Tag: Indie Rock

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Of Monsters and Men – Organs

Artist: Of Monsters and Men

Song: Organs

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Reykjavík, Iceland

Release date: June, 2015

Comment: I mentioned Of Monsters and Men in yesterday’s entry and then in the comments section I said that I loved lead singer’s Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir’s voice. If the only songs you know of this quintessential indie band are their biggest hits (Little Talks or Mountain Sound), you might not be aware of her sweet and mildly raspy voice. Both songs are great but do not showcase Nanna’s vocals that much. Instead, listen to Organs, an underrated gem that wasn’t even a single off the band’s sophomore album. It’s all about Nanna and her flawless vocal delivery. Enjoy! #ThrowbackThursday

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Indie

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The Trusted – Vellichor

Photo credit: Sweet Sugar Brown

Artist: The Trusted

Song: Vellichor

Genres: #indierock #altrock

Location:  Southend on Sea, United Kingdom

Release date: October, 2021

Comment: British band The Trusted are back with a new single, Vellichor, that is just as stunning as their previous one, Criminal. Vellichor is a word invented by John Koenig on The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows to define “the strange wistfulness of used bookstores“. That being said, the meaning the band gives to that word on this song is closer to the meaning of nostalgia. The guitar-led track showcases The Trusted‘s ability to write great rock songs and you can find it on the mixtapes below.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Anna Shoemaker ft. Middle Part – It’s Depression

Anna Shoemaker ft. Middle Part

Artist: Anna Shoemaker

Song: It’s Depression

Genres:  #indierock #alternativerock

Location: New York, United States

Release date: October, 2021.

Comment: If Brooklyn-based musician Middle Part sounds familiar to you, that’s probably because he was featured here back in January. This time, though, he’s supporting fellow Brooklyn-based indie artist Anna Shoemaker with her second single, the bold and infectious It’s Depression. This ode to overthinking will be part of Anna’s forthcoming debut album, scheduled for early next year, and positions her as an alternative artist to watch. Stay tuned.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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The Maine – Face Towards The Sun

The Maine - Face Towards The Sun

Artist: The Maine

Song: Face Towards The Sun

Genres:  #poppunk #alternativerock

Location: Arizona, United States

Release date: July, 2021.

Comment: The Maine is a pretty consistent band from Arizona that always delivers a few gems per album, such as Face Towards The Sun, which is part of their latest record: XOXO: From Love and Anxiety in Real Time. It is not one of the lead singles but it will surely become a fan favorite because it got a great melody and an effervescent chorus, despite the less than optimistic lyrics. Overall, it is another great song from The Maine.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative
  • Punk-Rock

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Kanadia – Big Nothing

Artist: Kanadia

Song: Big Nothing

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Oxford, United Kingdom

Release date: August, 2021

Influences: Radiohead, Muse, KingsOfLeon

Comment: Big Nothing is quite something. If you like any of the bands mentioned above, stop what you’re doing and listen to this track right now. It is part of an eponymous EP 4-piece alternative rock band Kanadia released in August with four tracks that will be part of their upcoming sophomore album. Big Nothing is a powerful song about the struggles musicians face while trying to make it in that difficult industry. When you listen to it, you can tell this Oxford-based band is going places. They also sound great live, as evidenced by the video below with a live version of this memorable track. Keep an eye on them!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Gents on Loan – From the Start

Artist: Gents on Loan

Song: From the Start

Genres:  #poppunk #punkrock

Location: Ottawa, Canada

Release date: July, 2021.

Comment: During the pandemic, many of us found ourselves with some extra downtime and that was the case for six musicians from various local bands in Ottawa, who decided to collaborate remotely and have some fun, hence the name Gents on Loan. From The Start is the first song to come out of that impromptu collaboration and it is a radio friendly punk rock song that will fill fans of the genre with renovated energy. Give it a listen!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Punk-Rock

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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

Comment: Jordan 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!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Feeder – Comfort In Sound

Artist: Feeder

Song: Comfort In Sound

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Newport, United Kingdom

Release date: October, 2002

Comment: A few days ago when J. Zito was featured here, I compared him to indie rock band Feeder, but some people had never heard of the Welsh band. They peaked in 2001 and 2003, when they won Kerrang! awards, but they’re still going strong today, after 10 studio albums (the last one in 2019) and 40 singles.

Their most popular single is Buck Rogers, a UK top five single in 2001, but the track I’ve decided to feature as this week’s #ThrowbackThursday entry is 2002’s Comfort In Sound, a personal favorite (fun fact: had The Alternative Mixtapes been taken, I would probably have called this blog Comfort In Sound. It was a matter of time before it showed up here). Feeder’s original drummer, Jon Lee, committed suicide in 2001 and the surviving members of the band were close to calling it quits. Jon’s family convinced them to continue and that’s when they wrote this great track about finding comfort in music even during your worst moments. I, for one, can relate to that.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Ruby Fields – Song About A Boy

Artist: Ruby Fields

Song: Song About A Boy

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Sydney, Australia

Release date: July, 2021

Comment: If you like distorted guitars, then you’re going to love this vulnerable track from Australian #singersongwriter Ruby Fields, who has emerged as one of the most talented artists in the alt-rock scene from the Land Down Under. Song About A Boy tells the story of a love relationship gone awry and it comes accompanied by a great music video inspired by the movie Midsommar. Both track and video are well worth your time.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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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