The indiepop nerdy cuddle-core pioneers Tullycraft are back with a new future classic indiepop single/video "Jeanie's Up Late Again and Blaring Faith by The Cure" off their upcoming new album Shoot the Point, which comes out on August 22nd on HHBTM Records. If you are a indiepop fan the albums are filled with inside jokes and music nerd easter eggs. Bouncy, snarky, very tongue in cheek, and always good for a couple of laughs.
Over the years, Tullycraft has penned a handful of songs that practically define the twee movement in America. The chorus "fuck me, I'm twee" was the refrain that launched a thousand t-shirts. “The Punks Are Writing Love Songs” introduced bratty punk to hummingbird twee. "Pop Songs Your New Boyfriend’s Too Stupid to Know About" encapsulated an entire music scene in a single song. And yet despite this, for most, the band exists somewhere near the edges of obscurity. Occasionally, they receive a nod (like when their album 'Old Traditions, New Standards' was featured on Pitchfork's list of the 25 Best Indie Pop Albums of the ’90s) but these spotlights don’t tend to happen as frequently as one might think.
While the mainstream has largely ignored Tullycraft, their status in the indie pop underground is undeniable. Formed in Seattle in 1995, they are considered to be one of the bona fide pioneers of the American twee pop movement. Touring relentlessly during the last gasp of the truly independent indie-underground, they influenced countless young bands. They were once called “the Johnny Appleseed of Indie Pop — making their way across the country, leaving new bands, zines, and record labels to sprout up in their wake."
Indie pop icons Tullycraft are back! After six years of whatever bands do when they’re not making albums, legendary troublemakers Tullycraft are back with a new studio album, Shoot the Point.
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The Altons return with a one-two punch of sublime summertime sounds. Featuring the ever-soulful Adriana Flores on lead vocals, "Love You Like That" finds the group exploring a funkier, crossover sound that masterfully blends the infectious hooks of classics like Foster Sylvers "Misdemeanor" with the feel-good bounce of contemporary R&B. On the flip is "I Try I Try" - a floaty, mid-tempo banger off of their smash debut LP on Penrose, Heartache in Room 14.
The Altons are a soul rock group with a twist of Latin inspired flavors and rhythms. Their music is driven by intense grooves from the rhythm section that will bring you to your feet, while soulful leads inspire lovers to dance a little closer. When they take control of any stage you can always expect a fun and energetic time.
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| Photo - Mckenzie Reive |
Drawing from a life spent between wild northern landscapes and intimate moments of reflection, Rogan Mei returns with “Lefroy,” a hopeful and heart-pulling indie folk track about self-discovery, resilience, and return. Anchored in quiet emotion but expansive in imagery, the song is part meditative memoir/part mountain summit.
Inspired by a painting of Mt. Lefroy by Lawren Harris – viewed during a visit to the McMichael Gallery on the anniversary of his mother’s heart transplant – “Lefroy” emerged as a metaphor for personal reckoning. “As we stood looking at this mountain, I imagined myself climbing it,” says Mei. “The first line and melody just popped into my head, and I wrote the rest in the days that followed.”
The track’s evolution mirrors its lyrical arc. Originally longer and more subdued, “Lefroy” was restructured for live performance as part of Canadian Musicians Co-operative’s Showcase tour before being recorded for his upcoming Dickies Green Plaid Jacket EP. Rather than opt for a studio, Mei and his band recorded it in the house he grew up in – immersed in nature, memory, and intention. “Everything (except the female vocals) was recorded in the same room, by people I know, playing real instruments,” he says. “Very few records are made that way anymore.”
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After a run of well-received shows and growing attention across Canadian radio and press following the release of “Big In The City,” alt-country artist Pony Gold returns with “Impossible Dream”, out now via Neon Moon Records. She has also announced her upcoming album High Road Reverie, set for release on October 3rd.
Written in the early stages of her sobriety, “Impossible Dream” feels like someone surfacing for air, only to find the world above just as suffocating. Over steady, unshowy instrumentation, Gold reflects on the quiet grind of survival; where rent, debt, and disappointment circle like clockwork. It’s not a plea for sympathy so much as a hard-won admission: sometimes, even hope feels out of reach.
“I wrote this song in the early days of my recovery when I was just beginning to navigate life without substances. It came from a place of anger, and reflection on how I had been living, where I was headed, and the deep frustration I felt with the state of the world,” she says. “These days it feels like no matter how hard you work, you cannot get ahead. The cost of living is relentless, and for many of us, survival means choosing between groceries, rent, or something to numb the pain. The weight of debt, the fear of bills, the sting of realizing a hundred bucks barely gets you through the checkout line - it can all feel hopeless.”
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