The Search: Songs About Losers

Swedish indie rock band, The Search, have released their new album, Songs About Losers. The massive seventeen track collection channels diverse influences from The Smiths, U2, and Depeche Mode, to deliver a sound instantly familiar, yet uniquely their own. The tracks are firmly to the pop side of spectrum and have a bit of a formula feel, but work collectively and the the album is strong and enjoyable. Stream and buy Songs About Losers at the link below.

The Legends: Nightshift

Nightshift is the debut album from Swedish electronic artist The Legends. With an 80's video game vibe, the synths move through a varied landscape of melodies, glitches and beats. Unfortunately, the sixteen tracks cover pretty usual synthpop territory, What one finds are  a few nice retro sounds on a album for those who love soupy electropop. Stream and buy Nightshift at the link below.

Bitter Fictions: XXVII

Shaking Box Music has released, XXVII, the new album from Bitter Fictions, aka Devin Friesen. The 3 tracks, totaling almost 45 minutes of music, see Friesen exploring ambient guitar music with melodic experimentation and deep sonic textures. Using an old Tascam tape machine, Friesen captures the guitar as a sonic paint brush outside of the instrument's usual confines. Stream and buy XXVII at the link below.

Lucky + Love: Lucky + Love

Fans of Phantogram and Chromatics will love the S/T debut from L.A. synthpop duo Lucky + Love. The eight tracks have a nice lo-fi feel, stunning synth pads, and of course, towering vocals, swirling through a reverb drenched electronic ether of beats and melody. This is the kind of building with textures, sequences and melodic structures that producers savior. Watch the video for album track Digging In The Earth, then stream and buy Lucky + Love at the link below.

King Salami & the Cumberland 3: Goin' Back To Wurstville

Goin' Back To Wurstville is the rollicking new garage punk album from UK band King Salami & the Cumberland 3, on Dirty Water Records. The fourteen tracks jump through energetic, 50's inspired garage punk that is fast and snotty. The album has enough twang to clean your teeth and the kind of energy that pisses off the cops. Just perfect in every way, so watch the video for the title track, then stream and buy Goin' Back To Wurstville at the link below.

Clustersun: Surfacing To Breathe

If you want to find one of the best of the new crop of shoegaze bands, one need look no further than Italian group Clustersun. Their new album, Surfacing To Breathe is a dark, heady trip into atmospheric rock, that will satiate the most jaded shoegazer. With judicious use of noise, towering guitars, and enough effects to cause a power drain, this album is a masterpiece of edge. A definite must have. Stream and buy Surfacing To Breathe at the link below.

The Foreign Resort: She Is Lost

FZB favorites The Foreign Resort are back with a new track, She Is Lost. The track has a huge 80's anthem sound to it ala Joy Divisdion. This is a band we just like more with every release. They are crowdsourcing a video for the single and also gearing up for a tour. Show them some love and get details at the link below.

Labrador Records: Greatest Hits Summer 2017

Stockholm based indie label, Labrador Records, have released a wonderful compilation, Greatest Hits Summer 2017. The 10 tracks are lush synthpop with stylistic depth and catchy songs. Featuring such stalwarts as Radio Dept. The Legends and Djustin, the album dances you into the summer with some of the best Swedish pop on offer, and the best part being it's a free download. Stream and download Greatest Hits Summer 2017 at the link below.

Mind Dweller: Mind Dweller Demo

Indie label Sorry State Records have done a cassette release of the demo from new Raleigh, North Carolina band Mind Dweller. The four tracks are punk rock the way it's meant to be played...hard, fast and snotty. Featuring members from some of the key Raleigh hardcore bands of the last several years, this riff driven demo deserves to be an outright EP release and shows the label's commitment to finding and releasing great punk music. Stream and buy the Mind dweller demo at the link below.

Micah Gaugh: Stars Are A Harem

Stars Are A Harem is the fourth album from NYC artist Micah Gaugh. The thirteen tracks are a quirky jazz imbued collection of avante-garde works that forego swing, for a more intimate statement from an artist with a unique sense of melody and song structure. Rather than coming off as an album of independently conceived pieces, the tracks seem to be variations on a common theme, that become a bit cumbersome in their totality. Stream and buy Stars Are A Harem at the link below.