Tag: Alternative

Posted on

Chvrches feat. Robert Smith – How Not To Drown

I had been wanting to feature Chvrches here for a long time now but I was waiting for the right opportunity. They they have just released the second single off their forthcoming fourth album, Screen Violence, and I really liked it, so I decided to take the plunge. I’m a big fan of Chvrches’ first two albums but not so much of the third one, Love Is Dead: it was not a bad album but it wasn’t at the same level as the other two. I thought that He Said She Said, the lead single for Screen Violence, could have been in their previous album but this new song, which features the legendary Robert Smith from The Cure, is something else completely. In a sense, it sounds exactly as you would expect from combining the two bands’ styles, while, at the same time, it’s kind of surprising to see how great that hybrid sounds.

How Not To Drown is a song about coping with everything that’s going on in your life and how sometimes you might feel like you just want to go away. If features Chvrches’ electronic soundscapes they got us used to, and, as usual, great vocals from lead singer Lauren Mayberry, one of the coolest and more down-to-earth music artists out there today. Having Robert Smith as well is just the cherry on top. Check this great song out below and start your weekend with a bang.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie
  • Pop

Posted on

Jacko Hooper – This Was The Earth

Back in September 2020, British #singersongwriter Jacko Hooper was featured here with his single Beg, Steal or Borrow. I emphasized then how Jacko was able to easily transmit his emotions when he sang and after listening to his latest single, This Was The Earth, I’m happy to report that the above mentioned skill remains intact. Even though the new track sounds very different: there are no Indie Folk traces here, it’s still very intimate and emotional. Jacko’s great vocals really stand out.

This Was The Earth was written and recorded from Jacko’s bedroom with help from producer Josh Trinnaman. Jacko got inspired by how chaotic our lives have been since the pandemic started, especially for people with mental health problems, such as Jacko himself. That being said, the lyrics are generic enough so that everybody could really relate to them, regardless of time and space. It’s impossible not to feel something while listening to Jacko’s emotional vocals on this song. What exactly? That’s up to you but, above all things, I feel in awe of how talented Jacko Hooper is.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie

Posted on

Shaun Riley – Secret

Shaun Riley is a solo #indiepop artist from Minneapolis that has just released his debut EP: Drive, written, recorded, and mixed by him at home. He also has a Youtube channel where he uploads acoustic covers of popular songs. In a nutshell, that’s all there is to know about Shaun in terms of biographic details, and, quite frankly, that’s all we need. Well, that and the facts that he got a really good voice for pop songs and can write a great hook or two.

Secret, the first track in Drive, is a great example of that. It’s an unpretentious song about feeling infatuated at the beginning of a relationship but good luck getting that chorus out of your head afterwards. On these short track reviews, rather than describing each element of the featured song, I just try to give the reader reasons for spending 3 minutes of your valuable time listening to a song. For Secret, I can’t think of better reasons than flawless vocals and how catchy the chorus is. Everything else is secondary.

We should definitely keep Shaun Riley in our radars.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Pop

Posted on

The Black Mamba – Love Is On My Side

I was busier than expected this week, which is the reason for the short amount of updates here. I hope I can compensate for that by featuring here a great song that was totally overlooked at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

If you have never heard of that contest (it is not very popular in North America), our friend Jeff from the great Eclectic Music Lover blog, offered a concise summary when he reviewed the winning song from this edition, which wasn’t my favorite but I didn’t dislike. There is something you need to understand about Eurovision: most people watch it –and we’re talking about more than 200 million worldwide– not because of the quality of the contestants but to laugh at some of the over-the-top and often ludicrous acts that some countries send to this contest each year (for example, this one). A jury from each country awards points to 10 other countries, which accounts for half of the total amount of points. The other half comes from popular vote (people can’t vote for the act representing their own country). However, quite often political reasons influence how the country juries vote and the general public regularly selects the most extravagant acts, which means that the winning song is rarely the most deserving one (I mean, this song won in 2018). Therefore, if you don’t hate the winning song, you can consider yourself satisfied.

All that being said, this year’s edition was better than expected in terms of the quality of the contestants. Most of them were at least decent and a few were even more than good. In my opinion, by far the best entry was the act representing Portugal: The Black Mamba, and their song Love Is On My Side. It finished in 12th place but as I explained above, that doesn’t mean much. What really matters is that the tune, which was the first Portuguese song in the contest performed entirely in English, is outstanding. It starts with bluesy undertones reminiscing of rock tracks from the 1970s, which contrasts very well with the catchy chorus more typical of an #indierock track. It also helps that the band’s frontman’s, Pedro Tatanka, voice is really distinctive and perfect for this kind of music.He wrote the song inspired by a sex worker the band met during a trip to Rotterdam in 2019. Written from her perspective, it reflects how all hope is not lost even when life does not go as planned.

I hope you enjoy Loves Is On My Side as much as I did.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

Posted on

Dawning – Ennui

Dawning - Ennui

Ennui is the word used to refer to that feeling of dissatisfaction you get when you have nothing to do. I suppose Michigan-based artist Aaron Senor, aka Dawning, really hates feeling ennui because he wasted no time between releasing his debut EP, Petals, back in March, and his new single, Ennui. As it was the case before, the great Eclectic Music Lover wrote a flawless review of the single well worth your time. All I can add now is that this is an upbeat indie pop track that can be part of our summer’s soundtrack. You won’t want to miss it!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Pop

Posted on

Daniel Etherton – Foundations

Foundations is the debut single of London-based British artist Daniel Etherton, and as far as debut singles go, it cannot get much better than this. Released back in February, Foundations is a sweet tune with an acoustic guitar-based melody that really does sound great. One of the reasons for that is Daniel’s voice, which is perfect for an #indiefolk track such as this one. When he sings the lyrics, which reflect on internal struggles and real friendships from a hopeful perspective, it feels like he really means every single word. The song is long enough to make you appreciate how talented Daniel is as singer-songwriter, but at 2:41, it is also short enough to leave you wanting more.

I do hope Foundations gets enough success and recognition to encourage Daniel Etherton to keep writing and recording music. If this is what he did as a new music artist, just imagine what he will be able to do with more experience and confidence. The sky is really the limit for him.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie

Posted on

Lost In Japan – Lonely

Lost In Japan - Lonely

Lost In Japan is a Canadian band whose members have never actually being lost in that Asian country. That being said, I dig that band’s name and, more importantly, their indie rock music. With a sound reminiscing of Arkells and My Favorite Highway (obscure reference), Lost In Japan have received plenty of support in their hometown of London, Ontario, and even amassed over 500k streams for their debut album (2018). They’re getting ready to release a sophomore EP and Lonely is its latest leading single.

Frontman Addison Johnson wrote Lonely three years ago while he was on tour. He wanted to channel the loneliness he was feeling while away from his family. Eventually, after other band members added their input to it, the tune morphed into the version we can listen to now. What I really love about Lonely is the infectious chorus that Addison delivers flawlessly. It’s a really catchy tune that I’m sure you will enjoy.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative
  • Folk/Indie

Posted on

Rise Against – Nowhere Generation

Formed in 1999, Rise Against has been one of the most revered and influential #punkrock bands of the last 20 or so years, often singing about political injustice, animal rights, environmentalism and other social issues. That being said, I got to admit that I’ve never been a big fan of their music. It is usually too hardcore for me. This is why the fact that I liked their latest single –and first since 2017–, Nowhere Generation, so much actually means something. I guess longtime fans of the band will consider it too mellow or ‘mainstream’ for their liking, but one person’s loss is another person’s gain.

Don’t get me wrong though, Nowhere Generation got plenty of oomph. From the moment frontman’s Tim McIlrath starts singing the overture to the moment the full band starts playing, the song’s energy level is never too low. The track is a tribute to the current generation, which despite technological prowess , does not have the same opportunities previous generations had for achieving the ‘American dream’. The combination of the song’s message with the catchy melody results in a powerful track well worth a listen. Perhaps even on repeat mode.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative
  • Punk-Rock

Posted on

Mike Robert – Cold

After completing his service time in the army and travelling across Europe and North America for 5 months, American #singersongwriter Mike Robert decided to write a music album as well as record it and produce it from home while playing all the instruments himself. You would think it was recorded and produced in a high-end music studio by the way Cold, one of its lead singles, sounds. This debut album will be quite good.

Cold is one of those songs that sound pretty uplifting while the lyrics tell a different story. In this case, the song is about feeling trapped and ‘underwater’, unable to feel excitement about anything. The happy energy in the tune’s arrangement represents Mike’s desire for happiness and feeling love. It starts with an acoustic guitar that gives the track a #folkpop vibe, followed by an infections beat that will get you to tap your feet right away. By the time the rest of the instruments come into play, you are already hooked. Listen to this earworm at your own peril.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie
  • Pop

Posted on

YumeMike – Dream Out Loud

YumeMike

Yume means ‘dream’ in Japanese and that is the reason why YumeMike chose that moniker, even though he’s actually Italian. He grew up playing bass in multiple #punkrock bands but, as a solo artist, he traded the bass for synths, creating an interesting variant of #indiepop with a strong #poppunk flavour. He cites The Naked And Famous and The Killers as influences, but if you want to have an idea of what he sounds like, think Owl City meets Angels & Airwaves. YumeMike’s ‘dream’ is to inspire and elicit warm feelings through his music. If you like positive messages, this is the artist for you.

Dream Out Loud is part of YumeMike‘s debut album, Light In The Mirror, released in February but that he started working on back in 2019. The track is perfectly on-brand with the artist’s style of uplifting synthpop music but I have to say that the overall production/musical arrangement is really impressive considering he worked on it alone. In fact, YumeMike just released an instrumental version of his debut album that is just as good too. This Italian artist is seriously talented and deserves to be on our radars. Check him out.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Pop