Latest Posts

Phasez – “Insecure”

August 16, 2023

Ottawa-based Phasez is an alt/new wave project by a secretive musician named Miguel (I know this because his IG is set to private.) Very much wearing his heart on his sleeve, Phasez is very much progressive and a supporter of BLM as well de-stigmatizing mental health issues. We latched on to “Insecure” for its thoughtful message about how not being sure of yourself can easily make you question who you are… Not to mention the super tasty hooks set in a tasteful 80s sonic palate. Check out “Insecure” below, on Spotify, or on Apple Music.

The Freeloaders – Cheap & Used

August 14, 2023

Pittsburgh-based act The Freeloaders are a band that knows their roots. There’s never a wrong time to acknowledge where you come from, and this quartet certainly does that (and does it well) on their latest LP, Cheap & Used. This ten song collection is full of songs that nod to rock and roll heavyweights like The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and Neil Young while also channeling 90s guitar rock like Radiohead, Cracker, and the Jayhawks. The Freeloaders have an all too familiar origin story – as childhood friends who grew up playing covers of the aforementioned bands, they cut their teeth perfecting the classics… That is, before the pandemic hit. Whether it was an itch from being stuck at home or just a change of heart, this quartet decided to buckle down and start creating their own songs. Cheap & Used is the result of that burning desire to make art, an[...]

Bobsled Team – “Analita”

August 14, 2023

Hailing from Belfast, pop duo Bobsled Team brings us some new music in the form of a single, “Analita”, their first new track since 2021’s LP The Colours Blur. The track itself is a jangly dream-popgasm, with wistful-sounding distortion, a la The Sundays or Sixpence None The Richer, backing up singer Kimberly’s singsong voice. Special mention to my NYS peeps: I also got similar vibes to another band that’s a personal favorite of mine – Diet Cig (seriously, check them out too!) Be sure to check out “Analita” on Bandcamp or Spotify (if you’re still sticking around after they jacked up their premium price). As always, be sure to support your favorite local groups (especially if your friends are in a band, c’mon!) Listens help artists, but showing up and buying merch are the best way to put money in musician’s pocket, short of shoving money in their pocket (which I’m[...]

Bollo Bollo – “Melt This”

August 14, 2023

UK-based indie quartet Bollo Bollo bring us their newest single “Melt This,” freshly released 8/11, and it’s a quite the humdinger. Starting out wispy and subdued, there’s a solid percussion-forward lead-in to vocals from singer Bradley Ayres’ sublime voice that leads into the crux of the song. Vibrant synth come into the fray along with a stellar bass line, propelling the track forward. Speaking to the song, the band had this to say: “It’s a song about having troubles in a relationship. Rather than taking the seemingly easier route and ‘burying-your-head-in-the-sand’, it’s about tackling the issues head on.” Fans of post punk era bands like Joy Division or their more contemporary counterparts Interpol or Tame Impala would find a lot to enjoy here. You can hear “Melt This” over on Spotify or Bandcamp, as well as their previous tracks such as the superb “Forever Stay.” Bollo Bollo · Melt This

Grrrl Gang – “Blue-Stained Lips”

August 13, 2023

Yogyakarta, Indonesia-based act Grrrl Gang sure knows how to write an upbeat jam – if you don’t believe us, one listen through the summery, punky pop rock of “Blue-Stained Lips” should be enough proof. A pure and lighthearted song about loving and cherishing your significant other (even if they have lips that are stained blue by Curacao), “Lips” brings all us tired millennials back to feelings of puppy love from days long past. Fans of The Go-Gos, The Linda Lindas, or Liz Phair’s poppier canon will find lots to love here. “We were at a party one night, and I drank this blue cocktail, and it left a stain on my lips, making them blue. I thought I looked super ugly, but my boyfriend still thought I was perfect and kissed me, regardless. The line ‘Kiss me on my blue-stained lips’ is a metaphor for him liking me and accepting[...]

Molly Millington – “Foreign Accent”

August 13, 2023

Molly Millington embodies feelings of youth, love, and longing on her latest single, “Foreign Accent.” “Everything sounds better in a foreign accent,” Molly explains, and we can’t help but relate to the romanticizing of someone’s surface-level traits. It’s backed up by a shiny and shimmery indie pop instrumental, complete with jangly tambourines, crisp guitars, and subtle hints of synth. Molly further explains her mindset below: “’Foreign Accent’ is about doing things you usually wouldn’t purely because the way it’s presented is not what you’re used to. For example, saying yes to a marriage proposal because you’re in another country and everything seems more exciting and romantic but then remembering when you get home that you actually don’t believe in marriage and possibly might not even be into men.” You can find “Foreign Accent” on both Soundcloud (below) or Spotify. Molly Millington · Foreign Accent

Jet City Sports Club – “Drug Store (Waste My Time)”

August 13, 2023

Sydney’s Jet City Sports Club are back with a brand new indie pop jam called “Drug Store (Waste My Time).” In case you missed our previous features on JCSC (see here and here), “Drug” finds the band continuing to hone their brand of glassy, beach inspired indie pop a la Alvvays or Beach Bunny. Sweet vocal melodies and a driving bass are highlights here, anchored by both crunchy and chorus-laden guitars. About the song, the band explains: “When I started writing this song, It was about always wanting more from a significant other, but it evolved into a sort of longing and desperation to be seen by someone you don’t even really know. Someone who might not even know you exist yet.” Check it out via Soundcloud (below) or Spotify. Jet City Sports Club · Drug Store (Waste My Time)

War Strings – “All My Little Games”

August 13, 2023

War Strings, aka Andrew Stogel, hit us hard with the jangly heartwrench of latest single, “All My Little Games.” Jangly chords start this one off and stay constant throughout, while nimble basslines, punchy drums, and vocals dripping with sincerity help to keep that gut punch feeling always present. It’s accompanied by a music video that brings a perfect visual to the song – blurry and confusing, like the emotions that are conjured when one listens to “Games.” About the song, War Strings explains: “All My Little Games’ is about reckoning with heartbreak. Realizing the ‘fixes’ cause more pain.” You can find “All My Little Games” on Spotify or YouTube (below).

Elle Belle – “Saturday”

August 9, 2023

Elle Belle is one of many projects on front man Christopher Pappas’ plate, including but not limited to: making music for Nasa, a musical, and a couple TV pilots in pre-production. “Saturday” is the second single released in anticipation of his newest album How Do I Feel, out September 1 from Little Record Company – a name fans of Rilo Kiley would recognize as being owned by Pierre de Reeder. Pappas shows off a bit with deliciously dulcet voice and understated piano throughout, evoking comparisons of Jacks Mannequin (Andrew McMahon’s erstwhile side project), Stars, or the aforementioned Rilo Kiley. (Kelly, you know who you are and I’m pretty sure you’d enjoy this). The production value is through the roof and well worthy of a listen. There’s a cool little effect that I don’t have a name for (but surely exists) that happens with the piano you should listen for too![...]

The Pretty Flowers – “Wildflowers”

August 9, 2023

LA based quartet and floral aficionados The Pretty Flowers bring us their third single, “Wildflowers,” from their newest album A Company Sleeve (July 14, Double Helix Records). The lyrics deal in part with the challenges of a soul suck corporate job, while the instrumentals lean into a brand of guitar rock popularized by the Superchunks, Teenage Fanclubs, and Wilcos of old. “Wildflowers” is both ode to and a way forward for bands looking to recapture and refine some of the old magic, while bringing their own spin on it (they even have cassettes for sale). Give “Wildflowers” a listen over on Spotify or Apple Music and be sure to check out the rest of A Company Sleeve if you’re feeling the vibes. A Company Sleeve by The Pretty Flowers

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!

Middle Priest – “Act Your Age”

August 7, 2023

LA-based indie rockers Middle Priest have just released the electrically slick single “Act Your Age” off their forthcoming EP I thought that I was far away. The new cut has fat drum punches that lead you into a cavalcade of guitar bursts that shine with a southern rock flair and will have you imagining a perfect summer breeze kissing your cheek. Middle Priest’s vocals on “Act Your Age” weave into the rhythm with a serpentine southern slickness that excites the listener as it coils until a cathartic hollering, “whew” in the center of the track. Their bridge uses that same anticipatory energy by tying the ends of the verses inside of it together before dropping the vocals and releasing an incendiary, hair raising guitar solo. Let this new indie group wow you with this fresh cut that rattlesnakes and rocks. Fans of Raconteurs, Kurt Vile, War on Drugs, and Wilco[...]

Sea Lemon – “Vaporized”

August 7, 2023

Seattle’s Natalie Lew, under her moniker Sea Lemon, is excited for her upcoming EP release titled Stop at Nothing, due out August 25th of this year. This will be following her debut album that germinated during pandemic isolation and found life in the 2022 release Close Up. The upcoming EP has Lew pushing to define her artistic voice after a promising freshman album where the young artist was trying on various sounds while finding that unique one that fits best. “Vaporized”, the latest single to come from that project, is an upbeat, shoegazey indie cut that is a perfect example of that sound. The new song is stuffed full of melancholic beauty, with twinkling guitar lines that tumble and cascade onto each other like ocean waves. Warm layers of expansive bass create a plush underpinning for Lew’s lyrics to sit upon, all of which are kept buoyant with a steady rock[...]

LEX – “vodka soda”

August 7, 2023

Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Alexis Onyango, aka LEX, has just released the bubbling neon chameleon that is her electro pop track “vodka soda.” Turn it on and bliss out as the chopped and screwed electro textures titillate and transport your consciousness.  Effervescent audio samples dance with rubbery bright synths before Onyango’s pure-toned pop vocals pierce the swirling maelstrom and hold your heart like the gaze of your summer crush. She sings about the kind of love that’ll have you listening to music you hate just to be with them. The production is filled with nostalgic and saccharine electro blurts, bursts, and edits that echo deep into your young heart and animate your hips, toes, and head until you’re doing a dance that feels like the manifestation of the ghosts from summers past and present. The intricate single builds on the work of LEX who has released singles “Skin Off My Back” in[...]

PYNKIE- “Plz”

August 7, 2023

Lindsey Radice, aka PYNKIE, hails from New Jersey and forges her music career when she isn’t helping people as a full-time registered nurse. She has just released a slammin’, kaleidoscopic dream pop single with “Plz.” The high energy, dreamy indie rock cut encapsulates the cathartic cruise of a windows-down music-up joyride where your emotions simultaneously find purchase and get drowned out. Radice’s hazy vocals glide on top of and blend into a bed of fast paced layered guitar, warm strings, and metronomic drums that click by like tires slapping highway spacers. The bridge becomes a rhythmic, multicolored haze with her singing falling back before snapping the track back into place with pleasing authority. Radice is riding the wave of momentum she created with underground Soundcloud beginnings that she bridged into the lauded release of her debut album, 2018’s neoteny. “Plz” will find its home on her forthcoming album Songies which[...]