Patrick Doval – Rocket to The Moon
Patrick Doval's 'Rocket to The Moon' is a stunning new wave love letter from Miami, cinematic indie rock that soars with 80s heart and real imagination
Patrick Doval reaches for the stars here, and he gets there. 'Rocket to The Moon' opens with a synth shimmer that could have come straight off a Smiths B-side, but the Miami songwriter pushes it somewhere stranger: a sci-fi love story about chasing the impossible and finding connection where you least expect it. The guitars have that jangly new wave bite, the production keeps things wide and atmospheric, and Doval's vocal sits right in the middle, with bags of character. Brilliant indie rock, cinematic and just loads of fun.
Doval is a Miami songwriter with six albums behind him and a serious visual streak: more than 25 music videos, all directed with the same cinematic eye he brings to the music. He's worked with Pete Parada, formerly of The Offspring, and his track 'Crush' will feature in Ron Krauss's upcoming film Wounds. Screamer Magazine has covered him, and 'Rocket to The Moon' is out now. A real gem, more please.
The Burton D'Agostini Procedure – Float Over Here
The Burton D'Agostini Procedure's 'Float Over Here' is a gorgeous psychedelic indie rock single from Grand Rapids, 60s shimmer and modern alt-rock muscle fused into something special
The Burton D'Agostini Procedure know exactly what they're doing here. 'Float Over Here' opens on a wash of a great drums, reverb-drenched guitar that could have drifted in from 1967, but the duo aren't interested in pastiche. The bass sits low and warm, anchoring swirling textures while the vocal floats right where the title promises. There's real craft in how the mix breathes, each element given its own pocket of air. And the hook? It lands soft but stays planted. Brilliant psychedelic pop rock, immersive and beautifully balanced. Cool artwork too.
The Burton D'Agostini Procedure is Jeff Burton and John D'Agostini, a Grand Rapids duo who cut their teeth supporting touring bands before turning inward to make their own records, and we had them on the blog with 'Do You Feel Alright' back in March. This is their second full-length in eight months, out this month, which we'll definitely be checking out. The enhanced stereo mix rewards close listening, pulling you into a sound world that spans decades without feeling like a history lesson. A real gem this one.
THE WiDOWS – Skin of Gold
The Widows' 'Skin of Gold' is a visceral post-punk disco-funk banger from London, radiant hope and raw garage energy colliding in something electric
The Widows have made a song that refuses to sit still. 'Skin of Gold' opens on a groove that owes as much to the dancefloor as it does to the garage, all hypnotic bass and drums that lock in tight. Kim Le Tan's vocal slides between seduction and urgency, threading hope through lyrics about finding light when everything else looks bleak. The guitars twist and shimmer, and the whole thing moves with a coiled energy that keeps building. Post-punk in structure but disco-funk in its hips, and that tension is what makes it work. Brilliant genre-blurring rock, visceral and very, very alive.
The Widows are a London four-piece who came back together in 2023 after a few years in the wilderness. Singles 'Bardo Blues' and 'False Idols' picked up international press, and the new album 'Between Two Worlds' lands this Friday, recorded live at Space Eko East to keep that raw energy intact. They play the Dublin Castle album launch this Thursday, then The Fiddler's Elbow on 13 November. Exciting times, and we'll definitely be watching this lot.