Daniel Etherton – Mona Lisa

Daniel Etherton - Mona Lisa

Artist: Daniel Etherton

Song: Mona Lisa

Genres: #indiepop #singersongwriter

Influences:  Daughter, Lorde, The xx

Location: London, United Kingdom

Release date: February, 2023

Comment: Almost two years ago, I wrote about the debut single of talented London-based artist Daniel Etherton, “Foundations”, where I mentioned that the sky was the limit for him after such an outstanding debut. I think Daniel’s new single, “Mona Lisa”, proves that I was right about him. It’s just as good as “Foundations”, but quite different in style, which shows his range as a songwriter.

“Mona Lisa” is a delightful, upbeat song with a catchy melody and engaging lyrics. The metaphorical references to the iconic painting and its enigmatic subject create a lyrical narrative that is both poetic and playful. The song’s instrumentation is simple yet effective, featuring a bright acoustic guitar and infectious drums that give the track a sense of energy and movement. It’s a track that’s sure to leave listeners humming its melody long after it’s ended.

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Phoebe Go – Birthday

Phoebe Go

Artist: Phoebe Go

Song: Birthday

Genres: #indierock #singersongwriter

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Release date: November, 2022

Comment:  “Birthday” is the last track on Phoebe Go‘s debut EP, “Player,” and even though this is her first solo project, Phoebe has experience as a member of a couple of bands, making her a seasoned performer in the Australian indie scene.

Birthday is my favorite song on the EP, in no small part because of how vulnerable the Australian artist sounds here. The lyrics, paired with the soft instrumentation and sweet melody, create a touching and intimate atmosphere that is both captivating and heartwarming. If you’re a fan of indie music and artists who pour their heart into their work, this track is a must-listen.

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Young Ritual – Ages

Young Ritual - Ages

Artist: Young Ritual

Song: Ages

Genres: #indierock

Location: Nashville, United States

Release date: November, 2022

Comment: Indie/alternative artist Dylan Grantham, aka Young Ritual, is back after having been featured on T.A.M. a while ago with a new track called Ages, which is a noteworthy departure from the artist’s previous style of soft, folk rock tracks. This song was the product of the artist’s attempt at writing rock music and it starts off strong with a powerful guitar riff that immediately sets the tone for the rest of the track. Overall, “Ages” is a strong showing of Dylan’s versatility and a promising glimpse into the future of Young Ritual‘s musical journey.

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Gabriel Paris – I Cried

Gabriel Paris - I Cried

Artist: Gabriel Paris

Song: I Cried

Genres: #indie

Location: Sydney, Australia

Influences: Coldplay, Vance Joy

Release date: October, 2022

Comment: Australia-based artist Gabriel Paris is no stranger to T.A.M., having been featured here in November 2020. This time, he’s back with a terrific song that is meant to feel “like a warm hug on a rainy day”. Gabriel won a competition whose prize was to work with a fame production company in Australia, who helped him write and record “I Cried”. Highly recommended!

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corook -your mom

Artist: corook

Song: your mom

Genres: #indierock #singersongwriter

Location: Nashville, United States

Release date: October, 2022

Comment:  I do not recall how I came across this song, but I’m glad I did because it is truly special. corook is the stage name of Corinne Savage, a talented artist from Pittsburgh who now lives in the Music City. As depicted in the excellent music video below, your mom is a song about being with someone who is not ready to let their closed ones know about you. Corinne’s delivery is flawless and the she makes it very easy for the audience to connect with what she’s feeling. This is a musical gem.

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Sea Girls – Falling Apart

Artist: Sea Girls

Song: Falling Apart

Genres: #altpop #indierock

Location:  London, United Kingdom

Release date: September, 2022

Comment: When I started this blog, we were in the early phases of the pandemic with plenty of spare time and no kids. It’s safe to say now that whether we are working from home or in an office environment, the work load has gone back to pre-COVID levels, and between that and parenting a soon-to-be 1-year-old, time is getting scarcer by the day. This is why I’ve been so absent this month, as maintaining this website takes considerable time, not just writing the actual posts but also listening to plenty of submissions and new music every week.

I wish I could say this is all about to change in the new year but, in truth, I simply don’t know. In fact, like many bands in the past, I may even go on an indefinite hiatus. Anyway, while I ponder the future of T.A.M., I’ll leave you here one of my favorite tracks from the last quarter of 2022: Falling Apart by British band Sea Girls. Enjoy and have a wonderful New Year!

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OrangeG – Burn Both Ends

Artist: OrangeG

Song: Burn Both Ends

Genres: #indiefolk #americana

Location: Pittsburgh, United States

Release date: September, 2022

Comment: Muti-instrumentalist OrangeG is back with a new EP called The Void Bereft, which contains a few tracks that will be part of his upcoming album. Out of those, the first single is the introspective “Burn Both Ends“, a song about finding balance in life, especially when you are trying to do multiple things in parallel. As this talented artist put it: ““The song came together in the studio with gang vocals, rootsy percussion, and a singable melody that I hope alleviates those competing pressures, at least for a little while”. It truly is a fine indie track.

OrangeG is now part as well of a trio called The Roundlakes, along with John Michie and Chris James Willows in the UK. Their debut EP, “I’ll Take The River”, came out September 19, 2022. Highly recommended.

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Frankie Bird – Campfire

Artist: Frankie Bird

Song: Campfire

Genres: #altrock #singersongwriter

Location: London, United Kingdom

Influences: Oasis, The Beatles

Release date: August, 2022

Comment: “Campfire” sounds like a hit song Alanis or Hole could have released in the 90s, but it was actually written by a talented 22-year-old indie/pop artist from Reading, UK. Not only that, it is just the second single ever released by Frankie Bird. To say that she has a promising future would be a massive understatement.

It is no wonder then that when Frankie moved to London in late 2021 and became a regular on the open mic circuit, she proved to be a success all around the city. “Campfire”, in particular, is a little hidden gem that deserves to be found.

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Augustana – Boston

Augustana - Boston

Artist: Augustana

Song: Boston

Genres: #alternativerock #americana

Location: California, United States

Release date: September, 2005

Comment: I haven’t done a #throwbackthursday post in a while, but after discovering recently that Augustana was not as well-known as I thought, I decided to feature that musical project today. My intention was to use my favorite Augustana song: “On The Other Side”, from their self-titled album (2011), but for some reason that whole album is not available on any streaming platform. For that reason, I had to settle for my second favorite song, Boston, which also happens to be their biggest hit. If there’s one Augustana song you probably have heard before (even if unknowingly), it would surely be this one.

Augustana has always been led by Daniel Layus, but these days he’s the only member of Augustana left. Boston was part of the band’s debut album and peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006, pretty good for an alternative rock band at the time. With regards to the meaning of the song, Layus once explained this: “You know, growing up, I had extended family on the outskirts of Boston, and we’d fly out there for the holidays fairly often, and I always loved it out there, in my mind it always seemed like the farthest point away from California that you could go”.

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Roseburg – Alice

Artist: Roseburg

Song: Alice

Genres: #indierock #altrock

Location: Utah, United States

Release date: October, 2022

Comment: Roseburg is an alt-rock quartet named after the city where this musical project started: Roseburg, Oregon. Today, they’re based out of Utah and after two and a half years of silence, they came back last month with a new single, Alice, that was actually written a few years ago, when frontman Zach Knell was just 16. Knell, by the way, has the perfect voice for this type of indie rock music. If you’re a fan of bands like The Fray, check Alice out. You won’t want to miss it.

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