independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
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 →
"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 →
Brooklyn folk wunderkind and blog favorite John Fatum made one of the most stunning albums of the year, his solo debut, Locked Up In My Mind, which he released in December via his label Dala Records. East of 8th premiered the video for the title track, and I was in love at the first listen. Fatum's vocal stylings... Continue Reading →
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats have had a banner year--after releasing their critically-acclaimed debut album, the band seemed to burn all the candles at all the ends, making late night television appearances, playing festivals, and touring this great country of ours from corner to corner, selling out venues like, well, like it was their... Continue Reading →
Austin-based indie folk band Wild Child released their third and latest album, Fools, this year; the record, which shows the group stretching the boundaries of what they've done before, is amazing in its entirety--and y'all, that's not something I say very often about a whole album. It was difficult to choose a favorite for the list, but... Continue Reading →
