Comment: This band is formed by three brothers who honed their craft at night after long days working in the family farm. They started to get noticed about 2 years ago and are planning to release an EP soon. I See Sparks is just a taster of what’s to come and it is one of those songs that get stuck in your head. A total #earworm.
Comment: This song is a classic from 21 years ago. Even though they were never able to replicate the success of this hit, they do have quite a few good songs. They took a long hiatus but got back together in 2016. Maybe they’ll surprise us with another hit in the future. Meanwhile, enjoy this #ThrowbackThursday!
Albert Eno used to sing for Italian rock band Kismet, but he’s been flying solo since 2018. This has led him to release his debut solo album, Dark’N’Stormy, back in May, receiving positive reviews so far. The key feature in the whole album are Albert’s soothing vocals, which grab your attention instantly without letting it go. The record includes a mellow rendition of Nirvana‘s Come As You Are, which plenty of people will consider a highlight of the album, but the track I kept coming back to was the hypnotic Broken Pocket Watch. Let me explain why.
Broken Pocket Watch is a quiet, unpretentious song. With a simple arrangement led by a semi-acoustic guitar, Eno’s effortless vocals are really what makes the track stand apart. He uses kind of a falsetto here but it’s soft enough to bring you calmness rather than agitation. The lyrics are profoundly nostalgic, reflecting on old memories and items from our past. All in all, it is nearly impossible to listen to this song without our minds drifting away into a state of relaxation. If you’re looking for an exciting track that keeps your heart pumping, keep looking, but if you want an enjoyable track you could listen to on a rainy afternoon, Broken Pocket Watch will be perfect for you.
Birmingham-native, London-based singer-songwriter Will Naisbitt is just 19 but already knows a thing or two about writing a hook. After cutting his teeth as a busker since he was even younger, Will released his debut single in 2019 and he hasn’t stopped releasing new songs at a steady pace. He’s been gaining notoriety and support from bloggers and radio stations alike, including BBC Introducing. I hadn’t heard of him until Do It Again dropped back in April, but that song alone is enough to make you think he’s got a promising future. If you take the time to check a few other tracks as well, you’ll be certain of that. Ed Sheeran got some competition.
Do It Again starts with some really infectious guitars and inviting rhythms. Will Naisbitt‘s vocals are really perfect for #indiepop music and that’s another reason why this track works so well. It is also pretty upbeat, even though it explores the difficult dynamics of lovers who enter a long-distance relationship. I wouldn’t be surprised if Do It Again became a summer hit but, at the very least, it should expose Will to a wider audience. This is just the start.
I’m at least a couple of months late to Michigander’s party. This song has been in my backlog for a good while now but for one reason or another, it didn’t make it here until now. That is a shame though because Let Down is an extremely catchy song that certainly deserved to be featured here. It even peaked at #8 on the Billboard Adult Alternative chart, which is something. The song, which talks about the dichotomy of feeling excited about meeting a potential love interest and the fear of being let down by it, is part of Everything Will Be OK Eventually, the band’s latest EP released earlier this year. I say band here but the truth is more complicated than that. Michigander is mainly the work of Jason Singer, but he does have a band helping him out, which includes Aaron Senor, who should be familiar to you now after being featured here twice (here and here).
This EP was reviewed back in March by our friend Jeff (Eclectic Music Lover), and as usual, it was a superb review. I’m well aware Michigander is pretty well known around the Michigan area, but I frankly don’t know how he isn’t a mainstream artist already. His songs are refreshingly good, the production is always top-notch and his band is full of outstanding musicians. The rest of the world might need to wait a bit longer before getting acquainted with Michigander‘s work, but you can start right here, right now.
Superscum is a Danish #indiefolk band formed by five guys who used to play in metal bands. The band’s name is perhaps a bit odd but not their music, which they describe as “a mellow blend of warm melodies and melancholy.” They have released two EPs so far that have been critically acclaimed in their home country, and they are currently aiming to release their debut full-length this fall.
Subtle is one their new tracks released earlier this year and it shows why Superscum is such a promising band. They have enough creativity to sound unique even without doing anything particularly outlandish. This song algo got a positive message about believing in yourself and having no regrets for trying, and that makes the listening experience even more pleasant. If there’s one thing you can be certain you won’t regret at all is giving Subtle a chance. Check it out below.
As it happened to many others, Kyle Wright lost his job in the middle of the pandemic. After graduating college, he had to work as an Uber driver to make ends meet. However, he never stopped dreaming about a better future. Just one year earlier, he had started a solo musical project called Away From The Earth, inspired by his time as a guitar player during worship events and on local bands around Memphis. The events during 2020 motivated him to compose and self-record an EP he named Paint With Grey, See In Color that reflected what he was feeling at the time. Kyle defines AFTE’s music style as “somewhere between post-rock energy and ambient vibes”. I couldn’t agree more with him.
The EP is really good but I fell in love with its first track: The Secret Is To Begin, which is simply mesmerizing. Kyle says that it was based on the sound made by “taping bubble wrap to a fan and laying it over the strings of an electric guitar”, which I would never have guessed on my own given such a beautiful piece of #postrock music. The bottom line is that it is a spellbinding song that you will want to inject into your veins. Listen to it at your own peril.
BANNERS is definitely one of the best indie rock acts of the last decade and if this is the first time you hear about him, you have been missing out. It is the stage name of Michael Joseph Nelson, who grew up singing in the Liverpool Cathedral choir, which included performances throughout Europe. In 2015, he decided to move to Toronto,Canada, to start his solo career there. After releasing three singles that year (the first one under the moniker Raines), he dropped his debut EP in January 2016 to moderate success and another one a year later. His first full-length album was released in 2019 followed by another EP consisting mostly of acoustic tracks last year, and he has already two brand new singles in 2021, with Serenade being the latest one. Despite how prolific he’s been so far, he’s been able to maintain the quality of his work: every single one of his releases is at least well worth your time. By all means check them out if you are not familiar with them.
As its name indicates, Serenade is a romantic song dedicated to a loved one, but it is also much more upbeat than that description would lead you to believe. BANNERS‘ vocal skills are in full display here, but the melody is so infectious that I think we could still enjoy the track if it he had a terrible voice. This indie song is as good as it gets. As usual, BANNERS didn’t disappoint. Enjoy!
In terms of style, I, The Mountain sounds pretty similar to a favorite of T.A.M.: The Strumbellas. That’s not a coincidence though because in addition to being influenced by them, both bands are actually really close. Case in point, Simon Ward (The Strumbellas’ frontman) co-wrote today’s featured song, Wildflowers, with this five-piece band from Kitchener, ON. The song is I, The Mountain‘s latest single and chances are you’re going to love it. It is as infectious as it is uplifting. Vocals are shared between the band’s lead vocalist, Matt, and Allison (keyboard) and they are complemented by the remaining band members with great harmonies throughout the track. I can only imagine how Wildflowers should sound like live but I’m sure it must be great.
I, The Mountain released their debut album just last year at the start of the pandemic but the bad timing didn’t prevent the band from developing a passionate fanbase they call Mountaineers. After you listen to Wildflowers below, I’ll be surprised if you don’t become one as well. With their good vibes and talent, it is impossible not to root for I, The Mountain.
Julia Cavazos, better known as Julia Michaels, made a name for herself writing hits for other pop artists such as Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and Shawn Mendes, just to name a few. Then, in 2017, she wrote a song that she liked so much that she kept it for herself. That tune, Issues, became a hit and even earned her some Grammy nominations (whatever that’s worth). Julia is a established solo artist now and earlier this year released her debut studio album: Not In Chronological Order, which features the single being featured here today.
I hadn’t paid that much attention to Julia before because most of her songs tend to be mainstream pop tunes that are not typically my cup of tea. That being said, I happened to listen to All Your Exes and found it so good that I had to write about it here. It starts as a decent pop track led by an acoustic guitar and Julia Michaels‘ great vocals. So far so good but nothing to write home about. Then the chorus starts and it becomes a very different song, swapping out the acoustic guitar with a gritty electric one. The end result is one of the best #poprock tunes of the year, which comes accompanied by a fun music video that nods to a few psychological thrillers. Well worth your time.
