Malin Pettersen is Stealing Hearts with “Get You Back Again”
Ghostly, barren, and serene – these are the words that come to mind when Malin Petterson’s “Get You Back Again” is the subject matter. She harnesses a bold, Nashville-inspired country voice in Norway. Imagine a refined country artist for the purists and old souls who find Broadway in Nashville somewhat “plastic” in comparison to the […]
Abraham’s Ethereal and Emotional New Song “Blue Moon”
Abraham’s new song “Blue Moon” has a truly ethereal sound. Imagining the image of a blue moon above, the first minute delivers a heavy ambience that had me feeling emotional from the start. When the lyrics kicked in, I understood that the music had perfectly captured the feeling of the lyrics. Diving deeper into her […]
The Story of RYLY’s “Enough”
Living in Nashville has *almost* ruined indie-pop for me. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the best music comes from a place of honesty and authenticity. It isn’t too hard to make indie-pop that sounds okay; just buy a telecaster and drag the drums to weird subdivision spots on the grid. But […]
Jacob Wright Tells Us a Love Story – “Little River”
Coming in slow and steady with a gentle indie serenade, we have “Little River” by Jacob Wright. His recipe is full of thoughtful lyrics, minimal instrumentation, and the right dose of feel-good melody; let’s not forget the harrowing Americana howl that prances through the chorus. Honestly, it’s hard not to feel something. Although the theme is […]
Hear Steve Itterly Serenade His Love in “My Sweet Pine”
Steve Itterly’s “My Sweet Pine” from his new EP, House Songs, is a charming folky serenade to his love. In his lighthearted and sweet tone of voice, he sings about how he will always be there for the person he loves. They’re always on his mind. You can tell how much love he has […]
Discussing the Aimless Angst of “Emiko” by Tom West
Emiko by Tom West The voice is perhaps the most important tool a folk singer has. If it’s particularly beautiful, it can be the main attraction, as with Bon Iver’s gossamer falsetto or Vashti Bunyan’s break-of-dawn coo. An unusual voice can become part of the artist’s identity; Bob Dylan is an obvious example, but […]
Digging a Little Deeper: Noah Proudfoot and The Botanicals “Wild One”
Forgive me for admitting this, but I’ve been a little bored by Indie rock lately. Though the women of indie have certainly been bringing their A-game, the genre doesn’t seem to be evolving at the same breakneck speed as rap, pop, or country. A lot of tracks that came out this month probably could have […]
Boy Bjorn is “Always Searching” for Something New
Indie singer-songwriter Boy Bjorn just released the first single, “Always Searching”, from his upcoming EP, Warner. On the surface, it’s a chill song to toss in the background, but the lyrics are much deeper and darker than I anticipated. Setting the tone with melancholy keys and an acoustic guitar, he sings of feeling lost. Wandering […]
Remembering Songwriting Pioneer, Daniel Johnston
It’s tempting to follow easy narratives when you talk about Daniel Johnston. The underground singer-songwriter, who passed away at the age of 58 on September 10th, was a brilliant but troubled musician whose work was unorthodox and sometimes primitive, a familiar archetype to anyone who knows about Brian Wilson or Syd Barrett. He rose to […]
Howl with Stephen Babcock – This is “Devil”
Isn’t it invigorating to feel like a cowboy sometimes? It’s the freedom, rugged persona, and general appeal of being a lone wolf with the world in the palm of your hands. Every now and then, we come across remnants of that raw blues power in many contemporary styles, and it always emits that freeing sense […]
