Jenn Nucum’s Out For Blood hits listeners with introspective guitar work and tender yet strong vocals. With an uncanny ability to create a vibrant landscape with each lyric, Nucum will immediately draw fans into the track. The dynamics established between the guitars and Jenn’s voice pushes each to an entirely higher peak. The deliberate arrangements here are reminiscent of OK Computer-era Radiohead or Bush’s Glycerin. Indie rock and twee are…
On NEOMI’s new single On Your List, a slinky vocal style is matched to an assertive, bassy synth. The hooky vocal style of NEOMI will bury itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. Instrumental sections do well in refreshing the track immediately after On Your List’s chorus. With Kevin Jardine building off of the eclectic and dance floor-ready style of producers like Shock Value-era Timbaland, NEOMI is able…
Though not as attractive as the guitar parts in the song are, the synthetic shards of melodicism that comes skating through the backdrop of Gianni Bodo’s “Hurricanes and Butterflies (Flowers Don’t Die)” are an irreplaceable cornerstone of the track’s harmony. As integral to the development of the hook as any of the other components of the composition are, the synth element in this single serves to create balance and warmth…
There aren’t many independent players in Canada that have the kind of buzz that Francine Honey has going for her right now – and justifiably so. Honey has been on a whirlwind ride through the last three years, and in 2020, she’s taking all of her professional knowledge and hammering out one of her best performances yet in “I Carry On.” “I Carry On” is being released as a double…
All in It Together is a track born out of the current pandemic. Showcasing the collaborative element of humanity while insisting upon the need for safe behaviors, Dos Floris are doing their due diligence to keep the whole of humanity safe. With a hopeful set of vocals and guitar-led backdrop, Dos Floris is able to create a catchy set of harmonies. These harmonies will bury themselves deep into the minds…
NOLA Resistance has crafted their own re-tooling of Gil Scott-Heron’s classic “The Revolution Will Not Be Television”. Updating the vibrant lyrical examples to the current period, the act has given the composition a new lease on life. More than changing up the narrative, NOLA Resistance has also created a wholly distinct set of backing instrumentation for the song. Where there was an insistent flute and a forceful tempo on Scott-Heron’s…
On JFK, Head Fake create a compelling track that blend together slinky late-1990s rock (e.g. Stabbing Westward, U2, Pulp) with a gritty set of vocals that build upon the tradition of Tom Waits and late-era Johnny Cash. The production on JFK ensures these numerous sections are able to shine alone or as part of the greater whole. The bass line, keys, and splashy drums establish a vibrant soundscape upon which…
Today, we are speaking with Chicago pop/punk act Dead Freddie. Can you give us a little background information about yourselves? The current members of the band are: Gintas Buinevicius on Drums, Guitar and Backing Vocals, Gary Vacha on Guitar and Backing Vocals, Karl Sperling on Bass Guitar and Backing Vocals, Sam Steagerman on Trombone and backing vocals and Donatas Ramanauskas on Lead Vocals and the occasional Punk Accordion. Gintas, Gary,…
MC Homeless & HaplogroupX (Transplant and Bernichus) released their Duress EP in late May. First off is Disarray, a single that utilizes a backing beat that calls back to 1970s folk rock. Taking turns tackling the track with disparate styles, listeners can pick up hints of mid-1990s NYC and a bit of the Digital Underground in the triad’s vox. The extended instrumental interlude (beginning at 1:30) gives listeners a second…
Silence Is Violence has some sick synths interlaced into the track. The message that Sanya N’Kanta impress upon the track is timely and showcases the need to provide consistent pressure on one’s oppressors. Guitar riffs punctuate the different segments of the single, making for a delicious blend of instruments when considered alongside a bass line playing at the bottom of the track. Silence Is Violence is a track that should…
Change My Life is a dance / pop track that blends together confident and positive vocals with sweeping synth lines to make for something easy to bop along with. The track has a message that anyone that has ever fallen in love will be able to understand. The backing instrumentation is simultaneously familiar and interesting; rising and falling to properly bolster Kolette’s vox, it represents Change My Life’s backbone. Kolette’s…
The Light, Forrest Isn’t Dead’s newest single calls back to eighties-pop rock and modern emo music. Charismatic vocals link together Brendon Urie and Jakob Dylan, while the instrumentation ties together hauntingly beautiful guitars and an insistent synth beat. The production of The Light keeps each element separate, joining together the riffs, synth lines, and calming vocals for the chorus. The song is so unlike anything currently out on Spotify playlists;…
Klassy is a hard-hitting track that brings a ton of lyrical fire even as listeners are brought into a scintillating musical backdrop. Touching upon issues of racism in the music industry, the cut is able to put a spotlight on a behavior that can be traced back over 100 years. Touching upon R&B, Dr. Dre’s 1990s production and even a bit of trap, Klassy just works. Where there’s a number…
To say that April has been an exceptionally good month for indie musicians and their fans just might be too big an understatement to make. With new releases coming from across the underground spectrum, it can be difficult to keep up with the true cream of the crop – but among those I’ve personally reviewed lately, Lily Vakili Band definitely shines above the rest. Vakili’s new song, “Facial Recognition Technology,”…
On Stay, JamLive are able to bring in hints of Muse and Radiohead to something that is tremendously emotional and alluring from its onset. The care in which JamLive takes to create this soundscape is nothing less than incredible; both the vocal and instrumental sides contribute to a greater whole. The usage of white space here is nothing less than impressive; the act can move from quiet sections to something…
On My Phone is Trying to Kill Me, The Aces are able to create a song that not only has a good pop-rock groove, but also contains one of the most infectious chorus we’ve heard so far this year. Charismatic vocals in the vein of Paramore or Taylor Swift unite with lush synth lines and a bit of contemplative guitar work to make something larger than life. Truly a multimedia…
Bored has Sun & Flesh create a track that will bury its melodies deep into fans’ hearts. There’s sizzling guitar riffs, splashing drums, and a tautness to the arrangements that ensure that the band’s latest will stand up to repeat plays. Fans of the Deftones, The Eels, or Fear Factory will find something to dig into here. The band’s vocal melodies that play at the top of Bored add a…
As if the album title weren’t hint enough, the opening line to the opening track off of Teddy Thompson’s latest begins, “Here’s the thing/You don’t love me anymore.” What follows is an album’s worth of heartbreak (as advertised). Sometimes maudlin, sometimes oddly optimistic in the acceptance of the end, Thompson deftly creates an impressively infectious modern day break up record. In recent press materials, Thompson admits to growing up in…
On his new single Floatin‘, Pomona’s own Overlord Gruff is able to craft a hard-hitting track that calls back both to gangster rap as well as the dirtiest bars of performers like Freddie Gibbs and Surve. The production of Floatin‘ is another solid piece of the puzzle, going back to the mid-1990s California scene and the mid-oughts Atlanta sound. Add just a dash of Organize Minds-styled ethereal synths at the…
Box Food begins Specyal T’s new LP, A Specyal Remedy. The track is able to effortlessly straddle the line between R&B and funk, blending thick bassy lines with ever so cool jazz keys. This initial track expands upon the tradition of performers like Angie Stone and Sade while sounding fresh and current. Yorkshire Pudding is a sultry and sexy effort that succeeds due to Specyal T’s vox and a bit…