Tapeworms

French trio Tapeworms fuse electronic-tinged indie pop with touches of shoegaze, grunge, J-pop, and video game music to produce their distinctive sound. Although aptly named, their 2020 album Funtastic conceals darker themes of doubt, uncertainty, and heartache beneath layers of warped electronic textures, luminous melodies, and hazy guitars.

The group consists of Margot Magnière alongside siblings Théo and Elliott Poyer. Having come together in Lille during 2016, they issued their self-recorded first EP, All Stars, late that year; the release featured three original tracks plus a cover of Daniel Johnston. Dirty Slap Records later put out a cassette version in early 2017. Departing from the straightforward shoegaze approach of their initial effort, the band pursued more experimental territory on their follow-up EP, Everything Will Be Fine, which arrived in 2018. Their first full-length, Funtastic, delivered a striking mix of jagged guitar hooks and effervescent electronics. Howlin' Banana Records, Cranes Records, and Coypu Records jointly issued the album in 2020.