Alvvays – “Pharmacist”: Alvvays has been THAT indie band to mysteriously fall off the radar and then reemerge suddenly in the past week. “Pharmacist” makes it feel as if no time at all has passed since the group’s last outing. Sun drenched dream pop/gaze is the name of the game per usual. At scarcely over 2 minutes long, this song is an adept teaser for what’s to come. A joyous guitar solo drops off abruptly at the end of the song, acting as a sonic palette cleanser of sorts for whatever the band has in store. The album blue rev releases October 7th.

The 1975 – “Part of the Band”: After the release of the sprawling Notes on a Conditional Form in 2020, I find myself craving something a bit more succinct from the band. “Part of the Band” takes me back to when lead single “Give Yourself a Try” dropped, in terms of its delivery in contrast to the classic “1975 sound.” At this point, it would be difficult for any sound from the band to be a surprise, but the string laden assertive track still manages to test this theory. The album Being Funny In a Foreign Language is out October 14th.

Dangerous Nights – “Everything I Hate”: Emo-tinged rock and roll? Pop punk for lovers of classic rock? I’m not sure what to label this, but I know this: this song rocks and makes me feel nostalgic for the summer nights of listening to music at unhealthy earphone volumes in my room (circa 2004). There’s much more to come from this project fronted by Chase Duncan. The band Instagram page urges fans to “Get Stoked.” Alright! Here’s one good reason to do just this.

OYARSA – “Lament”: What happens when you combine the wall of sound forces of Comrades, Eaves, and Gaffer Project? You get this. The Colorado Springs outfit fittingly starts their new era with a song of Lament, titled thus. Haunting vocals begin, “I know You will still send the rain, Rivers of ash and pain, Flow away….” Even messages of hope often arrive on the heels of darkness and melancholy, a phenomenon that OYARSA seems eager to explore and traverse. The driving track is thrilling and contemplative all at once – but given the pedigree of this project I’d expect nothing else.

DURRY – “Big Boy”: I have found my anthem as a not-vertically-challenged dude. Replace the words “six foot five” with “six foot three” and I’m in. DURRY is a pop rock project aimed at FUN with hints of real life interspersed. The line in the chorus, “the world is too damn small, or maybe I’m just too tall!” cracks me up. DURRY continue to prove that they are experts at crafting earworms that don’t take themselves too seriously. If any band can bring rock back to pop radio in an accessible way, its them.

VEAUX – “Future News”: At a March show in Nashville, VEAUX frontman Aaron Wagner told me that the future of the band carried some inspiration from Glass Animals. “Future News” definitely takes a leap into an ethereal poolside realm. If you listen closely, you’ll hear the GA influence for sure, but also many layers of production with subtle effects that all weave together into an infectious tapestry. I’m glad they released this during the summertime. Sidenote: I’m not sure who Slake Dranksy is, but I’m digging the vocal feature.