independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
Hamilton Leithauser is a tall drink of water. I have never stared up in such awe at a performer that my neck hurt the next day, but his performance at the Wonder Ballroom left me with a crook in my neck and a smile in my heart. He opened with the statement, “This is the... Continue Reading →
Ella Vos, L.A.-based pop star with big dreams and a heart of gold, has taken debut album Words I Never Said, set for release on November 17th, as an opportunity to share her soul with the world. From beginning to end, her signature style and euphonious melodies fill the album with an ethereal sound that is... Continue Reading →
“I was a misfit growing up, a quirky gal,” laughs Nashville pop star-on-the-rise Daniella Mason. The child of missionary parents, Mason spent her adolescence in Mexico and Guatemala before moving to Texas for high school, where she says she had “the proper Friday Night Lights experience. “I think I had trouble finding a place stateside... Continue Reading →
“It didn’t seem different at the time," says Casey Hanner, vocalist for Pittsburgh-based alt-pop band Donora, who has music in her DNA. “When I was a kid, my dad was doing a lot of jingle work. He had a studio in the basement of our house, always working on music. People would come over and... Continue Reading →
Astounded. That was the feeling when I left MUTEMATH’s recent show in Portland, Oregon. It has been a long time since I was truly surprised at the visual artistry of a performance, but these gentleman delivered nothing less than a stunner. I arrived at the Crystal Ballroom late, rushing through the traffic and the rain... Continue Reading →
Nashville-based alt-pop star Whissell has released her ferocious new self-titled EP to--unsurprisingly--rave reviews. Whissell is a favorite around here for sure; we've been big fans of the smoky-voiced siren since the release of her previous EP, Old Souls, Young Bodies, in January, her take on electro-blues and unique vocals a welcome reprieve from the current pop... Continue Reading →
It often seems that our dreams know more about who we are than our conscious being wants to admit. We are often in wonder at the fantastic images that our minds assemble when reality and inhibition collide. But in the more somber and wistful moments of sleep, the past is chronicled in grander or more... Continue Reading →
Ten years ago, Jordan Phillips and Adam Stark, randomly paired as college roommates at Nashville’s Belmont University, started writing and playing music together, and cut their musical teeth in their first band, The Kicks. “Jordan and I both were huge 60s-70s rock fans, so our music started out like throwback rock n’ roll,” recalls Stark,... Continue Reading →
In 2013, Wild Cub self-released an album called Youth—“We had a great publicist who helped it get some traction, but it kind of petered out,” recalls frontman Keegan DeWitt. “I was in France at a film festival with my wife and I remember saying, ‘Well, it seems like everything has sort of died down. We... Continue Reading →
Minnesota-based pop-rock duo Now, Now got their start where most great things happen—in marching band. “I miss those days,” says Brad Hale. “I miss it too,” says partner-in-music KC Dalager. “I feel like those were my glory days of music. like it was the one thing where I felt like, ‘I’m good at this and... Continue Reading →
