Tag: Indie

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Sylvan Esso – Funeral Singers

Sylvan Esso - Funeral Singers

Artist: Sylvan Esso

Song: Funeral Singers

Genres:  #folktronica

Location: North Carolina, United States

Release date: September, 2018.

Comment: One of my favorite tracks in Third Eye Blind’s new album, which we have discussed before, is Funeral Singers, which I thought was an original song until the band shared their influences for the new album on instagram and one of them was Sylvan Esso‘s Funeral Singers. It turns out that Sylvan Esso‘s version is also a cover, with the original being from experimental rock band Califone. Each version is different but if I had to pick just one, I think I’d choose Sylvan Esso‘s. There’s something about lead singer Amelia Meath‘s voice and the acoustic strums in the background that I find mesmerizing.

If, like me, you were not aware of Sylvan Esso before, I hope you enjoy this cover from 2018 (which features American musical ensemble Collections of Colonies of Bees) as much as I do.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie

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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

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in earnest – i feel alone even if i’m not

in earnest

Artist: in earnest

Song: i feel alone even if i’m not

Genres:  #indiefolk

Location: Southend on Sea, United Kingdom

Influences: Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers.

Release date: October, 2021.

Comment: Regular visitors to T.A.M. should already be familiar with indie trio in earnest, as they have been featured here a couple of times before. They are back now with their sophomore EP, reasons to stay alive, which is also their most artistically ambitious project to date. It is a six-track record with no gaps between songs that you could listen to on an infinite loop. Ideally, you would listen to the EP from beginning to end but if I had to choose just one song, then it would be I feel alone even if I’m not because of its haunting melody and emotional vocals. If you’re looking for some music to listen to during some alone time, you just found it.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie

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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

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Chxrlotte – Hey?

Artist: Chxrlotte

Song: Hey?

Genres: #indiefolk

Location: Brighton, United Kingdom

Release date: June, 2021

Comment: Ukulele-based indie folk music is hardly a novel idea, but when it is done well and has a compelling melody, who cares? That’s exactly the case with Hey?, the latest single from British #singersongwriter Chxrlotte, a talented young artist with a bright future that you should check out.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie

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allie – ETYG

Artist: allie

Song: ETYG

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Nashville, United States

Release date: June, 2021

Comment: J.Zito very generously recommended Nashville-based singer-sonwritter Allie Cuva (they/them) to me and I was blown away by their song ETYG (which must stand for Even Though You’re Gone). It sounds like a really good alternative rock song from the late 90s that was recorded with today’s tools. Allie’s vocals during the chorus are mesmerizing.
ETYG is part of allie’s debut full-length album under that moniker, released back in August. Worth checking out.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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J. Zito – Colors Off

Artist: J. Zito

Song: Colors Off

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Detroit, United States

Release date: August, 2021

Comment: Colors Off is a groovy song that, if I heard it on the radio, I’d have bet it was a new Feeder tune. However, this interesting track belongs to Detroit-based musician Jason Zito, who after releasing a self-titled album in 2019 that was heavy on synthesizers and electronic music, has just released a rock album that’s big on guitars and political messages: Before it Gets Better. His motto is that “when extreme thinking becomes normal, normal thinking seems extreme“, which is reflected on the album. Colors Off, for example, is a critique of extremism and groupthink; which is also represented on a painting Jason made for its lyric video, and you can watch it below. Enjoy!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

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Everything
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Alternative

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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

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Still Charles – Wembley

Artist: Still Charles

Song: Wembley

Genres: #indiepop #indierock

Location: Milano, Italy

Release date: May, 2021.

Comment: Wembley is a stunning single by Italian artist Carlo Aprea, aka Still Charles. The song is sang in Italian but it’s so good that you will enjoy it even if you couldn’t understand a single word (for the record, you should be able to catch at least a few words). Carlo says that Wembley, which he wrote during quarantine, is a love story told from beginning to end, inspired by a real relationship he had that ended because both of them were too proud. The track was produced by Riccardo Foresi, whom Carlo met in June 2020. Wembley has a beautiful music video as well that looks like a movie and that you can watch below. I hope you enjoy Wembley as much as I do. It’s quite a gem.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Indie
  • Pop

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Funeral Lakes – Solstice

Funeral Lakes - Solstice

Artist: Funeral Lakes

Song: Solstice

Genres: #indierock

Location: Ontario, Canada

Release date: August, 2021

Comment: I featured Funeral Lakes here exactly one year ago and now the duo is back with a brand new EP: Redeemer. As is usually the case with  this act, the songs in the new EP are all filled with social content. It explores themes such as the tension between faith and justice from the moment Solstice, the first track, starts playing. It is a captivating song that sets the tone for Redeemer. I wouldn’t call it a radio-friendly tune yet it keeps your attention with its moody melody and thought-provoking lyrics. Check it out.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie