create a relaxing effect perfect for zoning out like Kurosawa seems to be on the album’s cover. “Autowalk” is a good example of krautrock / kraut-electro’s influence on Kurosawa. The looping synths, robotic beats, and mantra-like vocals are already cool enough, but when the trumpet hits? Forget it. It’s almost not fair.
“Jungle Cooking” is downright groovy and would fit onto any trip-hop or 1990s rap album you’d like. Cypress Hill could easily drop several bars on this. “Rice Harvesting Day” almost feels Middle Eastern, and Kurosawa’s electric guitar work takes the main stage this time. Is there anything this guy can’t play well? “Cloud Rock” ends the album with a floating groove.
It’s a great solo debut from Kurosawa. I look forward to more.
Keep your mind open.
[Autowalk over to the subscription box before you leave.]
I saw over 50 bands last year, so these five had to bring it to make the top of the list.
#5: Osees – Old National Center – October 22, 2025 – Indianapolis, IN
I’m not sure it would be proper for me to not see Osees at least once a year by this point (or The Black Angels, for that matter). This show was in a small ballroom in the basement of the Old National Center that didn’t have much airflow but did have rock-sold pillars at the four corners of the dance floor / mosh pit. It was a sweaty, loud affair, which is just what you want for an Osees show. They hadn’t played in Indianapolis in a few years, so the crowd was eager to see them — and many hadn’t seen them until that night. They were either shocked or delighted by the end.
#4: King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra – August 09, 2025 – Ravinia – Highland Park, IL
I almost didn’t include this show by King Gizzard (another band I seem to catch every year) because our seats were too far back to see the actual stage. However, this show teaming KGATLW up with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was too neat of a show to pass up and, what put it into the top five, they sounded great. No joke, this is probably the best sound engineering I’ve experienced at a KGATLW show, and I’ve seen many (and all of them are recorded and released by their highly skilled sound crew). I’d never heard them so clear in a live setting.
#3: TV on the Radio – September 27, 2025 – Levitation Austin – Austin, TX
I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see TVOTR live, so I was bouncing when my suspicions were confirmed and they were booked for Levitation Austin. The show was everything I’d hoped for — high energy, great sound, and powerful messages. It felt like a blessing to see them after so many years without a tour.
#2: Nine Inch Nails – August 20, 2025 – United Center – Chicago, IL
Here’s a show I almost didn’t attend because the first night at Chicago’s United Center sold out so fast that I couldn’t get tickets. Luckily, Trent Reznor and his pals decided to book another show the following night and I scored tickets for that. The set included three different stages, great new versions of classic tracks, new tunes, and NIN looking and sounding like they’d never taken a break to make Oscar-winning film music.
#1: Underworld – May 17, 2025 – Radius – Chicago, IL
Here’s the other band I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see live. They don’t make many trips to the U.S., and the closest they’d come in recent years was Detroit (four hours from where I live). Seeing them in a relatively small venue half the distance away was an immediate priority, and then I learned they were playing two sets with no opening act. It was a stunning performance that had everyone jumping for hours with only a short intermission and left everyone floating by the end.
Who do you want to see this year? I’m already looking forward to catching The Hives, Dry Cleaning, LCD Soundsystem, Gary Numan, Failure, Shame, Alison Krauss, and (of course) Osees, not to mention a return to Levitation Austin. Levitation France is taking a hiatus this year, so perhaps Austin Psych Fest will take its place?
This is always a tough decision, although my number one album of each year tends to arrive early and not leave. This trend continued in 2025.
#5: Sextile – yes, please.
Thrilling electro, sexy bass, erotic lyrics, club bangers, provocative cover, you name it, this album has all of it. It shot up into my top ten of the year as soon as I heard it and was one of the hottest records of 2025.
#4: Lonnie Holley – Tonky
Beautiful, soulful, and powerful, Tonky has soul legend Lonnie Holley encouraging us to all come together in turbulent times, “protest with love,” and embrace our neighbors. This is an album that rings true in any year, but we needed it in 2025.
#3: No Joy – Bugland
I hadn’t heard anything from No Joy in a while, so it was great to hear from them again and with such a good record. It mixes shoegaze with psych and pays tribute to the healing properties of nature and presence. I didn’t realize how much I missed No Joy until hearing this.
#2: DITZ – Never Exhale
These fiery post-punk Brits seemed to come out of nowhere (to this Yank, at least) and unleashed one of the loudest, wildest records of the year. The album is about anxiety and panic, but it never goes completely off the rails. It keeps you on the edge of your seat or helps you burn off aggression, depending on which track you blast.
As soon as I saw that album cover, I knew Death Hilarious was going to be a monster of a record. My gut was right. This is another heavy stunner from Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs in a line of material that has yet to miss. The topics of loss (friends, creative energy, relationships) and satire are biting and empowering. You’ll growl, stomp, and roar along with this record. You’ll laugh at the absurdity of our times with it, and then dive into the mosh pit with glee.
There’s already a lot of good stuff lined up for 2026. Let me know what you’re looking forward to the most!
Here we are at the top ten albums I reviewed last year. The choices get tougher as the numbers get lower. Let’s get to it.
#10: The Limiñanas – Faded
A salute to forgotten models, actresses, singers, and to lost friends, Faded is another solid album from the French psych-rock duo. It has all the elements you want from The Limiñanas – wild guitars, heartbeat drums, smoky vocals, and a sense that they’re re-creating something you’ve forgotten.
#9: Blackwater Holylight – If You Only Knew
It was great to get a new recording from Blackwater Holylight last year (and a new full-length album is already on the way), and If You Only Knew marked a turn toward shoegaze for them. I’m all for it. The heavy guitars and deep, often sad lyrics are still there. Perhaps doom-gaze is a better description of it. Then again, why bother describing it? Just let overwhelm you.
#8: Frankie and The Witch Fingers – Live at KEXP
I’ve been waiting for a live Frankie and The Witch Fingers album for a little while, and this recording of a raw, raucous show for KEXP didn’t disappoint. It’s difficult to capture their live show energy, but they did it. The fact that they open the show with “Brain Telephone” (an oldie) makes it even better.
#7: Roi Turbo – Bazooka EP
This, simply put, is the best house music record I heard all last year. It makes you crave a longer record. These guys are having a lot of fun and thankfully they invited us to the party.
#6: Joe Alterman & Mocean Worker – Keep the Line Open
This jazz-funk-trip-hop record is a delight from start to finish as pianist Joe Alterman and producer / DJ Mocean Worker pay tribute to funky legend Les McCann. Every song is highly danceable and will brighten any time of day.
Up next, the top five, which includes two welcome returns, another legend, electro upstarts, and brash post-punks!
More great live shows for you from last year! Who’s in the top half of the list?
#15: Johnny Jewel – September 25, 2025 – Levitation Austin, Austin, TX
Mr. Jewel opened for his own band, Desire, and, for my money, put on the best show of the night at the first day of Levitation Austin last year. It was a showcase of his film scores and covers of other film music ranging from his score to Drive to a David Lynch tribute and giallo-horror tracks.
#14: The Black Angels – September 28, 2025 – Levitation Austin – Austin, TX
The Black Angels always play Levitation. It’s their festival, after all. They help curate it. It was another fine set from them that included many tracks they don’t play often – one of the advantages of not having to promote a new album.
These Dutch funk-rockers played their first gig in the U.S. ever at Levitation Austin last year and had the entire place jumping by the end of it. This was easily the grooviest show of the entire weekend, and everyone was buzzing the rest of the day afterwards.
#12: DITZ – June 27, 2025 – Levitation France – Angers, FR
This was blistering post-punk in a heat wave that had gripped almost the entire county. You can see the dust being kicked up from the mosh pit in that photo due to the arid conditions of the park in Angers where Levitation France took place last year. The lead singer had run off-stage, into the nearby lake, and returned covered in seaweed by the end.
#11: A Place to Bury Strangers – September 28, 2025 – Levitation Austin – Austin, TX
The Palmer Event Center in downtown Austin, where Levitation Austin took place last year, is a big venue…and it still wasn’t big enough to keep the volume of APTBS from flattening you as soon as you entered the place. Lead singer and guitarist Oliver Ackermann used the high ceiling to his delight by tossing his now-famous “half-guitar” sky high multiple times. Two friends who’d never seen them until now were left stunned by the end. “That’s like an assault,” my friend Wes said, wide-eyed and not knowing how else to describe it.
