Alternative » The Alternative Mixtapes

May 17, 2021

Jackfruit – stuck in ohio

Jackfruit is the moniker of Jack Braun, a 19 year old musician from NYC. He plays mostly piano and writes all of his music, getting help from Zach Benson on the mixing and production fronts. Jack’s musical style is basically bedroom pop –literally recorded in his childhood bedroom–, which may or may not be your cup of tea, but you’ll surely find his lyrics very interesting. Jack started making music during the start of the pandemic and released his debut EP earlier this year: when they find your body, which consists of four tracks, out of which the most popular one is gas leak with 4 times as many streams as the one in second place. That being said, the song that really stood out for me was stuck in ohio.

The thing that really attracted me to stuck in ohio was how vulnerable Jack’s delivery is on it. A song about an unrequited love, it feels like Jack really means every word coming out of his mouth. This is not a track to dance to or for karaoke night. It is a song to be felt and that’s the beauty in this piece from Jackfruit. I don’t know what the future holds for this talented artist, but it will be fascinating to find out.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Pop

May 12, 2021April 4, 2023

Police Car Collective – Mine

If you like The 1975 or Neon Trees, you will love Mine then because it got the same vibes. And if that’s not enough to convince you, perhaps knowing that it was inspired by The Perks of Being a Wallflower (the book, but if you only know the movie, that’s close enough) will do the trick. It is just Police Car Collective‘s second single, which clearly indicates the potential this young band has, and will be part of the band’s upcoming debut EP.

Police Car Collective was formed in Liverpool a little over a year ago by two friends: Tyler Plazio and Simon Quigley. However, Tyler, the lead singer, is originally from Washington and moved across the pond after graduating high school while trying to figure out his next step. It was during that point in time that he wrote Mine, reflecting on the life he was leaving behind and the one he was just starting. Fortunately, that decision to move to the UK led to meting Simon and form this band, because I’m sure we will keep getting more great tunes from Police Car Collective. Bring them on!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Alternative
Folk/Indie

May 8, 2021

The Magic Epic – Sally

Sally is a gorgeous song on its own but its music video (which you can watch below) is so beautiful that it makes you like the song even more. It becomes impossible to separate one from the other. The video follows a ballerina dancing through empty streets in a way that matches the delicate piano notes from the track. This ballerina is a tribute to a friend of British singer-songwriter The Magic Epic , who was also the inspiration for Sally. This friend was a professional dancer frequenting clubs and parties until she got pregnant and drastically changed her lifestyle without ever looking back. The Magic Epic is that child’s godfather.

This artist based out of Brighton is a longtime busker and wedding singer who has lived an interesting life doing a bit of everything. This has allowed him to become a seasoned songwriter people can relate to. Influenced by modern and old-school artists, and you can certainly perceive that on Sally, he has released three singles so far and is getting ready to drop a debut album too. If it’s full of songs like Sally, it will be quite a treat.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

May 5, 2021

Palma Louca – Stationary Life

Stationary Life, one of two singles released in 2021 by Newcastle-based #indierock band Palma Louca, is a song that critiques the way modern society is constructed. Most people repeat the same routine day in and day out without any hope for breaking that cycle. Despite alluding to such a deep and somber theme, musically the song is actually far from depressing. It’s very atmospheric, with layer after layer of different sounds, including some great drums, cool guitar riffs and spot-on vocals. That being said, it doesn’t feel overproduced at all. Stationary Life should sound just as great live.

With regards to Palma Louca, the British band recently signed with their local label Pillar Artists and continue releasing singles at a steady pace. I hope there is a debut EP or full-length album coming soon because I’m sure it will deserve our attention. The band is formed by Cameron Snow (Drums), Daniel Bailey (Keys/Synth & Backing Vocals), Joe Norton (Guitar & Vocals), Richard Norton (Guitar), and Andrew Thompson (Bass). Please do check them out!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

May 4, 2021

We Wander – Rock And A Hard Place

I talked about Canadian #indiefolk act We Wander back in November (time flies), and they are back now with a new single, Rock And A Hard Place, that’s just as good, if not better. Drums and strings take a more prominent place on this song, which is nice, but just as with Can’t Save You, the secret weapon here is Maddie Little‘s vocals. She’s able to transmit emotions of longing, anger or despair in line with the lyrics, which are about a relationship falling apart. I particularly like the chorus because that’s where the songwriter is coming to terms with what is going on and, in some way, that’s exactly how that section of the tune makes you feel.

I would also say Rock And A Hard Place is a grower: a song that you enjoy more and more each time you listen to it. And if you needed further proof that We Wander was going places, watch the song’s music video below . It’s really well made and worth watching.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Folk/Indie

April 27, 2021

Louis & The Shakes – How Badly Do You Want It?

Jack White meets The Killers meets Queens of the Stone Age. That’s what I think How Badly Do You Want It? sounds like and, somehow, it still works. This fast-paced indie/Americana tune from British quartet Louis & The Shakes is the first single off their forthcoming album of the same name. Lead singer Louis Antoniou wrote this song with the purpose of encouraging the listener to keep going no matter what and with such an infectious rhythm, no one will be able to keep still. A problem I usually have with this type of music is that often the artists seem to care more about being noisy than having a good melody, but that’s not the case at all here. Don’t get me wrong, this track rocks hard but in a way that lets you appreciate the nice vocals and the craftsmanship of every band member.

In addition to Louis, the band is made up of Jamie Lawson on lead guitar, Manny O’Donnell as drummer and Will Finnerty on bass. Louis & The Shakes started in 2019 with a bluesy 60s influenced debut EP that got support from BBC Introducing and some radio stations in the United Kingdom. Fresh off a new distribution deal, this new single represents the start of the quartet’s exciting new chapter. Hopefully, the new album will help them expand their audience on time for the return of rock concerts. Their music is perfect for live gigs.

I mentioned above that no one will be able to keep still while listening to this track. I dare you to prove me wrong.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

April 21, 2021

Ade – Something Good

Adeola ‘Ade‘ Fabola is a Manchester-based singer-songwriter with a folksy acoustic pop style that fits him like a glove. I think he’s in the process of changing his moniker because on Youtube and some of his social media he goes by the name of Dr Fabola, but regardless of what his stage name is, the artist behind it is absolutely worthy of your attention. If you listen to his latest single, Something Good, you will see that he got a sweet and comforting voice and his music is simply beautiful. You can tell he’s passionate about his work and that really makes a difference as well. He’s a true artist indeed.

After learning to play piano and guitar in his home country of Nigeria, he moved to Manchester in 2018 where he continued with his musical development. He’s been cutting his teeth playing in cafes, lounges, and festivals, but always blowing audiences away with his knack for entertainment. Unsurprisingly, he’s been drawing comparisons to artists such as Jason Mraz, Passenger, Michael Kiwanuka, and Jack Johnson. They could still be underselling him.

Watch his video for ‘Something Good’ or listen to it on the mixtapes mentioned below and get mesmerized by Ade‘s beautiful melody.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Folk/Indie

April 19, 2021

Stumble Steady – Tired

Hopefully, Garrett Kealer‘s solo act Stumble Steady is firmly on your radars after he was featured here back in December. I’m happy to report that he has just released his debut EP, Nobody Told The Wolves, which contains two of the tracks he had released as singles –including Coming To An End–, as well as three previously unreleased tracks, out of which my favorite one is Tired. Even though style-wise it is in the same vein as its predecessor (and just as catchy), Tired is different enough to stand on its own.

Unless you hate infectious, hook-ridden indie pop songs, you should definitely check Stumble Steady‘s new EP, starting with Tired. It might have been inspired by how we all feel after one year of pandemic, but listening to this tune will actually inject you with enough energy to keep going throughout your day. Who doesn’t need that on a Monday?

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Folk/Indie
Pop

April 17, 2021

Steve Kroeger & Skye Holland – Home

Steve Kroeger is an electronic music composer and producer who has had 5 singles on the Billboard Dance charts. He often teams up with singer-songwriter Skye Holland, as was the case in Home, a chill spellbinding tune that feels like summer. Skye, who got Japanese, Dutch and Canadian roots, started her music career at 10 when she joined a Japanese teen pop group. Her sweet voice shimmers all over this track and complements Steve’s smooth production really well.

Home is the perfect track to listen to when you want to lighten your mood. It’s fun and catchy as hell. As far as house/pop songs go, it cannot get any better than this. Enjoy!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Pop
Electronic

April 16, 2021

Couchsleepers – All The Best Intentions

Harrison Wood Hsiang, the Vermont-based songwriter who founded the collective of musicians and artists known as Couchsleepers, is upfront in telling you that he actually makes his living as a neuroscientist. After all, it comes up in everything that is written about his band. I can imagine that it could get really tiring, but, at the same time, I can’t blame the people writing those articles. It’s actually a pretty cool fact. He formed Couchsleepers in 2019 during the third year of his graduate studies because he needed a way to express all his creativity. Fast-forward to 2021 and they have received hundreds of thousands of streams and even one fan with a Couchsleepers tattoo. Not bad at all.

All The Best Intentions is the band’s latest single. It’s a song about that feeling we get when we’re about to do something that we know we shouldn’t do but want to anyway. Melodically, it has a really strong Snow Patrol vibe and all the ingredients it needs to become a hit with the right marketing (I know, easier said than done). At the very least, it will help Harrison and Coachsleepers to keep growing their audience organically. I, for one, am now intrigued by the great music they have yet to release.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Folk/Indie