sam hirst - Little Thief

• 3

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles Sam Hirst’s single “Little Thief” is gracefully askance lo-fi rock, lyrically inventive in its casual utterances, hooks…” on Jun 3rd →

Christina's Trip - F.B.A.T.

• 4

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles Oakland’s Christina’s Trip have released F.B.A.T., the first single from Cherub Dream Records‘ excellent 3-act EP, “Lucky…” on Apr 15th →

King-Mob - Pendulum Days

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles In an era defined by death, disease, and (gestures broadly), commiseration is the best thing a person…” on Feb 27th →

Genuine Leather - gunshy

• 2

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles Genuine Leather’s “gunshy” is indie pop-rock with much cunning sample and synth. Melodically imbued with a kind…” on Feb 21st →

Sundozer - Liquid Heaven

• 15

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles Sundozer’s “Liquid Heaven” is synthwave/indie pop with great melodic confidence. That assurance has allowed a healthy, natural…” on Feb 18th →

The Kerosene Hours - Who's That In My Room

• 1

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles The perfect slice of alt rock paranoia, The Kerosene Hours’ “Who’s That in my Room” explores an…” on Jul 9th, 2025 →

jack petrone - pavement

• 1

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles jack petrone’s track “pavement” does a lot with deceptively a little. The two chords pendular migration of…” on Jun 1st, 2025 →

Cosme - ♀/♂

• 2

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles More Groschi flagged digi drum gruel, Cosme’s “/” has the right balance of grime and pop. Mexico-based…” on Apr 26th, 2025 →

Goon - Death Spells

• 3

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles With “Death Spells,” Kenny Becker and Goon have again (and again) produced some of the most engaging…” on Mar 5th, 2025 →

Shrapnel - Catch You Out

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles New external stimuli, Shrapnel’s “Catch You Out” is the sort of opener that lets you know you…” on Feb 25th, 2025 →

EEL MEN - Exeter Exit

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles Great, calloused post-punk-pop from London’s Eel Men, “Exeter Exit” also has enough hooks to easily impale the…” on Feb 12th, 2025 →

good flying birds - wallace

• 2

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles Indianapolis-based indie garage-poppers Good Flying Birds‘ have released the newly compiled talulah’s tape (21-24). Some sweet and…” on Jan 5th, 2025 →

variety - Plover

• 2

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles Variety’s “Plover” is Texan avantpop rock composed of compelling narrative subversion, sticky melody and tone. The hook…” on Sep 26th, 2024 →

Casual Technicians - Dark Matter Falling

• 13

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles America’s heart is effectively vestigial, the body running on delusion alone. But every now and again it…” on Sep 20th, 2024 →

BLOUS3 - Goo Goo

• 1

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles “Goo Goo” is Sacramento-based noise punk with cutting phrasing and instrumental hooks concerning the crimes of Johnson…” on Aug 7th, 2024 →

Alas de Liona - Violet

• 4

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles Art more than anything I know allows for the contorting of bad fate to good. A negative…” on Jul 29th, 2024 →

Merce Lemon - Backyard Lover

• 16

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles Sometimes the magic trick isn’t a slight of hand. Though often the case, it isn’t always derived…” on Jul 27th, 2024 →

Busted Head Racket - Poor no more

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles Garage Synth / Egg Punk. Newcastle, Australia. I will never in my life make something that sounds…” on Jul 11th, 2024 →

O.R.F. - wie schön

Plainly and PainfullyFollow “5/5 golden merles What can be learned from this? Its direct and graceful descent. Its puncture and pulse. The relaxed…” on May 22nd, 2024 →