independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
Air Drawn Dagger's recent release, “My Murder of Crows,” gives us a full blast of the trio’s electronic-infused, emo-steeped, pop-punk-tinged brand of pop rock. Sounding straight out of an 80’s arcade or movie soundtrack, The NEW Luke Harris remix adds frantic synth and a pulse-racing electronic drumbeat.
Liverpool-based rip-roaring rock outfit SHY BILLY, formerly known as LYING BSTRDS, is back with another banger for your listening pleasure. On June 26th, the band will formally unleash “Waiting Gracefully”—which is what we’ve been trying to do since the release of “Shoelaces,” earlier this year. In grand SHY BILLY tradition, the song is a searing... Continue Reading →
“Every time a pop star is born, a distant planet dies/Science finally points to God, and He rolls His eyes,” posits Nashville’s Bryan Simpson, who makes music under the moniker The Whistles & The Bells, in the first words of his new single “Zombie Heartz.” The track is featured on his sophomore effort, Modern Plagues,... Continue Reading →
Once upon a time, two New York session musicians, drummer Miles Arntzen (Antibalas, Will Butler, EMEF) and sax player Jas Walton (Leon Bridges, Sinkane, Father Figures)—who both currently play in the Afrobeat ensemble Antibalas—began experimenting with their respective instruments in Arntzen’s Greenwich Village basement. The duo hunkered down to compose demos that were made up of percussion, woodwinds, and the offbeat... Continue Reading →
Perth psych-rocker Ben McDonald, frontman of experimental band Human Buoy, cites influences ranging from David Bowie to Beck and MGMT--Human Buoy’s own eclectic tunes are truly genre-bending, a fine example of which is brand new single "Period of Maximum Excitability". Written in a hotel in Amsterdam, "Excitability" was inspired by a documentary about the collective... Continue Reading →
While other kids his age were watching cartoons and playing video games, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Evan Jeffrey was obsessing over Jimi Hendrix; "I remember when I was seven or eight, sitting down next to the CD player in my room and replaying Hendrix's version of 'Star Spangled Banner' over and over. Not much has changed - I've spent... Continue Reading →
Murfreesboro, Tennessee-based indie rock outfit Mountains Like Wax, comprised of Mitchell Taylor (vocals, guitar), Samuel Katz (guitar), and Preston Vaughn (drums), will self-release their phenomenal debut EP, Tetraology, on November 6th. The first single from the four-song record, "Contingency Theory", features Taylor's emotive tenor against the backdrop of Katz's searing guitar work and Vaughn's rhythmic anchor behind... Continue Reading →
