Half-Shadow’s “Moonless (Unmoored)”: A Strange, Evocative Dream
Half-Shadow’s new song “Moonless (Unmoored)” is the type of track that, if listened to before bed, will trigger some very strange dreams. And it’s no wonder, seeing as Half-Shadow is known for their simmering, psychedelic style. Jesse Carsten, the face behind Half-Shadow, self-describes their work as “song collages,” a phrase which offers a certain vulnerability: […]
“Voicemail” by Carli & the Dark: The Rush and Release of Grief
Grief is something you can feel coming, like vomiting or panic attacks. When you’re reminded of someone you lost, through death or otherwise, there’s a split second before the reaction kicks in and the waterworks start. It’s a moment of icy clarity, sometimes more upsetting than the memory itself: fuck. It’s coming. This is really […]
“There For You” by Quinton Brock: Indie Rock on the Boardwalk
When I first heard this song, I immediately thought that it would sound amazing on the beach. So I got in my car, drove to the beach, and put it on again. As I suspected, the added visuals took the listening experience to another level. “There For You” is the type of song you would […]
“Trouble” by Troye Sivan and Jay Som: Hope from an Unexpected Place
As soon as I heard the first few strums of the guitar, I knew “Trouble” was going to be the type of song that would pull at my heartstrings. I wasn’t wrong — it brings about feelings of angst, hope, love, and euphoria all in less than three-and-a-half minutes. My first note about the song […]
“When You Turn On the Light” by Frog Eyes: Mortal Awakenings through Thrilling Indie Rock
Canadian band Frog Eyes depict a swift descent into emotional chaos in their hypnotizing Indie-Rock single “When You Turn On the Light” from the upcoming album The Bees, set to release in April 2022. Like a crude, sobering elixir force-fed down your gullet, you are reminded of the impetuous cataclysms of life – death, illness […]
“Just As If New” by Early Signs: Lush, Atmospheric Indie
In my early introduction to the ambient indie project Early Signs, I stumbled across an interview with the band’s songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, Petter Näse. In the interview, Näse is asked to name a perfect song, and he offers “8 (circle)”, a massively underappreciated track by Bon Iver that lives on my own “Best Songs […]
“Fruiting Body” by GOON: Fascinating, Spore-Inspired Indie Rock
When I was asked to review “Fruiting Body,” the latest single from LA-based indie group Goon, I didn’t think I would start by learning about fungi. But it’s a wild, strange world and perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised to find myself reading about mushrooms and the taxonomic hierarchy— remember species, genius, family, order, and […]
“Polar Pop” by Herbert Walker: Creative, Catchy Indie Pop
Upon my first listen, I anticipated from the introduction of “Polar Pop” that the song would resemble more of a simple lo-fi beat reminiscent of background music one might use for studying. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. “Polar Pop” by the Phoenix-based band Herbert Walker seems to perfectly reflect what its title […]
Uhl’s “Miss United States” Shows the Tragedy of a Woman’s Life Squandered
In this day and age, there’s something almost quaint about beauty pageants. They have been rightly criticized for perpetuating restrictive beauty standards and outdated gender roles, demanding absolute purity from the contestants while ogling their swimsuit-clad bodies. But many institutions have been outpaced by the Internet, and beauty pageants may be losing the sexist arms […]
Alysia Kraft on “Cold Mountain,” Queer Identity, and Live Music
Alysia Kraft’s magnetic voice cuts through crisp air in a bittersweet serenade of imperfect love and loss in “Cold Mountain”. The shimmering, indie-folk-pop song paints time and place with a clear brush, sharing mesmerizing vignettes of her homeland. The place Kraft describes is one of an opaque, sometimes harsh beauty. Coming from a small cattle […]
