Scottish indie-pop band wojtek the bear, fronted by Tam Killean, formed in 2016 and released their debut album, a talent for being unreasonable, via Scottish Fiction, in 2018, followed by heaven by the backdoor in 2021 via Last Night From Glasgow. They have since played across the UK and Europe. Their third album, shaking hands with the NME, was released in April 2024 and, on 22 May 2026, they returned with a stunning new album, i don’t think you want to hear this, again via Last Night From Glasgow. Staying true to their tradition of outdoing themselves, this release sparkles with understated elegance and the band’s trademark wit. Recorded at Beetroot Studios in Airdrie, the band worked closely with acclaimed producer Bill Ryder-Jones (Swim Deep, Yard Act, The Wytches) and engineer Stuart MacLeod (Sister John, The Bluebells, Brontës) to bring the collection to life.
Early Days, the debut mini-album by Stuttgart-based duo The Simple Present (Cathrin on vocals and guitar and Sabine on backing vocals and keyboard) is a quietly enchanting release that feels instantly familiar to anyone who loves classic indie pop. Drawing from the jangly melancholy of Sarah Records, the DIY charm of Marine Girls and The Gentle Waves, and the melodic warmth of Swedish indie pop acts such as Sambassadeur and Alpaca Sports, the duo craft songs that are tender, unhurried, and deeply comforting. Nothing here shouts for attention. Instead, the album unfolds with a gentle emotional tension, carried by sparkling guitar lines, soft harmonies and melodies that linger long after the music fades. Tracks such as I Found Something, Summer Triangle, and Words of Encouragement highlight their gift for turning everyday observations into quietly memorable pop songs. What makes Early Days so appealing is its sincerity: it sounds like a collection of songs lovingly discovered and shared. Gentle, melodic, and full of heart, it is one of those indiepop records that sneaks up on you and refuses to let go. Across eight beautifully crafted songs, Cathrin and Sabine favour subtlety and delicacy with unassuming arrangements that create an atmosphere of warmth and quiet reflection, allowing the melodies to shine naturally. Every track is infused with charm, intelligence and emotional honesty, but what makes Early Days so special is its effortless authenticity. Cathrin’s voice, despite its perfect English diction, carries a faint but fascinating “Teutonic” quality: slightly restrained, almost as if it prefers understatement over the crystalline euphoria often associated with classic Anglophone indie pop. These songs never feel calculated; instead, they unfold with patience and grace, revealing new details with every listen.
American Cream Band was formed around thirteen years ago by Twin Cities musician Nathan Nelson. Its music emerged from improvised live performances that were later transformed into exhilarating, fully immersive studio albums. The band’s first three records, along with several singles and EPs, were released on labels such as Moon Glyph and Medium Sound. Presents, released in 2023, marked the first collaboration between Nelson’s collective and the esteemed label Quindi Records from Florence, Italy. With Twin, released on June 6, American Cream Band delivers what may well be its masterpiece to date. Built around the concept of duality, the album thrives on contrasts: movement and reflection, tension and release, masculine and feminine energies, all intertwined through the magnetic vocal interplay between Nathan Nelson and the outstanding Liz Buhmann. Drawing on krautrock, post-punk, funk, psychedelia, and art-pop, Twin balances bold experimentation with an immediate and infectious sense of groove. Tracks such as Don’t Burn the House Down and Ethical Vampire showcase the band’s dynamic, improvisational spirit, while the more contemplative moments reveal a sensitivity and subtlety that enrich the album’s overall vision. What makes Twin so compelling is its ability to reconcile opposites without sacrificing momentum or cohesion. Sonically rich, boldly expressive, and deeply collaborative, the album feels both expansive and focused: a celebration of connection, creativity, and collective energy in uncertain times. The illegitimate offspring of a collective sexual congress between early Talking Heads and The B-52s, American Cream Band channels a raw yet sophisticated energy that feels strangely out of time. Their music seems to belong to an era when optimism still outweighed disillusionment. In that sense, Twin may be the antidote we desperately need to escape the darkness and hopelessness that this filthy world has thrown us into.
Julian Elorduy has been making music since he was fifteen, moving from the noise-soaked chaos of Mayyors to the jangling indie-pop of Fine Steps and, later, the more solitary reflections of Pious Fiction as Julian Never. With this first solo work, Elorduy demonstrates an indomitable creative spirit and an uncommon courage in subverting the genres from which he avowedly draws inspiration. Pious Fiction is a work that expresses great love for the past, but not subjugation to it. His new album, Everyday is Purgation, released in February via Mt. St. Mtn. Records, “awakens on the other side of a Dark Night of the Soul drawing on the writings of mystic, St. John of the Cross, stripping away comforting narratives in order to see what remains with a clearer, more ascetic eye”. It’s Julian at his most exposed, shaped equally by the underground that raised him and the melodic pop that continues to haunt him.
Indie Sunset in Rome 