Sunglasz Vendor & Or Sobre Blau

Inspired by the early-2000s radio rock that first drew the band to music, Sunglasz Vendor swings unapologetically for maximalism. The wiry three-piece — Rafi Cohen, Eve Rosenberg, Finn Hodgson — are blown out to absurd proportions: mixes deliberately slammed, guitars stacked thick until the waveform chokes into a distorted, heaving mass. On their blistering second album, Sunglasz Vendor capture the seething urges for excitement, change and genuine connection that most feel but rarely act upon.

Or Sobre Blau is an experimental rock and ambient guitar project formed by Spanish guitarist Andreu G. Serra (aka Ubaldo) and British guitarist/musician Kiran Leonard. The duo are known for their atmospheric, improvisational soundscapes, blending contrasting guitar styles with tape loops, pedals, and diverse instrumentation. Coming out on the Belgian label Stroom, the album explores themes of distance, reunion, family, and the bond of friendship. For the first time, both musicians (Serra and Leonard) sing, translating one another in real time across Catalan and English. FFO Van Pelt, Gastr del Sol, Maher Shalal Hash Baz, The Books.