Tag: Indie

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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

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Michael Lane – Good Times

Artist: Michael Lane

Song: Good Times

Genres: #indiefolk #singersongwriter

Location: Germany

Release date: April, 2021.

Comment: Good Times may sound optimistic and upbeat with its acoustic folk vibes and catchy melody, but it has a serious and deep message: having a nice house or a nice car does not necessarily make you happier in the long run. German-American artist Michael Lane has transited the road less traveled to get to where he is today as an artist, having served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a US soldier during his twenties. He’s had two top 50 songs in the German charts already, so he’s well-known as a musician in some European countries. It is time for him to get noticed in other latitudes too.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie

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Montrell – Simpler in the Dark

Artist: Montrell

Song: Simpler In The Dark

Genres: #indierock

Location: London, United Kingdom

Release date: April, 2021.

Comment: This band –and particularly this song– reminds me of the softer side of fellow British band JET. Despite talking about the desire to sleep with other people when you are in a serious relationship, Simpler in the Dark is honest and delicate. It has been played by Elton John in his radio show, which shows that Montrell have been turning heads in the UK. The band has just released a 3-track EP called Angel, which includes Simpler in the Dark, and is getting ready to start playing live shows again next week across the south of England. Something tells me we will be hearing from them quite a lot pretty soon.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie

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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.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie

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M.A.G.S. – Wait

Artist: M.A.G.S.

Song: Wait

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Los Angeles, California

Release date: August, 2021

Comment: Buffalo-bred and L.A.-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Elliott Douglas, aka M.A.G.S., has just released his debut LP: Say Things That Matter, which consists of fourteen tracks with different shades of alternative rock. Wait is one of its lead singles and it is an upbeat track full of energy and rhythm. It comes accompanied by a cool video that you can watch below. Despite being a song about connecting with each other through our flaws, Wait does not have any.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Sixpence None The Richer – Kiss Me

Artist: Sixpence None The Richer

Song: Kiss Me

Genres: #alternativerock #poprock

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Release date: August, 1998.

Comment: Kiss Me is a beautiful ballad that made Christian alternative rock band Sixpence None The Richer famous not only across the United States but also around the world. It peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one in the Australian and Canadian charts. It was all well-deserved because this sweet song is quite a gem. Enjoy this week’s #ThrowbackThursday entry.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Naked Next Door – Reset

Artist: Naked Next Door

Song: Reset

Genres: #indierock #alternativerock

Location: Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

Release date: April, 2021

Influences: Stereophonics, Oasis, Catfish and the Bottlemen

Comment: I love Reset‘s chorus, particularly during the intro. A song about wanting to break out of routine, it is a great piece of indie rock. If you like any of the artists listed above or just want honest rock songs, definitely check this young band from Milton Keynes out.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Volts – Glass Walls

Artist: Volts

Song: Glass Walls

Genres: #AlternativeRock

Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

Release date: April, 2021.

Comment: Possibly the first Kiwi band to be featured here, Volts are ready to be heard globally. Glass Walls, a fast-paced, hook-ridden alternative rock track about Imposter Syndrome, is their second single off their forthcoming debut album, to be released later this year. Unless you hate radio-friendly tunes, do check them out. They’re really good.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Caroline Romano – The Hypothetical

Caroline Romano - The Hypothetical

Artist: Caroline Romano

Song: The Hypothetical

Genres: #PunkRock, #PopPunk

Location: Nashville, United States

Release date: July, 2021.

Comment: 19-year-old Nashville-based artist Caroline Romano has just dropped this pop-punk banger that sounds really refreshing. She’s young but wise beyond her years and you just have to listen to The Hypothetical to know that she’s going places. No doubt.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Punk-rock