“Different Man” by Paceshifters: Brooding, Hypnotic Indie Rock
The Dutch rock band Paceshifters is roaring back into the music scene with a fresh sound, look, and record label. Known for their electric live performances, loyal fanbase, and passionate vulnerability, Paceshifters embraces a new era without compromising their best qualities. Their dark, urgent sound comes to the forefront in their January release “Different Man.” […]
“Michelangelo” by Cassandra Jenkins: Being Unforgivingly Open
It’s never easy trying to articulate how you feel inside, especially when you’re doing it on a public platform. Aside from it taking an enormous amount of courage to be so open, it places a great vulnerability upon anyone, let alone an artist trying to survive in this world. A popular way to somewhat sidestep […]
Cathal Coughlan on “Song of Co-Aklan,” His Illustrious Career, and the Pitfalls of Technology
Over the course of Cathal Coughlan’s forty-year career, he’s made brooding sophisti-pop alongside future High Llama Sean O’Hagan in Microdisney; he’s made spiky, seething post-punk with Fatima Mansions; he’s released gorgeous, shatteringly sad material under his own name (listen to The Sky’s Awful Blue if you need a good punch to the gut.) But whether […]
Ellie Dixon and Austin Prince Look for Hope in “New Waves”
Thanks to a powerful on-shore breeze, Ellie Dixon and Austin Prince’s “New Waves” rolled in right on time. Just as the title suggests, this song is about waves — sound waves, radio waves, emotional waves, and creative waves. It articulates the feeling of being stuck, and finds a way out through reinventing how music can […]
“Automatic Love” by Lo Talker: Thoughtful Indie Rock
Andrew Shepard – front man of the rising folk-rock band Lo Talker – is no stranger to the music scene. Before starting the Lo Talker project, the Georgia-based songwriter headed Roadkill Ghost Choir, a popular indie rock band. During his eight years with Roadkill Ghost Choir, Shepard performed at countless music festivals. He penned some […]
The Top Indie Songs of 2020
Here are the top indie songs of 2020, according to our panel of writers. “Land of No Junction” by Aoife Nessa Frances “Quiet Weather” by Caitlin Pasko “Sour Flower” by Lianne La Havas “Kerosene!” by Yves Tumor “I Want You To Love Me” by Fiona Apple “Can I Believe You” by Fleet Foxes “Climb” by […]
Retrospective Review: Alain Bashung’s “Je t’ai manqué”
Listening to the opening song of Alain Bashung’s 2008 album Bleu pétrole, “Je t’ai manqué,” without knowing any of the context behind it makes it play like a conventional singer/songwriter track, albeit with a slight rock bend and even jangle pop piano chords mixed in for good measure. The choruses, which go, “Je t’ai manqué / […]
Covey’s Leap Into Vulnerability: “Cut On The Crease”
As he gears up for the release of his new album, folk-rock artist Covey, which is the project of British instrumentalist and songwriter Tom Freeman, proves yet again that he is a master of storytelling. His newest release, “Cut On The Crease” is a gritty confirmation of these narrative capabilities. This track is is the […]
“Jupiter” by New Casino: Gorgeous, Liminal Music
There’s a certain almost indescribable feeling that happens when you’re halfway between the sleeping and waking worlds. It’s the state of drowsiness in which you’re hovering just outside of your mind; a colored swirl of mindless delusions that hazily slip away and blend into one another before the wave of unconsciousness crashes down. Dream-like and […]
“Delusional Bird” by La Fonda: Despite Everything, Hope
La Fonda has put in a lot of hard work to get to where they are now, releasing their debut album next year. Beginning as a pair of sisters, Veronica and Valerie, whose childhood regularly included music, fate brought them together with old and new friends to form the six-person band they are today. Each […]
