The new Bedside. track, rightfully titled “potential,” indeed shows prospects for this band of five indie rock specialists. The song is assembled around a swift rhythm and a limpid guitar line. The spurring vocals here dance perfectly with the instrumental backing, and within the song’s chorus, their delivery at times can be stinging with emotion, which certainly works to the effectiveness of the track as a whole. Be sure to check out the song below:
On his new release Steady Hands, Dead Tired, acclaimed Buffalo-area guitarist Sonny Baker solidifies himself as a purveyor of top-notch rock ‘n’ roll with a post-punk flair. The raucous and thrilling yet impressively considered first track “Basic Interactions” augments ravaging guitar, exclamatory singing and rollicking drums with surges of bass sure to course through the listener’s entire body. “Reluctant Thief” stays subdued and relaxing until about the 1-minute mark, when it lets loose to exhilarating effect with an impassioned cry of “I know it’s been years, since I made a fool of you.” Charged-up instrumental ascension is curtailed in a snap when the song returns to its relatively more easygoing, reserved verses. The next track, “Comfortable,” begins with stand-alone guitar riffage before pounding drums kick in to send the song into a melodic barrage. A biting, relentlessly catchy rhythm ensues, and two full minutes of interlocking guitar work escort the[...]
This might not be the “Song 2” you’re readily familiar with, but just like that title-sharing hit single from Britpop extraordinaires Blur, 12 Decembers’ new track too is meriting of and designed for your undivided attention. This one, however, is more leisurely than the rave-up of its counterpart and twice the duration, drifting closer to shoegazing and allowing the listener to slip into its alluring harmonies, the wave-like crash of its instruments and its pristine production. Its sound is comparable in sensibility to something Teenage Fanclub might’ve had to offer in their early days, a testament to the audible connectedness of these independent Santa Cruz rockers to the craft of beauty within the studio.
On “YoHa,” Philadelphia’s up-and-coming indie group Dry Reef doles out a zestful sound underlined by a consummate guitar display as well as call-and-response chants of “yo” and “ha” perhaps remindful of Sam Cooke’s classic tune “Chain Gang.” The surf-flavored “YoHa” is the first single off Dry Reef’s 6-song EP, titled Alright Revival, which will be released to the public on Jan. 30. The band will embark on a tour comprising 30 shows beginning Feb. 22. The song is accompanied by a delightful lyric video, which can be viewed below.
The tune “Money Thoughts,” released by Prhymetime Productions and produced by the rapper’s close friend Drunk Girl, starts off with ambient keyboard and a light touch of drums. The song slowly welcomes in a bouncing instrumental melody. Not long after, the rapper enters the scene. He raps throughout the track about the struggles to fulfill his aspirations while employing what could be interpreted as a braggadocious approach but is better described as an appeal for deserved attention toward his music. Check out the track below:
Shock waves of guitar open up Swedish indie band Subway Club’s electrifying new song “Atom Bomb.” A sonorous synthesizer follows in, as do lyrics about disillusionment and a longing for the past told through a sense of urgency. The song was written in 2013 and put on the shelf during a four-year-long band hiatus without being recorded. Now it worthily sees the light of day as a part of the group’s latest EP called 2013. Listen below:
Hindu’s “Brighton” is full of brazen passion and energy. It’s a vibrant tune engulfed in a chugging rhythm escorted by a cheery keyboard line. Ukranian musician Tania Yankovska acts as the chief creative force behind this wondrous dream-pop tune, having written, produced and sung it in her home studio. Her second LP, which houses “Brighton” as one of its singles, is set to be released early this year. Check out the stand-alone track as well as its music video below:
Inning’s new track, the interestingly titled “D.C. Party Machine,” is a gradually building three-minute ode to young adulthood, a bustling city and the sensation of feeling on top of the world. The song boasts a nonchalant attitude, conveyed in similar vocal fashion to Jonathan Richman, as well as charming confidence exhibited in such lines as “I look cool with my shades on.”
Los Angeles-based group MADUS has released a new, rocking single entitled “Find Another Girl.” With aim toward a happier outlook, the song was written in a midst of negativity imparted by the 24-hour news cycle. This self-produced gem tacks itself successfully onto the lineage of garage rock, but more so the revival spurred by groups like The Strokes and The White Stripes in the early part of the millennium than the mid-60s movement spearheaded by rawer-sounding groups like The Seeds and The 13th Floor Elevators. The track starts with the sound of birds chirping and soon thereafter erupts with a drum fill lead-in to fuzzed-out guitar. The song should impress with how well it remains polished and accessible while being charged-up and assertive–never to the point, however, that it goes off the rails. It’s a perfect balance.
Foresteater’s “Avalanche,” a new track for the new year from the Phoenix-based project fronted by singer-songwriter Mikey Pro, rests on a spick-and-span pop-rock sheen and a strong lyrical pull. Its jangling guitar and fantastic harmonies help shape the tune with pure catchiness. The tune alludes to the feeling of “barely hanging on” internally but “keeping it together” enough to avert any visible disturbance and carrying on as an apparently normal human being. This self-controlled emotional turmoil is addressed through metaphor as the “avalanche” of the song’s title. Check it out below:
Madison, Wisconsin’s dynamic foursome Slow Pulp delivers indie-pop in unique and enthralling form on new song “Preoccupied.” A drum cue ushers in a free-flowing sound, which parallels a dreamscape with its celestial vocals, smooth flourishes of saxophone and a resonant bassline. This touch is sharpened by cutting guitar that gives portions of the song a light but noticeable post-punk edge similar to Gang of Four’s early releases. “Preoccupied” appeared as the closing song on Slow Pulp’s newest project EP2, released this past spring.
Oregon-based indie rock band Typhoon has released “Darker,” the second single off their fast-approaching new concept album Offerings, planned to be out via Roll Call Records on January 12. The track slowly pulsates along before a startling crash floods in a psychedelic instrumental melody. Vulnerable vocals and traces of orchestration outline this rocking and catchy song of anguish, exhibiting the memory crisis hindering the central character of the album’s proposed story arc. Listen below:
“Laced” is a vibrant new single by Californian indie rock project Coyote Mustache, the umbrella name for a group of musicians fronted by Phillip Yancey and assembled from various corners of the United States. It can’t be stressed enough just how much this track uses bursts of unbridled energy to its advantage. It makes for something exceedingly infectious, conceivably a mix of Arcade Fire’s stadium-ready dynamic and Cage the Elephant’s raw spirit. This tune, assigned to Coyote Mustache’s EP coming out in the new year, tackles the experience of mundanity by facing it with its inverse–the feeling of merriment.
Having grown up partially in Bangalore, India, the Boston-bred hip hop artist going by the name Kid Mango imparts raga influence in the sound of his new song entitled “Function.” The track encases an understated but driving vocal delivery. Kid Mango’s rapped lyrics release grievances against such things as the United States government, greed and dangerous tendencies like alcoholism. Such lines as “buried alive in the Petri dish of sorrow” and “cop cars move like sharks in the night,” among others, are uniquely poetic to an appreciable degree. Recorded entirely in a Brooklyn bedroom, Kid Mango’s mixtape containing “Function” has been planned for a drop sometime in the early months of 2018.
Rainsford’s “Intentions” is dipped in graceful synthesizer, light-as-air vocals and sensuous, 1980s-seasoned beauty. The lyrics chronicle a spell of hesitance clouding a relationship, illustrated by commitment issues from the other side. The chorus bursts with emotion through its inquiry challenging this partner’s intentions and self-reflection about why it remains difficult to let go and move on. The song is met with a magically choreographed visual containing a range of captivating imagery, which can be seen below.