The House Flies – Lost Literature
The House Flies return with 'Lost Literature', a darkly melodic post-punk beauty from the Illinois four-piece that pulses with restless Midwestern energy
'Lost Literature' opens on a crunchy snare you can move to and never quite lets go. The bass is dreamy and upbeat while layered guitars wash over everything, building a wall that still leaves room for the vocals to cut through. Lyrically, it's highway nights, rental cars, low radio static, fragmented memory. The heavy chorus gives it a pop-forward pull without abandoning its darker roots. There's something hypnotic in the repetition, the way it circles back like driving the same stretch of road at 2am. Superb dark alternative, immediate and built to stick.
The House Flies are back with us again after 'Sweet Foxhound' last year. They're a four-piece from Moline, Illinois, drawing on goth rock, shoegaze and grunge while keeping a distinctly Midwestern sense of place. 'Lost Literature' is the second single from their upcoming album Lions and Ore, out November 6. It's the first full-length to feature the current lineup. The record promises longer arrangements, heavier transitions and rural imagery. It's a combination we very much are into, and recommend this single heartily.
Seema Farswani – Born To Fly
Seema Farswani's 'Born To Fly' is a soaring cross-continental anthem, fusing rock guitars with sitar and Hindi vocals into something uplifting and beautifully realised.
'Born To Fly' opens big and stays there. The guitars hit with real weight, but it's the interplay with Ananya Wadkar's sitar and Hindi vocals that gives this track its distinctive character. There's a cinematic sweep to the arrangement, layered voices building toward something anthemic without tipping into bombast. Rishabh Sharma's production keeps the rock energy driving forward while leaving space for the South Asian textures to breathe, and the chord build is just a Janet Jackson-esque heart-wrencher. The message lands too: courage, possibility, the freedom to dream beyond whatever horizon you've been handed. Superb cinematic rock, expansive and emotionally direct.
Seema Farswani is an Indian American singer-songwriter and producer based in Singapore, here again only a few weeks after 'Runways (Sunset Mix)'. This one came together through a cross-border collaboration with musicians from Singapore and Mumbai, including guitarist and co-producer Rishabh Sharma and sitar artist Ananya Wadkar. This one's a real gem, and we're excited to see where her genre-fluid approach takes her next.
Andrew Shier – Rusted and Weathered
Andrew Shier's 'Rusted and Weathered' is a warm, road-worn alt-country gem from Hamilton, a song that earns its title and then some.
'Rusted and Weathered' sits right in the sweet spot between acoustic intimacy and full-band warmth. The guitar work is understated but textured, layering folk and Americana influences without ever crowding the vocal. This one's produced like a dream, has a lovely performance at its' heart, all unhurried, a little weathered itself. And whoever's on the guitar here, is doing a fine, fine job. Lovely alt-country songwriting, tender and defiant.
Andrew Shier is a Hamilton-based multi-instrumentalist with music in his blood: his great-grandfather was Canadian big band leader Wally Perkins. He cut his teeth recording full albums solo before forming indie rock outfit Ten Minute Detour, who have three LPs under their belt. This track is the first single from his upcoming EP 'Bluebell', produced alongside Marcus Paquin and already signed to Gravel Pit Music for sync. It's a stunner, and I can't wait to hear more. More please Andrew Shier.
New Sunday – Here I Am Meant To BE
New Sunday's 'Here I Am Meant To Be' is a beautiful indie folk single from Iceland, story-first songwriting that earns every moment.
'Here I Am Meant To Be' takes its time. The arrangement stays open, giving the vocal room to carry the narrative without anything crowding it out. There's a country warmth in the chord progression, maybe a wee hint of Latin rock at the edges, but the core is pure indie folk: unhurried, careful, built around a lyric that clearly came first. Lizzie's voice threads through the melody with real patience, and the production keeps things clean. Lovely indie folk songwriting, warm and assured.
New Sunday is a studio project from Hafnarfjördur, Iceland, led by songwriter Einar Askelsson. Einar writes the songs, poems first, then builds arrangements using Hookpad before passing files to vocalist Lizzie and producer Simon. This is their fourth single. Einar came to music twelve years ago during recovery from CPTSD, picking up a guitar each morning to work through anxiety. We're really glad to have them on the blog, because this one really gets you in the feels.
Sarina – Hell has frozen over
Sarina's 'Hell has frozen over' is a fierce Tokyo alt-rock anthem, the sound of someone finally done explaining themselves.
'Hell has frozen over' hits hard from the jump. Guitars crunch with real weight while drums drive forward without letting up. It's a song about reaching the end of circular conversations, about recognising that apologies mean nothing when behaviour never shifts. That distinction between forgiveness and permission sits at the track's emotional core, and the arrangement matches it: raw, urgent, refusing to soften. I love the vocal here, and Kevin Thrasher's production keeps things muscular but clear. Brilliant alt-rock, unapologetic and deeply felt.
Sarina is a bilingual artist based in Tokyo, born in Hawaii to a Lebanese mother and Japanese father. After her debut EP through Sony's RED label, she co-founded SyrenSong with Warner/ADA distribution. Her recent EPs with Thrasher marked a sharp turn from pop into something fiercer. She's landed Spotify's New Music Friday across multiple countries and headlined the 2025 Japan Canada Music Festival. Pretty cool, right? With a new album on the way, we're really excited to hear what comes next.