Great Lakes: "Fear of the Fear" video

American folk rocker Ben Crum has unveiled a video for Fear of the Fear, the title track from the new album by his band Great Lakes on which he is trying to get to grips with the death of his close friend Ryan Trammel. He is not haunted by demons on this one, but the feeling of "being haunted by twenty hounds" is scary enough. It is a rambling rocker with a purpose: to find some kind of closure as he mourns the loss of his pal.

Jon Madof Trio: Netzach

NYC-based composer and guitarist Jon Madof has been mixing genres for decades to create his own sound. Traditional Jewish music, surf, jazz, rock, metal, punk and avant-garde are thrown together on Netzach, the new album with his Jon Madof Trio. It is aseamless jigsaw puzzle that will have listeners scratching their heads about what they are being exposed to. Is it a soundtrack for a Western, a late night speakeasy that treats the punters to music or a sweaty rock club with a denim clad crowd bobbing up and down? The short answer: yes, it is all of that and more.

Netzach, which translates as "eternity", is an ode to music and the big city that houses such a wide diversity of cultures. Madof steers his trio along all the sights, paying tribute to his heroes John Zorn, Nick Cave and Derek Trucks, who are also have created their own niche. The mood is both joyous and introspective, going through hills and valleys. The musicians reach for the sky, fully aware that the destination will remain out of reach. The neverending journey ensures that more of these adventurous and intricate compositions will see the light of day in the future.

Dear Misses: Lost Mind In Beauty

Swiss neo-psych band Dear Misses teamed up with singer Belinda Villforth who also wrote the lyrics for their dreamy single Lost Mind In Beauty. It is a love song about emotional turmoil, built upon the premise that you have to go to a lot of shit to feel better, but it does not end well. "Feeling full of cockroaches in my head" is bad news. The dream is a nightmare after all.

hubris.: Is

Swiss instrumental post-rockers hubris. found some solace in the works of Tolkien, wherein elves considers mortality as a plus. The band's songwriter Jonathan Hohl was rattled by his grandfather’s passing. Their new single Is is the second taste from their new album White Shores, due for release on September 10 - the six tracks are lined up as continuation: Death. Is. Just. Another. Path (the latter in two parts).

Is all about swirling guitars and the track maintains the smae tempo pretty much all of the time, as if the unevitable must be kept at bay. Being in the now while you still can on the one end and the realisation that it won't last on the other, is captured in a widescreen soundscape that is both a celebration and a farewell.

The Get Arounds: Going Out Tonight

Vancouver punk rockers The Get Arounds keep it simple: write a rock hook, add power pop-tinged vocals about halfway The Shirts and Blondie plus the attitude of The Runaways, and make the back beat utterly danceable. With a recipe like that their new album Going Out Tonight is a basically a collection of singles, whose subject matter is all about everyday hassles like driving a bit too fast, painting the town, and trying to get laid or drunk (or both).

It is a slice of vintage rock 'n' roll that is hard to resist, but also a bit repetitive. The Ramones made a career out of that, but this quintet lacks the sense of humour that was also part of the equation. Inserting a bit of weirdness could lift them to the next level.