Tag: anthem

Posted on

DYGL – Half of Me

Artist: DYGL

Song: Half of Me

Genres:  #alternativerock #poppunk

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Release date: July, 2021.

Comment: Formed in 2012, DYGL (pronounced “Day-glo”) is an indie rock band from Japan that sounds incredibly good. Half of Me, for example, is all kinds of catchy with a touch of pop-punk rhythms. Their press release calls it a “killer tune” and, quite frankly, I have to agree with that. This song is one of the singles off their latest release, A Daze In A Haze, which is well worth a listen.

I hope this is just the start of a trend of great rock music coming out of Japan. We need this.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative
  • Punk-Rock

Posted on

Transistor – Silver Lining

Artist: Transistor

Song: Silver Lining

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Alabama, United States

Release date: July, 2021

Influences: The Strokes, Bruce Springsteen, The Killers

Comment: Silver Lining is the third single off Transistor‘s debut album and despite its upbeat rhythm and fun vibes, it got a sad and deeply moving backstory. Lead singer Patrick Davies’s mom was just like this song: upbeat and energetic, and that did not change even after she got a terminal cancer diagnosis. Silver Lining refers to searching for meaning and something to hold on to despite having everything against you. Don’t get me wrong, Silver Lining is a really good song but knowing it is a homage to Patrick’s mother takes it to a whole new level.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

Posted on

The Summer Set – Street Lightning

Artist: The Summer Set

Song: Street Lightning

Genres:  #alternativerock #poppunk

Location: Arizona, United States

Release date: September, 2021.

Comment: The Summer Set, a pop-punk band from Scottdale, Arizona that after achieving a decent following went on a hiatus in 2017, surprised their fans in August when they announced that they were back to making music and dropped their first single in 4 years. Street Lightning is as catchy as anything they’ve ever released with, as depicted in the music video below, some 80s music vibes that fit it really well. As lead singer Brian Logan Dales described it on his Instagram: “This song is about chasing the high of life as fast as you can, written by a guy who finally learned how to slow down and take in everything around him.”

Enjoy!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative
  • Punk-Rock

Posted on

DMA’S – Viol

DMA'S - Viol

Artist: DMA’S

Song: Viol

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Sydney, Australia

Release date: August, 2021

Influences: Oasis, The Stone Roses

Comment: DMA’s –which stands for The Dirty Ma’s, their previous moniker– are relatively well known this side of the world but they’re huge in Australia, to the point that they got their own MTV Unplugged special. They totally deserve that success because they are talented songwriters and musicians. Even though they are strongly influenced by late 90’s Britpop bands such as Oasis, it would be unfair to say that they sound just like those bands. You can notice the influence but you can also tell they’re a different band.

That being said, their brand new EP, I Love You Unconditionally, Sure Am Going To Miss You, sounds different, with more shimmering guitars and kind of bolder melodies, but I dig the change. My favorite track, Viol, is not even the lead single but it represents what I just said very well. It got a magnificent rhythm and wonderful hooks. Enjoy!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

Posted on

M.A.G.S. – Wait

Artist: M.A.G.S.

Song: Wait

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Los Angeles, California

Release date: August, 2021

Comment: Buffalo-bred and L.A.-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Elliott Douglas, aka M.A.G.S., has just released his debut LP: Say Things That Matter, which consists of fourteen tracks with different shades of alternative rock. Wait is one of its lead singles and it is an upbeat track full of energy and rhythm. It comes accompanied by a cool video that you can watch below. Despite being a song about connecting with each other through our flaws, Wait does not have any.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

Posted on

Naked Next Door – Reset

Artist: Naked Next Door

Song: Reset

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

Release date: April, 2021

Influences: Stereophonics, Oasis, Catfish and the Bottlemen

Comment: I love Reset‘s chorus, particularly during the intro. A song about wanting to break out of routine, it is a great piece of indie rock. If you like any of the artists listed above or just want honest rock songs, definitely check this young band from Milton Keynes out.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

Posted on

DR!FTWOOD – 4:45

DR!FTWOOD

Artist: DR!FTWOOD

Song: 4:45

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Manchester, UK

Release date: April, 2021.

Comment: 4:45 is one of those songs that become instant earworms right away. It reminds me of the style of Go Radio, in case you’re familiar with that other band. I admit I wasn’t aware of DR!FTWOOD at all before I heard 4:45, but they have been active since 2015 and had big plans for 2020 that they had to suspend because of… you know. After a brief hibernation period, they returned this year better than ever with this great tune. Enjoy 4:45!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

Posted on

Evan Blair – Survive Myself

Evan Blair

Artist: Evan Blair

Song: Survive Myself

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Toronto, Canada

Release date: April, 2021.

Influences: Weezer, The Strokes, The 1975.

Comment: If you miss alternative rock songs from the early 2000s, then this song is for you. I have no idea if Evan Blair did it on purpose or not if you told me that Survive Myself was a hit from those years, I would totally believe you (in fact, it reminds me of a little known band called Diffuser). What I do know is that Evan wrote this song about the time of his life just before he got sober (he’s 3.5 years sober now). He’s cut his teeth writing and producing tracks for quite a few artists, such as Tessa Violet and Gnash, so he knows one thing or two about making music. Check his work out.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

Posted on

Camie – Claudia

Camie - Claudia

Artist: Camie

Song: Claudia

Genres: #indie #acoustic

Location: Toronto, Canada

Release date: July, 2021.

Comment: Toronto-based Camille Intson, aka Camie, travelled alone across Europe in 2019 and ended up spending Christmas Eve in a folk pub just outside of Prague. There, she met a beautiful woman named Claudia who was asked to dance by a handsome man while Camie watched from afar daydreaming about being the one dancing with Claudia in the spotlight. The talented artist wrote Claudia a year later when going through her notes in the middle of the pandemic when she was feeling isolated. It’s a really beautiful ballad about what happened that night and what could have happened as well. The tune got a soothing effect similar to that of drinking hot chocolate in a cold winter afternoon.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie

Posted on

The New Twentys – I Can’t Afford Her

The New Twentys - I Can't Afford Her

Artist: The New Twentys

Song: I Can’t Afford Her

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock #poppunk

Location: London, UK

Release date: April, 2021.

Influences: The Cure, Talking Heads, The Strokes.

Comment: I could mention here words like “magnetic” and “catchy”, but the bottom line is that I Can’t Afford Her is a really fun track. When you hear the backstory of this tune from London-based 3-piece act The New Twentys, you realise that it could not be any other way. The song is about a misunderstanding one of the band members had with his girlfriend after she saw a video in which he was talking to a prostitute. However, this happened after a nigh out and he hadn’t even realised she was a sex worker, he was just asking for directions but, boys being boys, his friends found it funny and decided to film the whole interaction. When confronted about it, in the middle of the argument with his girlfriend, he said: ‘Well what does it matter? I’m broke and couldn’t afford her anyway.’ Not really the most reassuring defense in that situation. The music video, which you can watch below, pokes fun at the whole situation too. Have a blast!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative
  • Folk/Indie
  • Punk-Rock