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The Strayngers – “I Try”

August 9, 2023

Lead by Shane Tanksley, The Strayngers are in the business of lucid dream pop; described by Tanksley as “…ethereal guitar and synth sounds accompany[ing] classic melodic vocals…[with] tight grooviness from the rhythm section.” Let me tell ya, business is a-boomin’ with their new single “I Try,” off of their forthcoming album Existential Sadness. Nestled amongst the aforementioned ethereal guitar and synth sounds, Tanksley’s voice stuck out the most for me – seemingly drifting amongst the various tracks like a cloud (shaped like a dog, don’t ask me why). tldr; Fans of a more morose Phoenix or Alvvays would find a lot to enjoy here, Tanksley definitely elevates a crowded field with his impeccable composition and effortlessly delivered vocals. Be sure to check out “I Try” on Spotify or Apple Music, and if you like what you hear be sure to check out their other tracks as well!

¡Ponce! – “The Anatomy of Emotion”

August 7, 2023

¡Ponce! is a mysterious indie/emo mathcore band from…somewhere. As per their Spotify bio: “¡Ponce! is a band formed at the dawn of time and eternity. They are well established among the canthrian plains of nerfisec as the greatest arithmetic based group of heroic musically inclined magic users to ever exist.” I won’t even bother explaining emo mathcore because I forgot my protractor in my locker from the early aughts, but if you’ve ever listened to anything remotely emo and imagined it sped up you’d have an idea of ¡Ponce!. That’s an incredibly oversimplified explanation, but the best contemporary comparison would probably be something like Tiny Moving Parts, Cap’n Jazz, or Algernon Cadwallader. Give ¡Ponce! a listen over on Spotify and let us know if you’d like more emo mathcore in your life!

Sarah Crean – “Wasted Youth”

August 7, 2023

Dublin-based musician Sarah Crean‘s latest single “Wasted Youth” off of her August 2 EP Death By Laundry. Drawing inspiration from acts such as Japanese Breakfast and Men I Trust, Crean has crafted a smooth, guitar forward track that feels a bit 90’s to me (in the best ways). Spearheaded by a steady acoustic guitar with hints of piano and punctuated by a fun meandering electric riff, Crean croons throughout “Wasted Youth” about the duality of youth/older selves. Speaking to that, she had this to say: “The song itself goes back and forth between acceptance and rejection of the fact while processing as the song progresses – almost like I’m trying to reach out to my younger self from my current state as an adult. I myself have (and always have had) a hard time forgiving people and letting things go…” Be sure to check out “Wasted Youth” and the rest of the[...]

Candy Moore – “Laugh at Nothing”

August 7, 2023

“Laugh at Nothing” is the newest single by Candy Moore – the stage name of Australia-based musician Calum Newton. The song is a pop-forward track about dating someone dealing with depression and recognizing that their happiness is outside of your control. Even with the heavy subject matter, his background in mixing and producing shines throughout with a very well-put-together lo-fi gamut of guitar and understated bass. Fans of Day Wave would find a lot to enjoy here, production value being chief among that. Be sure to check out “Laugh at Nothing” on Spotify or Bandcamp, you’ll certainly enjoy it and some of his other tracks – especially “Afterglow” (another catchy banger).

TANDM – “Sirens”

August 4, 2023

“Sirens” is the newest single off of Toronto duo TANDM‘s EP of the same name. Made up of Maxine Beck-Sinderby and drummer Thomas Franklin, their flavour of indie-pop scratches a lot of itches with Maxine’s heartfelt vocals leading the charge. While their indie rock speaks for itself, woodblock plips and organ-soaked explosions help to separate this one from the pack. Speaking to their music, she had this to say: “…the music is much more about the transition, post teenage angst. The upcoming songs are about the progress and the ‘moving on’ of past troubles, and how we overcame them.” Fans of Alvvays, Men I Trust, and Foyer Red would find a lot enjoy here, between the impeccable song composition and pop-forward guitar (not to re-mention the heartfelt vocals). You can find their EP and past works on Spotify or Apple Music.

The Slashes – “Dead Majesty”

August 3, 2023

Hailing from So-Cal, self-described “borderland post punk” group The Slashes brings us a goth-tinged delight with “Dead Majesty.” The bass does much of the heavy lifting with some sick riffs, but singer Esteban Rene keeps things spooky with his haunting voice and ethereal sounding guitar. Fans of Interpol, She Wants Revenge, or The Cure will find lots to dig into on this one… Evoking the usual Cure and Interpol comparisons is easy to do, and even accurate to a point, but The Slashes put forth a good case with enough to differentiate them from contemporaries in the genre. You can hear “Dead Majesty” and more of the band’s tracks over on Spotify or Bandcamp. Be sure to let us know if you’d like to hear more from this band or post punk in general! Dead Majesty by The Slashes

Bogan Via – “Everything’s Ok”

July 30, 2023

Bogan Via is an Arizona-based duo comprised of Bret Bender and Madeleine Miller and “Everything’s Ok” is their latest single (and synth pop is their game). Delightfully twee upon the first listen, “Everything’s Ok” has a bit more bite as you pull it apart and reveals a bittersweet song dealing with grief, goodbyes, and eventually healing. Bender and Miller harmonize together seamlessly and drift apart as they trade verses and play off of gossamer synth repeating throughout, reminiscent of Beach House or Still Corners. This contrasts nicely with past works which include some tracks with less emotional oomph and more musical oomph, along with light hip hop influences. Bogan Via honestly looks like a riot to hang out with, a quick perusal of their Insta has everything from brooding album cover looking filtered pics, to Eric Andre, to fun live shots. Be sure to check out “Everything’s Ok” over on[...]

MÒZÂMBÎQÚE x Destiny Molina x The Philharmonik – “Embrace”

July 30, 2023

Laden with effects, gratuitous synth, and collaborating with Destiny Molina and The Philharmonik, “Embrace” is the glitzy, impeccably produced single off of artist MÒZÂMBÎQÚE’s EP Peril 1998. There is a lot to unpack here and multiple listens are rewarding, so I would definitely recommend using that repeat button for a few takes. Born Andrew Smith, MÒZÂMBÎQÚE came about after a post-college backpacking trip to Africa. Drawing from that experience and his love of the outdoors, MÒZÂMBÎQÚE likes to translate that for his listeners; “It’s like passing on a nostalgic experience or good memories.” If you’re reading this and thinking “Well Chris, I only like the freshest indie music with guitars and stuff, why this?”  I’d probably say something like “Give it a listen, it has great beats and a fantastic jumping off point, even if you’re not much of an electronic music listener. You should go to Spotify or Apple Music and[...]

Mali Velasquez – “Tore”

July 30, 2023

“Tore” is lead single off of Mali Velasquez‘s forthcoming debut album Green, which drops October 13. Introspective but not to the point of excess, “Tore” is Velasquez’s ode to her own self-sabotage and, as she put it: “… I have no idea how to combat being embarrassed all the time still, but explaining it some has helped…I put a lot of my ideas of not knowing how to feel or what to do or eat or wear into this song.” The understated instrumentals enhance Valasquez’s strong vocals throughout the track and invite comparisons to sad-girl indie darlings Phoebe Bridgers or Lomelda without being a carbon copy. We’ll hopefully see another single before October 13, but for now feel free to check out “Tore” over on Spotify or the 90’s vibe music video available on Youtube.

Rilo Wye – “Cold Front”

July 30, 2023

“Cold Front” is the latest single from LA artist Riley Sieverts and his newest project, Rilo Wye, and it is anything but cold. A diddly of a guitar intro gives way to a tight bass line and Sieverts’ relaxed vocals; the latter certainly informed growing up around Rastafarian and surf culture in Honolulu. As he put it, “Surfing was my first passion. As a kid I spent hours watching old surf videos, and that vibe hovers in the background of every track I make.” His straightforward yet relaxed style is reminiscent of Rex Orange County, Crumb, or a slightly less whispery/depressing Sufjan Stevens. Fans of all three and everything in between would certainly find something to enjoy with “Cold Front,” which you can find on Spotify along with his 2022 EP Better for Whatever Reason. Be sure to let us know your thoughts on “Cold Front” and if you’d like more[...]

Coyle Girelli – “Museum Day”

July 21, 2023

I’m not quite sure how karaoke, museums, and surfing have any semblance of a cohesive date night, but Coyle Girelli finds the links (and the hooks) in his newest single “Museum Day.” “I want to go out/ anywhere with you,” he croons in this post-punk infused banger; ostensibly describing the perfect partner and how it doesn’t matter what they’re doing, as long as it’s together. The subtle bass riffs help carry the guitar licks throughout, occasionally giving way to understated drum beats that allow Girelli’s crooning voice to shine frame by frame. If you told Interpol that they were allowed to be happy sometimes and gave Paul Banks a puppy and sent him to the beach, you’d come close to the vibe of “Museum Day.” Be sure to give that and Coyle Girelli’s other tracks a listen over on Spotify, and let us know what you think over on our[...]

Ava Earl – “Jealous of Her”

July 20, 2023

Alaskan-based songstress Ava Earl brings us a folk-tinged, twee sounding melody in “Jealous of Her” off of her forthcoming album Too Much. Speaking to the track, Earl had this to say: “‘Jealous of Her’ is about coping with unrequited feelings. In many of my songs, I like to take real life inspiration, and elevate it to a place somewhat outside of reality, and that’s what I did with this song.” Impeccably produced tracks combining Earl’s incredible voice with guitar and background effects that resonate throughout make “Jealous” stand out through a sea of indie-country adjacent crossovers. Listeners looking for (or listening for) something less mainstream than the almighty Taylor Swift yet still palatable to your indie sensibilities (a la Phoebe Bridgers) would find a lot to enjoy with Ava Earl. You can find “Jealous of Her” over on Spotify, along with a strong backlog of well crafted songs and albums.

Late Guest At The Party – “Strapped To The Rhythm”

July 20, 2023

Brooklyn based indie electronic group Late Guest At The Party (henceforth LGATP) brings us a fun effects-laden ballad for you here in “Strapped to the Rhythm.” If you’re more of an indie person but are looking for that crossover that sways you ,look no further than “Strapped to the Rhythm;” a superbly fun beat to bop around or dance to and infinitely catchy. Taking a page from fellow NYC indie darlings LCD Soundsystem, (::cough:: James Murphy ::cough::) LGATP plays around with composition and finds fun ways to subvert the genre. Speaking to that, the band said: “Usually, we go for strong beats and dance rhythms but this time we decided to leave all that behind and write a “no-beat-ballad.” Be sure to check out “Strapped to the Rhythm” on Spotify and Bandcamp as well as the recently remixed version “Strapped To The Rhythm (Drums of Death Version).” DoDV takes the[...]

Midnight Granger – “Hey Now”

July 20, 2023

“Hey Now” is the newest single from mysterious indie artist Nicholas Levenson under the guise of Midnight Granger (can I call you Nick or do you prefer Midnight?). Looking for dulcet, folk-adjacent guitar with light drums and bass with a smattering of piano (and harmonica)? Say no more fam. Better than the sum of its parts, “Hey Now” shines brightest with Levenson’s understated lyrics that pair nicely with the aforementioned accompaniment. As a whole, this is roughly the equivalent of a stripped down Randy Newman (of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” fame), giving him a magical indie artist serum without the use of his zany arsenal of sound. You can find “Hey Now” over on Spotify, along with his previous songs. Best listened to when winding down after a long day or going for a contemplative drive before making a major life decision (or if you enjoy indie folk[...]

Family Man – “CONVICTION”

July 16, 2023

“CONVICTION” is the unapologetic, in your FACE single from alt-punk four piece Family Man off of their upcoming album Iconoclast. Bombastic bass and non-stop guitar start off right off the bat and only fade for a brief interlude, but pick up to bring home the last 1:20 of the track. Family Man has a feel somewhere between newer, angular indie rock and a touch of old school, falling somewhere between Parquet Courts, Fontaines D.C., and Black Flag. Front man Conner Root says regarding “CONVICTION:” “There have always been members of Family Man who openly identify as being LGBTQ+, but the band adopts an ‘I am who I am, and if you don’t like that, I couldn’t care less’ mentality. ‘CONVICTION’’ is the first time we touch on that publicly.” You can hear “CONVICTION” and their prior tracks over on Spotify and Apple Music. Be sure to let us know how[...]