SKREEN B BLOG

One man and an acoustic guitar singing a folky song about a 'Wedding Day', that's what you get with Wholihan's latest release. The song contains lots of observations about a bridal day carried by reasonably poetic lyrics, performed with a casual shakiness. The feel is whimsical, yet there's a simple charm about the recording, like someone having sung into their cassette player.  This review is not only about the song, I also like the artwork - that pleasingly naïve feel carries through there, too. There's not a lot more information available about Wholihan, maybe he likes it that way?

I am going to Scotland for a fleeting visit in a couple of months time and I will no doubt be partaking in a little whisky tasting. A cheeky snifter, some might say?  Christopher MacDonald seems a touch more demanding, insisting 'I Need My Whiskey' in his latest release. From the spelling, I note that his tipple of choice originates from Ireland or the USA and from the style of singing I would suggest the latter. The recording is a fun piece with a driving rhythm, heavy guitars and some slick male/female vocal interplay. A fiery blend with a bit of a kick - pretty neat.

I tend to be slightly dubious when vocals are swamped with fx, whether that's vocoders or glitchy auto-tune or any other processing. However, Messy Jessy has won me over with his track, 'What You Need' as the instrumentation is tonally clean and taut enough to remove the usual trappings which often come with this vocal approach. There's some substance to the lyrics as well, being "a reflection on the quiet war between what the world tells you to chase and what actually makes you whole — weighing wealth against wisdom, and comfort against truth. What You Need is about choosing growth over glitter, and realizing that the things with the most value can’t be bought". The overall feel of the recording is quite dreamy and laidback, the beats are there, but the synths swarm around quite gently and inoffensively. 'What You Need' has a certain eloquence is in its simplicity - bedroom pop which does not try to over-extend itself. Nicely done. LINK:  Messy Jessy...

'Dead Inside' finds Brooklyn’s A Place To Bury Strangers in a warped and unsettling mode. Shuffling beats stumble beneath hissy feedback and white noise, while an oddly produced mix piles distortion upon distortion into full sonic overload. The recording almost has the feel of an old cassette tape that's been left to melt in the blazing sun.  The fluid mangle of sound somehow forms itself into a song with a strangely catchy hook. There’s something sort of post-punk here, but it’s firmly in league with shoegaze experimentation, turning themes of heartbreak into a beautifully abrasive assault. Released by Dedstrange, the single is taken from Rare And Deadly , their rarities collection, as the act undertake a UK tour, kicking off at the Green Man Festival. LINK:  aptbs

Anyone remember The Cult? They were rather good in their time and also pretty noisy. I'm sure there are a few members of the band who might now suffer with hearing issues after being amongst all that rock loudness. I doubt that's why The Ghostly Pulse has written a new song called 'Deaf Inside The Cult', but one never knows? It turns out that this dark electronic post-punk track explores tribalism, isolation and the slow erosion of identity. The feeling is created with mechanical pulses, grinding synths and a brooding motif creating an ominous sense of ritual and breakdown. The constant rhythmic hook gives the song its backbone, while Nik Nova's expressive, soulful vocals add emotional weight to the theme of belonging becoming submission. Mid-tempo and fairly linear, it steadily builds its darkwave tension without wandering too far from its central idea. The warped pop substructure keeps things accessible, while the trip-hop and Goth Rock influences place The Ghost...

After all that talk about rain and water yesterday, it was almost inevitable that all that moisture would have consequences. Amusingly, the timing of having sporen submit their latest track, 'mold', to me was perfect, allowing me this elongated opening gambit before rolling into the review proper. Apologies, let's get on with the real words of meaning. 'mold' finds beauty in contradiction: something abandoned and decaying, yet stubbornly growing. sporen’s fuzzy electronics, dirty synth bass and pulsating drums create a precise, restless foundation, while slight ethnic vocalisations and a repeated lyrical approach add a welcome tangent to all that control. Debbie Ela’s absorbing vocals shift between melody and dissonance, eventually dissolving into the electronic landscape. The accompanying experimental video works especially well with the track’s strange, organic character. Born from unfinished fragments and shared curiosity, sporen thrive on the tension between fr...

Someone once said "I'm only happy when it rains". That was Garbage (the band, not the statement) and apart from some flooding from today's rain, I would tend to agree. By contrast, Huston Sonhouse offers in his own feelings on happiness with his latest release.  "Happiest World" pairs smoky blues guitar with sharp social observations, wrapped in a simple, unfussy recording that lets every lyric breathe. The song tackles the "coexistence of innocence and hardship and explores the trials and beauty of living in an imperfect world". With the same dark approach as Nick Cave and Tom Wait, pinned with a granite-like baritone vocal, it's comes across as beautifully worn-in Americana with a wry smile. Not my usual type of music, but appreciated nevertheless. Give it a whirl. LINK:  HUSTON SONHOUSE

Oh, my god! After weeks of pure sunshine and complete dryness, today the heavens have opened and I have been physically battling water flooding the back garden. So, rather apt then that Leipzig’s Kalte Steine arrive with “Drowning”. An oddly gentle gothic production, with very sparse and simple backing beneath almost robotic vocals, sung in English. There’s no frantic flailing here; it’s not so much anguished as an acceptance of fate. Darkwave from Germany’s gothic heart, a city synonymous with black-clad melancholy. The track stays remarkably calm while everything sinks around it - a case of going with the flow, even when the flow is decidedly against you. Now, I had better get back to my broom before the next wave of rain starts. Enjoy! LINK:  kalte_steine

Belgrade’s Salt Mirror are an alternative, nu-metal and emo band keeping the spirit of the 2000s alive, and 'Castaway' makes that mission abundantly clear. Sung in English, the “keep away, stay away” part of the lyric feels like a signpost for anyone who likes their music gentle and restrained - because this certainly isn’t. The vocals carry a grunge-screamo feel, while rolling waves of guitars keep rolling in towards the ending, leaving a dense, bruising final impression. Loud and raw, Salt Mirror make noise seem like plain sailing. 'Castaway' is the second single from the band's upcoming EP 'Safe To Sink'. LINK:  saltmirrorband

I have never featured anything from Kazakhstan so it gives me a lot of pleasure to highlight music from that region, in this case, provided by Almaty-based band CROWDWORK. The act's latest release 'After Night' is a strange one, hard to define, but it sounds a little bit like putting Depeche Mode, Yello, Nine Inch Nails and The Chemical Brothers into a huge industrial cement mixer, then tipping the whole lot across a new-rave dancefloor. In most cases, that sludge of influences would create something messy and ill-advised, however, the band make it work. Everything’s in here, including the kitchen sink: twitching bleeps, dive-bombing sonics, oddball samples, thrusting guitars and a punkish vocal attitude. The track shape-shifts every 15 seconds, creating a restless, unstable rush that mirrors its themes of fear, displacement and 21st-century loneliness. Somewhere between dance-rock, Alternative-IDM and industrial aggression, echoes of the past emerge alongside contemporary ...

Today, in old Blighty, it has rained for the first time in weeks, nay months. The garden is scorched and the flora are thirsty. Timely then, that this caught my eye, a track entitled 'Water All the Plants'. As it happens, it is less about gardening and more about society with smallsmile turning generational warfare into song. The approach is something far more thoughtful than biting, with 'Water All the Plants' skewering the media-manufactured battle between Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Zoomers. Choppy guitars with a hint of twang provide a suitably wiry backdrop, while the dead-pan vocal delivery lands each absurd observation with impeccable timing. There’s plenty of humour here, but the song feels more academic than riotous, dissecting the ridiculousness of all-or-nothing thinking rather than simply throwing punches. The repeated refrain becomes almost meditative, shifting the focus from generational blame to something much simpler: looking after yourself, your pla...

Less is more, some say. At just 79 seconds, Sky Kistler’s 'a lil breakcore moment' wastes absolutely no time. An 80s computer game feel collides with rattling glitch piano and frantic junglist beats, creating a fun rave dash for little computer people. Emerging from ZSHELL into hyperpop nonsense, this tiny instrumental burst is playful, chaotic and even quite uplifting. LINK:  Sky Kistler

Today I'm recommending one of those off-the-wall pieces, the type of thing which you won't hear on daytime radio.  Willoh’s “CU” is deliciously experimental, pairing gossamer guitar and clattering percussion with hypnotic beats before exploding into glitchy dissonance. An angular attack on the senses, like a daydream broken into shards, it’s an intriguing, lo-fi journey through self-doubt, nostalgia and self-discovery, leaving you wondering exactly what just happened. It almost works in the same way as My Bloody Valentine, the enjoyment comes from making you feel slightly queasy at the same time as getting under your skin. Pop lovers would possibly file this under "uneasy listening" - certainly a cool experiment. LINK:  willoh Official

Rounding away the hard-edges that I have been recommending lately, I thought it was about time for something a little more cosy. Phree Direxion turn 'Pursuit Of Happiness (I’ll Be Good)' into a chill, hypnotic, downtempo drift, packed with warm summer vibes. Sleepy beats and a clean-cut production create an effortlessly laid-back atmosphere, while the soft vocal floats gently across the mix. It’s a dreamy, emotive cover that feels perfect for lazy afternoons, sunset drives and losing yourself in the moment. It is like a sonic Mr Whippy, pumped directly from a machine, to enjoy in the heat of the day. LINK:  Phree Direxion Official

Time to counter-act all that sunshine. Nrvs deliver another gloriously abrasive slice of off-kilter post-punk on their latest offering, 'The Tanks Are Coming Out'. Urgent, confrontational and politically charged, it channels John Cale-inspired unease into a visceral rallying cry against authoritarianism, censorship and social collapse. Produced by Matt Allchin, this is punk protest music with genuine bite and purpose. The accompanying video adds to the splendour of the everyday gloom about society. 'The Tanks Are Coming Out' is a mantra for the modern world.  LINK:  Nrvs Official

'Grunge Anthem of Disillusionment' (great title!) is industrial rock thrown into a blender with 90s mash-up culture. The Every Infernal combine gruff vocals, oddball electro, scratching and gloriously wacky experimentation into something abrasive, unpredictable and wonderfully unhinged. It’s messy, rebellious and refreshingly off-the-wall, like a broken jukebox having an existential crisis. Chipping-in at just over 2 minutes, it is a very short nose-dive into something a little different. Give it a spin. LINK:  HEFE HEETROC linguistic soup by The Every Infernal

There are some tracks that you enjoy when they first arrive, and others that somehow become even better with time. Low Hummer’s 'Panic Calls' is firmly in the latter category. Looking back at it now, it’s remarkable just how fresh, quirky and downright infectious this Hull outfit’s track still sounds. 'Panic Calls' has that wonderfully off-kilter Low Hummer quality, throwing together wonky synths, angular guitars and brilliantly unpredictable vocal interplay. It’s odd and abstract in all the right places, but beneath the eccentricity lies a collection of hooks that are impossible to shake. What really stands out is the sheer character of the song. It refuses to settle into the predictable, constantly nudging the listener in unexpected directions while remaining ridiculously catchy. It’s the kind of track that demands another listen almost immediately — and then another. Revisiting 'Panic Calls' has reminded me just how good it was. In fact, if I had a musical di...

As a complete contrast to my last recommendation,  EMNW smash through with a thoroughly upbeat and vibrant new release,  LOVING TO GET US BY . Apparently, this is their major debut single - and it certainly packs a punch with a slick and entertaining romp which combines their signature nu-metal, punk, and hip-hop origins with new EDM elements. LOVING TO GET US BY is a youthful, joyous song bursting with infectious energy from start to finish. Fronted by Emma, from Yokohama, and Menu, from Okinawa, the duo bring together different corners of Japan with a shared passion for fusing various influences into something distinctly their own. Their dual-vocal attack gives the track its personality, effortlessly switching between confident rap verses and memorable hooks, while the pounding beats and razor-sharp guitars create a sound that's equally at home in the club, the gym or on a festival stage. Contributors, Sam Matlock and Charlie Russell, help refine the band's explos...

Every so often a track arrives which is so good that you simply have to sit back and wallow in the majesty of music creation. Admittedly, I am an oddball, so happiness for me often comes from hearing something wonderfully dark and dysfunctional. That's quite a build-up, but I Tend the Light has hit the rusty nail firmly on the head with the latest release, 'One Need Not be a Chamber'. The creative outlet of Sheffield multi-instrumentalist Winslow Wake, I Tend the Light continues to blur the boundaries between doom, sludge, post-metal, blackgaze, drone and electronic experimentation. Inspired by Emily Dickinson's haunting poem and incorporating Electronic Voice Phenomenon recordings; the track explores the ghosts we carry within ourselves through prolonged tension, hypnotic repetition and frenetic, industrial-leaning brutalism. Rather than relying on familiar genre tropes, Wake patiently builds an atmosphere that feels both oppressive and strangely beautiful before subv...

Last time around I was singing the praises of ICONA’s 'Kono‑Hito'. The astute among you will have noticed on the artwork that the release comes paired with another track, 'Pain'. It feels like a natural continuation of what struck me so powerfully in 'Kono‑Hito': that fusion of emotional intensity and sleek, forward‑leaning electronic craft. The Tokyo trio - Shinichiro Ohta (vocals), Hiroyuki Sonobe (keyboards), and Tohto Arai (keyboards/director) - are veterans of Japan’s stadium‑tour circuit, and they channel decades of analog‑digital expertise into a dramatic electronic pop piece that balances instrumental finesse with sharply expressive vocals. 'Pain' stands at the crossroads of deep nostalgia and futuristic design, yet avoids retro revivalism entirely. It leans more towards art‑pop and a fiery, synth‑driven aesthetic, all delivered with a distinctly Japanese flair. The result is bold, polished, and punchy - another clear reminder of ICONA’s ongoing ...

I was delighted to have this release sent to me. ICONA's new track 'Kono-Hito' upholds that Japanese tradition of acts creating exuberant, slightly odd music with a genius for pulling out an under‑the‑skin melodic hook. As an Englishman who has adored Japanese music for decades, I felt that familiar thrill the moment the track’s restless pulse kicked in. ICONA blur synth‑driven pop with post‑punk tension, building 'Kono-Hito' around rap‑inflected agitation and sudden, dramatic melodic turns that feel both theatrical and playful. Then comes the spoken‑word passage - a stark, Italian Futurist‑inspired interruption - which shouldn’t fit, yet somehow becomes the track’s most daring flourish. At moments, ICONA sound like a wonderfully mangled hybrid of two of my greatest Japanese loves: the much‑missed Astro‑B and the undeniable masters, Yellow Magic Orchestra. What resonates most is how ICONA’s decades of analog‑digital craftsmanship are channelled into something raw ra...

Kallsup ’s new single 'Kino ' feels like the moment a band realises its own momentum and decides to lean all the way into it. After a whirlwind 2025, which included a debut album, two tours, and a sold‑out Svart Ridå support slot - the Swedish sextet could easily have paused to catch their breath. Instead, they channelled that chaos straight back into the studio, letting friction become fuel. The result is a track that captures exactly what makes Kallsup compelling: six components locking into one shared pulse. 'Kino' is the sonic gem fans have been quietly hoping for. Fast, direct, and built around a guitar line that sketches the musical blueprint for their upcoming album 'Alldeles för nära' (Far too close), it’s the most thrusting thing they’ve released. The band’s dreamy shoegaze roots are still there, but sharpened by post‑punk urgency and a contemporary shimmer that feels widescreen. Eline Gustafsson delivers what might be her strongest vocal performance ye...

Like buses, two in a row. Dina Summer return with “Fuel,” a kinetic single that surges forward with the same cinematic confidence that made “On The Road” such a compelling ride. Where that track glided like a synth‑wave noir on cruise control, “Fuel” drops the gearshift into something far more volatile. Drawing heavily from 90s electro and EBM, the band ignite a darker, more insistent energy, with Dina’s spoken‑word delivery slicing cleanly through the mix. Her voice doesn’t just guide the track - it commands it. The production is a marvel of mechanical precision. A deep rumble underpins the soundscape, the synths cracking like power surges ricocheting off concrete. The drumline lands in heavy, industrial blows - a stark pulse, stripped of ornament, built only for impact. Every element feels engineered for propulsion, each beat tightening the tension as the track plays out. The brutalist approach to the sound is then expertly underpinned by the arty black and white video, the visuals e...

Berlin-based synth-wave band, Dina Summer have seemingly selected the right gear with their new track 'On The Road'. Panning out like sonic art film noir, the recording, inspired by Jack Kerouac, rumbles along with a delightful elegance; dystopian vocals supported by passing synths and subtle guitar motifs. The band have produced a song which is expertly steered, taking the listener on an enjoyable journey, full of dark intrigue and free from any bumps or obstacles. This is a smooth ride, so easy on the ear, that it could be that Dina Summer have discovered the ultimate cruise control. Dina Summer is a collaborative band project by the producer Kalipo and the DJ/producer couple Local Suicide, fronted by Greek native Dina P. However, 'On The Road' features extra guitar grunt from Crime and the City Solution member Joshua Murphy. The single is available now from Iptamenos Discos. LINK:  Dina Summer

Initially released as a video only, 'Pluck It' by Toronto post-industrial groove-punk duo, Forming, is a rampant, tour-de-force of a single. In some ways, it is reminiscent of early Fad Gadget, having a no-nonsense, direct-to-the-ear electronic engine throbbing away whilst a somewhat dystopian vocal adds shadow to the clean instrumental lines. Sounding like an avant-garde hybrid of techno and post-punk electro, while sonically edging towards brutalism, the single is still a refreshing listen. The video, created in-house by band member Danny Alexander, is a visual delight in its own right. Like an art-house collage of images, the black and white oddity works brilliantly with the audio. 'Pluck It' is taken from the band's forthcoming EP, Night Shift. LINK:  Forming