Latest Posts

Prude Boys – “I’m Cold”

October 24, 2023

Prude Boys came together in 2013 centering around bassist Caroline Thornbury and guitarist Quennton Thornbury’s songwriting. They built out from that structural spine through tireless local gigs and a need to fold in their eclectic musical tastes into their flawless garage rock core. The culmination of their years of writing and touring is their debut album Greatest Hits, a tour de force from the trio with many must listens. One of those musts is their newly released single “I’m Cold,” an ethereal garage rock track that blossoms into a raucous emotional rout. Smart song craft is abound in this nuanced rocker, feeling familiar yet completely alien simultaneously because of its polychromatic acoustics. Caroline’s vocals are achingly beautiful, she shows pristine expressive qualities comparable to Jeff Buckley’s riveting howls. Quennton’s guitar is tantalizing and enigmatic, delicate and growling, they climax with a blistering solo that will have you replaying “I’m Cold”[...]

Sonny Falls – “Cemeteries”

October 20, 2023

Sonny Falls turns a normally somber locale into something palatable and pleasant here on “Cemeteries.” Granted, I love walking through “Cemeteries,” but the soundtrack to my visit isn’t typically a pleasant indie-pop track… Songwriter Ryan “Hoagie” Wesley Ensley seamlessly melds an acoustic guitar backbone with tasteful percussion, swimmy guitar work, and his omnipleasant voice. Ensley ends the song with a jam of sorts that reads as powerful and meaningful without ever dipping into overblown-for-the-sake-of-epicness territory. Fans of Bright Eyes, Spoon, or (deep cut here) An Angle will love what Sonny/Hoagie has to offer. You can find “Cemeteries” on Spotify and Apple Music.

Courtney Farren – “I Must Like It”

October 19, 2023

Released October 6 in anticipation a full length effort next year, Courtney Farren’s newest single is “I Must Like It.” Originally from the Bay Area in San Francisco, she has found herself anywhere from Boston to Croatia (and currently back in California). With this wanderlust comes experiences, which fuels her creative juices as an artist. With some truly awe inspiring compositions, Farren’s vocals bring to mind artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Lorde, and Florence & The Machine. Not merely a rehash of old ideas or borrowing from other artists, she blazes ahead creatively with a fresh look ahead for the indie pop aesthetic. Be sure to check out “I Must Like It” over on Spotify or Apple Music. If you’re feeling the vibes there, dig deeper on her previous effort from April of this year with Rabbit King. 

Frogs Show Mercy – “Chester’s Privilege”

October 19, 2023

A band we’ve covered previously (here and here), Frogs Show Mercy brings us their latest single “Chester’s Privilege.” Beginning with a sample of an interaction they had with Instagram personality Chester Stone, it immediately switches gears to some raucous geetar and some bellowing vocals that will have you feeling like it’s the early aughts all over again. You might feel a slight buzz from the breakdowns and changeups, but the penultimate twist comes around the 2:40 mark…. And I won’t ruin it for you. Suffice to say, you might think you’re listening to an entirely new song. Lots of great energy from this Miami group, please give it and some of their other tracks a listen especially if enjoy bands such as Dismemberment Plan, Tigers Jaw, or Title Fight. Hear “Chester’s Privilege” over on Spotify or Apple Music.

Easy Bear – “In My Head”

October 19, 2023

A mysterious three piece based out of Santa Barbara, Easy Bear describes their sound as “…like rock and/or roll” which is…100% accurate. Their latest single, “In My Head” is an electric track chock-filled with all of the guitars. Occasionally giving way to a brief respite with a tight bass riff, the calm doesn’t last for long as they launch into another chord-laden layer of awesome. Evoking a sort of post grunge/emo tinged power pop feel, you’ll definitely enjoy the hooks and energy the band brings a la Hollerado or Arkells. You can hear “In My Head” over on Soundcloud or Spotify. Easy Bear · In My Head

Virgo Rising – “Shoes”

October 19, 2023

Manitoba based four piece Virgo Rising brings us their latest single “Shoes” off of their October 13th EP Vampyre Year. Simply put, this is a sublime, guitar-forward bedroom indie rock song guided by vocalist Emiy Sinclair’s dulcet tones. I said to myself whilst listening, “Self, ya know each note and minute sounds present, so deliberately placed, and painstakingly put together.” Oddly enough as I started reading more about the band I learned that this… was not only true as my ears heard it, but there was a bit of a backstory too. As per the band, they implemented a veto system on crafting Vampyre Year that initially worked a little too well and went back to the drawing board. Coming back fresh after a year away from recording, the band reworked the EP from scratch and made it a cohesive group effort. As far as comparisons go, the sound and attention to[...]

Salt Cathedral – “Complacent”

October 16, 2023

The duo Salt Cathedral are from Brooklyn-by-way-of-Colombia and have a gorgeously arranged, heady, and emotional new single just released called “Complacent.” The new song is a cathartic decree of revolt against a life of resigned standstill, capturing that fear of inertia perfectly with music that writhes and shifts. That is coupled with a singular Juliana Ronderos singing: “I don’t wanna feel like It’s over, find a comfort corner let the fear take over.” Ronderos’ crystalline vocals enthrall you while the rhythm from serrated steel drums mesmerize and propel you to move. “Complacent” is a killer track that fans of Sylvan Esso or The Knife should definitely dive into.Here is Salt Cathedral on their new track: “There’s a poem by the Uruguayan writer Mario Benedetti that’s haunted me since I was a teenager. It is called ‘No Te Salves’ which translates to ‘Don’t Save Yourself.’ The poem is about not living[...]

The Moving Stills – “Best Friend”

October 16, 2023

We love ourselves the jubilant and radiant indie rock that The Moving Stills have put out over the last few years (check our previous features on them Here, Here, and Here) and their latest release, the indie pop blast “Best Friend,” is no different. It is the fourth single off their forthcoming album Wabi Sabi, due out November 24th. “Friend” captures the group’s whimsical creative spirit while beaming with the energy of their soul-warming smiles. “Best Friend” takes you to that cherished place in life where a friendship unburdens you just by being near and your adventures are effortlessly euphoric. Breezy vocals bring the cool, as shimmering synths warm you and guitar hooks dazzle and make you dance. Fans of Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, and MGMT will find lots on this track to love. Here is Tommy from The Moving Stills talking about their new track: “’Best Friend’ is about feeling[...]

Kitchenette – “If I Can Dance”

October 15, 2023

Kitchenette is a Netherlands-based five piece led by frontman Chris O. Kikic, who originally hails from Bosnia. Released October 6, “If I Can Dance” is a super chill guitar-forward track that makes way for Kikic’s haunting/wailing vocals. Their subtle yet danceable style brings in comparisons from The War on Drugs, to Kurt Vile, or Real Estate; enjoyers of these artists will certainly find a lot to enjoy from Kikic et al. We were particularly drawn to the bouncing bass line and swimmy, spiraly guitar leads that weave in and out of the song’s skeletal structure. Certainly leaning into the dreamier vibes in all of the best ways, “If I Can Dance” is about getting yourself back out there – here’s more from Kikic: “It’s about jumping into the waters again, dancing even if you can’t dance, trying out new stuff and going for it. Being in the world and with[...]

llawgne – “Crysanthemum Rock”

October 13, 2023

“Chrysanthemum Rock” is the newest track from Swedish artist Mathias Engwall, better know by his stage name llawgne (pronounced love-gney, also Mathias’ last name reversed). We’ve covered him previously over here on the BLOG, and haven’t changed our minds in the ensuing three years. llawgne’s style is best enjoyed with a good set of headphones – all music, but particularly shoegazier tracks like this all but call for it. The swimmy guitar (with some backbone of jangle and wail) brings to mind Slowdive, Joy Division, and My Bloody Valentine – complete with a rhythmic chant-like vocal style that urges you to, quite literally, stop and smell the roses – er, crysanthemums. Described as a “… powerful celebration of personal decline and lowered ambition as a recipe for success” you’ll find yourself drawn into Engwall’s (self-produced) effort here and is a great jumping off point for his other tracks. Be sure[...]

Kandle – “Live A Lie”

October 13, 2023

Released October 12, “Live a Lie” is the newest single from Canadian singer and songwriter Kandle. The song comes in anticipation of her newest album due out in 2024; she brings haunting vocals with sweeping guitars and buzzy synths backing her up. You feel immediately drawn in as her voice swirls around your ears and gives a Radiohead or Smashing Pumpkins vibe with the amount of swirling sound drawn out of a relatively simple arrangement. Her lyrical composition also reminds me a bit of a more focused Björk; the chanting and the ways she uses her voice more like an instrument are quite remarkable. It’s easy to see the attraction as Kandle has collaborated musical goliaths such as Jack White and fellow Canadian Sam Roberts (a personal favorite of mine). It’s melancholy (Mellon Collie?) for sure, but “Live a Lie” is absolutely gripping and totally worth the listen. You can[...]

King Nun – “OCD”

October 13, 2023

King Nun, a five piece out of London, brings us a fresh slice with “OCD” off of their new album LAMB released a couple weeks ago through Marshall Records. Influenced by grunge darlings Sonic Youth and Pixies, I’m immediately drawn to the downbeat and discordant sounds from the bass and guitar in the gratuitous (but not overwrought) intro. Tackling a subject that’s near and dear to me, front man Theo had this to say on the track: “I think there was a good two years where I had an incredible bout of health anxiety that at every turn nearly put a stop to my life…I was really struggling with everything you could imagine and the simplest thing became massive and complicated.” You can feel the struggle and angst all throughout and it reminded of a darker take of “The Bitch of Living” from the Spring Awakening Musical Soundtrack (I know, weird deep cut but[...]

Lila Dupont – “Dance and Smoke and Sing”

October 12, 2023

Once upon a time, NYC-based singer/songwriter Lila Dupont had a cold. Instead of laying in bed and being a loaf, she put pen to paper and wrote “Dance and Smoke and Sing,” her latest single. With it’s upbeat guitar-based backbone and overall breezy vibes, you might be surprised to learn that “Dance” is actually about trying to breakup with a significant other… But the song’s perceived happiness is actually the embodiment of how free Dupont imagined she’d feel after breaking those proverbial chains. Fans of Phoebe Bridgers, Maggie Rogers, or the almighty Clairo are going to find lots to love here. Check out the YouTube vid from Lila below, or, add it to your favorite Spotify playlist.

General Crush – “King Of The Road”

October 12, 2023

“King of the Road” is the newest single from Boston artist Ray Ward, better known by his stage name of General Crush (honestly, great name and kind of angry I didn’t think of it first). He brings a lot to the table, with this little number being a very fun pop-forward road trip sounding track. He switches up a bit between tracks and keeps his sound fresh and shifting, but really gave me a similar feel to some of Mt. Joy or Sufjan Stevens’ more upbeat songs, and even a little bit of that Neil Young swagger from the days of yore (ask your parents). With lots of light guitar and some horns and piano thrown in for good measure, you’ll find yourself bopping along to the beat within the first 30 seconds. This is definitely going on my on my leaf peeping list for the fall and if you[...]

Tired Cossack – “Tin”

October 12, 2023

While the Cossacks (as per Wikipedia from Turkic kazak, “adventurer” or “free man”) of old may have been known for their horsemanship and fierce independence, Tired Cossack, is a solo act based out of good ole Winnipeg, Canada. He brings us a cut off his newest album I Know, I Guess., “Tin,” and it’s a solid 3:30 of rhythmic post-punk with Cure/The Fall-esque vibes. It’s somehow so wonderfully noisy yet refined just before the point of excess to keep the song moving – not bogging down at any point. Call it good mixing, but as a famous sound guy once said (probably), “you can’t polish a turd.” This one is indeed a diamond. Is he tired? Maybe, I don’t know the guy. If his music is any indication of his well-being I think there’s a lot to listen to here and I hope he’s okay and keeps rocking out between naps.[...]