Update 8 Post Ween Fall For Real

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Losing my evil and malicious vibe because halloween is freaking over!!! But now it's time to get super cozy and drink warm drinks and sit under blankets and watch movies and junk like that. One thing you can do while in your nest is listen to one of these albums..... These are the highest reviewed albums of the past month. DJs... these are for you. Or for anyone who cares about what music staff thinks (spoiler alert they think great and intelligent thoughts only).


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Fashion Club - A Love You Cannot Shake

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: synth pop
    RIYL: Broken Social Scene, Soccer Mommy, yeule

"Catharsis in album format. Almost every track has an explosive crescendo that ends in a mass of sound, sounding like the equivalent of a musical waterfall. The production feels reminiscent of a big orchestra, building up to a big moment by slowly adding instruments part by part. Tons of unique, crunchy synth moments and driving drums, and her vocals are amazing both when solo and when heavily edited. Super experimental and very very engaging. " - Rachel Myers

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Pom Pom Squad - Mirror Starts Moving Without Me

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: Pop punk/ pop
    RIYL: LOLO, Olivia Rodrigo, Kailee Morgue

"This album is very ethereal and sounds like it would work well as part of a TV show score! I personally just loved the doll symbolism, dreamy and haunting vocals, and female lead pop/Pop punk music!"- Carsyn Cole

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villagerrr - Tear Your Heart Out

    Rating: 7/10
    Genre: indie
    RIYL: Stereolab/Laetita Sadier, Otto Benson, Spirit of the Beehive, Broadcast

"Solid album overall, but definitely has its weak points. The solo vocals get bland, but most tracks have either a featured vocalist or some type of stacked harmony incorporated to fix this. Runs the risk of sounding repetitive, but most of the tracks incorporate different elements (Low has shoegaze elements, Come Right Back has a distinct twang, Honesty pulls out some fun guitar moments), which makes it still engaging. The lyrics are incredibly vulnerable, I love them."- Rachel Myers

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Pipe-eye - Pipe-defy

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: Alternative rock
    RIYL: I Don't Know How But They Found Me, Tame Impala, Gorillaz

"I LOVED THIS!!!!!! Super creative psych rock with a huge mix of instruments. Tons of synths, random sound effects, flute riffs????, bass lines that make you subconsciously bop your head - every track is sonically very busy, but it WORKS. Super retro feel with unique lyrics and an even more unique sound. So funky and whimsical and weird I am in love." - Rachel Myers

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The Linda Lindas - No Obligation

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: Alt/punk
    RIYL: Amyl and The Sniffers, Le Tigre, Mannequin Pussy

"The Linda Lindas are so effin' awesome. They are such a great live band and I love how energetic they are. This new album is so good. " - Irene Moran

Update 7 Fall is Freaking Awesome

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YESSS It's fall for WPTS which means that only cool and good things are happening. Forget your midterms forget your worries we have the halloween showcase we have great music to listen to and most of all we have eachother (awwwwwwwww). Here are the albums from like most of September and all of October thus far (as of 10/8/2024) that music staff loved. DJS!!!!!! This is for you.,,...,..




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Merce Lemon - Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild

    Rating: 9/10
    Genre: folk/indie
    RIYL: Waxahatchee, Faye Webster, Big Thief

"This is so good. Such a fall-ish album. PLUS A LOCAL ARTIST YESSSSS. I highly recommend this album. It was so so relaxing. " - Irene Moran

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Lutalo - The Academy

    Rating: 7/10
    Genre: Indie folk
    RIYL: Alex G, MJ Lenderman, Big Thief

"Folk mixed with indie rock and electronic elements. A lot of more experimental tracks with synthesizers - clear slacker rock inspirations. Great concept album about childhood and growing up - reeks of nostalgia, a reflection on both good and the bad parts of the past."- Rachel Myers

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Peel Dream Magazine - Rose Main Reading Room

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: indie
    RIYL: Stereolab/Laetita Sadier, Otto Benson, Spirit of the Beehive, Broadcast

"By far one of the most whimsical albums I have ever listened to. No two tracks were the same-some were lounge pop and bossa nova-inspired, some were standard chill indie, some were almost. The one thing they all had in common was the same beautiful, subtle joy they all had. While this is to be expected from an album named after a room in the New York Public Library, this album still exceeded all of those expectations. Perfect music for reading/biking/frolicking/smiling/laughing"- Ro Ramirez

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worlds greatest dad - Better Luck Next Time

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: Alternative rock
    RIYL: Big Thief, Waxahatchee, Angel Olsen

"This album is actually so epic. I recognized the band name and immediately wanted to review the album. I followed them on Instagram and they followed me back (WOWZA). They remind me of Sweet Pill! Also the lyrics in the songs just hit SO much. I feel like once I listen to this again, it'll get a 10/10 for sure. It is a great fall album. " - Irene Moran

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Foxing - Foxing

    Rating: 7/10
    Genre: Emo Rock/Metal
    RIYL: Knocked Loose, My Chemical Romance, Soundgarden

"Emo-rock base for mix of airy, heady vocals with screamo moments. Use of blown-out synthesizers highlight certain songs. Relentless use of instruments, seems like every song features a new instrumentation. Lots of soft-to-loud climaxes. Drums had a 80s like reverb to them. I liked it, though admittedly it's not my usual taste. " - Alec Tetzlaff

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Enumclaw- Home in Another Life

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: rock
    RIYL: Golden Apples, Horsegirl, Tanukichan

"For me personally the vocals clashed a lot with the music style, but that being said the tracks themselves were upbeat and fun to listen to. Very rock-y shoegaze-y indie-y album; the first listen through it didn't really strike me all that much but J really enjoyed it the second time around. I had never listened to Enumclaw before this but they have a new fan now!" - Ro Ramirez

Update 6 Doing it LIVE

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The great gears of WPTS Music have been turning at an unprecedented rate. We have been churning out classics like you would never believe. Yes this is going to be biweekly now. This includes the review for the great MJ Lenderman (some are saying this is aoty but remains to be seen). So DJs..... you know what to do




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MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks

    Rating: 9/10
    Genre: indie
    RIYL: Wednesday, Alex G, Songs: Ohia

"WOW!!! MJ Lenderman had built up a lot of hype going into this album from his standout singles such as "She's Leaving You" and "Joker Lips", but he definitely delivered with the rest of the tracks as well. I have been unable to put this album down since I first heard it, due to infectious melodies and hooks spanning songs such as "You Don't Know the Shape I'm In" and the title track "Manning Fireworks". I think this is a must listen for any fan of indie music in general, this will be one for the ages." - Eric

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Claude Fontaine - La Mer

    Genre: Bossa Nova
    RIYL: Astrud Gilberto, Bob Marley, Lee "Scratch" Perry

"I was pretty surprised by this album, not what I expected. It is a near equal mix of Brazilian style and Jamaican style music. The Brazilian songs ranging from Samba to more like Bossa Nova. And the Jamaican songs from loud, classic reggae songs to bass-heavy dub ones. The instrumental being composed by two different, talented groups of musicians. Calude's singing is nice, kind of like a soft whispering. But she does sing the same way for all the songs. I preferred the reggae songs more, best ones being "Love The Way You Love" and "Laissez-Moi L'aimer." The highlight of these tracks was the catchy and ever-changing bass-playing by Ronnie McQueen. It is also really loud and deep in the mix. My favorite of the Brazilian songs was Vaquero and Reliquia. The album started with some energy, which was relaxed by the middle, but I found the very end a bit too slow. These songs are conventional for their genres, so how much you like this music may depend on how much you like that kind of music. But personally, I thought it was consistently good, truly no bad song, and a breath into the rotation of my usual music."- Brendan Kane

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Matches Laces - Matches Laces

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: indie
    RIYL: Slow Pulp, Tanukichan, Alex G

"Yeah so this is awesome. I love the instrumental sound, it's kind of synthy and electronic but not in an overwhelming way cause the guitar mellows it out. It works really well with the vocals too. Some of the songs are very Alex G esque. This was the first release from this project and I'm excited to see what else he puts out."- Sarah

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Falcon Jane - Legacy

    Rating: 7/10
    Genre: folk
    RIYL: Big Thief, Waxahatchee, Angel Olsen

"Tough folk album. I love her vocals, they're like the most classic raspy folk vocal. The instrumentals are cute and nostalgic. A folk album of substance." - Sarah

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Fake Fruit - Mucho Mistrust

    Rating: 7/10
    Genre: indie rock
    RIYL: Parquet Courts, Sweeping Promises, Bnny

"An indie rock album with greater intensity and variety than the genre normally has. The vocal style works really well with the eclectic instrumentals and that kind of speaking singing." - Sarah

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GIFT - Illuminator

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: rock
    RIYL: Wishy, Blushing, RIDE

"Dancy album with some psych elements and an ethereal vibe. There are some shoegaze elements but the instrumentals vary a lot. They have a twinkly sound at times but also a more grungy sound. Overall a really cool album." - Sarah

Update 5 Back 2 School

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We're back baby! And so is my little blog. As the endless whirring of the review machine continues, we continue to sift out gold. Here are some of these treasured picks from the past few weeks. DJS MAKE NOTE! These are for you:






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Horse Jumper of Love - Disaster Trick

    Rating: 7.5/10
    Genre: indie
    RIYL: Big Thief, Feeble Little Horse, Horsegirl

"This latest album from Boston based indie-rock band Horse Jumper of Love showcases their signature sound and song structure with their highest quality production to date. While this album is what is to be expected from Horse Jumper, I'm still a little disappointed that they haven't really found the same energy that they captured from their 2017 self-titled album. In the end, the songs are enjoyable, however they end up blending together in one big mush of indie-rock" - Eric (7/10)

"This album is so awesome. It's my favorite by them other than their self-titled. This album was so good from start to finish. Vocals, instrumentals... WOW. Nothing else to say just listen. " - Irene (8/10)

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Lava la Rue - Starface

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: pop
    RIYL: Remi Wolf, Blood Orange, Arlo Parks

"Ethereal and intergalactic instrumentals with a pop and r&b sound. Really nice vocals as can be expected for Lava la Rue. The songs in the album are cohesive and its a nice album to listen all the way through. The whole album is from the perspective on an alien and it really comes through."- Sarah

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Illuminati hotties - POWER

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: Rock
    RIYL: Bully, Momma, feeble little horse, Kero Kero Bonito

"Significantly more mature than Let Me Do One More- almost sounds like an entirely different band. Most direct comparison is probably Bully's 2023 album. It's pretty top heavy but the songs that are good are really good. Pop-rock but definitely veers closer to rock than pop. I personally enjoyed it more than their previous album, but it is a lot more predictable; this will probably draw in new fans but be a little bit of a letdown to old ones." - Bella

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Yndling - Mood Booster

    Rating: 7/10
    Genre: bedroom pop
    RIYL: Tanukichan, Men I Trust, Reptaliens

"really pleasant bedroom pop album. the vocals are smooth and the instrumentals are calm but bubbly. has everything good dream pop should have!" - Sarah

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Pom Poko - Champion

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: indie rock
    RIYL: Pip Blom, Crack Cloud, BODEGA

"Everything good about that twee indie rock sound. Solid vocals from them as always with interesting instrumentals. Very jaunty and tumblr type sound. Pom Poko has made a lot of fun albums, and this is another one." - Sarah

Update 4 Summer Summary

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The summer has continued, we've laughed, we've cried, we've done more reviews and listened to some pretty sweet albums. I really loved these albums they were all super cool. There's been some great rock coming out this summer and some standout electronic albums as showcased below:




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Machinedrum - 3for82

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: hiphop/dnb
    RIYL: Duckwrth, Charli xcx, A G Cook

"All the features in the album are awesome. The production by Machinedrum works really well with everyone involved in the project. Big variety in the album with some more dnb songs and other rap songs. Every genre was done well I liked every track." - Sarah

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Cola - The Gloss

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: Punk
    RIYL: Fib, Slow Pulp, Feeble Little Horse

"Not a band I ever expected to see on the adds but I'm glad to see they're getting some more success! Cola came onto the scene with the first wave of jwar bands and you can definitely hear it in this album, some of the mix is a little cleaner than you'd get on a jwar tape but the guitars still have that crunchy sound I like. Reminds me a lot of the Fib self-titled tape from 2021. "Down To Size" and "Bell Wheel" both bangers. Listen to it!!!!!" - Bella

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Been Stellar - Scream From New York, NY

    Rating: 9/10
    Genre: Rock
    RIYL: Cloud Nothings, Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth

"Fantastic debut album from a fast-rising New York indie band. Mostly rock with punk elements, very similar to Attack on Memory-era Cloud Nothings. The only real miss is track 8, which is far slower and less intense than the rest of the album. Almost a 10 but I do wish the vocalist had leaned into screaming a little more. Sounds like they'd be a great live band, very excited to see what they do next!" - Bella

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Pond - Stung!

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: Psych Rock
    RIYL: Tame Impala, King Gizzard, Flaming Lips

"As diluted of a genre Neo-Psych has become, Pond still manages to make a compelling record. A return to a more guitar driven sound that has been missing from their records for a while now. Reminiscent of the best 2010's Psych. If you dig early Tame Impala, fuzzy guitars, and eclectic vocals you'll dig this." - Everett

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Bodysync - NUTTY

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: electronic/house
    RIYL: fcukers, swimming paul, love language

"Really fun electronic pop with similar power to 2010s recession pop. Makes you want to move the beats and samples are on point." - Sarah

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Wilco - Hot Sun Cool Shroud

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: indie folk
    RIYL: Television, Pavement, any modern indie folk (these guys did it first and best...)

"Very good, clear line from their previous album Cousin to this EP. Every track serves a purpose, It's energy ebbs and flow, despite being such a concise collection of seemingly B-Sides." - Everett

Update 3 5/20-6/3

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Yeah this is still happening! Coming to you live with the best and brightest records of the past couple weeks. If you have a summer show I highly recommend checking these out. If you don't? I still recommend checking them out. Many of these are on my playlist rn my personal favs were La Luz and Crumb.




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La Luz - News of the Universe

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: psych indie
    RIYL: Elia y Eliza, Shannon and the Clams, Guantanamo Baywatch

"Very pretty and a pleasant change from some of their older work (which I liked to be clear) but I like this softer side of the band. Strong instrumentals reminiscent of Elia y Eliza (argentinian band I love from the 60s) like if they were singing in spanish it would sound just like them. Overlapping the vocals works really well with many of the songs (there’s only one that I think it hurts)." - Sarah

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DIIV - Frog in Boiling Water

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: shoegaze
    RIYL: My Bloody Valentine, Duster, Alex G

Reviewed as follows: "DIIV breaks even further away from the upbeat sound of their early records, instead delving further into the moody and melancholic sound of 2019's Deceiver. Featuring almost whispered vocals with these dense instrumentals, Frog In Boiling Water has an almost oppressive atmosphere. The songs are more general in topic when compared to the intensely personal subject matter of their last few albums. Definitely a grower, give it some time, listen to it loud. " - Everett

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Crumb - AMAMA

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: psych pop
    RIYL: Inner Wave, Mild High Club, Loving

Reviewed as follows: "Beautiful beautiful love the instrumentals very cool effects overall the vocals are awesome. Whole album was a great listen. Lots of variety on the songs they don’t sound the same. " - Sarah

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all under heaven - What Lies Ahead of Me

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: shoegaze
    RIYL: Hotline TNT, Life on Venus

Reviewed as follows: "Really good modern shoegaze. This record is indicative of the shift in shoegaze as a genre away from happy, shiny guitars and towards a more melancholic sound, with droning and heavy bass over loud guitar riffs. However, unlike a lot of other bands that have a copy-and-paste sound, all under heaven manages to stand out. They undoubtedly have potential to become pioneers of this shift in shoegaze, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them!" - Ro

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Habibi - Dreamachine

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: psych rock
    RIYL: Crumb, PACKS, La Luz

Reviewed as follows: "Stunning indie rock album with strong psychedelic influence. The basic indie rock instrumentals are accompanied by synth parts which go together very well. The vocals are strong and work well with everything else. Very bubbly and twinkly album big fan." - Sarah

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Halima - EXU

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: electronic/indie pop
    RIYL: Rochelle Jordan, Erika de Casier, TWEAKS

Reviewed as follows: "Really nice indie/electronic EP with a few standout tracks. Upbeat all the way through with melodic vocals and some cool bongo-ish drums especially on "Ways". "Overdue" is awesome." - Kosi

An overview of May

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So now Sarah's picks is a blog. crazy I know what year is it again? But yeah get used to it click the album covers to listen to the albums. Because I was so busy making this I didn't put out any picks so this will act as a summary of May. There was some strong variety this month, really solid rap album coming from RiTchie, some pop from Rachel Chinouriri, some hardcore adjacent from One Step Closer, and a couple others of a more standard indie/folk/shoegaze sensibility.




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LA PRIEST - LA FUSION

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: indie

This was only an EP but I loved every song on it. Has a similar quality to early Mac Demarco work.I recommend if you like Mac Demarco, Soft Hair (whom he did a really awesome collab album with), Ariel Pink

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Rachel Chinouriri - What A Devastating Turn Of Events

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: pop
    RIYL: Chappell Roan, Hemlock Springs, Remi Wolf, beabadoobee

Reviewed as follows: "An amazing pop album! The blending of genres and melodies is so interesting and cool. The variation makes it so it’s never boring, but isn’t all over the place either. If you love pop but are tired of the same sound on every new pop record, this is a great album for you. There is something for everyone and all of it is done quite well!" - Lucy

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RiTchie - Triple Digits [112]

    Rating: 8/10
    Genre: rap
    RIYL: Injury Reserve, Armand Hammer, Mach-Hommy

Reviewed as follows: "This is a super impressive debut album from Injury Reserve rapper Nathaniel Ritchie. The production is a highlight on the album from a wide range of producer's including Injury Reserve's own Parker Corey. The lyrics themselves also contain an abundance of thought provoking bars and nuances." - Eric

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One Step Closer - All You Embrace

    Rating: 7/10
    Genre: Emo
    RIYL: Enter Shikari, Turnstile, Anxious

Reviewed as follows: "OSC follows Turnstile and Regulate before them, with an LP2 that sounds more like the heavier side of 2010s pop-punk than their earlier hardcore releases. It's well written and sounds pretty good but I'm not crazy about this particular offshoot of the genre. Every song kinda sounds the same BUT the ones with riffs are good! Probably wouldn't go back and listen to the whole album but the songs are fun." - Bella

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Silver Skylarks - Number One Set and Sound

    Rating: 9/10
    Genre: R&B/Funk
    RIYL: Tride Called Quest, Kool & The Gang, Funkadelic

Reviewed as follows: "WHO ELSE DOES THIS. Genuinely insane funk album I haven't heard anybody make stuff like this in a while. The album is extremely groovy with sounds of 70s R&B and afrobeat. The lyrics are as you would expect for these kinds of albums where there is a repeated phrase while everyone else is going crazy on the instrumentals. You can tell there was a lot of care and effort put into the production of this." - Sarah

The First One