LOVE CRY
BAND DISCOVERED
Over the past few years, Sunday Drive Records has become a reliably safe bet when it comes to my personal taste in music. Love Cry’s debut EP has been out since November 2025 and is now also available on CD. If you’re into Enumclaw, this should be right up your alley, sometimes I think it’s between Calexico and Minus The Bear — intricate details paired with driving electronic beats and smooth indie textures.
KILLER SONG MOMENTS
I Don’t Feel A Thing really comes alive at 2:20 min, when that striking, rough-edged melody kicks in after the second verse.
FAVORITE LYRIC LINE
Ditching the bar, head out into the dark
I sat alone, on the empty train ride home
I got to thinking, I’m not so sure I know what love is
Not one to cry, I can’t let out what I don’t have inside (from I Don’t Feel A Thing)
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
melancholy | emo | differently | smooth
WISH
Let’s keep our fingers crossed that these wonderful songs will make it to vinyl soon.
FOXING
FOXING at Tiny Desk Concert with a beautiful three song set from 2019.
00:15 Slapstick
04:09 Nearer My God
07:27 Grand Paradise
MAUVE
BAND DISCOVERED
I think it was through a combination of posts from the band Growing Pains and their label Rad Radicals that the algorithm dropped mauve into my timeline sometime in 2023 or 2024. Their song Two has since found its way into quite a few playlists, and I keep playing it at parties as well. Since mid-2024, however, the band has gone quiet and announced an indefinite hiatus, which is still ongoing. Let’s see if there’s a resurrection at some point.
KILLER SONG MOMENTS
The hard breaks, the rhythm, the outbursts, the emotional intensity. A pretty solid all-around package.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
math | midwest emo | fast | catchy
WISH
A vinyl release at some point. Even if it’s unlikely.
DRAAG
BAND DISCOVERED
I discovered DRAAG through social media posts and announcements from their label, Smoking Room, and right from the start I really loved their experimental noise pop that completely flooded my ears. Now it’s not just about listening to their current EP Miracle Drug on repeat, but also about getting to know their earlier output.
CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY
noisey | pop | nostalgic | hazy
WISH
That the band finds a distributor for Europe.
LEISURE HOUR
RECORD: …and to this
RELEASED: 01|30|2026
LABEL: Counter Intuitive Records
COLOUR | EDITION: Iridescent Blue, Limited to 700
FAVORITE TRACKS: IF I COULD KILL YOU (I WOULD), Morning Song, Happy Birthday!, Roku City, jenny
PURCHASED: Counter Intuitive Records
BAND DISCOVERED
I came across Leisure Hour simply through promotion by Counter Intuitive Records. After releasing bands like Macseal, Phony, Origami Angel, or Just Friends, the label has built a strong reputation with me. With Leisure Hour, the song jenny was the final push that really won me over.
WISH
I wish more bands from this label would come to Europe. The overall output is really strong.
JUAN CORDERO
RECORD: Songs About Ghosts
RELEASED: 10|31|2023
LABEL: Sunday Drive Records
COLOUR | EDITION: Black, 108g Limited to 200
FAVORITE TRACKS: Halfstep90, Trouble, DRIP, Transient Moments, Pink Cloud
PURCHASED: Deathwish
ARTIST DISCOVERED
What initially caught my attention was, first and foremost, the incredibly strong and sometimes spooky artwork of the vinyl. Around the time of its release, the image kept appearing in my timeline, shared repeatedly by Sunday Drive Records and Deathwish Records. At some point, my curiosity was piqued about who was hiding behind the Bert mask. It turned out to be Juan Cordero, also known as Jonathan Perez, guitarist of Trauma Ray. Under the alias Juan Cordero, Perez releases his solo material. Songs About Ghosts is, from the very first note to the last, an incredibly rewarding listen. For fans of Elliott Smith, Pavement or Dinosaur Jr.
BESIDES THAT
It was great to briefly meet Jonathan at the Trauma Ray show in Cologne. In all the excitement, I called him Juan — which, in a way, he is as well. So, sorry about that, Jon.
WISH
Definitely deserving of more attention, more songs, and, of course, a live experience someday.
