mp3hugger

Presidio – Lose Myself

hugger — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:28:41 +0000

Had me reminded of the Traveling Wilburys at first but there is more pop to ‘Lose Myself’ than you’d ever find in that troupe. And it comes from a singer who has a lightness of being and an ability to deliver melodies at will. There is a hint of country but only in the way the Pretenders used to do, so there is a trace of punk here but it never takes from what is a romantic swoon of a tune. Gorgeous stuff from this Gabriella De La Cruz led troupe. KH

More Info: Official
Hear More Songs: Any Joy?
Year: 2026

Any Joy? – Where It Goes

hugger — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:19:45 +0000

The sort of song that has a most inclusive feel about it, the sort that may well include a singalong and the sort of campfire effect where we all feel part of something special. So good on the Japanese/English collab Any Joy? for evoking such a sense of warmth in a world that is so often devoid of it. I certainly came away from ‘Where It Goes’ like the comfort blanket had been applied but in a joyous way so in the short term at least the future looked rosy. KH

More Info: Official
Hear More Songs: Any Joy?
Year: 2026

Dylan Rockwell – Tank Parade

hugger — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:17:15 +0000

Sounds to me like we’ve been dragged back several decades, back when folk had a fire and a fury with ‘Tank Parade’ sending plenty of shells our way. But they come in the form of pearls of wisdom and nuggets of melodic intention (and a chorus to swoon over) so while Dylan Rockwell might have chosen an unconventional approach there is a glow from start to finish. In short we are dealing with urgency here but also vitality that we can’t be without. KH

tank parade by Dylan Rockwell

More Info: Official
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Year: 2026

Tony Leonardi – Relief

hugger — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:11:10 +0000

You could tell early on that Chicago’s Tony Leonardi has wide horizons and it might be from waking up in time for sunrise every morning. ‘Relief’ sounds like it is there at that moment, the dawn of realisation and inspiring this artist into a post Jean Michel Jarre electronic pop circumstance. There is much going on beyond the motorik too, a well of inspiration for the rest of us to drink from so that we’ll be enriched from this moment forward. KH

More Info: Official
Hear More Songs: Tony Leonardi
Year: 2026

House, Once Ours – The Raven

hugger — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:40:00 +0000

‘The Raven’ swoops into our space like an auld school folk drift, some brass and melancholy and a good deal of quiet reflection so it just seems to sync with that overarching sense of morningness that so defines the early hours. Massachusetts’ House, Once Ours make their stay all the more memorable because there is depth to their expression and it had me reacting like Grizzly Bear or Midlake were in the room. In other works ‘The Raven’ is most irresistible. KH

No Beauty Can Move Me Now by House, Once Ours

More Info: Official
Hear More Songs: House, Once Ours
Year: 2026

Pterocat – Anti

hugger — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:01:51 +0000

Always a degree of intrigue when it comes to Atlanta’s Pterocat, no little romance either as the cooing is a complete match for all the guitar noodling. In fact on this occasion this singer shows us ways to let all that suppressed embrace out into the world. There were flashes of the Sundays but a duet of sorts emerges so we know there is not only a sense of longing but also a real chance of the happy ever after. Unconventionally spellbinding. KH

Anti by Pterocat

More Info: Official
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Year: 2026

Loser Demon – New Year, New Hell

hugger — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:05:14 +0000

The best advice for those about to press play on ‘New Year, New Hell’ would be to hold onto your hat because there is a rollercoaster on the way. We knew California’s Loser Demon were capable of it but on this evidence they’ve shifted up a gear as the combination of rip-roaring guitars, beats that won’t quit and a singer who is not only high on life he might be high on every experience that comes his way. ‘New Year, New Hell’ is like a bull in a china shop, but broken crockery won’t be the outcome for most because something this ebullient is a force for returning pulses to their former glory. The lead single taken from the band’s latest release ‘EP3’ is gusto set to music, and anyway you can always buy a new hat. KH

EP3 by Loser Demon

More Info: Official
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Year: 2026

Ancient Channels – Hex Beat

hugger — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 11:04:03 +0000

Ancient Channels sure left nothing behind for ‘Hex Beat’ is a haunting ode to the nineties sound. It has dreampop and shoegaze overtures but there is a motorik in there as well as psychedelic rendering that feels all encompassing. So it turns off the lights in terms of ordinary dayness and shows us a good time in terms of the possibility of the frantic night. This Brisbane act thrive by packing a fine tune amid all the undercurrents. KH

Hex Beat by Ancient Channels

More Info: Official
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Year: 2026

Great Klons – Hidden Signage

hugger — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 10:01:00 +0000

There is jangle and there is rummaging through the Velvet Underground’s locker of understated angst. And it comes across all charming and approachable in the hands of Great Klons (Scott Klon and friends) who reminded me of the very great Delgados here, especially when the vocals entwined and the strings kicked in to remind us that there is a brand of innocent and perfect indie pop out there for us if we truly want it. There were tears forming at the sheer beauty of it all. KH

Great Klons · 04 Hidden Signage

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Year: 2026

House, Once Ours – Fourth Floor

hugger — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:37:17 +0000

The horns are such that you’d be feeling like the dawn has arrived for a day that promises so much. Reminded me of Sufjan Stevens in the first instance, that innocent folk tone and never striking a mood that is anything other than wonder filled. In other words a gentle sway to calm and soothe and a vehicle for getting us back on an even keel. Add in singalong sections and you have a recipe for a return to a meadow of smiles. KH

No Beauty Can Move Me Now by House, Once Ours

More Info: Official
Hear More Songs: House, Once Ours
Year: 2026

Brodie Milner – A Hateful Song

hugger — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 11:40:54 +0000

Well it did warn us but the opening acoustic dashes gave off a warm feeling. A similar reaction from a folk singer who pulls from the most honest place imaginable. Things do turn anthemic too, never coarse and in fact resulting in the kind of chest thumping rhetoric that could have a successful run at the festival season. In effect ‘A Hateful Song’ pushes with authenticity but pleasingly feels unique and very much its own entity. Majestic agitation. KH

Brodie Milner · A Hateful Song

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Year: 2026

Tiffy – Drive Thru Deja Vu

hugger — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 09:28:50 +0000

Has a tumble down effect alright, the sort that would remind of those hazy trouble free indie music filled 90’s summer days. Tiffy (Tiffany Sammy) have a way about them that sounds completely thrown together, but which never forgets to include a tune so we’re waltzing and lolloping in time with every second ‘Drive Thru Deja Vu’. Psychedelic moments just add the woozy and expansive feel, there’s enough ideas here in fact to fill an entire LP. KH

TIFFY · Drive Thru Deja Vu

More Info: Official
Hear More Songs: Tiffy
Year: 2026