motel void

MOUNT MURAL – OUT AND DOWN

We’ve hyped the Canadian band Mount Mural here several times already, and their new single Out and down has once again made us genuinely excited. The track sits halfway between garage rock and shoegaze, with clear echoes of Oh Sees and My Bloody Valentine (especially in the hazy, dreamy, and sensual vocals).

What struck me the most, though, is the aggressive guitar riff weaving its way through the entire song. It’s seriously memorable and gives the track a powerful backbone. A brilliant combination of dreaminess and raw punch!

WAKING HOURS – SLOW DANCING

Let’s slow things down a little. Waking Hours are an indie rock band based in southern Minnesota, making music since the winter of 2022.

Slow dancing carries a deeply nostalgic atmosphere. Instrumentally, it’s warm and inviting, and the vocals — reminiscent of Soccer Mommy or Phoebe Bridgers — fit the mood perfectly. The song creates a gentle, slightly melancholic summer memory: being twenty-five, spending an easy afternoon with friends, watching the sunset somewhere by a lake. It feels intimate, reflective, and beautifully understated.

SOLBORE – TO BE FREE

After Canada and the U.S., we also make a stop in the UK. With Czech-Argentinian roots and formative years spent in Spain and Australia before settling in Brighton, Solbore has become an active presence in the city’s vibrant grassroots scene – both as a musician (in bands such as Slung and InTechnicolour) and as a supporter of independent talent through Small Pond Studios and its various live and label offshoots.

To Be Free is a subtle yet highly atmospheric piece built around excellent drumming and layers of carefully crafted production noise and textures. Cutting through it all is a reverb-drenched vocal, emerging from the mist with a truly beautiful tone. It works remarkably well – immersive, restrained, and quietly powerful.