AVERY FRIEDMAN
ARTIST DISCOVERED
Ever since Avery Friedman released her debut album, her songs have been a constant in my life, and quite a few of them have become really special to me. After finally getting my hands on the vinyl, there was really only one thing left on my wishlist: hearing those songs live. And it looks like that’s finally happening. Avery is heading over to Europe for a few shows in November, including a stop in Berlin. In the meantime, she’s just released a brand-new track called You Move, along with a little hint that her second album is coming in 2027. Plenty to look forward to, and I’m already pretty excited about all of it. I’ve written about her debut LP New Thing over HERE.
KILLER SONG MOMENTS
With You Move, I can’t really pick out one particular moment. It’s the way all the different elements come together that makes the song work so well. The slightly distorted guitars and the raspy saxophone blend naturally with the rest of the instrumentation. Sometimes a little off-kilter, deliberately rough around the edges, but never losing its lovely pop sensibility.
FAVORITE LYRIC LINE
Or can a melody be made / from a fracturing, from surrendering (surrendering)?
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
warm | slightly fuzzy | playful
Avery Friedman on tour:
- 10|31|2026 – London Calling Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 11|04|2026 – The Elephant’s Head, London, UK
- 11|05|2026 – Sidney & Matilda, Sheffield, UK
- 11|07|2026 – Simple Things Festival, Bristol, UK
- 11|09|2026 – Fulford Arms, York, UK
- 11|15|2026 – Neue Zukunft, Berlin, Germany
KNIFEPLAY
BAND DISCOVERED
Knifeplay started out as the solo project of musician TJ Strohmer. I think I first became aware of them around 2022, when they signed with Topshelf Records. But I never really took the time to properly dive into their music. A few snippets here and there, but nothing more. Their latest release, Love Song, has made me realize just how much I’ve been missing out on. What an epic piece of music, what an emotional journey. Ever since the song dropped on October 5, I haven’t been able to shake those ten minutes. And the accompanying short film? It absolutely moves me. I have such a soft spot for this kind of artistic, deeply emotional expression. Love Song also reminds me of a long-lost song idea that could have come straight from Wilco.
KILLER SONG MOMENTS
It’s about two wounded people reaching for each other, not because love can undo the damage, but because holding on to someone might be the closest thing to healing they know. And I can feel that in the music, too. From beginning to end, this song feels like a warm embrace. It wraps itself around you, without needing grand gestures or too many words, yet carrying so much emotion. Sometimes, simply being held is enough.
FAVORITE LYRIC LINE
I’ll put my arms around you / You are hurt and I’m hurt too / I’ll put my arms around you / I feel how we’ve changed / But can we forgive too?
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
haunting | cathartic | immersive
BESIDES THAT
Now I’m incredibly excited for the new full-length album coming in January, and I’m just as happy knowing that there’s an entire back catalog waiting for me to discover.
STRANGE PAINS
ARTIST DISCOVERED
Strange Pains is the moniker of musician Ted Bradley. I first came across Ted and his music after Noel Heroux (Mass Gothic / Hooray For Earth) shared one of his posts on Instagram. Noel also contributes musically to the track Soon And So On and is responsible for the artwork of the forthcoming full-length The Diamond District I, due out in October. Judging by the four advance tracks released so far, I’m very much looking forward to hearing the album in full.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
fuzzy | eccentric | multifaceted
BESIDES THAT
The forthcoming album is produced by Cymbals Eat Guitars’ Joseph D’Agostino, with whom Bradley also played in Empty Country. While D’Agostino was very much the driving force behind Empty Country, the roles are more or less reversed with Strange Pains, with Bradley now taking the lead. According to Stereogum, The Diamond District is planned as a two-part release featuring a total of 18 songs. Part I is arriving now, with Part II set to follow at a later date.
SEKO
BAND DISCOVERED
Most likely thanks to the whole Milly bubble, I stumbled upon the band Seko. A bittersweet consolation, considering that Milly recently called it quits. Milly singer Brendan Dyer plays drums in Seko, and the sound of the band around Justice Vaughn Ott treads similar ground to Milly. The trio is completed by bassist Marlon Mara LeNoble. The newly released EP Seko 1000 sounds absolutely spot-on to my ears. Extended riffs, a grunge attitude, and a shoegazing touch – the band’s style and the sound simply fit my listening habits perfectly.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
fuzzy | raw | introspective
BESIDES THAT
The band has pressed an initial run of just 200 copies on vinyl. One of the best things about small bands is how easy and personal the communication is. Right now, I’m in touch with Justice to figure out how we can get a copy of the record over to Germany. Fingers crossed that we can make it happen.
WISH
More attention, more success, and even more records. And someday, a tour with a stop in Cologne – joking. But all wishful thinking aside: I simply hope the band gets seen.
MYVERONICA
BAND DISCOVERED
I’m part of Generation X, and growing up as a teenager in the early ’90s – right in the middle of the grunge and post-grunge explosion – left a lasting mark on me. So whenever I discover new bands like MyVeronica, thanks to Sunday Drive Records, I’m instantly hit with a warm sense of nostalgia. This is exactly the kind of music I want to sink into and lose myself in. Sick Sad World is the first taste of their upcoming album, I Hope There’s Music In Heaven, out on October 18, 2026.
KILLER SONG MOMENTS
The song’s tempo and dynamic shift around the 1:30 mark works beautifully.
FAVORITE LYRIC LINE
Search for something I know / I won’t ever find / I would like to believe / I will find a way / To keep you by my side
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
melancholic | cathartic | introspective
BESIDES THAT
I pre-ordered the album without hearing it first. Here’s the pre-order link: MyVeronica – I Hope There’s Music In Heaven
WISH
Of course, seeing them live.
PILEUP
BAND DISCOVERED
After discovering Flesh And Bone Records through Greet Death and Seth Beck, I decided to dive into the label’s back catalog and give some of its releases a listen. I have to admit, not many of them were familiar to me. But that’s hardly surprising when you’re based in Cologne and exploring the output of a small do-it-together independent label from Chicago.
So I started clicking my way through the catalog, initially making the admittedly superficial decision of judging records by their cover art. That’s how I ended up with Pileup and their second full-length, Leave The Light On, released on cassette in collaboration with Pleasure Tapes Ltd.
From the opening moments of „Chain“ and the follow-up „Lightning,“ I was completely hooked. This is exactly my kind of record. Even though the second half slows things down a bit and occasionally drifts into more sentimental territory, I thoroughly enjoy what this Portland-based band brings to the table. It’s straightforward indie (slow)rock with a handful of unexpected twists, delivered with complete confidence and an effortless sense of ease. Pacific Northwest at its finest.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
raw | introspective | unpretentious
BESIDES THAT
The instrumental outpouring in No Pyre, No Remembrance which sets a poem by vocalist Nathan Urbach to music before flowing seamlessly into the minimalistic Lying In The Road is a defining moment. Plus the haunting Omen On the Rail with its hypnotically monotone vocal delivery, draws me in deeper with every listen.
WISH
Maybe someday there will be a vinyl available.
