Joshua Quimby brings us Miles Apart, which stomps in a bit like an amped up Joshua Radin tune in both vocal timbre and melody. The melody is great and the layering of acoustic guitar, banjo, and fiddle, are a familiar but welcome combination. Check it out on our Indie Folk and Singer Songwriter Playlist.
Sojourner by Chrysalis psychs you out with some new-agey synth G-flat major glissandos before resolving stolidly into a laid back indie rock tune. There’s a lot working in here for me, and I feel a bit like they are one insanely hooky chorus and super clean mix away from a big fan base.
A guitar centric indie rock song from Cheer Mom, Out, Athena! brings me back to the early days of indie rock: no fluff, no over-production, no unnecessary instruments, just the essentials, and honestly its incredibly refreshing. Lately, productions get crowded out with a million effects and supporting elements, not so in Out, Athena! where Dan Fare doesn’t hide behind anything and yet delivers a solid track worthy of a listen.
Just the Other Day by LIMBO, sounds incredibly of the time. Melding genres not unlike how Sleigh Bells mashed up pop, rap beats, and metal with 2010s “Treats”, LIMBO give us a pop-y, rock derivative, trap rap inspired track that seems to slip in and out of genres depending on where your eyes focus. I am thoroughly enjoying the uniqueness of the production and hope LIMBO keeps exploring their sound further.
Here’s a synthwave electronic track from Von Stuck, called Beginner’s Luck. I think there’s some good potential here and enjoy the sonic palette and the sequenced synths in the main section. I’d love to hear it with a bit more sound design and movement, maybe with some envelopes that really make the track move and dance.
Here’s a pop rock track with acoustic guitar running over a drum machine and a little bit of electric guitar running hot through a wah pedal. The chorus melody is great, and although I miss a little bit of variety in the acoustic guitar instrumental and the vocal production (I think the song could benefit from some harmonies, and some detailed effects like a delay throw in the verses), the song is well written and there are some great instrumental breaks.
When I first queued up Saviour by Leone I had no idea what to think, but by the end of the track it was saved to my library. Hailing from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Leone raps about their own experience with mental health, and does so with finesse. The delivery is strong, the “saviour” hook is effective, and the production supports the song well.
Sitting somewhere between the world of Daddy Yankee’s flamenco guitar intros and Post Malone’s melodic rap style we have Shaunbei with their track What’s Forever. The drum are slammed hard and the auto tune on the vocal cranked up to 100. Check out Shaunbei on their Youtube here.