It would be an understatement to say that we've been anticipating new music from Minneapolis' Scrunchies for a long time. Their 2018 debut Stunner  was one of my favorite albums of the year — it was so good that I reviewed it for a different website . The band is back with a new song, "No Home Planet," a new lineup, and a new album on the way, and we couldn't be more excited. Formerly a quartet, Scrunchies has reignited as a trio without losing any of their trademark ferocity. Stunner 's producer Matt Castore joined on bass (while continuing to produce), with Laura Larson (also of Kitten Forever ) and Danielle Cusack (also of Bruise Violet ) continuing on guitar and drums respectively (they share vocal duties on "No Home Planet"). "No Home Planet" is a potent burst of catharsis. It doesn't need to be longer than two minutes because the band crams enough energy and punk glory to sustain a full album into the short timeframe. Each...

We did it (sort of)! Ear Coffee survived it's first full year, and there were only a half dozen or so hiatuses of varying lengths. As the hell-year known as 2018 is closing, we (as undoubtedly professional music critics) are yet again forced by the will of God to make lists of the music we liked. There were a lot of great local albums that were released this year that we did not cover for this list, but that doesn't mean they aren't worth listening to. Please enjoy the following selection of Wes and Joe's favorite local records of 2018. Check out our podcast episode covering many of these releases too - link at the bottom of the article! Nick Check & the Dead Century - "One More Year" Single It's rare for something released in January to sound as fresh as it first did at the end of the year. This single from the Dead Century has stayed true as some of the best material from the year. The band showcased all of their talents on both sides of t...

Back for week number two! Consistency is my only personal goal - so far, so good! Otherwise, here's another crop of awesome local musical from the last few months.  Miloe - Miloe  EP Miloe is the extremely chill indie pop project of Bob Kabeya, and this is his debut EP. Described as "sad boi music for all your events and occasions," it is a hypnotizing, translucent collection of tracks. Most of the songs are built on simple guitar and synth loops, but there is intense beauty in the minutiae. Kabeya's light tenor is like a sunshower on a summer day. I can't wait to hear more from Miloe in the future.  Scrunchies - Stunner Scrunchies is a supergroup, plain and simple. Featuring members of Kitten Forever, Double Grave, and Tony Peachka, the band is a self-contained wildfire of punk energy. Songs like "Stunner" and "Wichita" evoke the classic riot grrrl sound without falling into any tropes. Stunner  is music that dema...