The Ladybug Transistor were a Brooklyn-based indie pop group associated with The Elephant Six Collective. Started in 1995 by Gary Olson, Edward Powers and Javier Villegas, the band quickly released Marlborough Farms on Park N’ Ride Records. With Jeff Baron and Jennifer Baron added to the lineup, they released Beverley Atonale in 1997, this time on Merge Records. Powers left the band, and the remaining members, with San Fadyl and Sasha Bell of The Essex Green, embarked on a United States tour. With a more stable lineup, the band released The Albemarle Sound in 1999, as well as added violinist Julia Rydholm, also of The Essex Green, to the lineup. In 2001, Argyle Heir was released, and the band released a self-titled album in 2003 which was recorded in their own Marlborough Farms studio. In April 2006, Fadyl began fighting serious asthma attacks that led to his death in 2007. The band released its sixth album, Can’t Wait Another Day, the same year. This line-up included Kyle Forester (Crystal Stilts) and Ben Crum of Great Lakes.For their seventh album, Clutching Stems, Olson, Forester and Rydholm gathered new recruits Mark Dzula (The Magic Caravan, Jukebox Radio), Eric Farber (The Lisps), and Michael O’Neill (MEN). The album, recorded once again at Marlborough Farms studio and Sunset Cottage, Poconos, was released in 2011 via Merge Records and was their last record.
The Ladybug Transistor are now back with an expanded 25th Anniversary reissue and tour for their timeless indiepop classic album The Albemarle Sound.  

Capitol is a Hamilton, Ontario quintet made up of brothers, RJ and Josh Kemp, Matt and Wes Lintott, and Chris McLaughlin. Over seven years since their debut, they have released one full-length album, Dream Noise, out in 2019 via Meritorio Records, a four-song E.P, All The Rest Of My Heads (2021), an instrumental film score (Light Between Us, 2023) and several singles. Their next effort is their sophomore album, Sounds Like a Place, out November 8th through Meritorio Records. This eleven-song record has been a long time coming, with the initial  recording at Toronto’s Union Sound Company back in the summer of 2022.  Sounds Like a Place bears a mix of the industrial, electric hum of Capitol’s hometown of Hamilton and the shoegazey dream-pop that they’ve been leaning into since their debut single, 2017’s English Girls. This time  heavily inspired by alternative indie artists of the 90s/00s and still  tinged with a dash of 80s New Wave, the album weaves in and out of genre  and decade. Capitol enjoy films, local beer, and making each other cry of laughter with a single glance.

Sassyhiya are real-life as well as musical partners Kathy Wright and Helen Skinner. Shortly after meeting at a Rollerderby game (where Kathy was skating for the amazingly named Ultraviolent Femmes), the couple had their first date at an Austra show in 2011 and have been bonded in music ever since. A mixture of Television and The Sundays, Sassyhiya are the sweet spot between post-punk and indie pop. They know their way around a melody but still keep it wonky. Their influences range from the Breeders and Broadcast to The Go Betweens and Dolly Parton. After Helen finished playing bass in Boys Forever and Basic Plumbing (much missed Veronica Falls musician Patrick Doyle’s final projects), the couple joined with friends Bart McDonagh and Mark Amura to create the cult South London LGBTQ+ band Barry. As Sassyhiya, they released an EP in January 2022, Gum demos, which was written, played, recorded, and mixed themselves at home in Peckham over lockdown. A second EP. Live at Paper Dress Vintage, followed in November 2022, showcasing the band’s new live line up featuring Pablo Paganotto (of Punching Swans) on drums and Neiloy Mookherjee on guitar. They have recorded a live session for Resonance FM and were featured on an episode of cult YouTube music programme Cutscene TV. They have also been included on compilations for Loud Women and Related Records. They have shared bills with the likes of Fat White Family’s Brian Destiny, Big Joanie, Mr Ben and the Bens, Cable Ties, Fightmilk, Breakup Haircut, Lande Hekt and Snoozers. Their debut album, Take You Somewhere is out now via Skep Wax.