Danger lurks amid the lights of the funfair in the 1950s carousel whirl of 'The Gallopers', Would-be-goods brand new single out this week. The album 'Tears Before Bedtime' is out on 13 February 2026.
Tears Before Bedtime is the sparkling new album by the Would-be-goods, Jessica Griffin’s band of pop adventurers. Since The Camera Loves Me, their cult classic 1988 debut for the legendary él Records, they have blazed a musical trail through indie guitar pop, with a garage band edge and forays into other territories - glam rock, tango, French chanson… The result is unique and timeless.
The songs on Tears Before Bedtime balance delicacy and power. Perfect pop melodies are delivered in Jessica’s gorgeous and idiosyncratic voice. Her lyrics are intelligent and wry, wistful and witty. Every song tells a story, taking us on a journey through space and time, from belle époque Paris to a 1960s London biker café, from a riverbank in ancient Greece to a 1970s teenage bedroom.
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”A New Reign”, White Birches third album, is out now. Available on all music platforms as well as on CD and as a special edition white vinyl. We are so pleased to be able to feature this creative new album in full, having already shared two tracks in the last couple of months, in our opinion anyone remotely interested in the dark wave genre or seeking an introduction should give this duo a good listen, we are mightily impressed.
White Birches tell us ”It has been a long journey since When the Street Calls, but we have been working on new music the whole time. Now that we feel ready to release an album again, I want to believe that we have developed an even stronger expression. An identity that is unmistakably White Birches and that resonates and moves,” says Fredrik Jonasson.
Some background on White Birches who are described as "mixing alarming guitars and dissonant synthesizers with haunting pop melodies". The dark wave consists of Jenny Gabrielsson Mare, who handles vocals, guitar, and piano, and Fredrik Jonasson, who works with synths, drum machines, and keys. Known for their evocative songs and uncompromising live performances, the duo continues to push the boundaries of the genre, where alarming guitars and dissonant synths meet haunting pop melodies.
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| Photo - Katie Scott |
Laura Durdey is an exceptionally talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who began Posturing as a “bedroom project”. With “ephemera” she shows us that she’s also a magician. Just wait until the trumpet kicks in - it’ll give you chills. With “ephemera” she has created a joyous collection of songs, each composed with the care and skill of a master.
She describes the EP as "Despondent ballads from an optimist with themes of loss, nostalgia and forward motion. Posturing combines traditional songwriting inspired by the likes of Carole King with a droned soundscape that cushions the record and emulates the noise of a busy brain."
Though some of the themes are darker in nature the musicianship and poetry keep even the saddest of the songs buoyant and uplifting. Each side of the five track EP has been curated for the listener to experience from start to finish with beautifully crafted interludes that carry one song into the next.
As a band, Posturing, offer a captivating live show, not least because of Laura’s stage presence. Oozing with musicality she harbours a deep, soulful voice with impeccable pitch and then there’s razor sharp wit wrapped up in a dazzling smile.
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Vancouver’s purveyor of melodic grit and garage-pop heart, Alex Little, releases her new EP Spider in the Sink on Light Organ Records, the indie-focused imprint of 604 Records launched by Jonathan Simkin. Fans of Wolf Alice, Sharon Van Etten, Blondie, The Preatures, and Amy Winehouse will find plenty to love in Little’s mix of raw emotion, soul, and fearless honesty. Written and performed with guitarist and partner Adam Sabla and produced by James Younger of Yukon Blonde, the five-song collection sharpens her sound into something rawer, leaner, and more self-possessed. It’s a record that drags fear into the light and finds melody in the mess, full of songs that pulse with defiance, reflection, and soul in equal measure.
Across Spider in the Sink, Little writes like someone who’s fought her way back to solid ground. “My brain is not a friend, it is a bad enemy,” she sings on the title track, confronting her own anxious cycles with clarity and dark humor. “Forever” glows with self-realization — “I finally figured out that there’s actually nothing wrong with me” — while “Finally Safe in the World” offers the record’s quiet triumph, its chorus lifting like a breath finally exhaled. Every track moves with emotional muscle, the kind that comes from living through it and putting soul before polish.
“Spider in the Sink is about so many things,” Little explains. “I think most importantly it’s about taking back your own power, a power that you always had but didn’t use. It’s also about gaining strength through motherhood, and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who evoke the most genuine and positive version of yourself. Although I’m in a good place, I still struggle with anxiety every day, which I also speak about on the EP. It’s about acceptance of your true self as a whole, the past and all the horrible and good things that happened to get you to where you are now.”
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Mind the Moon is a singer-songwriter known for her honest, emotional songs that live between indie folk and alt-rock. “Side by Side” captures the feeling of standing still while everything around you moves.
The lyrics reach for connection in the face of time passing, touching on love, memory, and the quiet ache of holding on to a moment frozen in time. It’s a song that holds space for the things we can’t keep, but never really lose.
Mind The Moon's emotional single was recorded live at RAK Studios in collaboration with Jung Kim and Dom Borzestowski (Gang of Youths).
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| Photo - Acacia Evans |
Indiana-born, Nashville-based rising star Stephen Wilson Jr. releases his new single “Gary” via Big Loud Records, kicking off the beginning of a new era following his massively successful 2023 debut double album søn of dad. The slow burning rocker builds to a propulsive peak, combining Wilson Jr.’s grunge influences with his signature lyricism that touches upon modern life in Middle America.
About the song, Wilson Jr. explains: “Gary, a dying breed, perhaps I pray not, we are going to need our Garys, y'all. Our Garys are going extinct, much like the polar gare. I believe we need to save them. It's gonna be a Gary, scary world without them. Where I come from, the Garys get it done. And when your septic tank blows, I do not believe AI will show, but I believe a guy will. And there's a good chance his name's gonna be Gary.”
It’s been a busy year for Wilson Jr. who released both a deluxe edition of his widely lauded debut double album søn of dad, as well as his recent Blankets EP, which included covers of songs by Nirvana, Temple of the Dog, The Postal Service and The Smashing Pumpkins.
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| Photo - Lindsey Topham |
The critically acclaimed Massachusetts quintet Winterpills returns with their first album in nine years. This Is How We Dance deepens their catalog of elegant chamber pop that’s “haunting…downright glorious when the harmonies start, as crisp and shining as crystal” (The Washington Post). Consummate masters of the slow burn, Winterpills have nurtured a singular aesthetic over the course of their 20 years together: lush and often gritty instrumentation, poetic and vulnerable lyrics, celestial harmonies, and cinematic arrangements that stealthily pull you in.
Boston music blog, If It's Too Loud praised, "Lean in the Wind," is a perfect reintroduction to the band. It's gorgeous chamber pop that also reaches into the world of dream pop, and is slightly folk adjacent. As with virtually any song from Winterpills, the true magic comes from the vocal harmonies between Flora Reed and Phillip Price. Those combined with the jangly guitars leads to an almost dreamlike state felt while listening to "Lean in the Wind." Welcome back, Winterpills. We're thrilled to have you."
Emerging from the hiatus of the pandemic, Winterpills dove hearts-first into crafting the album's 12 songs, in a string of inspired creative sessions in the band's living rooms and basements. The resulting album feels at once personal and universal, and showcases the evolution of a band still restless and exploring new ways to collaborate. Teaming up with producer Dave Chalfant––who had a production role in the band's first 2 albums––brought the new record full circle.
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