It doesn’t get much more obvious: Paddang name one of their biggest influences right in the album title. Lost in Lizardland (Stolen Body / Le Cèpe / 98DB) is heavily shaped by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, as well as Thee Oh Sees in their early, rawer days. Somewhere…

Review: Black Market Karma – Mellowmaker
Black Market Karma’s two-album cycle reaches its conclusion. Following Wobble, we now get Mellowmaker (Fuzz Club). Everything is interconnected—musically and lyrically. Right from the opening title track, we’re plunged back into ’90s shoegaze. The smiley face beams—this is a track that feels like a trip to the early days of…

Review: Frankie and the Witch Fingers – Trash Classic
Frankie and the Witch Fingers continue to charge ahead at full speed, cranking out records year after year. ZAM was once their crowning achievement, but in recent outings, the machine seemed to stall a little. Now Trash Classic (Greenway / The Reverberation Appreciation Society) attempts to steer them free with…

Review: New Candys – The Uncanny Extravaganza
Their 2021 album Vyvyd brought New Candys increased attention—larger venues, growing crowds. Still, the Italian band didn’t rest on their laurels. Instead, they pressed forward. Line-up changes and a newfound interest in electronic music have now led to The Uncanny Extravaganza (Fuzz Club)—a clear break in the New Candys discography….

Review: Bubblegum Hypnosis – Through The Sands
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Frank Zappa are among the influences of Bubblegum Hypnosis, a relatively new band from Bristol. With that kind of mix, you’d expect faces to melt and brains to get thoroughly scrambled. So—does Through The Sands (Stolen Body) deliver? The opening is fairly cautious,…

Review: Zig Zags – Deadbeat At Dawn
Oh dear—hard to believe the legendary debut album by Zig Zags is already 13 years old. Back then, the Californians fused hardcore punk and thrash metal in an irresistible way. Since then, the band has hit some turbulence, and in 2025, Jed Maheu returns with two new bandmates. Well, new-ish—Sean…

Review: Ty Segall – Possession
Often venturing out solo, Ty Segall has always had a soft spot for collaboration. For his new album Possession (Drag City), he teamed up with filmmaker and writer Matt Yoka—flipping the script, as Segall had previously composed the music for Yoka’s Whirlybird. Can we sense a particular influence? What’s clear…

Review: CIVIC – Chrome Dipped
From the Australian punk scene comes a band that handles things a little differently. Less about high-energy sleaze rock, CIVIC take a more straightforward, honest approach to their sound. With Chrome Dipped (ATO), the band delivers a new album worthy of attention. Having first exploded with the bombastic New Vietnam…

Review: Hooveriii – Manhunter
The Hooveriii spaceship has landed: After four albums exploring the realms of prog and space rock, Manhunter (The Reverberation Appreciation Society) brings the Los Angeles band back down to Earth. But all those cosmic excursions seem to have hurled them back in time—right into the heart of the 1970s. It’s…

Video: Hunx and His Punx – Alone In Hollywood On Acid
Hunx and His Punx were one of the defining bands of the early 2010s garage rock revival. But just as quickly as they rose, they faded from the spotlight. A reunion came in 2019, followed by an EP in 2022. Since then, a series of setbacks hit—most recently, the devastating…