today’s rock picks run the full spectrum: a hand-drawn, stop-motion tribute to tavern rock, a swiss power-pop postcard dressed up in beach boys harmonies, a 90s indie rock throwback howling at the moon, and a singapore trio turning a diy goodbye into a road trip anthem. four tracks that all wear their influences proudly.
think yer in luv – joe rian
joe rian delivers his a beauty of a roughed-up rock single with ‘think yer in luv’
think yer in luv leans into warm, slightly worn power pop with just enough blues and roots grit to keep it from ever feeling too polished. mastered by grammy winner gavin lurssen, the same guy behind o brother, where art thou? and raising sand, it’s got a warmth and clarity that really shows. the hooks are simple but they land every time, no unnecessary flash needed. it’s kinda impossible not to hum along by the second chorus. and joe’s vocal? so much character, love it.
joe rian is a chicago based singer-songwriter who grew up in rock falls, illinois, raised on kenny rogers and tanya tucker and a blue collar upbringing that still shows up in every song he writes. these days he leads the a.m. drinkers, a band of old pros playing what he calls tavern rock, and think yer in luv is the first single off his upcoming full length, out this october on his own label. he hand-drew every frame of the video himself, no ai involved, just markers and a lot of patience. that kind of patience is rare, and it’s all over this record. it’s fantastic.
thank u for making this joe rian 🎨
right across the usa – moon construction kit
moon construction kit’s new banger packs such a nostaglic punch that it makes longing sound genuinely fun
right across the usa pairs upbeat power-pop energy with layered vocal harmonies and driving guitars, and it’s got real beach boys and weezer energy running through it. it’s built as a summer road trip track, but there’s a subtler, more introspective undercurrent underneath all that brightness. a kinda quiet longing for a more carefree era, and it’s the big lovely blend of shiny surface and the wistfulness which makes this one pop. a really infectious slice of power pop, hooks all over it.
friend of the blog moon construction kit is the solo project of lausanne based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer olivier cornu, who builds everything himself from melodic indie pop, psych-pop and late-60s influences into a warm, handcrafted sound. he’s been steadily expanding the project one single at a time since introducing it with a debut ep back in 2022. there’s something admirable about building a sound this deliberately, one single at a time. one of the best indie singles this month, without a doubt.
thank u for making this moon construction kit ☀️
lone wolf party – sputnik the band
sputnik the band channels 90s nostalgia into a genuinely irresistible lone wolf party
lone wolf party sounds like it was pulled straight from a bin of vinyl wedged between mazzy star and the smashing pumpkins, all thumping basslines, shimmering synths and eerie, contagious howls at the moon. kendall jane meade joins in on the cries, and the whole thing balances youthful angst with a real shot of adrenaline and melodrama. the retro, vhs-glitch music video only adds to the late-90s time capsule feeling. it’s a genuinely fun listen even when it’s flirting with an apocalyptic edge.
sputnik the band are a new york based duo of vocalist genie morrow and instrumentalist nigel rawles who’ve been collaborating since 2002, building out a whole universe of lo-fi, garage, rock and pop across records like their debut, meet sputnik. their new record, global positioning system, is out now and reflects over two decades of creativity and curiosity. two decades in, they still sound like they’re having more fun than anyone else in the room.
thank u for making this sputnik the band 🐺
leave this behind – elarma
elarma turn a bittersweet goodbye into a genuinely windows-down, rock and roll comfort listen
leave this behind leans harder into its diy rock swagger than you’d expect from a song about moving on, all acoustic storytelling wrapped in genuinely lush harmonies and a loose, road trip momentum. it’s got shades of bic runga and the cranberries running through it, but there’s a rawer, more hand-built energy underneath the nostalgia. the diy music video only adds to that unpolished, made-with-love feeling. it’s a really warm listen for something built around letting go.
elarma are a singapore based alternative indie rock trio built on more than twenty years of collective live experience, and that history is exactly why the harmonies on leave this behind sit together so naturally. the whole thing is cozy, diy production married to real human stories, which is kind of the band’s whole thing. it’s the sound of a band who’s been doing this long enough to make it look effortless.
thank u for making this elarma 🎸
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