LEK – World Cup

One important quality all artist must have is perseverance. There are countless stories of writers, painters and musicians, among others, who found success only after they were rejected multiple times. If you believe in yourself, just keep trying. That is something that today’s artist, LEK, got in his favour: he doesn’t take no as an answer.

Born in New York and based in New Jersey, this multi-intrumentalist artist has led quite an interesting life. From leaving medical school to follow an Indian guru in California, to backpacking for months in Southeast Asia, India and South America, including teaching himself how to read and write Thai, he has done it all. Now, Lek is focusing on his music, having released 3 full albums in 2020 alone already, each one of them covering different genres: from psychedelic rock to acoustic folk going through Thai rock covers.

Now, I’m not a big fan of psychedelic music, and when LEK reached out to me to see if I would be interested in featuring one his earlier songs from that genre, I declined letting him know that. Then, when he was about to release his latest album, Surya, which leans more towards the indie/folk side, he reached out again to gauge my interest, which led me to discover World Cup. It got a nice melody with beautiful guitars and soothing vocals, but what really sets it apart are its lyrics. Had you heard before a folk song mentioning Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? This is your chance!

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Nick Kingswell – I Didn’t Try

Nick Kingswell is an Australian singer-songwriter whose music deserves to be featured in indie movie soundtracks. I Didn’t Try is a perfect example of that, with its acoustic backdrop, sweet melody and Nick’s soothing voice; it could very well be the song that started playing when Tom is lovesick after Summer breaks up with him in 500 Days of Summer. And that is a movie with a great soundtrack.

Nick recently moved to the UK looking to push his music career, and the experience of adapting to a new place while longing for your home place inspired him to write a few songs for his new album, Brontide, which will be released this month. Keep him on your radar because this kind of heartfelt music is always welcome. While we wait for the new album, listen to I Didn’t Try and add it to your soundtrack for this week or month.

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Habitantes – Antes de partir

I’ve said before that music is universal, and in the same way we featured earlier a song written and performed in French, it is the turn now for a nice indie song in Spanish. Habitantes is an alternative/indie rock band from Mexico that can be really versatile when it comes to musical style. They can go from high-energy garage rock to indie folk with stunning ease. Antes de partir is an example of the latter type of music, a melodic and captivating tune that reveals the acoustic side of this Latin American act.

After starting in 2015, they have released singles and b-sides consistently since then. There will be a new full length album out very soon too. Antes de partir is not going to be part of it, which prompted Habitantes to drop it as a single now. It has been produced by themselves, as they are passionate about all aspects of making music. I don’t think they are widely known outside of Mexico yet, but they got the talent to become a force within the Latin American rock scene and beyond. They only need a tiny bit of luck. Hopefully, this little entry will help.

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Free Country – Throw My Voice

Throw My Voice is a pretty quiet track that could have fitted pretty well in the award-winning soundtrack for Garden State. Free Country is the stage name of singer/songwriter Jason Ribadeneyra, who earlier this year released his second EP, The Life Of Riley, which consists of 8 songs. Throw My Voice is the second single off of it.

Jason lost his brother to the opioid epidemic in the US and I can’t help but think the heartfelt lyrics in this single were at least inspired by him. An indie folk track, Throw My Voice is one of those songs you can enjoy best on a rainy day. If you enjoy emotive folk songs with soothing melodies, this little song will be right up your alley.

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Marcus Lee – Not For You

Something great is going on at Songwriting at Berkeley. Remember Lucy Eaton? She was a VP of that student group at UC Berkeley. Well, today’s featured artist, Marcus Lee, not only is/was a member as well, he co-founded it. And speaking about Lucy, Marcus collaborated with her on recording and releasing her debut single, the stunning Rotten Love. Last Friday, it was Marcus’ turn to release music on his own with Not For You, a hauntingly beautiful indie folk track.

A self-taught producer and mixing engineer, Marcus started as a jazz musician, but his love for folk music eventually led him to start writing songs with a guitar in college. His goal when producing and writing his own songs is to share intimate and impactful experiences through his music, which is something that he certainly achieved with Not For You. This gorgeous song reminds me of Gale Song by The Lumineers, which should give you an idea of the raw emotions Marcus is capable to evoke with his art.

Below, you can watch Marcus performing his single live, and in the mixtapes below, you’ll be able to find the ‘studio’ version. This is not music to be danced to. It is music to be felt.

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CR and the Nones – Judgement Day

Tom Gallo, the guy behind the Look At My Records! podcast and music blog, and his pal Nick Lafalce (who plays in the band Atlas Engine), have launched a new record label called Favorite Friend Records. Their first ever release is this lovely tune from Jersey City-based project, CR and the Nones, which is led by songwriter Chris Gennone, whose previous band, CR Ant The Degenerates, became popular around New Jersey.

Judgement Day will be part of CR and the Nones forthcoming album, Living In Fear. It is a sweet blend of folk and rock that results in a great melody that suits Chris’ vocals really well. The song talks about the experience of going through hardships and persevering in order to overcome them. If this song is a sign of what’s coming in the album, we should keep it in the radar because it is going to be a refreshing blast. This is a great start for both the band and Favorite Friend Records and we look forward to more music from them. Please check them out.

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in earnest – Put Me Under

in earnest has the peculiarity of having not one but two lead singers: front-couple Sarah and Thomas, who are also the songwriters. As such, they aim for getting the listeners to connect with them through their honest and raw lyrics, in which they talk about their battles with mental illnesses, loneliness and other difficult subjects. This indie band from Southend-on-Sea, UK, is about to release its debut self-titled EP next month, but three of the tracks are available already, including the song we’re featuring today.

Put Me Under was written by Sarah, who also sings her heart out on this track. Talking about her struggles with anxiety and depression, her ethereal vocals are complemented outstandingly well by ambient soundscapes and acoustic guitars. With this song, in earnest managed to create a mesmerizing track that offers us just a glimpse of what they are capable of. Keep them on your radar and listen to their EP when it’s out.

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Lucy Eaton – Rotten Love

Lucy Eaton

As you may be aware now, the one condition I have for featuring songs here is that I have to genuinely like them. The bar is a bit higher for established musicians, but I can certainly say that I have liked every song featured so far. Sometimes, the decision isn’t easy. I’ve received songs from independent or up-and-coming artists that I don’t necessarily dislike, but do not love either; and then I have to ask for a 2nd opinion (usually my wife’s) just to make a decision. On the opposite side of that street, we have something far more unusual, which is hearing a song that I instantly like or even love. There’s something magical about those moments and it is a feeling I wish I could get every single day. Sadly, it is actually rare but the good news is that this happened to me with today’s song, Rotten Love, as it got a really enjoyable melody, a crisp production, great lyrics and sweet vocals. In short, it got the whole package.

It is scary to think that this piece is 21-year-old singer/songwriter Lucy Eaton‘s debut single. Can you imagine what she will be able to do with more experience? This talented artist was born and raised in Australia but then moved to California to study at UC Berkeley. There, she joined the songwriting club almost by chance and eventually became its vice-president, winning a few awards int he process. However, she never envisioned performing the pieces herself. That happened almost by chance but all the better for us because Lucy got a nice dulcet voice.

Musically, Rotten Love is a folksy ukulele-based tune, in the same vein as Grace VanderWaal when she won America’s Got Talent a few years back. Grace’s songs were good and catchy for somebody her age, but Rotten Love is just as catchy and got better lyrics. Even if you hate folk music and the sound of ukuleles, give this terrific song a chance. Lucy‘s talent cannot be denied.

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Funeral Lakes – Earth Falls

It is a commendable approach when musicians use their art to promote social change, instead of going through the beaten and commercially safe path of writing generic songs about having a good time or moving your body. Canadian indie-folk duo, Funeral Lakes, are an example of such artists, in their case focusing on our planet and environmental issues. Consisting of Sam Mishos and Chris Hemer, this quirky act has released just last week a follow-up EP, Golden Season, to their eponymous debut album from last year. You can read a good review of this EP here.

My favorite track in Golden Season is Earth Falls, which, as its name hints at, talks about the destruction of our planet, and with everything going on at the moment with California’s wildfires (and earlier this year with Australia’s), it cannot be more relevant. Musically, the contrast between Sam and Chris’ voices during their interplay is a nice touch that draws you in, and it gets complemented very well with a pleasant melody and a neat chorus. Earth Falls is an enjoyable track, no doubt about it, but the fact that it is also meaningful makes it even better. Check it out below.

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Sigur Rós – Hoppípolla

Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla

Continuing with yesterday’s topic of Icelandic artists, for this week’s #throwbackthursday entry we have this classic song from Sigur Rós: Hoppípolla. You’ve probably heard it hundreds of times even unknowingly, as its piano-based melody has been used multiple times in TV ads and music festivals. It was even used on BBC‘s Planet Earth documentary. However, it is so good that it is well deserving of its ubiquity. It certainly has a relaxing and soothing vibe that makes it almost impossible to get tired of it.

Many, if not all, of the songs from this band led by Jónsi have lyrics on Vonlenska, also known as Hopelandic, which is a “language” invented by Sigur Rós that resembles Icelandic but has no semantic meaning at all. The idea is that the listeners give the songs whatever meaning they want to give them. Hoppípolla is no exception to this and I think that makes it even better, as it cannot get more universal than that.

The band, who appeared on an episode of Games Of Thrones singing The Rains Of Castamere (Sansa and Joffrey‘s wedding), is currently on a hiatus. They have had some legal issues recently and Jónsi has just released his second solo album after 10 years. Hopefully, they will make new music as a band pretty soon.

In the meantime, let’s enjoy once more this classic tune.

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