independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
East of 8th caught up with New Mexico alt-rock band Great States, whose debut album, Gatsby, is set for release on January 29th. The band was inspired by the uniqueness of their surroundings, and also drew lyrical inspiration from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. It seemed only fitting to ask the guys, "If you could... Continue Reading →
What a great year it's been! With so many amazing artists creating tons of quality music to dazzle and delight us in 2015, it was hard to narrow it down. I've created a Spotify playlist for you so we can relive the magic together: spotify:user:1215818426:playlist:0M4t1sqFHsccEGeFLUSUt0 Feel free to check out my previous playlists... Continue Reading →
Last, but certainly not least, is “I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)” by supergroup The Dead Weather. This song, oh my. Just give me a minute, I’ll be fine. Whew! If you know me, you know how I feel about Jack White, and of course, that means I am a fan of his band The... Continue Reading →
“You’re the only one worth seeing/The only place worth being/The only bed worth sleeping’s the one right next to you” sings Saint Motel frontman A/J Jackson in “Cold Cold Man”. Jackson has said in interviews that this song was inspired by the idea that relationships are too saccharin at times, with “I love you’” being... Continue Reading →
This list wouldn’t be complete without hometown hero Dillon Hodges, a.k.a. firekid, represented here. The Nashville-by-way-of-Muscle Shoals Rockicana legend-in-the-making is a blog favorite (can you tell??!) and I was over the moon when he finally released his self-titled debut LP this year. There are so many songs from the album that could’ve made the cut (I’m... Continue Reading →
Even though indie rock band Cold War Kids released their latest album, Hold My Home, at the end of 2014, “First” was released as a single at the start of 2015, so it (just barely) made the cut. Whew! There’s something about this tune that makes me want to shoot my fist in the air... Continue Reading →
The first time I heard Elle King’s raspy vocals singing the clever lyrics of her breakout song “Ex’s & Oh’s”, I stopped in my tracks. This tune is so unbelievably catchy, it had me dancing around in my bathroom in the morning singing into my hairbrush in no time at all (you’re welcome for that mental... Continue Reading →
Alabama Shakes definitely blew the idea of a sophomore slump out of the proverbial water with the release of their stellar LP Sound & Color this year. While there are so many list-worthy options on this record, I found myself turning up the volume every time groove-tastic tune “Dunes” popped up on the rotation (“Future... Continue Reading →
I admitted in a post this summer that I hadn't really ever connected with Nashville by-way-of South Africa alt-pop/rock band Civil Twilight's music because their previous releases struck me as melancholy, and I just couldn't get into it. However, their newest album, Story Of An Immigrant, which was released in July, turned me into a die-hard Civil Twilight fan. A Civil... Continue Reading →
"Tear In My Heart" by dynamic duo Twenty One Pilots was my favorite song for driving this year, forcing me to turn my car's dashboard into a piano keyboard every time it came on my radio. "But Susan," you may be saying, "isn't this song a little mainstream for you?" Yes. It is. But I refuse... Continue Reading →
