motel void

OK COWGIRL – ROCK N ROLL RUINED MY LIFE

Cowgirl are a fairly well-known indie band from New York, and I have to admit I’m surprised I’m only discovering them now, considering they’ve been around for more than six years. It’s easy to see why they’ve made a name for themselves – they have pretty much everything great indie music should have right now: interesting production, distinctive vocals, plenty of energy, and an overall incredibly fun vibe. Definitely a band worth keeping an eye on!

KING HIT – HOW_I_IMAGINE_YOU_WERE_MADE

“Sad train music,” reads the description of King Hit’s how_i_imagine_you_were_made. A new project on the scene, King Hit are a four-piece from Te Whanganui A Tara (Wellington, New Zealand), blending the jarring quality of shoegaze with the punch of hardcore and the melancholy of Midwest emo.

Each member brings their own slice of Wellington’s music scene: Stefan Jenkins on lead vocals and guitar (The World Is Against You, Sol Fide), Felix Bird on bass (Park Flyers), Sebastian Bell on drums (Sol Fide), and Caitlin Gabb, who recently joined on second guitar and secondary vocals, bringing her haunting voice through King Hit’s dense wall of noise.

This is exactly the kind of music I’m really drawn to – organic, beautifully textured production, captivating and catchy vocals that complement each other perfectly, and gorgeous artwork to go with it. There are hints of early Alex G here, but also something reminiscent of bands like Duster or Hovvdy. And then the second half suddenly erupts into hardcore territory, which works incredibly well. A fantastic track.

FLYWHEEL – CRYBABY

CryBaby is the second song in a planned series of five new tracks from Irish band Flywheel. Originally formed in Cork in 1996, the shoegaze band broke up that same decade before reforming in 2020 following the lifting of the first COVID-19 restrictions.

Flywheel are a psychedelic pop band drawing influences from a wide range of sources, including ’90s shoegaze, Cocteau Twins, Quickspace Supersport, Burial, as well as more contemporary artists such as Gilla Band, Tonstartssbandht, and Yard Act.

I find it fascinating that the band originally formed back in 1996. To be honest, quite a few artists who return after such a long break can sound somewhat dated to me – they haven’t always managed to adapt to the sound of the present day. That’s absolutely not the case with Flywheel. They sound as if they were debuting right now: fresh, exciting, brilliantly produced, and with genuinely memorable vocals. Hats off to them.