Glasgow's The Spook School are like indiepop super heroes, conjuring up some of the most infectious pop tunes we've heard in years, rocking crowds around the world, smashing at the gender binary while grappling with obstacles personal and political -- and having a marvelous time while doing it. Could It Be Different?, the band's third long-player, is a collaborative album of personal storytelling that works through life's hardships with positivity — even at their most beaten down, The Spook School manage to find hope, free of naivety. It's a record full of the insecurities and anxiety that arrive after self-awareness, in learning something new and potentially frightening about yourself. But at it's heart is joy — there's no desolation on the LP, because The Spook School manage to find light in moments of darkness. Why cry when you can dance?

LP » $14.00 CD » $9.00

After 2013's "Hereinwild" Frankie Rose relocated to Los Angeles for what turned out to be a journey of frustration, setbacks and ultimately artistic rejuvenation as Frankie moved back to Brooklyn and hit the studio with renewed vigor and purpose. The result of this existential odyssey is Cage Tropical, Frankie's 4th album. It is awash with vintage synths, painterly effects pedals, upside-down atmosphere and reverberating vocals. It evokes a new wave paranormality of sorts that drifts beyond the songs themselves. From with the shimmery, cinematic and percussive sparkling of the album's opening track "Love in Rockets" to the motorik groove of first single "Trouble" to the epic closer "Decontrol," Cage Tropical is a bold and beautiful statement of purpose from an artist who is once again 100% in control of her music. Mysterious but focused, it is personal redemption turned into fine art.

LP » $17.00 CD » $9.00

Real Numbers follow up their future-classic album Wordless Wonder with this terrific new single. The A-side features a new version of album favorite "Frank Infatuation" - a delirious slice of DIY pop that'd make any fan of early TVPs, The McTells or Cause Co-Motion sit up and take notice. The B-side slows things down for the Pastels-esque ballad "Leave It Behind." Lovely.

After a rather twisted 2016 of travel, change and discovery, Young Guv is back with this new single "Traumatic." Recorded at home on trusty 1/4" analog tape, it's a self-reflective and personal audio snapshot that contrasts nicely with the loud 'n' gritty Ripe 4 Luv. "Traumatic" rides a bubbling programmed groove, blending echo-laden vocals with understated rhythm guitar and a catchy synth hook into a magical new wave roots-pop amalgam. "It Could Be Me" is a classic major chord confection, hearkening back to that cusp-of-the-80s genius of Shoes, Dwight Twilley and Phil Seymour. As always the songs are stuffed with lovely harmonies and heart-stopping melodies, never losing site of power-pop's roots in Buddy Holly, The Beatles and Big Star.

7" » $6.50

The cops haven't been called to the Terry Malts party just yet. After releasing their Lost At The Party album via Slumberland Records and touring the East Coast late last year, the band are continuing their carousing with an all-out US tour and a new single from the album. The single, "It's Not Me," is an uncut punch-up of power-pop in the Flamin' Groovies/Dwight Twilley mold.

Accompanying the album version of "It's Not Me" are three demos recorded by the band's guitarist, Corey Cunningham, prior to the sessions for Lost At The Party. "The demos are a great look into the evolution of our sound for the third album," singer/bassist Phil Benson said. "They're pretty heavy-sounding compared to the more refined versions on the album."

Proper Ornaments is the project of James Hoare (Ultimate Painting, Veronica Falls) and Max Oscarnold (Toy, Pink Flames). Their chance meeting blossomed into an epicurean riot of luminous highs and cold, dismal crashes that conversely produced music that was very well ordered and faintly angelic. While 2014's "Wooden Head" was fuzzy and driving, on "Foxhole" they've sliced away a whole stratum of their sound, removing some distortion and lowering the frequency of plectrum strokes to allow more nuanced, piano-led ideas to emerge. The mood is dreamlike and pastoral, poetic and warmly expressive. Reference points of Velvet Underground and The Jesus & Mary Chain only tell part of the story - there is a cracked, wasted depth to "Foxhole" that draws you deep into the album's soundworld. Crucial.

LP » $14.00 CD » $9.00

We've all been waiting WAY too long for a new Tony Molina record, and this here eight song EP delivers in spades. Leaving the guitar crunch behind, Tony spotlights his formidable songwriting with spare, mostly acoustic arrangements that owe as much to early Bee Gees and Teenage Fanclub's mellower moments as they do to Georges Harrison and Martin. The sadness of this music has precedents in pop's past indeed, but in these songs you hear exactly what Tony found in those influences that shaped his experience -- years upon years of focus and isolation in developing his guitar and writing skills to speak to these truths. The main difference here is that where Tony's previous works felt casual and easy to digest, here we feel the full weight of his emotional needs pressed against the gentlest and most careful music of his career. The record's coda, a highlight reel of Thin Lizzy's "Banshee," indicates that the Tony you knew is still in there, but the game has changed, and the rules are entirely his own. Tony Molina is in complete control of his own destiny, and we should all care about where he's going.

12" vinyl » $14.00

Finally! We're excited to bring you the brilliant debut album from this Minneapolis band whose string of excellent singles and EPs have been staples on the SLR turntable. Well-crafted crash-pop is the order of the day, with echoes of such greats at Television Personalities, The McTells and Cause Co-Motion adding historical color to these great songs. Wordless Wonder's ten tunes are brief and perfectly-formed, benefitting from thoughtful production that expands the band's DIY approach into rich new areas. Cut at 45rpm for maximum oomph, this great album is guaranteed to take a stake out a permanent spot in your "now playing" pile.

LP » $13.00 CD » $8.00

Our punk heroes Terry Malts are back with their third album and it's their boldest pop statement yet. There's always been a melodic core to the Malts sound, but this time around the band has decided to focus on it, using enhanced studio techniques to emphasize the POP. The band's influences have always included flavors like the Flying Nun sound and classic power-pop, and now they put their augmented sonic palette in the service of some of their strongest tunes yet. It's still plenty punk, but also their most sophisticated outing yet.

LP » $13.00 CD » $8.00

Four great bands, two great labels and two continents meet on this stellar mini-LP. Frequent collaborators Slumberland Records and Fortuna POP! team up to bring you "Continental Drift," a smashing eight song sampler of some of the finest pop out there in 2016. Featuring new songs from Mercury Girls, The Spook School, Tigercats and Wildhoney, "Continental Drift," is a stellar survey of the state of independent pop in all its colors: tuneful, noisy, passionate and above all FUN.

LP » $13.00 CD » $8.00 cassette » $6.00

Joanna Gruesome release their first material since the departure of vocalist Alanna McArdle and it shows the band turning the page in a most authoritative fashion. Following a chance meeting in an occult bookshop, the band's new line up features two amazing and inspiring women, Kate Stonestreet (formerly of queer punks Pennycress) on melodic vocals/shouting/screaming and Roxy Brennan (of Two White Cranes and Grubs) on melodic vocals/keyboard, joining Owen Williams (guitar/vocals), George Nicholls (guitar), Max Warren (bass) and Dave Sandford (drums).

Bent Shapes' second album sees them taking their angular, literate indie rock in bold directions. Catchier, tougher and more focused then their debut, Wolves of Want marries smart songwriting to infectious, energetic playing and comes out a winner. With echoes of everyone from The Feelies to The Wedding Present and Unrest, this Boston band knows their history but also knows how to write great tunes, and this is a taut, expertly-written album that is at once personal and universal, reinvigorating indie rock with fresh relevance.

LP » $13.00 CD » $9.00

"Spilt Milk" is the brand new album from indie auteur Pete Astor, previously of The Loft, The Weather Prophets, and other esteemed acts. It was recorded onto 1/2 inch tape at the home studio of James Hoare of Ultimate Painting, The Proper Ornaments and Veronica Falls, with James playing guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and singing backing vocals. "He was", says Astor, "an amazing band." Other contributions came from members of Astor's live band, with Pam Berry (Black Tambourine, Withered Hand) supplying vocals, Jack Hayter (Hefner) on pedal steel, Alison Cotton (The Left Outsides) on viola, and Robin Christian (Male Bonding) and Susan Milanovic (Feathers) on drums.
ʉ۬The album has all the hallmarks of a future Pete Astor classic, drawing together key strands and tributaries of his work over the years, blending intuitive songwriting, acute lyrics and incisive melodies. After many years making more experimental, electronic music Astor has come full circle to the sound that made his name.

The second single from critically acclaimed album Rest And Be Thankful is an old school double A-side: "Broken Glass" and brand new track "Bones," featuring the lo-fi traditional skronk of young upstarts JR Green. "Bones" was written one wintery morning at the window of Inver Cottage, an old fisherman's croft on the shores of Loch Fyne. In December 2015 _Linden (Joe, Marco, Eric and Stuart) went to The Barne Studio in Duntocher with the wonderful JR Green; rehearsed, recorded and mixed the track on the same day. . . old skool! The day was beautifully captured by film-maker and Young Bafta winner Iain Henderson.

The Bay Area's finest folk/pop/psych/garage band returns with "All Odds End," another understated, marvelously-textured guitar pop album featuring a tweaked line-up that now includes the swirling keyboards of Carly Putnam and the rock-solid bass of Matt Bullimore. "All Odds End" is full of folky, garagey flavors that echo the Paisley Underground and the best of New Zealand's underground pop. The lovely, sympathetic production by Jason Quever (Papercuts, The Donkeys, Elisa Ambroglio) only serves to underline the timeless nature of the tunes, songs that are at once familiar and fresh and place The Mantles into a category all their own.

LP » $10.00 LP » $11.00 CD » $8.00

From The Boy Hairdressers, to The Groovy Little Numbers, to BMX Bandits, Superstar and even guest spots with Teenage Fanclub, Joe McAlinden has long been one of the key figures in the Scottish pop scene. Now he's back with his second album under the name Linden, and it's a peach. Like 2012's Bleached Highlights, the new album features Edwyn Collins behind the mixing desk, to help tease out the nuances in these gorgeously soulful pop songs. Joe is absolutely at the top of his game, making warm, melodic, emotionally literate music of the sort we just don't hear enough of anymore.

LP » $13.00 CD » $9.00

Baltimore's premier indiepop trio Expert Alterations have one eyebrow arched as they survey the surrounding pop landscape -- they know they can do better. Strip it down, keep it lean, sweat off the fat. Despite their propensity for reducing the elements of pop to its essential core, Expert Alterations are minimal, but not skeletal -- their bones are strong and their songs linger long after the music is over. The band's influences range from the well-trod (TVPs, The Wedding Present) to roads less traveled (Yeah Yeah Noh, Close Lobsters) and they process them into songs that can stand side-by-side with such standard-bearers. We loved their cassette demo from 2014 so much that we somehow finagled the band into letting us press this limited vinyl EP. One-sided with hand-stamped labels and a silk-screened jacket, it's a perfect pop artifact and one that won't be around for long.

12" vinyl » $10.00