Browsing Tag

Surf Rock

No Rehearsal, No Borders, Just ‘Fruta de Andalucia’ Running Wild Through LADBREAKS’ Jam-Rock Psychedelia

Posted on 14 June 2026

It can be hard for a jam band to truly break through, but if any outfit is capable of tearing down boundaries and grooving past constraints, it is LADBREAKS. Their debut LP, Travel, attacks spontaneity with Avant-Garde expressionism, road-worn freedom and enough off-the-cuff nerve to make the entire industry prick its ears up simultaneously.

Fan favourite single Fruta de Andalucia takes a global approach to groove while tipping its hat to some of the more off-the-cuff composers of fusionist instrumentals. The jazzy free-form rhythm refuses to leave any motif off the table as the piece cruises through a myriad of chameleonic forms. In some breaths, funk takes the wheel; in others, surf-rock waves crash against the shore of the single, before the whole thing swerves into fictional road-trip soundtrack territory with sunburnt cinematic mischief and oddball momentum.

That borderless energy makes perfect sense once you understand the band’s roots. Guitarist Takumi Yoshida met bassist Ryota Saito through a London jam session, before Saito returned to Japan and reconnected the idea with DATS drummer Kazuya Oi and South Penguin keyboardist Yoshio Nikaho. With no rehearsals or meetings, their long one-shot sessions became a resistance to stagnation after COVID-era pressure, and a release valve for daily frustration.

Fruta de Andalucia is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Puppies & a Demon blurred psychotropic lines of lo-fi alt-realism in ‘Illusions’

Posted on 17 January 2026

Puppies & a Demon rode the crux of the surf rock wave in Illusions, their psychedelically twisted, lo-fi cruise through grungy indie territory. In one hand, they clutch the kaleidoscopic soul of the 60s, in the other, the sludge of the alt-90s, all while churning up their own brand of sonic dissonance that doesn’t ask for attention so much as it hypnotically absorbs it.

The title may suggest ambiguity, but the creative conviction in the track’s layered textures leaves no room for doubt. Whether you’re new to the idea of reality being little more than smoke and screen, or you’ve been reading behind the veil for years, the impact of this trip is the same. It’s a cosmic exit sign lit by garagey distortion and psychotropic catharsis. The vocals drift between sardonic sweetness and cryptic harbingering, chameleonically slipping in and out of harmony, allowing the freaked-out to be comforted while ruffling the complacent.

Puppies & a Demon are already gaining notoriety for their commitment to sonically warped storytelling. Illusions feels like it bubbled up through the cracks in the pavement after a rainfall of existential dread and came coated in the kind of fuzz that illuminates. There’s method in their madness, but they never let that get in the way of the obscurity. The track’s lo-fi roots hold steady while the band lets their freak flag fly somewhere between the Californian coast and an abandoned squat’s basement speaker stack.

Illusions is now available on all major streaming platforms, including YouTube. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Catch a semi-lucid, hallucinogenic ferver with Volantes’ rock-fusion release, Main Theme

Posted on 27 October 2025

Volantes sharpened their cinematic lounge rock signature with Main Theme, a standout single from their upcoming LP, Diamonds. Through contortions of surf rock, garage rock, Flamenco licks, and shimmers of Cramps-y rugged debonair energy, the Malmö-based band put on an exhibition of pure guitar porn. They know exactly what tone will leave you weak at the knees, what scale will make you submit, and how to wield their swagger without ever overplaying their hand.

Far from your average wanky guitar-driven indulgence, Main Theme isn’t about flexing technical ability, even though there’s plenty of that on show. It’s about altering your state of being through songwriting instinct alone. The crooning vocals take a respectful backseat to the instrumental narrative, showing up just often enough to swathe the track in semi-lucid, hallucinogenic fervour.

For all their reverence to the annals of rock, Volantes have pushed beyond peddled retro tropes and created something that slides perfectly between cult cool and compositional cultivation. Their DNA might reference the past, but they’ve rewritten the blueprint on their own terms.

Following the sleeper success of their Gold & Fire EP on Argentinian social media, Main Theme launches the next chapter of Volantes with cinematic focus. And if this track is anything to go by, Diamonds won’t be polishing what came before, it’ll be slicing straight through it.

Main Theme is now available on all major streaming platforms; for the full experience, stream the official video on YouTube. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Crooked Cranes Thaw Nostalgia in the Sonic Heatwave of ‘Mehico’ with Proto-Punk Sun-Stroked Intimacy

Posted on 26 May 2025
Mehico by Crooked Cranes

With their latest track, Crooked Cranes set a reel of vintage college radio static on fire with proto-punk soul and surf rock swagger. Hailing from Fuquay Varina, North Carolina, this group of lifelong friends, Josh Faw, Dylan Hornaday, Andrew Bateman, and Josh’s younger brother, Addison, on bass, didn’t hold back while laying their influences bare. You can feel the aftershocks of Dinosaur Jr., Built to Spill, and The White Stripes in their foundations, but this tape-deck bruiser refuses to sit neatly beside any one influence. It glows with its own baked-out fever.

‘Mehico’ spills out like a sun-bleached sojourn between DIY indie rock adolescence and late-night poetic abandon. The angular guitar lines flicker like mirages over asphalt, while the rallying vocal delivery scorches with the kind of imagery that sears itself into your synapses. It’s the kind of track you can picture driving the emotional undercurrents of a 00s cult classic like The OC, equal parts sonic catharsis and golden-hour haze.

The lo-fi charm isn’t a by-product—it’s a calculated choice that wraps you in the warmth of nostalgic radio waves. Crooked Cranes channel the spirit of The Psychedelic Furs on a beach retreat, lifting stylistic threads from R.E.M.’s most emotionally honest cuts without ever slipping into mimicry. There’s euphoria here, curated not with gloss, but grit sanded down to something oddly soothing.

‘Mehico’ is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jonathan Stephen Braught Raised a Kaleidoscopic Middle Finger to Convention in ‘Drug Shed’

Posted on 5 May 2025

Drug Shed from one of the most visionary troubadours of psychedelic country in the 21st century, Jonathan Stephen Braught, is a short, sharp sunstroke of sonic disobedience. Surfy, swanky, angularly kaleidoscopic guitars carry plenty of the instrumental weight in the single which ebbs and flows like the waves under the California sun as Jonathan Stephen Braught injects a little garage rock panache into the tropic psychedelic country pop earworm with his playful reprise of ‘I wish I had a drug shed’ which embeds itself into the playful vignette of mind alteration that conjures feelings of complete renegade freedom. Jonathan Stephen Braught is one of the rare kinds of artists you hear once and feel yourself become instantly endeared to. He’s a vibe in himself.

Operating somewhere between the sonic smog of lo-fi country, basement Americana and psych rock, Braught’s songwriting becomes the perfect circle in the unfiltered, weirdly witty, raw, and deeply human Venn diagram. His refusal to sand down the edges only amplifies the magnetic pull of his offbeat charm. From the opening hook to the last warped reverberation, Drug Shed rattles with the ragged joy of a brain just unspooling.

Written, recorded, and mastered in a creative flash fire as part of his latest project, Unorganized Crimes, Drug Shed is a bleary, unapologetically imperfect dispatch from a mind determined to make noise that tells the truth—even if it’s duct-taped together with half-broken guitars and fried drum loops.

Drug Shed is now available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast.

Shaky Riffs Through the Annals of Rock with the Unshakable Swagger in ‘Quiet in the Night’

Posted on 7 March 2025

With guitars on surf control in the garage rock earworm, Quiet in the Night, the solo virtuoso Shaky riffs his fans through the most stylised annals of rock, pitting low-down and dirty glamour against unshakable euphoria. The single has already racked up over 57k streams on YouTube alone since the music video premiered, amassing plenty of hype for the prodigal son of rock before he unveils his debut album this April.

After a promising start in his youth as a touring guitarist, Shaky stepped away from music to raise his family and keep his grandfather’s manufacturing business afloat. Now, with his three children older and the business stabilised, he’s back and making up for lost time, recording everything in his home studio—not for lack of resources, but because DIY is what he does best.

Founder of Shaky Records and a veteran of projects including Killer Bangs, The Hammills, Petal Crush, Cold Fronts, and The Swinging Fingers, he’s no stranger to the scene. If you like plenty of substance and sticky-sweet lyrical sensibility behind your salacious swagger, you’ll want to devour Quiet in the Night time after time.

Stream the official music video for Quiet in the Night on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Captain Birthday and the Undertaker seduced Lady Luck with the subversive sonics in ‘Scratch Ticket’

Posted on 1 December 2023

Scratch Ticket by Captain Birthday and the Undertaker is an audaciously infectious track that defies conventional rock iconography with its inventive fusion of genres and wildcard thematic lyricism. Just as scratch tickets symbolise unpredictability, this song embodies that same quality through its musical composition. It’s not often that the worlds of gambling and rock n’ roll intersect in such a literal sense, but this duo has taken the challenge head-on, spinning the concept into an auditory spectacle.

From the nostalgia of surf rock to pivots of electrifying rock riffs which cut through the mix, commanding attention with their raw energy to the embracing of atmospheric post-punk tension, Scratch Ticket, from the band’s eponymous debut EP, delivers all that and more to ensure each transition resonates like a new scene in a play; an unveiling of a different mask worn by the same enigmatic character.

At the heart of this song is the chemistry between Jean-Michel Letalon and Andrew Vogts, who are the creative engines behind Captain Birthday and The Undertaker. Letalon, with his rock opera sensibilities and a vocal style reminiscent of the early 2000s New York City rock scene, delivers lyrics with an intriguing blend of drama and nonchalance. Vogts, “The Undertaker,” brings his classical music expertise into the realm of hard rock with electric violin arrangements that add a layer of sophistication to the track.

Scratch Ticket becomes a metaphor for the band’s journey — a gamble on the fusion of their varied influences, betting on the listener’s willingness to embrace the unexpected. The result is a song that’s both a tribute to rock’s past and a bold step into its future.

Stream Scratch Ticket with the rest of Captain Birthday and the Undertaker’s EP via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

BreakTime got all revved up in their 60s pop-rock single, Motor City Mama

Posted on 4 July 2023

If you wanna grease the wheels of your 60s pop-rock playlists, the latest single, Motor City Mama, from the illustrious nostalgia peddlers BreakTime, will get you all revved up with the Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies and the bright guitar melodies that burst with vintage flair. Hitting play is like stepping into a parallel universe where Brian Setzer managed to work his way into the Beatles.

The New Jersey-hailing outfit started as a cover band before they started to nod towards their favourite eras and artists in their original music rather than assimilate them, which is exactly how BreakTime acquired their amalgamated sound that emanates rockabilly, sixties pop, blues rock and surf rock.

Even though the prodigal sons of vintage rock n roll switch up their sound between their releases, upbeat harmonies, technical skill and arresting showmanship always come as standard.

Motor City Mama is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

A Hilariously Divine Ride: ‘He Wiped Out for Our Sins’ by Springbo

Posted on 28 June 2023

“He Wiped Out for Our Sins” by Springbo takes us on a comical and catchy surf-rock journey that will leave you smiling and tapping your feet. This delightful tune playfully combines humor and religious references in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

From the moment the song begins, Springbo captures our attention with their infectious surf-rock sound. The upbeat rhythm and lively guitar riffs create an atmosphere of pure fun and adventure. It’s hard not to be swept away by the song’s energy and enthusiasm.

The song takes an unexpected turn halfway through with a dreary guitar solo that adds a touch of melancholy to the otherwise light-hearted track. This momentary shift in tone serves as a clever juxtaposition, reminding us that even in the midst of laughter, there can be moments of reflection and introspection.

However, just as quickly as it veers into the solemn, “He Wiped Out for Our Sins” swiftly returns to its upbeat surf-rock sound, reigniting the infectious energy that had us hooked from the start. This rollercoaster of emotions showcases Springbo’s versatility as musicians and their ability to seamlessly transition between different moods.

“He Wiped Out for Our Sins” by Springbo is a masterfully crafted blend of comedy, surf-rock, and religious allusions. With its catchy melodies, humorous lyrics, and unexpected twists, this song is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and a bounce to your step. So grab your surfboard, embrace the laughter, and let Springbo take you on a hilariously divine ride.

Ride the indie surf rock waves in Louis Janus Thomas’ latest single, Auspicious Momentum

Posted on 14 June 2023

The North Wales-hailing one-man powerhouse of indie surf rock innovation, Louis Janus Thomas, has made a riptide-roaring return to the airwaves after his 2020 EP with his frenetically clever single, Auspicious Momentum.

With the vox and tinges of the melodic work throwing us back to the glory days of Razorlight and the heat of the Cali surf energy emanating the same zany appeal as Heavy Salad, Auspicious Momentum stands as a testament to how much Louis Janus Thomas has refined his sound since he last rode the crux of the airwaves. It’s only a matter of time before he’s on the A-lists of BBC Radio 6 DJs. The single can easily be read as one of the most innovative evolutions from the garagey indie sound pioneered by the Strokes.

Auspicious Momentum was officially released on June 2nd; check it out on Spotify and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast