Living Hour - “Big Shadow”
I was listening to Living Hour earlier this month before seeing them at the Empty Bottle, opening for the aforementioned Pains of Being Pure at Heart underplay. Their new LP Internal Drone Infinity is one of those things where every song sort of sounds like a different band, drawing from a slightly different well of influences, with “Big Shadow” doing the Yo La Tengo thing as well as anybody in 2025.
John Roseboro - “Players Bawl”
I’ve been following John Roseboro for the last few years, ever since a friend shared the cover of “Waters of March” he recorded with Mei Semones. He’s released a string of charming bedroom bossa nova LPs at a steady clip across the early 2020s, but he’s been pretty quiet since releasing Fools last October, I’m happy to hear he’s back with the intimate, playful love song “Players Bawl,” one of the better songs he’s written so far.
Chicago’s Makaya McCraven released the box set Off The Record on Halloween, a collection of four 20ish minute EPs culled from different live performances, each with a different set of collaborators, each chasing a slightly different vibe. I’m still taking it all in, but “The Beat Up” is an early standout from me, one of the coolest tracks from The People’s Mixtape, recorded live in Brooklyn in January 2025 with Junius Paul on bass, trumpeter Marquis Hill, vibraphonist Joel Ross, and Horse Combinations favorite Jeremiah Chiu on modular synths and percussion.
Hell Trash - “Brush”
Hell Trash, regulars around these parts, are back with “Brush,” another killer new single that reworks a song so good it appeared twice in different forms on their 2024 compilation SMASH HITS! Early Tracks 2021-2024. Much like "Violence," another recent track, "Brush" is lushly produced indie rock excellence, full of tastefully ornate instrumental flourishes and oblique lyrics.
Hell Trash, regulars around these parts, are back with “Brush,” another killer new single that reworks a song so good it appeared twice in different forms on their 2024 compilation SMASH HITS! Early Tracks 2021-2024. Much like "Violence," another recent track, "Brush" is lushly produced indie rock excellence, full of tastefully ornate instrumental flourishes and oblique lyrics.
Dalton - “Soul Brother”
I was listening to a recent Knew’d set recorded at second.wav, an awesome esoteric DJ night in Buffalo, and this track caught my attention right away. Originally privately pressed in Tunisia in 1978, Dalton’s debut single “Alech” b/w “Soul Brother” was unearthed by the legendary Habibi Funk label back in 2015 and reissued earlier this year. Both the jittery, exuberant A-side and silky smooth bass and horn lines found on “Soul Brother” are irresistible.
I was listening to a recent Knew’d set recorded at second.wav, an awesome esoteric DJ night in Buffalo, and this track caught my attention right away. Originally privately pressed in Tunisia in 1978, Dalton’s debut single “Alech” b/w “Soul Brother” was unearthed by the legendary Habibi Funk label back in 2015 and reissued earlier this year. Both the jittery, exuberant A-side and silky smooth bass and horn lines found on “Soul Brother” are irresistible.
Danny Brown - “Lift You Up”
This new Danny Brown record rules, it’s easily my favorite thing he’s done since the all-timer Atrocity Exhibition. Stardust is full of appearances from hyperpop and digicore artists half Brown's age, a stunt that has understandably dominated the narrative around the record, but as much as I love the harsh, blown out production of tracks like the Femtanyl collab “1L0v3myL1f3!” and “1999” featuring JOHNNASCUS, the sudden swerve towards warm, grooving house music midway through the record with “Lift You Up” does it for me every time.
Avalon Emerson & the Charm - “Eden”
While “Eden” is more straightforward than anything on her 2023 classic & the Charm, sounding closer to HAIM than Saint Ettienne or whatever, I’m just happy Avalon Emerson is making indie pop again. No official word but I hope this is the first single from a new album out sometime soon!
This new Danny Brown record rules, it’s easily my favorite thing he’s done since the all-timer Atrocity Exhibition. Stardust is full of appearances from hyperpop and digicore artists half Brown's age, a stunt that has understandably dominated the narrative around the record, but as much as I love the harsh, blown out production of tracks like the Femtanyl collab “1L0v3myL1f3!” and “1999” featuring JOHNNASCUS, the sudden swerve towards warm, grooving house music midway through the record with “Lift You Up” does it for me every time.
Flamin’ Groovies - “Yesterday’s Numbers”
Over the last few weeks I’ve been making my way through Songs From the Den, a four and a half hour playlist compiled for Tidal by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie Prince Billy, and it’s already turned me on to some really cool stuff, including this Flamin’ Groovies track. I’ve always been vaguely aware of them but never dug in, if the rest of their catalog is anything like “Yesterday’s Numbers,” I’m in for a treat.
Over the last few weeks I’ve been making my way through Songs From the Den, a four and a half hour playlist compiled for Tidal by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie Prince Billy, and it’s already turned me on to some really cool stuff, including this Flamin’ Groovies track. I’ve always been vaguely aware of them but never dug in, if the rest of their catalog is anything like “Yesterday’s Numbers,” I’m in for a treat.
While “Eden” is more straightforward than anything on her 2023 classic & the Charm, sounding closer to HAIM than Saint Ettienne or whatever, I’m just happy Avalon Emerson is making indie pop again. No official word but I hope this is the first single from a new album out sometime soon!
Seefeel - “Plainsong”
Sunday morning reading Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams in bed listening to Seefeel’s Quique.
Sunday morning reading Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams in bed listening to Seefeel’s Quique.
Pullman - “Or, Otherwise”
I’ve been on a huge Pullman kick lately, I picked up a copy of their debut LP Turnstyles & Junkpiles at Reckless a few weeks ago and have just been like alternating between that and streaming their 2001 album Viewfinder on and off all day. "Or, Otherwise" is a standout on Viewfinder; the relentless acoustic guitar line, repetitive to the point of sounding glitchy, and driving motrik drumbeat is Pullman at their best, sounding like if Tortoise got way into the Windham Hill catalog.
I’ve been on a huge Pullman kick lately, I picked up a copy of their debut LP Turnstyles & Junkpiles at Reckless a few weeks ago and have just been like alternating between that and streaming their 2001 album Viewfinder on and off all day. "Or, Otherwise" is a standout on Viewfinder; the relentless acoustic guitar line, repetitive to the point of sounding glitchy, and driving motrik drumbeat is Pullman at their best, sounding like if Tortoise got way into the Windham Hill catalog.
More blogging to come soon, for now check out the work in progress November 2025 playlist, embedded below!
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