Gorgeous syrupyness from mysterious electromurk group Drug Train, their new 7” on French label Beko is a neo-goth/industrial dreamscape of nocturnal meanderings that oscillate and tickle the brain in refreshing and synapse-warping ways.

Windsor based one person band Paul Jacobs is a hurricane of raw-fi sludge attack. He’s perfected his sound on his new tape, which blends the best throwback sludgeabilly reminiscent of Deja Voodoo riffs while throwing delay bombs all over his snarly vox. This is some serious down stuff that only underscores his fierce and huge live sound. Add to that his amazing artwork and you have a full contender for a top rocker you will no doubt be hearing so much more about in the months to come.

A trio of fantastic Worcester rockers’ debut as GNäRDS , this first release is a fun and bouncy good time. Tight as a clam, they lay down serious Dinosaur Jr laced riffs with aplomb. The guitars just shred all over the place as hook after hoof reels at you, like it ain’t no thing. Dry and snappy production leaves them to replicate the pogo-inducing vibes awesomely live, which they do in spades!

Lush dreampop band from Montreal, Heat has a real handle on the shimmering shoegaze sound, blending in some 90s psych guitar reminiscent of early Flaming Lips and pinning the understated vocals a bit higher in the mix, which is nice for a change. Widescreen production that doesn’t leach the juice, they mine some new gems out of a heavily trod territory. Sweet bass vocals and lazy handed guitar that belies the sheer musicianship at work. A sublime and engaging listen!

A taste of what’s to come from this super diverse new Montreal band, these songs just melted my brain into a pile of happy fragments. Squished, breakneck changes suprise at every angle, the first track “I Can’t Sing” is a loping psych out that clobbers you from every angle, delay-zers and squealing guitars erupting through the proggy keys until dissolving in a noisy mass. “Would Win” is a darker roller , all watery choruses until the fuzz riffs charge in, trading places with giant church organs and building to a sky-splitting peak by the end. More, please.

Hella fun and infectious punk steez from Philly. Just straight up beautiful tunes with gnar breakdowns and tailor made to bring kids up to the front and whip them into a blissful frenzy. Their funny wiseass side makes everything even more fun while never detracting from the badass playing and songwriting. This is high-test youthful hijinx at it’s rulingest. Check em out!

Been watching out for Oktoplut since procuring their amazing 2012 7” release, now here they are with an equally heavy LP. Breaking off huge chucks of hardcore, desert rock and postpunk, these dudes are white hot, to my ears a bit like Quebec’s answer to my favorite current west coast band Weed . Giant open chords slam around like monster trucks, the muscularity tempered by completely inverted takes on blast beats and hardcore riffage. It’s intense, serious and super exciting stuff that alongside contemporaries Les Guenilles , Solids and Poni are cresting a wave of francophone hardcore that is fresh and pushing fire at the edges of it’s own unique envelope.

Doug Tuttle is a psych mage, seemingly of the chaotic-neutral alignment, weaving iridescent tapestries of perfect bliss in each tune. No surprise, as his metier aside from writing great music is creating some of the most gnar boutique stomp boxes with his company Mid-Fi electronics . His self titled full-length which dropped earlier in the year on well-curated label Trouble In Mind is absolute cake for those who like their psych of the Neil Young persuasion, sweet lazy fuzz solos over a laconic pulse. The 60s throwback sound carries over somehow, making the tracks seem fresh and shiny, as you burrow into the deep instrumentation you simply let your mind flow along, like an endlessly spicy acid trip Down By The River…

Sitting in the sweet spot between garage and hardcore, Montreal’s Poni have loosed a behemoth of an album. The drums and fat fuzzed out bass chug machine-like under the thick, sometimes ethereal guitar lines. The vocals spiral in psych’ed out criss-crossing harmonies and they move up the ladder to total obliteration on every breakdown. They alternate between windblown verb-scapes on tracks like “Langue Sale” and charging rocking swagger on “La Meute”. A totally immersive trip of an album that explodes with skill and delicious harmony without ever losing it’s edge, I’d recommend repeat listens.

From the musically rich cauldron of New Jersey, Osaka slices off sweet little obtuse reveries that would bust through any bad mood. Lilting guitar jangle and a command of pop prettiness, this cassette single on rad label Beta Snake is the perfect soundtrack to any sunny ginger-ale afternoon.