Bad Flamingo’s “Bad Apple”: Female-Forward Folk with a Gothic Atmosphere
“Bad Apple”, the eerie, beguiling new song by the folk duo Bad Flamingo, is not a country song. Country, even at its most minimal, is rarely as spidery in its structure, or as oblique in its lyrics, as “Bad Apple”. But there are a lot of commonalities between the work of Bad Flamingo and that […]
Shawn Mocey’s “Meant to Be”: A Welcome Dose of Positive Hip-Hop
Back in the day, rap and hip-hop were never my music genre of choice. I didn’t want to hear about guns, drugs, and banging women, nor did I relate to the dangerous lifestyle most rappers glamorized. However, once I discovered some hip hop artists rap about positivity, I was pleasantly surprised. In any music genre, […]
Cobey’s “Just Speak Up”: A Dramatic, Cinematic Break-Up Song
One of the greatest problems that plagues all human interaction and all kinds of relationships is a simple issue of communication. Often, it is a lack of communication that creates problems between two people. But within that common issue of communication is this tendency for people to change for someone else. Sometimes these changes are […]
Nautics’ “Dream”: A Drifting, Mysterious Dream-Pop Reverie
Some of the most powerful songs are the ones whose meaning is purposefully obscure, songs whose lyrics paint a partial story, a story that each listener can fill in as they listen to a song, over and over again, trying to understand where this piece of art fits into the jigsaw puzzle that is life. […]
Jody Glenham’s “Talking Out Loud”: A Blast of Indie Rock Energy
Jody Glenham transports us to a crowded dance floor, covered in sweat, beaming with smiles. It’s probably the 80’s or the glittering 90’s. We don’t care to know for sure though, because it’s just so fun to be there. It’s obvious this dream pop artist keeps her inspirations in her back pocket with the newest […]
Quiet Brother’s “Running”: Atmospheric, Lyrical Indie Rock
Be careful running into the soundscape of Quiet Brother; you may get lost. Emerging from the wonderfully charming city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, this equally charming indie group illuminates a familiar sound of nostalgia. Band members, and close college friends, Jake Bair, Nate Elder, and Andrew Galuppo. have surprisingly only just begun releasing this new sweet […]
Alone Zone’s “Bored”: Bored, But Far From Boring
I’m sure everyone is feeling a bit bored right now. Hopefully, we’re all doing our civic duty by staying home and not socializing, but that does make for some pretty monotonous times. “Bored,” by Alone Zone, while not actually about being quarantined or bored at home, seems to encompass how we’re all feeling right about […]
“Sailor’s Journey” by The Atkins Tent Revival: Way-South Southern Gothic
If someone were to ask me what one of my favorite aesthetics is, I would say southern gothic. The old, burned out churches with ivy-covered walls and decaying, mossy angel statues watching over the graves that would have long disappeared without their guardians, it’s all just fascinating to me. It’s why I like Johnny Cash’s […]
Best Baby’s “Get Mine”: An Anti-Capitalist Cri de Couer
When discovering a new band, where do you start? With the music? Name? Presence in the scene? Well, when it comes to Best Baby, a Brooklyn-based garage rock/punk quartet, you start with performing. Best Baby has been playing in the New York scene in some impressive locations, such as The Knitting Factory. Their name comes […]
What Does Indie Mean (for Music)?
Indie music is made by independent artists who aren’t signed to major labels. But “indie” means way more than that. I’m a bit late to the bandwagon, but I started listening to Arctic Monkeys in mid-to-late high school. I’d always loved rock music, and I liked their chilled-out lyrics and guitar vibes and their videos […]
