Indie songs produced and recorded pretty much on your own are not supposed to sound this good. There’s usually something that would give it away, but that’s not the case with Lax, the second single of singer/songwriter Lachlan, released last Friday. The song is a radio-friendly tune with nice guitar riffs and an infectious chorus. Lachlan’s voice is a perfect fit as well.
After being part of several Edinburgh-based bands such as Lost In Vancouver, Lachlan decided to try a career solo. Earlier this year he put his debut single, Too Bad, out. Now with Lax, a song about overcoming your own insecurities, he is letting us know that he’s here to stay. Give this song a listen on the mixtapes below and keep him on your radar. He absolutely deserves it.
When it comes to the Throwback Thursday entries, I’m playing it by ear. It’s not easy to pick one relatively old good song amongst hundreds or thousands of them. For that reason, I’m letting random coincidences to choose one for me. For instance, in yesterday’s post I mentionedSister Hazel and that was all it took for me to write today about that act from Gainesville, Florida. The band, named after a local missionary who took care of homeless people, formed in 1993 and besides being extremely productive with over 10 studio albums (plus EPs, live albums and compilations) over that span, they have also been shockingly stable, maintaining the same line-up throughout all these years. That’s pretty unusual to say the least.
Sister Hazel has had several minor hits and some loyal followers, but if there’s only one song you know from them, then it’s probably All For You. This track was part of the band’s debut album from 1994 but it was re-recorded for the follow-up from 1997and it was then when the song became a hit, peaking at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It remains Sister Hazel’s most successful single to date.
However, the song that I want to highlight today is one of those minor hits Sister Hazel had, Come Around, from their excellent 2003 album: Chasing Daylight. This great tune is just as good as All For You but far less popular. It’s also a good example of the band’s trademark blend of alternative touch with southern rhythms.
Let’s remember this classic song today. Enjoy Come Around.
After two days of grunge pop and indie punk, it’s time to slow things down with this mellower track from Kristian Montogomery and the Winterkill Band. Razor Wire Heart showcases Kristian’s husky and pleasant voice, delivering emotional and personal lyrics inspired by his tumultuous life journey, from heavy rock bands to world travels, marriage, divorce, and six months in jail. His heartfelt experiences shine through the chords of his guitar and the depth of his vocals.
This song is part of “Gravel Church,” an album that Kristian wrote upon his release from prison, marking his debut as Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band. It’s a diverse album, blending alternative rock, country, and other genres. Reminiscent of Sister Hazel‘s style, if you enjoy that vibe, this band is a must-listen. Start with “Razor Wire Heart” here.
I found it hilarious that Sam Bielanski, the lead singer and mastermind behind Toronto-based band Pony, tweeted –when the band released their latest single– that she had written a song about her favorite website, WebMD. She obviously can make fun of herself and that’s a good quality to have. The song is a great alternative rock jam with an infectious melody and, despite its title, a good message about being independent and not wanting to depend on anyone else in order to feel complete.
According to Pony‘s website, the band’s style is grunge pop, which in a way makes perfect sense. Whatever it is, we need more bands like Pony. Luckily, they recently announced the signing of a deal with an indie label and will release a debut full-length album soon. That being said, the band had been publishing songs and EPs regularly since 2015, so they got plenty of material out already.
Sam even starred, directed, choreographed , shot, and edited the music video for WebMD (the link is below but you might have to go to Youtube in order to watch it due to restrictions from the music label). Or you can also enjoy this tune on the mixtapes below. Whatever you choose, have fun!
wrote a song about my fave website and you can listen to it now y’all! https://t.co/tJ1E74zDnA
Earlier this week, I mentioned that Teen Idle was going to get compared to Mazzy Star. Now, depending on your age, you might not be aware of who they were (I love ’90s music and I wasn’t aware of them until the late ’00s!), which is why I thought it fitting to feature Fade Into You as this week’s Throwback Thursday entry. A song that is widely considered one of the best tracks of that decade.
This song was a huge hit for the band in 1994, reaching number 3 on Billboard‘s Modern Rock chart (back when that chart meant something) and peaking at #44 on the Hot 100 chart. No other song from the band appeared on that Hot 100 chart and only two other tracks charted on the Modern Rock Top 40 (Halah and Blue Flower), which in part explains why people who were not active music listeners at the time might not know about this band. That and the fact that the band broke up in 1997 and didn’t regroup until 2012.
Mazzy Star consisted of Hope Sandoval, as lead singer and lyricist; and David Roback, as composer and main producer, who also played most of the instruments. Hope has a reputation for being shy, which made her focus on her singing while on stage instead of interacting with the audience. When you have a voice as angelic and beautiful as hers, I don’t see the problem in that. Sure, having a charismatic singer is nice, but we don’t need every single lead singer to be like that. Anyway, I guess that was another reason preventing the band from achieving super stardom.
Unfortunately, David Roback died earlier this year but he and Hope (who’s still active) left behind a legacy of great music that won’t be forgotten. Isn’t that the ultimate goal for any artist?
Watch a live performance of this iconic song here, or find it in the mixtapes below.
As mentioned on last Saturday’s entry, Eagle-Eye Cherry deserves his own Throwback Thursday post and here it is. He had two successful hits in the late 90’s: Save Tonight and Falling In Love Again, both really good but with the former being the bigger one. However, I always liked the latter a bit more. I can’t really explain why. I just did.
Unless you are constantly listening to alternative music from the 90’s, chances are that you forgot about these songs or never heard of them, but even if you still remember them, you might not know that Eagle-Eye was actually a Swedish artist, not American, despite being of Choctaw descent. His actual full name is Eagle-Eye Lanoo Cherry and another interesting tidbit is that he went to acting school with Jennifer Aniston. However, he ended up focusing on music only. He was pretty productive as a musician until 2003, and then he had a long-hiatus until 2012, when he became active again. His last full album, Streets of You, was released in 2018.
Let’s reminisce here about this interesting artist by listening to one of his best songs, an old musical crush. Enjoy!
New York-based Everything In Waves is a band with indie, emo, folk, and electronic influences. In fact, they have come up with their own genre, ‘emotronic‘, which is a mix of all those influences. The band, which is signed to Deep Elm Records (just as Lights & Motion and U137, among others), recently released a new single, Colours Return, which aims to provide some comfort to those deeply affected by the pandemic.
It is a nice and soothing track with different layers that add depth to it. Unfortunately, it is not available on Youtube yet, so you will have to visit one of the mixtapes below to hear this message of hope. I don’t have an emotronic mixtape but I think Colors Return will fit in nicely with the other songs in the Indie Mixtape. Hope you like it!
In case you missed it because it didn’t receive the same level of attention as Folklore, Alanis released last week her first album in 8 years: Such Pretty Forks In the Road, and I have to say that it’s possibly her best work since at least Under Rug Swept (2002). Rolling Stone criticised the album because it’s not as edgy and rebellious as Jagged Little Pill, but after 25 years, you cannot expect her to be exactly the same person. People change. Alanis got three kids now as well, and that changes your priorities too. This does not mean that she has lost her knack for great lyrics, she hasn’t. It’s just that she aims it differently know.
The album has several good tracks, including Reasons I DrinkandAblaze. Its first and third singles so far, respectively. My favourite, however, is Smiling, which is one of two new songs written for the Broadway adaptation of Jagged Little Pill (I’m not a fan of musicals but that’s one I’d be interested in watching), and also released as the second single off this new album. It showcases Alanis‘ great vocals and got a similar vibe to Uninvited. You can find it below in the Alternative mixtape.
One month ago, when news broke of Semisonic’s reunion and their release of a new song, I wrote about DND as a Throwback Thursday post. Back then, I mentioned that the song was decent but not exceptional. However, this time around, they’ve released another track, “All it Would Take,” and I genuinely enjoy it. Thank you.
Now, I’m not saying it’s on par with Semisonic’s classics from “Feeling Strangely Fine” like “Closing Time,” “DND,” or “Secret Smile,” but “All it Would Take” has become my favorite song from them since that album. Personally, I’ve missed Dan Wilson’s voice, and despite his solo releases (with “Breathless” being a standout), there’s something truly special about Semisonic.
“In each of our lives, there is the possibility of meeting that one person who will change the way we see everything, a person who will give us a sense of new meaning, a mission, a passion. ‘All it Would Take‘ is our song for that moment, that person, that one voice that can change the world within you. Then you can turn outward and begin to change the world around you, too.“
I don’t know what to write about Ellinor‘s music. It’s not that there’s nothing to say about her, quite the opposite. I could write about how, being the child of deaf parents and discovering music relatively late at 15, she developed such a talent for music so quickly. Or I could talk about the powerful voice this young singer/songwriter has. I could mention as well how she’s been influenced by Joan Baez, the Kooks and Johnny Cash, or how, being French, she released her first EP, River Lee, with all 4 songs written and performed in English. Or I could simply say that I think she’s immensely talented.
Instead, I think I’ll just let her music do the talking. It is that good.
