Browsing Tag

Beach House

Kaleidoscopic melodicism courses through Dons of Youth’s single, Rush

Dons of Youth, an indie-pop duo composed of Peter Moe and Kelly Matthews III, hailing from Nashville, TN, has crafted a dream pop reverie with their latest track Rush.

Rush is a pristine example of the indie dream pop genre, evoking the ethereal soundscapes akin to Cigarettes After Sex and Beach House and nodding respectfully to the Shoegaze pioneers. The textured tapestry of sound, with kaleidoscopically colourful melodies and harmonious timbres that weave through the air, creates an immersive auditory experience that you will want to be consumed by time and time again. The band’s artistry shines in the elemental melodic interplay, which complements the tranquil and honeyed vocal lines. There’s an intimate quality to the vocals that feels like a secret whispered in confidence, creating a strong emotional resonance that’s both personal and universal.

The duo, who began their collaboration at Belmont University, have matured into an outfit capable of bringing a cogent distinction to their self-produced sound, which puts them in good stead for their upcoming debut album, which promises to deliver a narrative journey through the labyrinth of young love, desire, and romance. These themes are palpable in the tender fabric of Rush, which not only showcases their technical prowess but also their ability to capture the nuanced emotions of coming-of-age stories.

Stream Rush on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JRMR synthesised the ultimate ambient dream pop instrumental score with his latest single, wind dust.

‘wind dust.’ Is the latest stylishly synthetic single from the up-and-coming experimental music producer JRMR (Jon Munoz). The tranquil beguile of the ambiently dreamy textures allow you to key into transcendental Beach House-Esque tones for two short but sweet minutes as the shimmering reverb washes over you, bringing catharsis in every cinematic wave.

Since his 2019 debut, the Puerto Rican experimentalist has remained prolific by releasing a string of singles which set the anticipation for his first mixtape, death is an illusion that glows in the dark. With that titular nod to the philosophy of the enigmatic artist, you get a clue to the psyche from which his sonically spectacular singles were born. It is one that I, for one, can get on board with, and it seems I’m not alone in my penchant for JRMR’s experimental dream pop aesthetics. His most popular single, avarice. has clocked up over 17k streams on Spotify alone.

Head over to Spotify to add wind dust. to your playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Life is but a melancholic dream in ALCHA’s candied cinematic alt-pop debut, Steady

‘Steady’ is stylishly cinematic alt-pop debut from the Parisian singer-songwriter, composer, and producer ALCHA (Alec Chassain), who amassed ample creative inspiration during his time in London before getting to work on his introspective dream pop project in 2021.

With the melodies containing blisters of Beach House and a touch of Grandaddy, ALCHA orchestrated a refreshingly original soundscape to pour his uninhibitedly honest vocals into, which will undoubtedly be a hit with any fans of John Grant. Although, admittedly, ALCHA boasts infinitely more affability than John Grant in his nuancedly quirky vocal delivery that rings with a sting of melancholy. Yet, Steady is the ultimate testament to his ability to pull luminous creativity out of dark spaces. If Steady doesn’t give you a soft spot for ALCHA, you’re officially made of stone.

Steady was officially released on November 4th. It is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mayshe-Mayshe sung an ethereal art-pop lullaby in her latest bedroom pop single, Indigo

Ahead of the launch of her sophomore album, the Yorkshire bedroom pop artist and producer, Mayshe-Mayshe (Alice Rowan), has painted the airwaves in ‘Indigo’.

With a sense of spirituality in her artfully hushed choral vocals as they meet the dreamy art-pop melodies weaved on vintage synths and the skittish yet absorbingly organic percussion, the ethereal allure of Indigo shouldn’t be underestimated. Lyrically, Indigo inspires the listener into embracing the uncertainties of life and reminds them that there is always another side to exhaustion and ennui.

Indigo may be technically lo-fi, but Mayshe-Mayshe created a feat of indie dream pop that could easily rival Warpaint, Beach House and Deer Hunter. It comes as no surprise that many of her fans return to her anxiety-quashing sound time after time.

Mayshe-Mayshe’s album, Indigo, will release across all major streaming platforms on November the 11th. Indigo, the single, is now available to stream on Spotify and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Kablamo traverses the otherworldly in their post-punk-y indie release, Unnatural

Kablamo self-proclaims their debut self-titled EP to be personal, genuine and, at times, indulgent; I can fully attest to the indulgence being universal once you slip into the seminal single, Unnatural.

Unnatural unravels through dreamy guitar melodies, glassy synths and ragged post-punk basslines beneath the dream pop vocals which mellifluously breeze through the sentimentally heartfelt release, which all too readily imparts the emotion. An evocative response to the kaleidoscopic colour of Unnatural is non-optional.

Any fans of Deerhunter, Beach House, Tame Impala and Wild Nothing will undoubtedly want to sink their teeth into this paradoxically ambiently striking release.

The debut self-titled EP hit the airwaves on September 9th. You can hear it for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tree Giants bring unity in trend with their dreamy evocative firestorm, Better Together

Tree Giants

The electronica duo Tree Giants, consisting of Oklahoma City’s Daniel Chrisman and Israel Lee, have released another compassionately synthy-sweet dream-pop hit, Better Together. As blissful as Beach House, as momentous as the euphonic hits left behind in Avicii’s wake, it’s a triumph in genre-defying euphoria.

The message of unity behind the spacey sonic elements may be simple but through the honeyed indie RnB vocal lines, reverb-swathed synths and oscillating basslines that surge through enrapturing the progressions, it’s as profound as anything Shakespeare had to say in his time. It’s a stunningly sincere reminder that connection is a fundamental part of the human experience and in dark days, those olive branches can bring us to a new plateau of existence.

Hear Better Together for yourselves here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Antler’s ‘White Cliffs’ – Chilled-out, mellow dream-pop.

Opening with some beautiful minor chord piano, ‘White Cliffs’ – the debut single by Belgians Antler – is a chilled, mellow little alt-rock track ballad, all gently swelling guitar chords, piano parts, and mature, focussed vocals courtesy of frontman Dean Vandeplassche. There’s a definite indie feel to this, that sort of dreamy, psychedelic Tame Impala feel; think Beach House, Yumi Zouma, or Still Corners, that dream-pop vibe reminiscent of Nicholas Allbrook, Cameron Avery, or Noir Disco, with some Barbagallo-style vocals. It’s that kind of relaxed, melodious, and easy-going thing; calming, sweet-sounding, and well-rounded, and for a first single it bodes very, very well for Antler’s future.

You can hear ‘White Cliffs’ on Spotify now; follow Antler on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

KOWL – That’s Dope: Seamlessly Transgressive Beach House

Looking for a sun-soaked serving of Beach House? Look no further than up and coming artist KOWL’s latest mix “That’s Dope” which was dropped in April 2019.

As you can guess from the title, it isn’t a mix which takes itself all too seriously, instead, it’s far too busy feeding you the rhythm from the deftly strummed guitars which sit against the sonic blasts of concordant electronica.

The vocals kick in mid-way through the mix to subtly add to the anthemics of the mix which has the potently arrestive capability to pull you along with the seamlessly transgressive beats.

That’s Dope is just one of the singles which you can find on KOWL’s latest EP release “Thirty Two”, while each of the soundscapes are as mesmeric as the last, there’s no overstating the arrestive capacity of That’s Dope.

You can check out KOWL’s latest single That’s Dope for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

A Hope For The Future – Loaded Gun: Wake Up To The Future Of Dream Pop.

Ironically the band Hope for the Future does just that for its genre with their debut hit Loaded Gun.

A Hope for The Future are a futuristic collective of musician’s which hail from Stockholm, Sweden with their effervescent Alternative Dream Pop Sound. Their New track Loaded Gun alludes to their musical influences. The female lead vocalist has all of the powerful synergy of fellow singers from The Cardigans, and The XX whilst the minimalist in part, monstrous in others is a slight nod to other contemporary Alternative artist such as M83 and Arcade fire.

They create an enriched harmony throughout the track through the effect of the jingling guitar which rattles charismatically all through the track to lead it up to an explosive sound in the chorus. A Hope For The Future have definitely created an anthem through Loaded Gun that wouldn’t be out of place on a Made In Chelsea soundtrack.

The collective have created a universally lovable sound with their relatable and resonant styling that shines with euphoric charisma.

You can check out Loaded Gun, and their other new single Friend on the links below!

https://soundcloud.com/ahopeforthefuturemusic/loaded-gun

A&R Factory Present: Zone Out

Melbourne two-piece Zone Out have emerged with a second taste of their forthcoming LP ‘Transience’.

New single ‘Breakdown’ employs much the same approach that saw their debut release ‘Inside’ so well received (and already rubbing shoulders on-stage with the likes of Homeshake, Sonny & the Sunsets and Lost Animal, despite their relatively recent conception).

Masterfully blending elements of new-wave, dream-pop and electronica, ‘Breakdown’ basks in it’s own rich, broody soundscape, bringing to mind ‘80s synth-pop syndicate Berlin.

Originally forming in 2012, the Melbourne-based ex-shoegazers dispersed in 2014 following a string of critically acclaimed independent releases.

2015 has seen one-half of the band’s original lineup in Ashley Bundang (Totally Mild, Sui Zhen, Ciggie Witch) and Dove Bailey (Scotdrakula) re-assemble with a new direction, though very much the same manifesto.

Despite boasting a brighter, more pop-inflected sound, Zone Out are no less fittingly titled. The new-look outfit released their debut 7” single ‘Inside’ late last year, chanelling ʻdream-popʼ at its slow-burning best – fragile in nature, yet full-bodied in sound. Each strum of the guitar and croon of the voice simply drips with reverb and bursts with charm.

Bundang’s lilting vocals paired with Bailey’s jangly guitar-interplay on ‘So Bright’ recall Teen Dream era Beach House , whilst a syncopated beat and swirling synth pad draw stronger comparisons to their more electronica-influenced neighbours, Yumi Zouma .