“Titania” by Night Palace: A Song of Strange Magic
The music video for Night Palace’s new song “Titania” dropped on February 22, 2022. This numerological timing, intentional or otherwise, tells you everything you need to know about this strange and magical track. It’s a tense lullaby. A chorus of ghosts. A fairytale landscape that feels just barely wrong. Throughout the song I kept waiting […]
Dorota Konchevska on “Gold Goes Out”, the Irish Music Scene, and Raising Morale in Troubled Times
Writing about this track, I was reminded of this moment growing up: the scene is 2008, and I’m walking around Jacksonville’s Museum of Science and History. Between dimly lit exhibits and dioramas, I drift along. The whole time, I had this feeling that there was something impressive around me, but I just didn’t have the […]
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 […]
