Canadian trio Close Talker will wash your woes away with their reverb-soaked brand of indie rock. We recommend their latest song “Pace,” which comes complete with a steamy music video full of car crashes and interpretive dance. Fans of Coldplay, Interpol, or Tokyo Police Club might find common ground in this one – give it a listen/view below.
DJ Pharris, Young Dolph, and G Herbo blew our minds with their Worldstar Exclusive, “Boss.” Pharris’ claim to fame is a co-production credit on Kanye West’s “Fade.” This one is packed full of character like Dolph’s one-of-a-kind voice and Herbo’s distinct delivery. Put this one on your Spotify playlist and feel like a “Boss” yourself.
If you’ve got your ear to the ground for lighthearted indie jams, let us recommend “Unholy” by Hollie Col. Fleshed out with Hollie’s lilting voice, a bouncy bassline, jangly guitars, and a pad of synths, “Unholy” is a burst of sprightly indie energy with an ever-so-slight tinge of alt folk. Check it out below!
Mating Ritual caught our attention with the raucous electronica of “Future Now.” Featuring a hazy music video full of synths, cowboy hats, and shell pink basses – “Future Now” is full of sing/scream hooks and upbeat energy. This is a good one to crank if you want to get your blood pumping. Check it out via the YouTube widget below.
Dutch act Eckhardt and the House caught our ears with the upbeat indie-pop of “Lonely.” Fans of Metronomy, Two Door Cinema Club, and MGMT will enjoy this song – it’s full of funky wah-bass and airy, yet catchy vocal melodies. This one in particular is set off by some lovely female harmonies from Bella Hay, check it out below.
Hopes and dreams are funny, fickle things. As we get older, we start to reconcile some of our childhood delusions of grandeur. For some, this means settling peacefully into a routine 9 to 5 grind and making the most of your comfort and free time. For others, it’s an uphill battle to cling to what defines you as an individual. It may be different for the doctors of the world, but for the rest of us who have embraced our humdrum day jobs, how many of us are really pursuing our passions for employment? Enter Everything in Waves, a.k.a Anthony Del Plato – a talented and prolific musician from Batavia with 15+ years of songwriting experience. Besides a healthy dose of inescapable hook-writing skills gleaned from the Cobains and Grohls of the world, Del Plato was raised on the atmospheric emo heroes of the late 90s and early 00s – think The Appleseed Cast[...]
Icelandic pop songstress Hildur caught us off guard with her poppy ode to relationship salvaging, “Work.” This song is a lovely pop ditty and Hildur’s effervescent delivery is particularly strong in the staccato chorus – “I just want to make us work, work, work; ain’t no logic to us taking a vacation.” It’s an ear wormy shout-out to all the good couples out there putting in time to lift each other up. Check it out via the widget below.
Move over Chevy – this ain’t no car commercial jingle. “Like a Rock” by Dave Lepage is a peppy indie pop number that brings to mind summery afro-poppers Vampire Weekend. Pairing a blistering tempo with a sunny disposition and riffs for days, we think Lepage is up to something good. “Like a Rock” is the lead single from Lepage’s latest release, Wave Deux – check it out here.
This latest banger from Swedish act Niva has us bobbing our heads. “Sudden Changes” is a hush-hush take on electronica chillwave – pairing ethereal synth work with mysterious vocals and plenty of bleeps and bloops to keep your ears entertained. Put this one on a long evening drive and bliss out to these fine Swedish soundscapes.
Marella is a self-taught guitarist, pianist, and drummer whose been trying his hand at indie pop. We were charmed by his latest single, “YOWIE” – a lighthearted indie pop jam about happy summer vibes. This one is pop centric but with classic, lo-fi vibes. Marella has an uncanny way of adding interesting elements to an otherwise straightforward song – check it out below.
There is nothing better than some infectious, Swedish pop to get your day going. We’re absolutely glued to “Say Ooh La La” by mysterious artist LD Donovan. The juxtaposition of an inescapable “Ooh La La” motif with ear worm instrumentals makes for pure electropop enjoyment – check it out via the widget below and see what we’re talking about.
Faux Canada is a SF-based indie pop band whose “Stockton” grabbed our attention. The group is heavily inspired by the early 00s (and also 90s shoegaze and grunge) and that all comes out on this peppy single. Full of upbeat riffage, bouncing basslines, and relatable lyrics, “Stockton” is a good time all the way through for any indie rocker – turns out we’re all just “shitty kids from shitty cities” after all!
Lately, we’ve been digging the ethereal indie rock from Austin singer/songwriter Tiny Dolphin. We recommend starting with “Come Apart,” a piano and synth driven banger that brings to mind other reverb-soaked crooners like Coldplay, Copeland, or Tame Impala. Fans of pop, rock, electronica, or acoustic music will all find something to like in Tiny Dolphin’s offerings – check it out via the widget below.
Washington, DC act Mystery Friends are a dancy indie pop band whose “See Right Through” caught our ears. Their latest offering, “See Right Through,” pairs powerful vocals with buzzy synth tones and plunky guitars and bass. This one is sure to get your head bobbing – fans of Alvvays, Charly Bliss, or CHVRCHES will dig Mystery Friends’ vibes. Past & Future Self by Mystery Friends
Nerdiest or coolest band name ever? Either way, “Wizard Daughter” from Brooklyn act Teen Girl Scientist Monthly is a fun indie-jangle jam set off by delightfully squiggly keyboard accents. If you like what you hear via the widget below, be sure to swing over to their Bandcamp page – they just came out with a new album. Fans of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Motion City Soundtrack, or Diet Cig will dig this one.