Tag: Indie

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Bush – Glycerine

We mentioned Bush last week and they recently released a new album as well (unfortunately, it didn’t move the needle for me), and since I’ve been away until now, it makes sense to feature them as today’s #ThrowbackThursday entry. After all, this British band got several legendary rock songs plenty of people love.

I actually wanted to write about Swallowed, but it is impossible to find the album version of that song on Spotify/Apple Music. Anyway, Glycerine is not a bad substitute at all. Bush released this track as the fourth single from Sixteen Stones, their debut album, in November 1995. It reached number one on the modern rock charts and is, to date, the band’s biggest pop hit, peaking at number 28 on Billboard’s Hot 100. As with most of their songs, Glycerine‘s lyrics are cryptic but it is an accepted fact that Gavin Rossdale wrote this tune about his girlfriend at the time (no, it wasn’t Gwen Stefani yet). The track is basically just Gavin’s raspy voice with a guitar and some strings here and there, yet it gets stuck on your head pretty much for the rest of your life.

Without a doubt, this is one of the greatest rock tracks from the 90s. Enjoy it again, here.

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Fedbysound – Face The Day

Some people get into the music business because they want to get famous and live the life of a rock star. Others are just passionate about music and want to do what they love: writing and recording songs. If they can make enough money to make ends meet, that would be the cherry on top. That is the case of California-based musician Mark Grider, who goes by the moniker Fedbysound. Back in July, he released an album, Resonate, with elements of alternative rock, progressive rock and hard rock. The last two are not really my cup of tea, but the first one is certainly right up my alley.

Face The Day is the track that closes the record. It is an alternative rock song with a chorus that reminds me at times of early 2000s Bush. This catchy tune gets even more impressive once you consider that Mark played all the instruments as well. Even his vocals are a perfect match for this type of music. Give him a chance if you are into the genres mentioned above. You’ll surely find something you’ll like. Artists such as Fedbysound deserve the opportunity to do what they love.

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beabadoobee – Care

beabadoobee - Care

Beatrice Laus, aka beabadoobee, took the alternative rock scene by storm after she started uploading her songs to Youtube and they became viral. Taking inspiration from Kimya Dawson and the soundtrack of the movie Juno, this Filipino-born British singer-songwriter has released several singles and EPs already, but her debut album is slated to drop later this year. She was predicted as one of the breakthrough acts for 2020, which is actually coming true despite the pandemic. Don’t lose track of her.

Care is the first single from Fake It Flowers, Bea‘s debut album. It got a strong 90s grunge rock fragrance, complete with guitar riffs and a rebellious attitude. From the moment the muted guitars start playing during the intro, this catchy tune will hook you in and not let you go until it’s over. After you listen to such a great song, you simply won’t be able to believe beabadoobee is just 20 years old. She’s just getting her feet wet.

Enjoy this stunning track here.

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Funeral Lakes – Earth Falls

It is a commendable approach when musicians use their art to promote social change, instead of going through the beaten and commercially safe path of writing generic songs about having a good time or moving your body. Canadian indie-folk duo, Funeral Lakes, are an example of such artists, in their case focusing on our planet and environmental issues. Consisting of Sam Mishos and Chris Hemer, this quirky act has released just last week a follow-up EP, Golden Season, to their eponymous debut album from last year. You can read a good review of this EP here.

My favorite track in Golden Season is Earth Falls, which, as its name hints at, talks about the destruction of our planet, and with everything going on at the moment with California’s wildfires (and earlier this year with Australia’s), it cannot be more relevant. Musically, the contrast between Sam and Chris’ voices during their interplay is a nice touch that draws you in, and it gets complemented very well with a pleasant melody and a neat chorus. Earth Falls is an enjoyable track, no doubt about it, but the fact that it is also meaningful makes it even better. Check it out below.

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Regiments – Beginnings

Regiments is a post-rock/orchestral musical project and, you guessed it, another one-man show (I’m starting to believe all cinematic rock acts are like that). Founded in 2019 by New Jersey-based Peter Cipparulo after falling in love with bands such as Explosions In The Sky, Regiments‘ goal is to create something interesting that could also evoke emotions. Well, I think it’s safe for Peter to say: “mission accomplished!”.

Beginnings is the name of Peter’s debut album under the Regiments moniker, and also its title track. It is a beautifully orchestrated song that uplifts your spirit and results in an emotive soundscape. I’ll just keep it short because there’s really no much else I can say here. Listen to Regiments‘ work, you won’t regret it, and you can start with Beginnings ,below.

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Sigur Rós – Hoppípolla

Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla

Continuing with yesterday’s topic of Icelandic artists, for this week’s #throwbackthursday entry we have this classic song from Sigur Rós: Hoppípolla. You’ve probably heard it hundreds of times even unknowingly, as its piano-based melody has been used multiple times in TV ads and music festivals. It was even used on BBC‘s Planet Earth documentary. However, it is so good that it is well deserving of its ubiquity. It certainly has a relaxing and soothing vibe that makes it almost impossible to get tired of it.

Many, if not all, of the songs from this band led by Jónsi have lyrics on Vonlenska, also known as Hopelandic, which is a “language” invented by Sigur Rós that resembles Icelandic but has no semantic meaning at all. The idea is that the listeners give the songs whatever meaning they want to give them. Hoppípolla is no exception to this and I think that makes it even better, as it cannot get more universal than that.

The band, who appeared on an episode of Games Of Thrones singing The Rains Of Castamere (Sansa and Joffrey‘s wedding), is currently on a hiatus. They have had some legal issues recently and Jónsi has just released his second solo album after 10 years. Hopefully, they will make new music as a band pretty soon.

In the meantime, let’s enjoy once more this classic tune.

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Ólafur Arnalds feat. JFDR – Back To The Sky

Icelandic artist Ólafur Arnalds is one of my favorite composers still active. His last album, re:member (2018), was outstanding, for which he even invented a ground-breaking musical system called Stratus. If you have seen the British TV show, Broadchurch, then you are familiar with Ólafur’s work because he composed its gorgeous soundtrack. He started to get noticed when he supported Sigur Rós during one of their tours in 2008. All in all, I think it is safe to say that he is a brilliant multi-instrumentalist.

Ólafur is preparing a new album for November but he has already delighted us with a couple of new tracks. Back To The Sky is one of them but the peculiar thing about it is that it is closer to an indie song than to anything else. To begin with, it is a collaboration with Icelandic singer, JFDR, so it got lyrics and beautiful vocals. Listening to this song is similar to floating in the air. From the flawless instrumentation to JFDR‘s hypnotic voice, everything in it feels like part of a dream. Please don’t wake me up.

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Freedom of the City – Turn It Up

In the same way not all bands from Liverpool sound like The Beatles, not all bands from Manchester sound like Oasis. That being said, I can’t help but get a Gallagher brothers vibe in Turn It Up, the latest single from Manchester-based band, Freedom Of The City. Mind you, it’s just a vibe, but that’s enough to result in an anthemic, alternative rock track full of energy that is ideal for live shows, whenever live music happens to be a thing again.

Freedom Of The City are a four-piece band founded by lead vocalist, George Brown. They have been playing together for a few years now, hitting the music festivals circuit all around the UK and getting a lot of attention and a fan base in the process. FOTC‘s debut album should drop anytime now, and if it is full of bangers just as Turn It Up, it will be a massive success.

I dare you to listen to this track and remain quiet. Can you do it?

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Bea Bitter – Serpent

Bea Bitter is the stage name of Brenna Kassis as a solo artist, given that she’s also part of indie-rock band, Ill Spector. This prolific singer/songwriter hails from Nashville, TN; is preparing her debut EP, which will be titled The Lull Before The End Of The World; and has released two singles so far this year. Serpent, the most recent one, dropped just two weeks ago.

Brenna got a sweet voice that is perfect for indie folk songs just like Serpent. With a playful melody driven by a solid bass line, this single talks about wanting that person you are infatuated with to have the same feelings about you, something we can all relate to. Overall, Bea Bitter got the talent to write and perform entrancing songs that can crawl through your mind like a real snake. This gorgeous tune is just exhibit A. You’ll see.

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The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979

The Smashing Pumpkins - 1979

In case you missed it, The Smashing Pumpkins released two new singles this week. While they may not reach the heights of their legendary hits from the MTV era, it’s time for a Throwback Thursday feature. Selecting a song was tough with their impressive back catalogue.

I recently binge-watched all 3 seasons of Netflix’s brilliant sci-fi series, Dark (loved it). The recurring phrase, ‘The beginning is the end and the end is the beginning,’ reminded me of The Smashing Pumpkins’ single, ‘The End is The Beginning Is The End,’ from the 1997 film Batman & Robin. Unfortunately, the original version isn’t available on major streaming platforms, just a lackluster remix.

That brought me back to square one, torn between featuring my all-time favorite song from Billy Corgan & Co, despite its popularity, other renowned tracks like “Disarm” or “Tonight, Tonight,” or a hidden gem like “Stand Inside Your Love” or “Untitled.” In the end, “1979” emerged as the clear winner. This remarkable track, the second single from “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” is simply exceptional and a must-have on my mixtapes. Don’t miss the fantastic music video below.”

There’s nothing more I can say about this #musicalcrush. Simply savor this nostalgic stroll down memory lane.

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