Tag: Indie

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The Break Plans – Crossroads

If you visit The Break Plans Facebook page, you will find that they describe their music as “Rock n’ roll with an EDM soul” or “indie pop music you can dance to — with an alternative rock vibe”. After listening to some of the singles they’ve released so far, it’s fair to say that both descriptions are pretty accurate. This band from Freehold, New Jersey, started in 2018 when lead singer Colton Braun replied to an add the other two band members, Mike Jahoda and Phil E. Eichinger, posted on Craig’s List. Getting inspiration from bands like Walk The Moon, Coldplay, and The Killers, their songs are certainly catchy and fun.

Their latest single, Crossroads, is exhibit A of everything mentioned above. It is an indie pop track with hints of alternative rock, some cool synths and even some EDM vibes. A song about feeling incomplete without that person who complements you, Crossroads is one of those tunes you could easily play on repeat. If you don’t have an aversion to radio-friendly songs, don’t lose sight of The Break Plans and check their back catalogue out. You won’t be disappointed.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie
  • Pop

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Fonzy & Company – Hella Sweet

When I first heard of Fonzy & Company, I could have sweared they were from Nashville or Missouri, not Bristol, England, with members from across Britain and even New Zealand. This alternative rock band certainly flirts with the Americana sub-genre and that still holds true with their latest EP released last month: Is It Me?, which has six tracks including its lead single, Hella Sweet. Their style is guitar-based and got the peculiarity of having multiple vocalists with Olivia Jury’s voice being their secret weapon.

Hella Sweet is a fun and uplifting track that showcases all of the above. You could argue that they’re not breaking new grounds with it but as you can see in the video below, the band had a lot of fun playing this song together and they were able to transmit exactly that. When the music is this good and amusing, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. If you like Americana rock, make sure to give Fonzy & Company a try.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Lone Kodiak – Bones

Lone Kodiak is an alternative rock band based out of Los Angeles, even though it started in Portland, Oregon, when Dainéal Parker and Daniel Alden met as teenagers. They have released one EP and a few singles since 2017 but are expecting to release their debut full-length album next year. Drawing inspiration from a wide range of bands such as Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure, and Explosions In The Sky; Lone Kodiak‘s music is a dynamic mix of meaningful lyrics, engaging rock and layered vocals; and the best example for that is their latest single, Bones: an exciting sign of things to come.

Bones is a stunning track with poignant lyrics about life’s ephemeral essence. It got some cinematic vibes and an interesting melody. The vocals from Dainéal are great too, as his voice reminds me of Johnny Rzeznik‘s, which is perfect for pop-rock. Unfortunately, for now there is no video/audio track for this song on Youtube, just the teaser that you can watch below. Header over to the mixtapes you can find at the bottom of this page for the full song. It deserves a listen.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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30 – Lost In Colorado

Accurately self-described as genre-fluid, 30 is a versatile singer/songwriter from Massachusetts with over 220k monthly listeners on Spotify. In his latest EP, The Introspects Of A Psycho, which is a philosophical introspection into the life of a girl spiralling out of control who is important to the narrator, the artist moves swiftly from rap and hip-hop to alternative rock. While the former genres aren’t really my cup of tea, I certainly dig 30‘s rocker side, such as in the appealing Lost In Colorado.

This tune is a stripped down, guitar-based track with metaphorical lyrics and an engaging melody. The chorus, in particular, is one of those that keeps playing in your head long after the song has ended. It is obvious that 30 got a creative mind that will push him to explore different styles. Hopefully, he will keep a balanced approach and continue embracing his alternative side from time to time.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Blue October – Moving On (So Long)

Blue October is an alternative rock band from Houston, Texas. They’ve been around since 1995 and scored a couple of big hits in 2006 with Hate Me and Into The Ocean as well as a good number of top 40 singles. I’ve never been that much into them but I’m reconsidering that because their 10th studio album, This Is What I Love For, released back in October, got a bunch of really great songs, such as Fight For Love, and today’s addition to the mixtapes: Moving On (So Long). I checked their back catalogue again and it’s better than I remembered. I’ve been wrong about them all this time.

Moving On (So Long) is a folksy track with a country vibe to it. The tune is certainly very radio-friendly but in a nice way. One of those songs that can lighten up your mood right away. Quite frankly, it is a great song to start your weekend with.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative
  • Folk/Indie

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Plain White T’s – Let Me Take You There

If you know only one song from Plain White T’s, it’s likely to be Hey There Delilah. By far, the band’s most successful single and a beautiful song indeed. That track was part of their fourth studio album, 2007’s Every Second Counts, which also featured a tune that I really loved back then called Let Me Take You There. I hadn’t listened to it in years until I stumbled upon it again earlier this week. It’s a gorgeous song that got overlooked due to the incredible success of that other song mentioned above. I hope you can enjoy this gem as this week’s #ThrowbackThursday entry.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Crash Cathedral – MoodRing

Crash Cathedral is a new alternative pop band from Philadelphia with an experimental side. While their music is radio friendly, the background the band’s members have is actually in metal, hardcore and industrial rock, which offers a unique twist to what they do, resulting in a darker-than-usual style of alt-pop. However, I’d like to make it clear that this is not a case of artists making music they hate just because it’s popular. Instead, it is an example of musicians finding the middle ground across the multiple and sometimes dissimilar styles that they enjoy.

Back in October, Crash Cathedral released their debut single, MoodRing, which centers around relationships with people who are not what you thought they were. Musically, it draws influence from ’80s new wave while still sounding modern. What sets this tune apart is its extremely catchy chorus. You will want to put it on repeat. If this is what their debut single sounds like, I can’t imagine how great their songs are going to be once they have more time working together.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Folk/Indie
  • Pop

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Kaleiders – Alright

If you’re a fan of The Gaslight Anthem, chances are you will like Kaleiders too. Although not specifically from Manchester, this four-piece band hails from nearby Warrington and aims to bridge the gap between melodic punk and indie rock, resulting in a sound not that different from the popular American band mentioned above. Alright, in particular, which was the first song the band ever recorded in 2016 but have now remastered to give it new life and a cleaner sound, gives me that vibe. This new version is part of the band’s brand new debut full length album: Melancholy Undertones.

A guitar-driven song, Alright is high in energy and riffs while also having an optimistic flavor. It’s evident that we have a talented band in Kaleiders, the question is whether or not they can be consistently good. Only time can tell but I like their odds. So far, so good.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative
  • Punk-Rock

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Suave Martyrs – Tell Me What You Wanna

Mancunian band Suave Martyrs have been releasing new music at a steady pace since completing their lineup in 2019. They describe their style as a blend of ‘60s West Coast rock, Manchester-era indie and psychedelia, but their latest single, Tell Me What You Wanna, is supposed to be a departure from their usual approach. I’m not too familiar with their previous tracks in order to comment on whether that is a good thing or not, but I, for one, really enjoyed the new sound. It reminded me a bit of New Radicals and similar bands from the late ’90s.

Tell Me What You Wanna was written during the lockdown, which each band member coming up with their parts separately and merging them in production. All in all, the end product is pretty impressive considering the circumstances and the fact that the band was going in a new direction. I don’t know if the Suave Martyrs are planning to stick with this new sound, yet I hope they give it a try. It’s catchy and sounds fresh in today’s environment. Make sure to give them a try here.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative

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Bleachers ft. Bruce Springsteen – chinatown

Jack Antonoff is behind a huge number of hit songs today but casual listeners might not recognize him by name. He is a guitarist and drummer on the band Fun., which went on a hiatus in 2014 so that its members could focus on other projects for a while. Jack went on and created Bleachers, an indie pop band that hit it big with its debut album Strange Desire (2015), to the point that it made Jack one of the most sough-after songwriters and record producers in business today. He has written/produced songs for the likes of Taylor Swift, Lorde, and Lana Del Rey, just to name a few.

When I saw that Bleachers had a new song featuring fellow New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen, let’s just say that it really caught my attention. I’m happy to report that the track is as good as expected. It really sounds as if Bruce were singing a Bleachers song or vice versa. It sounds classic and modern at the same time and from the moment I listened to this gem for the first time, I knew I had to feature it here. Enjoy this instant classic below and good luck getting that chorus out of your head!

Featured on the following mixtapes:

  • Everything
  • Alternative
  • Folk/Indie