Latest Posts

argonaut&wasp- “Prove It to You”

November 18, 2017

“Prove It to You,” a new track from argonaut&wasp, is pretty much as close to indietronica as musicians can get. The Brooklyn duo follows on the trail of bands like Hot Chip with the track’s undulating rhythm and velvety vocal stylings. The song oozes confidence, with a cool-as-can-be assertion of “let’s get it on,” while admitting to feeling lonely. The recurrent keyboard lines toward the end of the song serve to build the song to an energy-raising climax before ending somewhat abruptly beneath its propeller-sounding finish. Check out “Prove It To You” below.

Now, Now- “Yours”

November 18, 2017

“Yours,” the latest song-length effort, bounces on an assertive beat, as Cacie Dalager’s lightly delivered singing still manage to take a stronghold on the listener’s ears. The song’s sound and accompanying music video encompass a 1980s aesthetic. The narrator falls under the spell of a romantic interest, as she pleas for the subject of the track to come her way and stop denying her. But despite the message retaining a level of hesitance as to whether her feelings will be reciprocated, the song manages to still sound triumphant and freeing.

Bryde – “Desire”

November 17, 2017

Welsh songwriter Bryde employs her newest single “Desire” as a means to grapple with impulsiveness and the by-any-means-necessary approach to self-gratification inherent in humankind.  As told by the song’s ardently delivered lyrics, “we tie ourselves up and we tear ourselves down” while “we paint our faces and we tear our hair out” all in the name of desire. The rhythmic guitar laced throughout the verses inhabits a brooding quality but escalates to more anthemic, power pop-esque riffage once the track reaches the chorus. Chris Sorum and CJ Marks, the latter credited with assistance on recent works from PJ Harvey, St. Vincent and Wolf Alice, are responsible for the song’s pleasingly raw-sounding production. The almost undetectable utterance of “yeah” once the song ends points to satisfaction with the end result, like a weight was lifted. Listeners could, and should, foreseeably feel the same. Bryde’s debut album is slated for release in[...]

Johnny Paglino- “Psalms on Contempt and Incarceration”

November 17, 2017

Seasoned Floridian recording artist Johnny Paglino holds no reservations about expletives, it seems. But considering his aim was to write a breakup album with America, tackling such subject matter as child trafficking and oppression, why would he? His time in jail and vigilance toward what he views, in so many words, as the declining state of the country inspired such an endeavor. The new single, “Psalms on Contempt and Incarceration,” due out in January on Paglino’s upcoming EP A Collection of Crows, features airy instrumentation throughout, with notable inclusion of a pipe flute solo toward its closing. With the mindset of a shattered relationship with America applied, Johnny Paglino asks his country, “why’d you let yourself go?” as he pins down the metaphor of growing out of one’s jean size. The track also consists of unorthodox lines that make the song stand out even more, like “the meme lives on[...]

Alex Riddle – “Snow White”

November 10, 2017

Bolstered by chiming guitar and a thrumming undercurrent of bass and drums, Alex Riddle’s “Snow White” is rooted in a message of desperate persistence and letdowns, evidenced by lines like “I want to be somebody new” and “she’s the life of a party that I’m not invited to.” At one point, the song sounds a bit like “The Way” by Fastball, but that’s neither here nor there, as “Snow White” maintains a unique approach to alternative rock. Little touches like a hard rock-type guitar solo and the parading of a falsetto—and a masterful falsetto at that—help in staking that claim. “Snow White” is due to be released on a two-sided, 7-inch single this December.

Goodfight – “Lucy”

November 10, 2017

“Lucy” by the five-piece Floridian group Goodfight is carried right from the start until the song’s closing by energetic yet melodic guitar work slightly reminiscent of Real Estate and genuinely catchy harmonies. The female vocal part is innocent and baby doll-like for the duration of the verses before turning more angelic during the choruses. The male voice follows suit, matching its counterpart with a soothing-turned-weightless delivery, only at a slightly lower register. Goodfight’s upcoming album ‘Florida Room’ is slated for release on November 17th via Baby Blue.

Vacances – “Don’t Go”

November 10, 2017

Formed by singer Danny Lannon upon the expiry of his preceding project The Frail, Vacances has found traction on Spotify as of late, owing to a style of vibrancy as well as the boost from the production and songwriting handlings of Alex Fitts of The Kickdrums, a team partly responsible for concocting hits put out by John Legend, 50 Cent, Lana Del Ray and Kid Cudi. The latest single from “Don’t Go” has ‘hit’ written all over it, exemplified by synth-pop stylings, an anthemic chorus and gentle-to-the-ear vocals all encased in a radio-friendly run time.

Glassio – “Daydream”

November 10, 2017

At the start of “Daydream,” something exhilarating lurks, awaiting an invitation to burst out at the seams, as it does in full by song’s end. This something is a tantalizing breed of house and pop music ornamented with sonic, multi-layered brilliance. This new release from New York City-based indie-pop partnership Glassio finds its footing on jabs of keyboard, an insatiable bassline and ear-catching harmonies hoisted up by on-the-rise vocalist NAKAYA. Penned as both a sign of the times and a hybrid of Dr. Dre’s production methods and French electronic duo Air’s atmospheric touch, “Daydream” should induce momentary reflection, hand clapping and a willingness to treat the track with repeated listens all in one flurry.

Company Ink – “Eat Your Ropes”

November 10, 2017

Irish-Norwegian duo Company Ink starts off their new single “Eat Your Ropes” with a disciplined keyboard line, which breaks into a stop-and-start rhythm of bass, drums and vocals. The casually delivered line “just taking sips of the fountain of life that is shit and piss” is at once explicit, humorous and thought-provoking. These words lead into the song’s chorus and the kinetic burst of instrumentation that pleasingly accommodates it. The second verse adds a layer of shimmery guitar to the picture, which gets its spotlight just beyond the midpoint of the song. Even while pulling in ancestral elements, namely the attitude of post-punk bands and the regimented style adhered to in electronic music, “Eat Your Ropes” maintains a singular, fresh sound.

Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type – “Teenage Bodies”

November 3, 2017

“Teenage Bodies” by Rachel Mallin & The Wild Type is a sleek-as-can-be dive into teenage lust, underpinned by lines conveying the need to impress a love interest. The youthful and eager narration is lifted by a polished but not overproduced instrumental backing. The song bounces on a chugging rhythm and reaches an empowered climax toward its conclusion. This four-person group hails from Kansas City, where they’ve garnered a respectable fan base with their relateable and danceable tunes. Thus far, they’ve supported big-name groups on the festival circuit such as Cold War Kids.

Young & Sick – “Ojai”

November 3, 2017

After a stint at design school and a job at a car parts factory in Holland, both of which he abandoned prematurely before his eventual move to Los Angeles, Nick van Hofwegen has crafted album covers for bands like Foster the People and Maroon 5 and delved into musical ventures himself. His latest single under Young & Sick, entitled “Ojai,” is christened after a small town in California and finds solace in a litany of apparent influences. The song begins with a flourish of jazzy piano. A stretch of pop-style vocals then segue into a driving bassline. The song climbs higher as drums and backing vocals enter the mix. After the first-minute, stabs of buzzing synthesizer, as slight as they are, add even more to the song. They round out the details like appreciable set pieces. A stylish guitar solo caps off “Ojai,” a song that surely deserves an extended[...]

Seattle Fix – “Where I’d Rather Be”

November 3, 2017

Hearing Seattle Fix without knowing their genetic makeup might surprise anyone unaware that only two members create so much sound. The fast-paced dreaminess of “Where I’d Rather Be,” a recently released tune from the Melbourne-based duo, creates perceived allusions to dream pop fore-bearers like Cocteau Twins as well as contemporaries like Beach House, Warpaint or The XX. With Olivia Puchalski’s work on vocals, guitar and synthesizer beside the frenetic drumming of Luke Burns, the song is at once ethereal and exciting, a hard-to-capture combination, especially for a band in its early stages—they released their debut EP a little over a year ago. With lyrics pointing to being “higher than the moon” and “running away” and a captivating melody matching these sentiments, the mood of “Where I’d Rather Be” is one of unadulterated freedom.

Dagny – “I Love You Like That”

November 3, 2017

Following her ode to liberation “Wearing Nothing,” Dagny’s “I Love You Like That” possesses the universal pop appeal and structure of what should be a surefire smash hit. “I Love You Like That” starts with a light instrumental touch and reserved vocals, which meets a series of handclaps and rising intensity until the chorus breaks the Norwegian songstress completely out of her shell. The repetition of the root words “I love you” serve to foreseeably mesmerize the listener enough to prompt some uncontrollable finger snapping, foot tapping and the like. The pulsing beat present thereafter propels the song to the status of being an even greater earworm; the same goes for the minimalized part two-thirds of the way in, which transitions back into the final chorus seamlessly. In the vein of artists like Robyn or fellow Norway native Annie, Dagny shows her capability to rework the potential of ‘80s-sounding punches[...]

Darryl Rahn – “Still In Luv”

November 3, 2017

Darryl Rahn’s Newlywed Records debut “Still In Luv,” is a three-minute slice of perfect indie pop, raises the momentum of the up-and-coming singer-songwriter, a New York City-bred artist acclaimed by alternative rock band Guster and discerned favorably by college radio stations statewide. Carried by a thumping bassline and impassioned vocals, “Still in Luv” welcomes in splashes of guitar—both acoustic and fuzzed-out—as well as trickling piano lines. Though the dispirited lyrics cleverly reevaluate the memories experienced alongside someone still entrenched in love (or “luv,” rather) with another man, the tune manages to stray away from balladry and instead takes up a deceivingly buoyant sound. Around the 2-minute mark, the song gives way to a wordless midsection and a breakdown of instruments. The song ends with one last build-up, after a line of questioning shows apparent recuperation from the anguish of lost love before culminating in a cry of “did you tell[...]

Johnny & the Man Kids Release Single “I’m Just a Man”

October 31, 2017

Within the first 40 seconds of “I’m Just a Man” by Buffalo natives Johnny & the Man Kids, a grouping of instruments coalesce one by one—rollicking drums, chiming guitar, a buoyant bassline, a keyboard replicating a theremin, and intervening vocal calls of “1, 2, 3, 4.” Lead singer John Marciniak lyrically pleads with a love interest, tossing his pride to the curb while insisting on living each day to the fullest. The lines “now I / know that I’ll find / some peace of mind / knowing you’re fine” meet a thunderous instrumental barrage before falling back to that initial guitar line and, fittingly enough, a call to “slow down.” “I’m Just a Man” then reintroduces the remaining instruments only to wipe them all away again with exception of an ascending bassline and ethereal sound effects. After another build-up, the words enter, flipping the message to “don’t slow down” instead.[...]