Lit – Do It Again

Artist: Lit

Song: Do It Again

Genres: #alternativerock

Location: California, United States

Release date: May, 2022

Comment: Do you remember the band Lit? Their hits Miserable, My Own Worst Enemy, and Over My Head, were almost ubiquitous between 1999 and 2002. The band has actually been active, without any breaks, since 1988, which is quite an achievement on itself, especially after their drummer at the time, Allen Shellenberger, died of a brain tumor in 2009. Even though they never went away, they never hit the same highs as before. That being said, I think that could change now because last month they released their sevent studio album, Tastes Like Gold, and I honestly think it is the closest they have sounded to their heyday since then. Do It Again is one of the record’s lead singles and I find it catchy as hell. If you like their old hits, you will enjoy this tune too.

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Metric – Black Sheep

Metric - Black Sheep

Artist: Metric

Song: Black Sheep

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Toronto, Canada

Release date: August, 2010.

CommentMetric is as close to being indie-royalty as you will find in the world, and this electronic-leaning band from Toronto is back with a new album, Formentera, that is really good (spoiler alert: I will feature one of its songs in the near future). While we wait for that, as a #ThrowbackThursday post, we could listen again to one of their most popular songs: Black Sheep. Even though it wasn’t included in any of Metric’s studio albums, the song became popular when it was featured heavily on the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World movie, which became a cult hit.

As an interesting tidbit, actress Brie Larson is the actual singer in the version you hear in the movie (which you can listen to in one of the clips below), not Emily Haines (Metric’s lead singer). There’s some debate on the internet about which version is better. Both of them are pretty good.


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The Dares – Pain

Artist: The Dares

Song: Pain

Genres: #poprock #alternativerock

Location: Santa Ana, United States

Release date: April, 2022.

Comment: As a band, The Dares current lineup has been performing together since 2010. During this time, they have had the chance to work with both established and up-and-coming producers. While getting help from professionals is always nice, it is also pretty expensive with pricey hourly rates, which is not good for artistic freedom when you got a limited budget. For example, you may have to settle for a less than perfect option just because you cannot afford another recording session. The pandemic gave The Dares the opportunity to set up a home studio on an unused conference room, which allowed them to self-produce a few songs. The band enjoyed having the opportunity to pursue their own vision and that shows in tracks like Pain, from the use of synths to the layered vocals on the bridge and outro.

Despite having a relatively happy melody, Pain got a deep meaning with lyrics that criticise those who prey on vulnerable people (which, sadly, seems to happen more and more these days). It is a track full of contrasts and definitely worthy of our attention. Please check The Dares out!

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MOONWOOD – Slow Down

Artist: MOONWOOD

Song: Slow Down

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Sydney, Australia

Influences: U2, The 1975, Kings of Leon

Release date: April, 2022

CommentMOONWOOD is a Sydney-based alternative rock band that released their debut EP, Everything We Once Knew, less than three months ago. If the band’s name sounds familiar to you, that’s because I featured one of the EP’s lead singles , Sydney Lights, back in December. When I did that, even though I hadn’t listened to the full EP yet, I was convinced that Sydney Lights was going to be hands down my favorite song off that record. I might have been wrong though because now I think that Slow Down might be even better. I lost track of how many times I’ve listened to this song the past couple of months. I just love how it goes in crescendo twice: at the beginning and then after the song switches gears at the 03:10 mark. This represents the increasing tension between two lovers trying to resolve their unspoken issues and differences.

All in all, this is an outstanding alternative rock track. By all means, check it out.

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The Trusted – Millennium

Artist: The Trusted

Song: Millennium

Genres: #indierock #altrock

Influences: Catfish and the Bottlemen, The 1975, Elvis Costello

Location:  Southend on Sea, United Kingdom

Release date: April, 2022

Comment: Continuing with the theme of T.A.M. regulars, we have today what could be The Trusted‘s best single to date: Millennium. A song about coming of age in the 21st century, this vibrant indie rock track combines traditional rock instruments with synths and other subtle electronic elements, giving it a sound that’s both modern and classic.

The Southend-on-Sea natives recorded Millennium in SS2 Studios and got help from producer Rees Broomfield and Grammy-nominated Andy Bradfield (Elbow, David Gray, Rufus Wainwright), who mixed the single. As you can see, this is a pristine and well-rounded track. Below you can find its lyrics video and, as a bonus, an acoustic rendition of this song that The Trusted performed flawlessly. Enjoy!

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YUNGBLUD- The Funeral

YUNGBLUD- The Funeral

Artist: YUNGBLUD

Song: The Funeral

Genres: #altrock

Location: London, United Kingdom

Release date: March, 2022

Comment: I don’t know much about British artist YUNGBLUD. In fact, when I started hearing his name here and there, I thought he was just another rapper, until I heard his song mars and realized how wrong I was. I know he’s massively popular these days but that should not distract you from the fact that he’s actually good at what he does. Exhibit A is one of his latest singles, The Funeral, which is so catchy I just cannot get enough of it. Drawing heavily, in my opinion, from Billy Idol‘s Dancing With Myself, this 1980s-infused track got a really memorable chorus. The music video, which you can watch below, features fun cameos from Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.

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beabadoobee – See You Soon

beabadoobee - See You Soon

Artistbeabadoobee

Song: See You Soon

Genres: #indierock

Location: London, United Kingdom

Release date: April, 2022

Comment:  When I first featured beabadoobee almost two years ago, she was still relatively unknown. Today, she’s an international alternative rock darling who is getting ready to release her sophomore studio album: Beatopia next month. For my return after a short break, I’ve decided to feature the second lead single from her new record, the enchanting See You Soon. While still being an #altrock song, it is less “grungy” than her previous singles and got more of an ethereal factor, particularly with the sticky chorus. It’s great to see her experimenting with new sounds instead of simply repeating the formula of her debut album, all this while still sounding great. That’s what sets great artists apart.

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The Royal Foundry – Little High Little Low

The Royal Foundry - Little High Little Low

Artist: The Royal Foundry

Song: Little High Little Low

Genres: #indierock #altpop

Location: Alberta, Canada

Release date: April, 2022

Comment:  If you just listened to Canadian alt-pop quartet The Royal Foundry‘s latest single, the extremely infectious Little High Little Low, you would never guess that they were once a folk duo, with real life couple Jared Salte and Bethany Schumacher at its core. The band has achieved certain recognition in their home country but this track about the importance of mental health and learning how to handle high and lows, could be the one that puts them firmly on the radar at an international level. It you like The Strumbellas (I do, a lot), you are going to love this. Enjoy!

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Keeka The Brave – The Messenger

Artist: Keeka The Brave

Song: The Messenger

Genres: #postrock #instrumental

Influences: Tycho, Lymbyc Systym, Boards of Canada

Location: Florida, United States

Release date: February, 2022

Comment: Having received classical training in percussion and after years performing as a drummer in live gigs or as a DJ/electronic music artist, it makes absolute sense that the work of Keeka The Brave –the musical project of American musician, producer, and songwriter: Elon Hiers–, sounds so cool and fresh. The Messenger, for instance, blends post-rock guitar lines with ambient synths and sophisticated beats. Inspired by the beaches near Jacksonville, this mesmerizing track will be part of Keeka The Brave‘s debut EP. Check it out!

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Sugarcult – Do It Alone

Artist: Sugarcult

Song: Do It Alone

Genres: #alternativerock

Location: California, United States

Release date: July, 2006

Comment:  I hadn’t done one of these (#ThrowbackThursday entries) in a while, mostly due to a lack of time, not a lack of songs. In fact, I wanted to feature Sugarcult last week, after they kindly liked a tweet in which I mentioned them, but alas, I ran out of time. This band from Santa Barbara, California, started in 1999 and had a pretty successful debut studio album in 2001, during the hey-day of early 2000s punk-rock –by the way, last year they re-release that album in its 20th anniversary–. However, something I liked about them was that they were not afraid to experiment and try new sounds: none of their three studio albums sound alike.

Despite still being active (after a hiatus), they have not released a new album since 2006’s Lights Out, which is the one that features today’s track: Do It Alone. This song was the first single off that album and probably ahead of its time, because it wasn’t even as successful as the second single (Los Angeles). I think part of the reason why was that it sounded closer to the music of bands that were becoming popular then, like The Killers, than what Sugarcult had released before. It was our loss, though, because the single was really outstanding and perhaps, in a parallel world in which both track and album were a massive success, we would have had many more Sugarcult albums.

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