Cassidy Mann – Since I Met You

Artist: Cassidy Mann

Song: Since I Met You

Genres: #indiefolk #singersongwriter

Location: Toronto, Canada

Release date: March, 2022

Comment:  I’ve mentioned before that a certain song would have fit well in Garden State‘s award-winning soundtrack, but in Since I Met You’s case, that was absolutely what the songwriter intended. Talented artist Cassidy Mann wrote it after rewatching that movie and getting inspired to make something as magical as that soundtrack. She managed to do it, by the way, as this track is a beautiful indie song with a delicate electronic background that complements the acoustic brushes really well. Also, is it just me or does Cassidy sound a bit like Phoebe Bridgers‘?

Since I Met You is one of six songs tyou can find in If It’s Not Forever, Cassidy Mann’s debut EP. The sky’s the limit for her.

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Hatchie – Quicksand

Artist: Hatchie

Song: Quicksand

Genres: #indiepop #altpop

Location: Brisbane, Australia

Release date: January, 2022

Comment: Harriette Pilbeam, aka Hatchie, is a 28-year-old Australian #singersongwriter whose debut album, Keepsake (2019), was a huge success. She has announced a new album for April this year, for which she has released two singles already (This Enchanted and Quicksand) and they both sound even better than any of her previous songs. I particularly liked Quicksand, which she wrote after realizing that she will never be satisfied no matter what. There’s always something else to achieve.

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renforshort – moshpit

Artist: renforshort

Song: moshpit

Genres: #indiepop #altpop

Location: Toronto, Canada

Release date: January, 2022

Comment: renfortshort is the moniker of 19-year-old #singersongwriter, Lauren Isenberg, who debuted independently in 2019 and has quickly made a name for herself. The talented Canadian artist entered my radar last year several months after the release of her last EP, which is why I didn’t feature her then. The good news is that renforshort is back with a new single, moshpit, that is even better than what she had released before. The song, which is about staying in a bad relationship for way longer than its due date, got a great melody with a chorus impossible to get out of your head.

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Yehra – Resonate

Artist: Yehra

Song: Resonate

Genres: #indierock #neosoul

Location: Canada/Denmark

Release date: August, 2021

Comment: This is possibly first time I add the same song to both the indie and the relaxing mixtapes. That sums up Resonate very well. Yehra is an interesting duo that combines the soothing vocals of Barbadian/Canadian singer Jen Mahon with the chilled arrangements of Danish producer Rasmus Liebst. They have been working together, one way or another, for almost a decade without ever meeting in real life (at least so far). I’m glad we live in a time when that is possible. Otherwise, we would miss plenty of little gems just like Resonate.

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Simple Plan – The Antidote

Artist: Simple Plan

Song: The Antidote

Genres:  #poppunk #punkrock

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Release date: November, 2021.

Comment: I don’t think Antidote is the best song Simple Plan has ever released, not even close, but it is nevertheless a heck of a good song that remind us that these Canadian rockers still got it. Believe it or not, their debut album No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls is going to be 20 in March. Anyway, Simple Plan wrote Antidote during the pandemic and hopefully it is an indication of how their next album is going to sound like.

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GHST MDRN – Sleepwalking Through Fire

Artist: GHST MDRN

Song: Sleepwalking Through Fire

Genres: #postrock #cinematicrock

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Release date: October, 2021

CommentJordan Irwin, aka GHST MDRN, is a talented multi-instrumentalist from Vancouver and one of the nicest guys on Twitter. He draws inspiration from movies and his tracks are always interesting and compelling. That being said, Sleepwalking Through Fire is the one that most closely resembles an instrumental alternative rock song which is why I instantly loved it from the moment I first listened to a demo version about a year ago. Circumstances delayed the release of this song all this long, but the important thing is that it is finally out there as part of GHST MDRN’s new album: Always Darkest Before The Dawn. Give it a listen and enjoy!

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Third Eye Blind – Silverlake Neophyte

Third Eye Blind  - Our Bande Apart

Artist: Third Eye Blind

Song: Silverlake Neophyte

Genres: #alternativerock

Location: San Francisco, United States

Release date: September, 2021.

Comment: Frontman Stephan Jenkins is kind of a polarizing figure nowadays but there’s no denying that Third Eye Blind is one of the most important alternative rock bands out there. Their heyday was over twenty years ago but they’re still active and relevant. In fact, four of their seven studio albums have been released in the last 12 years, with the last one, titled Our Bande Apart, dropping just last week. It’s not even close to the greatness of their first two records, but it is a decent album that I liked way more than the previous one, Screamer (2019). My favorite song is the fourth track, Silverlake Neophyte, which sounds a bit like a classic Third Eye Blind tune. It’s a song about the insecurities musicians have and never go away, no matter how successful they become. I highly recommend it.

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Imagine Dragons – My Life

Artist: Imagine Dragons

Song: My Life

Genres: #alternativerock

Location: Las Vegas, United States

Release date: September, 2021.

Comment: I remember when Imagine Dragons used to be this alternative band few people knew about. It wasn’t that long ago. Then they hit it off at some point and became so successful that nowadays some people dismiss them for being too mainstream. In my opinion, that would be a mistake because they are actually quite good. For better or worse, they’re not afraid to experiment while they could just repeat the same song again and again and still sell million of records anyway. Their experiments don’t always work out but when they do, they strike gold. Case in point, I only liked two out of the 12 tracks in their new album, Mercury – Act 1, but one of them, My Life, is insanely good. Just listen to it and when you get to that instrumental bridge at 2:25 you’ll see what I mean. On top of it, the lyrics, that talk about mental health struggles, are outstanding as well.

Enjoy your Friday listening to this #musicalcrush.

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Said The Whale – 99 to the Moon

Artist: Said The Whale

Song: 99 to the Moon

Genres: #indierock

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Release date: July, 2021.

Comment: The song that introduced me to Said The Whale, one of Canada’s most successful indie acts, was 2013’s I Love You, which remains one of my favorite tracks from that decade. I’ve been following them closely since then and I’m happy to report that they will release their seventh full-length album, Dandelion, in October. 99 to the Moon is one of the lead singles and it is the perfect love song for a band like Said The Whale: charming and quirky at the same time. According to the press release, “the song title can either be interpreted as the year 1999, until forever or as the 99 B-Line (a bus that runs east-west in Vancouver) to wherever you are going“. I have to say as well that the music video below is the perfect companion for such a sweet song.

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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.

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