All Dogs

"Punks making pop music in Columbus, OH" is how All Dogs sum themselves up on Tumblr. You can't argue. It's somewhere between Swearin' and Waxahatchee. What more do you need?





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Heathers

Blogging for blogging's sake is kind of pointless. I don't write this stuff for the potential 'career' benefit of accidentally stumbling upon a band before they become successful, and I certainly don't do it for the hits - I write about a band for the love of the band. I guess this is just me explaining why the blog hasn't been as active lately as it could have been. That's not to say I'm not finding lots of excellent new music that gets me excited, but I am finding increasingly less time to shout about it. Hello quiet Saturday. Hello excited blog post about Heathers.

I stumbled upon Heathers a few weeks back thanks to a tweet from Cardiff Joanna Gruesome (whose new songs are sounding excellent, by the way) and am very, very thankful to them for that. They're a three-piece from LA and 'Teenage Clothes' is their only song online, but that's okay because it is fucking excellent. Fast-paced, energetic, and catchy sunny indie pop with some really lovely jangly guitar, it's also surprisingly moving and actually really sad thanks to lyrics like "there's no easy way for me to say / there's no easy way for you to stay". Genuine love for this.




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Home Alone

About 18 months back (fuck I'm old) I blogged about garage rock Toronto three-piece Stacey Adams. You probably don't remember. I barely do. Anyway, Thomas Mazurkiewicz of that band recently got in touch about a solo project he was working on. "It's alot different from stacey adams, but im alot happier with the music," he says in the email - and he's not wrong.

The title of the debut EP - 'Teddybears & Weed' - from Home Alone probably tells you a lot about its sound. It's sweet and cutesy while pretty laid-back and a bit trippy. A big step away fromt he scruffy lo-fi rock of Stacey Adams but nonetheless impressive and enjoyable. Obviously I'm not the first person to say this (hiya Crack In The Road and Dots & Dashes), but who cares, give it a listen below or stream the whole EP on bandcamp.





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Bananacondas

I like the internet. Bands from hundreds of miles away can send me their music and then I can listen to it and then sometimes I really like it and write words about it and other people who might be hundreds of miles away again might read it and like it and then they might tell their friends to listen to it and stuff. That's pretty cool, right?

Bananacondas are a Lansing, Michigan-based "not-so-typical punk" three-piece who write songs with riffs and licks and melodies and choruses that make me want to be at a house party with them doing silly but fun things. It's self-recorded but not to its detriment - the slightly rough sound suits their apparently pretty care-free take on writing songs. Music is supposed to make you feel something, and this makes me feel happy.

There are two free songs plucked from their bandcamp below, with apparently some more songs coming later this month and an album hoped for later this year. I am excited.


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Dante Elephante

New music. Bloody great, isn't it? I'd nearly forgotten after eight months of studying for a Master's degree. But a few hours free this afternoon and a few minutes of listening to the debut EP from Dante Elephante and I'm happy as larry. And part inspired by my meeting with Matthew of Song, By Toad at Great Escape last weekend (never have I been called a c**t in such a loving way), I've decided to WRITE A BLOODY BLOG POST.

Dante Elephante are from California and, unless you're one of those people who can only listen to certain quotas of particular 'types' of music, you'll like them. Yeah, some people might describe it as 'surf pop' and, yeah, there are lots of other bands that some people might describe as 'surf pop' around at the moment. But, seriously, who gives a shit? The songs are good. From the very first few seconds of opening track 'All The Time' - with its energetic, crisp hi-hat sound juxtaposed with the upbeat guitar - you know exactly what you're in for. It's catchy, it's happy, it's fun. And it's one measly dollar for six-tracks of it. Listen below and love music/life.



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Arc Light - Balance

It's been a while. It's apt, then, that the song featured today is from an artist who, in his own words, "tried quitting" but didn't quite manage it 'cause he likes making songs too much.

Brookylyn's Ryan Gabel has been making music under the name Arc Light for a while now, and 'Balance' is the first we've heard from him since the Megajoules EP, released last month. It's wonky and dark synth-pop fun. Keep trekking, Ryan, we appreciate it.

Balance by Arc Light

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Dyke Cop

Shane from Livid Kids sent over a link to his new band the other day. They call themselves Dyke Cop, and they sound about as obnoxious as you'd expect of a band with that kind of name. Frantic and lo-fi, Shane called it "rad surf punk" and he's not far wrong. Though anyone not accustomed to listening to songs that sound like they were recorded on a phone will find it pretty impossible to bear, the rest of us losers who prefer our music rough and ready and unpalatable for most of our friends - this is ace. They have an upcoming tape through Mind Fortress Records, but you can get a sneak preview below.


Dyke Cop - Wish I Was Dead

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New: Mrs Magician - Prescription Vision 7"

Californian four-piece Mrs Magician return (having been previously featured back in February) with a new 7" single, out through Grizzly Records on November 11. Continuing with their juxtaposition of noisy distorted sounds with catchy surf-ish pop melodies, it's really good stuff - and bodes well for their debut album, expected in 2012 through Swami Records.


Mrs. Magician - Presciption Vision

I KNOW WHAT GIRLS LIKE by mrs.magician

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White Birds

Coming from Philadelphia, and currently on tour with Asobi Seksu, White Birds write pop songs. Wonderful, wonderful pop songs. Pop songs built on harmonies and guitar distortion, influenced by The Beach Boys, and Fleet Foxes. And as easy as it'd be for this kind of combination to be predictable, dull, and paint-by-numbers - it's not. It's beautiful, it's charming, it's delightful - and they have a cassette out now on Grizzly Records. Limited to 100 copies, odds are it's already sold out given how ruddy ace they sound.

White Birds - Hondora

Floating Hands

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Burning Yellows/The Whines Split 12"

It's not often I post about split releases, or even specific releases at all, but this upcoming split 12" through Palmist with Burning Yellows and The Whines is ace and deserves attention. Featuring 5 tracks from each band - both of which are from Portland - the split is out on the 12th through FatCat sister label Palmist who have been doing some ace things since they started not long back. Husband and wife duo Burning Yellows bring the 2 minute-long cutesy, jangly fuzzy pop, whilst three-piece The Whines efforts are considerably more considered, slow-paced but still along the same fuzz pop mould. Seriously though, both are ace and this is a top release. The Whines - Electric Current
Burning Yellows - False Horizons
Burning Yellows Facebook | The Whines Facebook | Palmist

The Creepy Crawlies

Love at first sight, or perhaps I should say first listen - 30 seconds into Get Buried by The Creepy Crawlies and it was pure adoration from then on in. Sitting somewhere between early Los Campesinos!, Jason Schwartzman's Coconut Records and The Flaming Lips, the LA band make quirky, charming pop songs that draw you in and leave you feeling bashful. Really lovely, and I can't wait to hear more.


The Creepy Crawlies - Get Buried!


The Creepy Crawlies - Not Thinking

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Body Wash

Apparently Basement Fever is getting a little bit of a reputation for being massive fans of the lo-fi, and we're certainly not helping ourselves by posting about Body Wash. Although there is minimal production here and the recording quality is a long way from perfect, there's lots to love about the Chicago band. Beneath the fuzz and the hiss are quirky, catchy pop melodies formed from distorted vocals and basic guitar licks. It doesn't sound like much, but the subtle blend of elements of 60s surf, pop, garage rock, and even punk works like a dream. A big lo-fi dream. LO-FIIIII


Body Wash - Cool Bike


Body Wash - Record Run


Body Wash - Bike Wreck

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Grrrl Friend

When a band contact you saying they like pizza, weed, and noise you can hazard a pretty good guess as to how they might sound. Portland's Grrrl Friend certainly don't disappoint.

It's lazy, lo-fi, noisy rock music with definite post-punk influences made by people (2-4 of them depending on the band's mood, apparently) who sound like they don't give a shit about much - and yet, despite its hissy recordings and care-free feel, it's surprisingly accomplished. They can carry on not giving a shit about much if music like this is the result.

Their album Happening Now is out now on Gnar Tapes. Listen to some of its best bits below, or download the entire thing for free from bandcamp.


Grrrl Friend - doppelganger 12-step


Grrl Friend - Happening Now

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Boylant

As a blogger, once you've been 'sitting on' a band for a few months, it often feels like the time has passed to write about them, but Boylant's tracks have a certain appeal that continue to draw you back time and time again. Nothing groundbreaking or extravagant but simply charming, honest bedroom pop songs that put a smile on your face.


Boylant - Shades


Boylant - Crystal Shards


Boylant - Echo Hill/a>

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New: Acid Glasses

Although not as in your face and obnoxiously weird as My Pale Garden, Tennessee artist Nick Burk aka Acid Glasses continues his assault on our ears with Jpeg Hoarder. It'll be released through Stroll On Records, October 10.

Acid Glasses - Jpeg Hoarder

New: Ganglians

As a preview to upcoming album Still Living - released August 22 through Soutterain Transmissions - Ganglians are giving away Drop the Act. Not as apparently sad as you might expect from the opening announcement, Drop the Act is a big slice of pop, considerably less lo-fi than much of their debut release. What do we reckon?

Ganglians - Drop The Act by souterraintransmissions

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BE▲▲CH TREES

This whole fascination with the sand, sea and surf is all getting a bit unbearable. Still, here's me adding to the waves. Get it?

Typically based in California - and naming both the act and the song about said topics, even with the addition of the witch-house styled non-letters - BE▲▲CH TREES seems to be the act of one man alone and Beach Sand seems to have been made in one evening, so we'll give him a bit of a break. Plus, it's pretty ace song - all laid back and ethereal sunshine.


BE▲▲CH TREES - Beach Sand

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Water Moccasins

So this is ace. New music from a dude from New Hampshire, formerly in The QC, apparently - and now going by the name Water Moccasins.

EP Broken Tone is four tracks of luscious, woozy, beautiful noise - the first half slightly more melodic and tuneful, the second more experimental and dreamy. Layers of delicate synth lay atop reverberating guitar and modest vocals to stunning effect. It's this kind of thing that makes you fully understand why some people refer to shoegaze as 'dream pop'.

This is really, really good. Listen below, or download the full EP for free from bandcamp.


Water Moccasins - Gone


Water Moccasins - Stay Here

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Holy Fun

Lo-fi garage rock from Texas, I think. If you like this kind of thing you'll like it, if you don't you'll probably hate it. Don't think it needs too much explanation. I like it for it's 'I really couldn't care less' and 'I know these demos are scrappy as fuck but meh' attitude. Yeah.


Holy Fun - Little Girl?


Holy Fun - Weak As Shit

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New: Pains of Being Pure At Heart

New music from the New York band. What do we think?

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Tomorrow Dies Today

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