Tag: Indie Rock

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Mazzy Star – Fade Into You

Mazzy Star - Fade Into You

Earlier this week, I mentioned that Teen Idle was going to get compared to Mazzy Star. Now, depending on your age, you might not be aware of who they were (I love ’90s music and I wasn’t aware of them until the late ’00s!), which is why I thought it fitting to feature Fade Into You as this week’s Throwback Thursday entry. A song that is widely considered one of the best tracks of that decade.

This song was a huge hit for the band in 1994, reaching number 3 on Billboard‘s Modern Rock chart (back when that chart meant something) and peaking at #44 on the Hot 100 chart. No other song from the band appeared on that Hot 100 chart and only two other tracks charted on the Modern Rock Top 40 (Halah and Blue Flower), which in part explains why people who were not active music listeners at the time might not know about this band. That and the fact that the band broke up in 1997 and didn’t regroup until 2012.

Mazzy Star consisted of Hope Sandoval, as lead singer and lyricist; and David Roback, as composer and main producer, who also played most of the instruments. Hope has a reputation for being shy, which made her focus on her singing while on stage instead of interacting with the audience. When you have a voice as angelic and beautiful as hers, I don’t see the problem in that. Sure, having a charismatic singer is nice, but we don’t need every single lead singer to be like that. Anyway, I guess that was another reason preventing the band from achieving super stardom.

Unfortunately, David Roback died earlier this year but he and Hope (who’s still active) left behind a legacy of great music that won’t be forgotten. Isn’t that the ultimate goal for any artist?

Watch a live performance of this iconic song here, or find it in the mixtapes below.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Monroe Moon – New American Housewife

Sometimes you got dreams to chase and other times, the dreams are the ones chasing you. You could say this is what happened to Heather Monroe when, one Christmas, her husband bought a full set of instruments for their children, hoping to get them into music. Instead, it was her who got that itch to start creating music. Before long, she was writing songs and becoming the lead singer for a 4-piece band out of Michigan that they decided to call Monroe Moon.

Last month, the band dropped a new EP, Joy, that features New American Housewife as its lead single. Within the alternative umbrella, this song got elements of rock, indie and synth-based pop, without falling entirely into any of those brackets. The track starts slowly with an eclectic but intriguing soundscape that explodes into a fantastic kind of chorus (the song structure is not the traditional one) at 1:43. The fact that it’s not repeated over and over in the way that conventional choruses are, leaves you wanting for more.

Don’t sleep on this great track. It is worthy of your attention. Check it out in the mixtapes below.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie

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Eagle-Eye Cherry – Falling In Love Again

Eagle-Eye Cherry

As mentioned on last Saturday’s entry, Eagle-Eye Cherry deserves his own Throwback Thursday post and here it is. He had two successful hits in the late 90’s: Save Tonight and Falling In Love Again, both really good but with the former being the bigger one. However, I always liked the latter a bit more. I can’t really explain why. I just did.

Unless you are constantly listening to alternative music from the 90’s, chances are that you forgot about these songs or never heard of them, but even if you still remember them, you might not know that Eagle-Eye was actually a Swedish artist, not American, despite being of Choctaw descent. His actual full name is Eagle-Eye Lanoo Cherry and another interesting tidbit is that he went to acting school with Jennifer Aniston. However, he ended up focusing on music only. He was pretty productive as a musician until 2003, and then he had a long-hiatus until 2012, when he became active again. His last full album, Streets of You, was released in 2018.

Let’s reminisce here about this interesting artist by listening to one of his best songs, an old musical crush. Enjoy!

P.S: The music video is so 90’s!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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The Echelon Effect – Your Memory Feels Like Home To Me

There are plenty of musicians out there who have been studying and playing music for decades and can play and compose the most challenging pieces, which usually sound every bit as complicated as they are supposed to be. I dislike that type of music. I think the true musical geniuses, like The Beatles, are those who are able to make even intricate compositions sound simple. Do you know what’s hard? Making music that sounds beautiful and original using the same four chords everybody have been using for ages. Yet, it happens from time to time, and when it does, you wonder why no one was able to come up with that idea before. Well, that’s because it isn’t easy.

All this preamble is just to say that I think David Walters, the man behind The Echelon Effect, got that talent. His songs, which dance on the border between ambient music and cinematic/post rock, are beautiful yet sound incredibly simple, until you start noticing all the different layers and textures revealing just a wonderful entanglement. The Echelon Effect started in 2009 and I fell in love with its 2019 track, Goodbye My Friend (a really emotional song despite having no lyrics). Now, David is back with a new single, Your Memory Feels Like Home To Me, that is just as good. What could be a better song to “chillax” to on a Sunday afternoon?

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Relax

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Alanis Morissette – Smiling

In case you missed it because it didn’t receive the same level of attention as Folklore, Alanis released last week her first album in 8 years: Such Pretty Forks In the Road, and I have to say that it’s possibly her best work since at least Under Rug Swept (2002). Rolling Stone criticised the album because it’s not as edgy and rebellious as Jagged Little Pill, but after 25 years, you cannot expect her to be exactly the same person. People change. Alanis got three kids now as well, and that changes your priorities too. This does not mean that she has lost her knack for great lyrics, she hasn’t. It’s just that she aims it differently know.

The album has several good tracks, including Reasons I Drink and Ablaze. Its first and third singles so far, respectively. My favourite, however, is Smiling, which is one of two new songs written for the Broadway adaptation of Jagged Little Pill (I’m not a fan of musicals but that’s one I’d be interested in watching), and also released as the second single off this new album. It showcases Alanis‘ great vocals and got a similar vibe to Uninvited. You can find it below in the Alternative mixtape.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Semisonic – All It Would Take

Semisonic - All It Would Take

One month ago, when news broke of Semisonic’s reunion and their release of a new song, I wrote about DND as a Throwback Thursday post. Back then, I mentioned that the song was decent but not exceptional. However, this time around, they’ve released another track, “All it Would Take,” and I genuinely enjoy it. Thank you.

Now, I’m not saying it’s on par with Semisonic’s classics from “Feeling Strangely Fine” like “Closing Time,” “DND,” or “Secret Smile,” but “All it Would Take” has become my favorite song from them since that album. Personally, I’ve missed Dan Wilson’s voice, and despite his solo releases (with “Breathless” being a standout), there’s something truly special about Semisonic.

“In each of our lives, there is the possibility of meeting that one person who will change the way we see everything, a person who will give us a sense of new meaning, a mission, a passion. ‘All it Would Take‘ is our song for that moment, that person, that one voice that can change the world within you. Then you can turn outward and begin to change the world around you, too.“

Dan Wilson, Semisonic

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Kids In Glass Houses – Peace

Kids In Glass Houses - Peace

After a series of mellow songs, it’s time to crank up the volume for this week’s Throwback Thursday entry. This song was released not that far ago (2013) by a band that, unfortunately, broke up one year later. KIGH, in case you never heard of them, were a rock/punk-rock band from Wales that were active for 8 years, releasing 4 studio albums in total. Despite achieving success in the UK, they unfortunately disbanded after just one year, possibly due to the lack of international recognition.

“Peace” served as the lead single from their eponymous final album. While the entire record was fantastic, the standout track was undoubtedly its opening title song—a high-energy, guitar-driven rock anthem with punk-rock elements and an irresistibly catchy chorus. It’s nearly impossible to listen to it without joining in and singing along. I challenge you to give it a try!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative
  • Punk-Rock

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Darkfield – A New Beginning

Darkfield

I’m always amazed by the number of talented musicians out there waiting for an opportunity to be heard. Joey Westerlund, a multi-instrumentalist from Portland, Oregon, is the creative force behind Darkfield. The music he creates as Darkfield ranges from heavy to mellow post-rock, with A New Beginning from their second EP, Carry Us Away, falling on the latter side. All of Joey’s tracks, however, can definitely be considered cinematic.

In fact, this beautiful track feels like the score to an epic space travel movie, making it a perfect companion for a Sunday afternoon. Enjoy it here!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Relax

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KidEyes – Ready To Go

KidEyes

I can’t recall how I discovered KidEyes, an indie/altpop duo based out of Los Angeles. It was about a month ago, possibly through Instagram, but the specifics elude me. Regardless, I’m grateful for finding them because their music is incredibly enjoyable, and today’s featured song is a perfect example.

“Ready To Go” is the band’s latest single, released in June following their self-titled debut EP from 2019. Despite addressing feelings of being lost and disoriented, it’s a captivating indie pop track that could serve as the soundtrack to our peculiar year. Give it a listen here:

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Indie
  • Pop

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Neve – It’s Over Now

Neve - It's Over Now

I wonder what would have happened to Neve if they had released their first and only album during the social media age. In 1999, they achieved a hit single with “It’s Over Now” after it was featured on the movie soundtrack for The Faculty, reaching #30 on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart. However, due to delays in album release and poor promotion, the record didn’t perform well, leading to Neve being dropped from the label. The band disbanded in 2001, and despite hints of a reunion on their Facebook page, no concrete plans have materialized.

Neve’s self-titled album remains one of my favorites from the 2000s, filled with solid alternative rock songs and the standout track, “It’s Over Now.” If you haven’t heard this song before, you’re in for a treat; and if you have, let’s reminisce about it as this week’s Throwback Thursday, while contemplating the possibilities had they received greater support from their label and fans.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative