New Friends – Doomed

New Friends - Doomed
Photo credits: Steph Montani

Artist: New Friends

Song: Doomed

Genres: #altpop #indiepop

Location:  London, Canada

Release date: August, 2022

Comment: I hadn’t heard of New Friends before they released “Doomed” in August, but what a great song it is! This is not based on scientific evidence, but I think it is impossible to listen to this tune without feeling elated. The fact that it comes with a hilarious music video is also a plus. Considering the fact that the band members (Stefan Boulineau, Ayden Miller, Cole Wilson, and Conrad Galecki) met each other barely 4 years ago, the fact that they were able to make such a great song so soon is quite impressive. I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with next!

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Simon Pipe – Leave The Light On

Artist: Simon Pipe

Song: Leave The Light On

Genres: #indie #relaxingmusic

Location: Worthing, Barbados

Influences: Cigarettes After Sex, Deftones, Cocteau Twins

Release date: July, 2022

CommentSimon Pipe is a musician, songwriter, producer, and overall artist from Barbados, who has built a career out of writing and producing music for other artists, including the famous reggae act Shaggy. However, that did not fill Simon’s needs as an artist, which is why he decided to make and share his own music as well, hoping someone could relate to it.

Over the last three years, Simon has struggled with his mental health and addiction multiple times. His survival mechanism and the way he prefers to deal with his issues is making music, and Leave The Light On, in particular, is an example of that. It is a song about true love and how small gestures, such as leaving the light on for your partner when they’re late, can mean so much to them, What I enjoy the most about this lovely track is its soothing vibe, helped by Simon’s extremely appealing voice. I honestly feel I could listen to Leave The Light On all day. I hope you can enjoy it too.

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Gathering of Strangers – Red & Gold

Artist: Gathering of Strangers

Song: Red & Gold

Genres: #indierock #altrock

Location: Manchester, United Kingdom

Release date: August, 2022

Comment: Conor Rabone, frontman of  Gathering of Strangers, a five-piece indie rock band from Manchester, had this to say about their latest single, Red & Gold: “My absolute favourite time of the day is just after sunset, and you have about five minutes when the sun has disappeared, but it has turned the whole sky a golden red. I wanted to capture my feelings during those 5 minutes and put it in a song“. It’s safe to say he succeeded at that because when you listen to Red & Gold, the moment that riff starts playing at the beginning, you feel instantly elated.

With songs like Red & Gold, this band is definitely going places.

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Sky Katz – Why Did You Call?

Artist: Sky Katz

Song: Why Did You Call?

Genres: #indierock, #poppunk

Location: New York, United States

Release date: August, 2022.

Comment: 17-year-old Sky Katz started as a contestant on season 11 of America’s Got Talent, as a freestyle rapper (when she was just 11), and she continued on the hip-hop lane when she launched her recording career. After landing a series of roles on TV, including the lead on Netflix series: Surviving Summer, she decided to cross genres to melodic pop-punk under the tutelage of Joel Madden of Good Charlotte. Why Did You Call is one of a series of singles Sky has released this year that showcase how talented she is as a #singersongwriter.

As if being able to write catchy melodies and infectious hooks wasn’t enough, Sky also directed the music video, which is essentially a short film starring Sky and her co-star from Surviving Summer, Savannah LaRain. The artist wanted to represent how normal and healthy a same-sex relationship can be, specially for young couples. I think both song and video are outstanding pieces of art that set the bar really high for Sky Katz‘ future releases.

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C.S. Fulp – Burnout

Photo credit: Michael Manos

Artist: C.S. Fulp

Genres: #indiepop #altrock

Song: Burnout

Location: Los Angeles, United States

Release date: July, 2022

Comment One of the downsides to having a blog such as this one is that you end up listening to so many song submissions each day that, after a while, it becomes harder and harder to get impressed by a song. It still happens from time to time though, and that was definitely the case with Burnout, a song from up-and-coming artist Christian Fulp, aka C.S. Fulp, who wrote it in an attempt to explore the sound of early 2000s rock and the transitory nature of life.

Burnout is the third single released by C.S. Fulp this year ahead of his debut EP. If the other songs are half as catchy as this single, that debut record will be quite a treat.

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Lomon – Multitudes

Artist: Lomon

Song: Multitudes

Genres: #altrock, #indierock

Location: Seattle, United States

Release date: July, 2022.

Comment: Lomon, a young artist from Seattle who was featured here in 2020, got married earlier this year and he sweetly decided to write and perform a song for his new wife: Multitudes. Just like his previous song, Little Visitors, Multitudes got a strong David Bowie influence, but it’s accessible for everybody, not just Bowie fans. The layered track got an undeniably catchy chorus that fits perfectly with every single piece of this complex song.

Lomon’s wife must feel proud of the little gift her husband gave her. A gift she is now generously sharing with all of us.

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Madison Deaver – Denim

Artist: Madison Deaver

Song: Denim

Genres: #altrock, #poprock

Location: Los Angeles, United States

Release date: August, 2022.

Comment: Madison Deaver could have chosen the easier path to stardom by becoming a hip-hop artist. Instead, she’s been compared to the garage days of Gwen Stefani and Avril Lavigne, with her music ranging from alternative rock to punk rock, and I applaud her for that. Her new single Denim might be her best one so far and it is as energetic and anthemic as you could expect. Lyrically, Madison complains about people who think relationships are like denim, as if they would last forever no matter how badly one person is treated. Overall, this track is an absolute banger.

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The Wombats – Is This What It Feels Like To Feel Like This

The Wombats - Is This What It Feels Like To Feel Like This

Artist: The Wombats

Song: Is This What It Feels Like To Feel Like This

Genres: #indierock #altrock

Location: Liverpool, United Kingdom

Release date: September, 2022

Comment The eponymous track of The Wombat‘s next EP, Is This What It Feels Like To Feel Like This, might not reach the heights of their mega hit Cheetah Tongue, but that does not mean it isn’t a superb track anyway. In fact, I’ve been listening to it on repeat for the past month or so. If you hadn’t heard of it until now, check it out. It has the potential to become your next #musicalcrush.

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Dilettante – Monster

Artist: Dilettante

Song: Monster

Genres: #indiepop #altpop

Location: Toronto, Canada

Release date: June, 2022

Comment:  Dilettante, which means a person having a superficial interest in an art of branch of knowledge, is a quintet from Toronto led by Natalie Panacci and Julia Wittmann. Most of the band members used to be on a band called For Jane, but their debut album as Dilettante, which is self-titled, was released this June. Monster is the closing track and even though it got a strong 80s music vibe, it sounds modern as well. I really like the synth-infused intro and the overall melody, but I absolutely love how it suddenly dials it back to just an acoustic guitar in the outro. I think that was a genius touch. Check it out!

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Northwest Stories – That Isn’t Me

Photo credits: Alyssa Fink (@limitlys.photography)

Artist: Northwest Stories

Song: That Isn’t Me

Genres: #indiefolk

Location: Idaho, United States

Influences: Ben Rector, Novo Amor, Bon Iver

Release date: June, 2022

CommentThat Isn’t Me is a gorgeous folk song about focusing on what’s good in life instead of feeling stuck. Northwest Stories‘ lead vocalist, Adam Fink, got a calming voice you won’t want to stop listening to but, on top of that, they recording this song in 432 Hz as opposed to the standard 440 Hz, in order to make it even more soothing. Trust me, it works.

Northwest Stories is composed of Adam (vocals, guitar, piano) and RJ Rouse (background vocals, producer, engineer) and even though most of their songs are written about God, their music can appeal everybody, not just Christians. That Isn’t Me is a great example of that. Enjoy this lovely track!

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