London power-pop quartet The Other Ones have released their self-titled anthem for outsiders on independent label Reckless Yes, ahead of a debut album due this spring. Artist: The Other Ones Track: The Other Ones Label: Reckless Yes Released: 8 January 2021 Find it: Spotify Kicking straight into 2021 with big energy and bigger riffs London …
A third release of 2020 from the teenage trio Polarized Eyes with Blackout – written on Blackout Tuesday it’s a snarling punk rage against police brutality. Artist: Polarized Eyes Track: Blackout Label: Self-released Released: 19 December 2020 Find it: Spotify While the arrival of 2021 has had little to no effect on consigning the hellscape …
Industrial dance punk band Pretty Addicted – the vehicle of vocalist Vicious Precious – have released spine-crawling new single Phobia, along with an age-restricted video playing with common fear-inducers. Artist: Pretty Addicted Track: Phobia Label: Vicious Clown Recordings Released: 30 December 2020 Find it: Bandcamp | Spotify With a mantra of ‘We come. We fuck …
After the New York Times Music derided the album as having no place in the Age of the Song Popoptica editor Sarah Lay looks at whether the format really is dead. “The truth is that albums worked as a medium only because everyone was a captive…I wouldn’t be surprised if the next generation of pop …
BYENARY member Chuck SJ moves toward the release of a fourth album with latest single Sink Your Teeth In, full of atmospherics and reflection on the digital era. Artist: Chuck SJ Track: Sink Your Teeth In Label: self-released Released: 28 December 2020 Find it: Spotify | Bandcamp With Country-infused cinematic sweeps of alt-rock guitars and …
Recorded at their upstate New York home during lockdown garage rock duo Basic Bitches have released an album of songs inspired by the classic movies they set about watching while there wasn’t much else to do. It may have been born out of boredom but it’s damn fine garage rock meaning Go To The Movies …
Hitting 2021 hard from the start Leceister-based queercore artist Kermes release double A-Side Peeling Off The Rind and Terms. It’s their first new music since 2018’s We Choose Pretty Names and released exclusively on Bandcamp via their own label, Amateur Pop Incorporated. Artist: Kermes Tracks: Peeling Off The Rind / Terms Label: Amateur Pop Incorporated …
Hailing from the Netherlands garage punk / Riot Grrrl band Get Jealous deal with attacks on identity on new single Lipstick – check out the video which goes alongside. Artist: Get Jealous Track: Lipstick Label: Radicalis Music Release: 24 December 2020 Find it: Spotify There’s a nuanced sneer simmering with the joy of liberation and …
If you’re looking for a new listen – any of these Albums of the Year comes recommended from editor Sarah Lay (there’s no-one else here at Popoptica right now so the choice was always going to be subjective). In what has been an unusual (yes, unprecedented if you must) year there has continued to be …
Taken from the first of three EPs set for release through Lost Map, Firestations invite us to sink into their woozy alt-pop sound on single Small Island. Artist: Firestations Track: Small Island Label: Lost Map Released: 2 October 2020 Find it: Spotify | Bandcamp In mythology, there was a race of islanders who forgot themselves …