No Expectations 114: Playing Classics
Ten stellar new indie rock LPs worth your time.
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Headline song: Water From Your Eyes, “Playing Classics”
Thanks for being here. I want to give a big shoutout to Friends of the Newsletter Indiecast for mentioning No Expectations in a recent episode. I didn’t post last week, but I still got a bunch of new folks signing up because of them. If you dig hosts
and ’s tastes, I hope you’ll find something to love here too.Also, apologies for the unplanned break last week. Last Monday, I had a delayed flight coming back from my Montana vacation. Then, the next day, I realized I had the kind of post-plane head cold that made doing much of anything, like listening to music, sending emails, or writing album blurbs, pretty unpleasant. It was short-lived and no big deal, but I figured I’d combine the LPs I was going to include into a big roundup this week. This way, there’s no Sudafed-laden, feverish prose.
If you’re new to No Expectations, here’s a short explainer of what you signed up for. Each week, you get a wildcard main essay (often new album recommendations), a 15-song playlist, as well as updates on what I’m listening to, watching, and reading. Sometimes you’ll get an interview with an artist I love, and other times it’ll be a deep dive into one band’s discography. Since I’m a Chicago-based writer, you’ll also receive a curated roundup of upcoming local shows to check out at the bottom of every newsletter.
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Next week, I’ll have more album recommendations plus a review of Phish’s Friday show at the United Center. It’ll be my second time seeing that band, and I’m going again with Rob Mitchum, the incredible music writer who runs the ambitious newsletter and show review project
. I used to hate Phish, but now I’m religiously checking setlists to see which songs are on the table for Friday. (If you’re wondering how deep I’ve fallen, I thought, “Damn, since they played it on Tuesday, it looks like we’re not going to get a ‘Camel Walk’ bust out this weekend.”) Who knew. Hopefully, what I write will be a much more informed sequel to my ’23 blog on my first-ever show.10 Albums Worth Your Time This Week
Awning, Awning
Truth Club’s Running From the Chase was one of my favorite albums of 2023: a nervy and knotty dose of indie rock that excelled on tense arrangements and a commanding performance from a charismatic frontman. Few albums since have scratched the same itch until Awning’s self-titled debut. Where Truth Club is from North Carolina, this band hails from across the world in Wellington, New Zealand. Led by musician and artist Christian Dimick, his band conjures up eight tracks of efficient, punchy, and airtight songwriting. While less brooding and heavy than Running From the Chase, Awning still exudes intensity. Take Dimick’s mesmerizing delivery on “Moth & Fly,” which whips from in-your-face volume to a near-imperceptible whisper, or the goosebump-inducing hook on “The Gun.” Every song soars.
Carmen Perry, Eyes Like a Mirror
Since 2014, Carmen Perry’s band Remember Sports has thrived on the punkier edges of power pop with a string of charming LPs released on the great indie Father/Daughter Records. With her main group not releasing a full-length since 2021, the Ohio-raised, Philly-based songwriter had ample time to craft an impeccably vivid, thoughtful, and conversational solo effort in Eyes Like a Mirror. Rather than relentlessly hooky pop punk, Perry turns to more understated but earthy arrangements with the help of collaborator Michael Cormier O’Leary (Hour, Dear Life Records, Friendship). “Glimmer” is a gem of subtle twang and winsome harmonies (Peter Gill of 2nd Grade and Friendship sings with her on this one) while “Heart Hurts a Bit” earns its title with woozy melancholia. It’s all a perfect fit for Perry, who’s topped herself with this welcoming left turn.
Goon, Dream 3
Almost two years ago, I visited Los Angeles and met up with my friend Braden Lawrence, who told me he was about to fill in as the touring drummer for a local band called Goon (he’s now focusing on his sick new band Beaming). I had somehow never heard of them, but quickly dove into the warped and unpredictable psych-pop from bandleader Kenny Becker. Dream 3 is the latest and best full-length from this Becker-led collective. It’s a dense, chock-full of ideas and studio experiments, but it coheres into something both plaintive and thrilling over its 51-minute runtime. The patient and gorgeous opener “Begin Here” as well as the surprisingly cacophonous and caustic “Patsy’s Twin” (both feature drums from Lawrence) are both clear standouts, but this is an LP that’s best experienced in a single sitting. Think Yo La Tengo at their most glitchy or a blissed out Built to Spill.
Gummy Fang, Gummy Fang
I’ve written this countless times in No Expectations, but it bears repeating: the best way to discover music is to actually listen to the songs your friend or someone you trust recommends. The other week, I noticed Good Looks members Jake Ames and Harrison Anderson both took to Instagram Stories to congratulate Austin’s Gummy Fang on their debut album. So, I checked it out. Formed in 2023 and led by songwriter Willow Braun, Gummy Fang make breezy, retro-leaning, and deceptively off-kilter lo-fi pop tunes. Each song boasts enough hooks that it could burrow into your consciousness for days. Braun’s also remarkably versatile: a stripped-down track like “A Woman, A Clown” fits perfectly with the jangly “Hands” and “Lovesick Thing.” If you enjoy exceptional songs casually and effortlessly pulled off, start here.
Fib, Heavy Lifting
Philly via Portland band Fib’s erratic and ecstatic guitar rock never ends up quite where you expect it. Heavy Lifting is a refreshing and unrelenting thrill of an album showcasing the four-piece’s inventive and playful arrangements. Guitars zag and zig, songs unfold, expand, and dissolve while their sturdy hooks withstand whatever complex time changes and chaotic shifts these songs contain. From the mesmerizing clang of “Right Out the Window” to the kinetic post-punk of “Dotted Line” and the squealing guitarmonies of “PS,” there’s a lot to love here. If you ever hear someone complain that indie rock is out of ideas, show them this record.
Junk Drawer, Days of Heaven
After the first few songs of Days of Heaven, you’ll think that the Belfast band Junk Drawer has one of the best post-punk albums of 2025. But the more you listen, you’ll realize the LP dissolves into something more heady, cosmic, and interesting in its second half. It’s not post-punk at all, but it’s totally sick. “Where Goes the Time” features dirge-like synth and vocals that evoke Neil Young, while “Black Ball 85” is hazy psychedelia that occasionally feels like a haunted house. However, you might worry that the band stuffs all the propulsive rockers on the A-side, but “Ghosts of Leisure” is the headiest track of the bunch. No matter the tempo or zone, it’s all splendid. I knew from the first seconds of this LP that I was going to write about it, but I didn’t know the shocking directions it’d take.
Qur'an Shaheed, Pulse
The subhead of this newsletter lied: Some of these albums aren’t really indie rock records. In fact, on Pulse, the multi-talented Los Angeles artist Qur'an Shaheed seems to meld every genre but indie rock on the hypnotic, staggering, and ambitious Pulse. Its 11 tracks are a melting pot of jazz, R&B, classical, electronic, and ambient textures that can oscillate from accessible pop to improvisational interludes and side quests. Opener “Dreams” is the most inviting and straightforward of the bunch, thanks to her commanding voice, but the real thrill of Pulse is going on the ride. Here, songs like “Variation 2” boast startling samples and gorgeous soundscapes, while “Doo Doo Doo” is a slinky dose of forward-thinking soul. This is a record that sounds like the future, with ample chops and flawless production. She’s ahead of the curve here.
Sam Moss, Swimming
My most essential resource for music discovery is still and has always been Aquarium Drunkard, which put out its massive midyear review while I was on vacation in Montana over the 4th. I know my own list was somewhat on the right track because there’s quite a bit of overlap, but no matter how much I listen or how hard I try, AQ contributors will always find something I haven’t heard that just blows me away. So far, Sam Moss’ gorgeous folk LP Swimming is my favorite new-to-me thing I’ve heard from that immaculate roundup. Moss is a Virginia-based musician and woodworker whose raspy yet soothing voice anchors the earthy and verdant songs on his fourth full-length. He also enlisted an excellent band of percussionist Joe Westerlund (Califone, Megafaun), multi-instrumentalist Isa Burke (Mountain Goats), bassist Sinclair Palmer (The Muslims, Tallest Man On Earth), along with guests like Molly Sarlé (Mountain Man) and Jake Xerxes Fussell, who flesh out these songs with grace.
Sister., Two Birds
Songwriters Hannah Pruzinsky and Ceci Sturman started as freshman-year roommates and drew on years of chemistry, friendship, and collaborative spark in their project Sister., which has been active since 2019 and includes member James Chrisman. Two Birds is their sophomore album, and it’s a reflection of their undeniable decade-long bond. The plucky guitar that opens “Blood in the Vines” ignites a slow burn of resplendent harmonies and stargazing atmospherics. Elsewhere, Pruzinsky and Sturman find resonance in understated, calm moments like the feathery twang of “Power” and the bellowing feedback in the title track. Especially at its most cathartic moments, Sister. will reward any meditative and receptive ear.
Zastava, Buildings
Detroit is one of the best cities in America for several reasons, but one is its incredible music scene. I’ve written about bands like Bonny Doon, Neu Blume, Fred Thomas, Prostitute, Protomartyr, and many others a bunch, but I’ll be sure to add punks Zastava to the list whenever I evangelize for my home state’s biggest city. Buildings is eight tracks of icy and pummeling post-punk. “Station” finds singer Mateja Matic yelping, "No more petty living / No more fickle thieves" over a thundering riff. “Out Here” explodes by its chorus: guitars whiz by, the rhythm section powers on, and it all makes me want to see this at a crowded, tiny venue. While the sounds here can get pretty grimy and unrelenting, it’s somehow one of the most inviting records of the genre I’ve heard all year.
What I listened to:
The No Expectations 114 Playlist: Apple Music // Spotify // Tidal
1. Hannah Frances, "Falling From and Further"
2. Geese, "Taxes"
3. Junk Drawer, "Pell Mell"
4. Awning, "Moth & Fly"
5. Fib, "Dotted Line"
6. Zastava, "Truth"
7. Water From Your Eyes, "Playing Classics"
8. Shrunken Elvis, "An Old Outlet"
9. Sister., "Two Moons"
10. GOON, "For Cutting The Grass"
11. Sam Moss, "Wire"
12. Carmen Perry, "Not Today"
13. Gummy Fang, "Hands"
14. They Are Gutting a Body of Water, "trainers"
15. Qur'an Shaheed, "Doo Doo Doo"
What I watched:
Say Nothing (Hulu)
I’ve decided that if I’m going to watch a show that’s based on a book, I should read the book first. For most of my life, it’s been the other way around, but that changed as soon as I realized how good it feels to say, “That wasn’t in the book” when you see a streaming service show take an ill-advised artistic liberty. Anyway, during my Montana trip, I brought a few books, and one of them was Patrick Radden Keefe’s masterfully reported and written account of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Say Nothing. Having read the book and watched the well-cast, well-paced, and well-shot Hulu adaptation, all I’ll say is that I’m happy I did so in that order. Don’t get me wrong: the show is entertaining and follows the book as well as you’d expect, but it lacks the details, the various moral quandaries, the messy politics, and the historical context that are essential to the story. If you’ve read the book and know just a little bit, the Gerry Adams disclaimer at the end of every episode will make you laugh out loud.
What I read:
The MANIAC (by Benjamin Labatut)
During Thanksgiving, I got a newsletter comment from Jared Smith, who runs the terrific music blog
, recommending Benjamin Labatut’s historical novel The MANIAC. He described it as, “about John von Neumann, traces the Manhattan Project to modern day AI. Reads like horror, best thing I've read in a while.” I immediately put it on my list, and the library hold recently came through. Jared’s dead-on. This is an incredible work. No novel has made me want to die more than this (complimentary), maybe since Tony Tulathimutte’s Rejection (also complimentary). Chilling, enthralling stuff.The Weekly Chicago Show Calendar:
The gig calendar lives on the WTTW News website now. You can also subscribe to the newsletter I produce there called Daily Chicagoan to get it in your inbox a day early.
Nothing better than a music roundup when you don't know most of the artists.. Glad you dug The MANIAC. Coincidentally I just landed in your neck of the woods to see FJM tonight (and the Red Sox at Wrigley), and I read Labatut's other book on the flight, more terrifying tales of the blowback from scientific breakthroughs.
Thanks for the Awning rec. And totally agree about Truth Club, stellar record.