Browsing Tag

Indie Pop Rock

Franklin Gotham has released their stoically stellar single, Without Being Alone.

Posted on 17 September 2021

Franklin Gotham’s latest single, Without Being Alone, is a tender power-pop embrace that you’ll want to fall into time and time again for the comforting vintage tones, dreamy doo-wop vibes and compassionate lyricism. If you can imagine what Pavement would sound like if they picked up the same romanticism as Syd Barrett, you will be able to get an idea of the sticky-sweet euphoria delivered.

Without Being Alone stoically explores the kind of love that leaves you on the sidelines exploring the infinite possibilities with impassioned impatience. If it’s been a while since you looked at love with rose-tinted glasses, the sweet succinct melodies in this synaesthesia-inducing single will efficaciously remind you.

Without Being Alone is now available to stream and purchase on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Night Alone have released their cinematic indie-pop jam, Took My Breath Away.

Posted on 11 August 2021

With each new release being a refreshingly arranged amalgamation of pop, indie and rock, guessing what will come next from The Night Alone is an exercise in futility. Their latest single, Took My Breath Away, transcends both the synth-pop and indie pop-rock trends.

If the Editors brightened their tonal palette and opted for atmospherically euphoric vocals, you can get a sense of what The Night Alone brought to the airwaves with Took My Breath Away. The infectiously hook-filled earworm is prime material for your indie-pop summer playlists.

Took My Breath Away is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Modern Day Miracle has released their sonic indie power-pop sophomore single, Falling in a Dream.

Posted on 5 August 2021

Modern Day Miracle’s sophomore release, Falling in a Dream, has already racked up over 370k streams on Spotify alone. The electronic indie pop-rock single errs on the side of melancholy lyrically but the feisty anthem energizes you away from apathy as you listen to the effervescent jangle pop guitars, playful synth-pop melodies and power-pop hooks.

If someone sugar-coated and stripped the years off the Strokes, we’re fairly sure that the aural result wouldn’t be all too far from Falling in a Dream. Even from just listening to one single, we’re filled with that instinct to back the blossoming powerhouse that could easily have main festival stage crowds eating out of their deft hands.

You can check out the punchy pop-rock hit for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dave De Vita has released his panoramic pop hit, Control

Posted on 31 July 2021

Swiss-Italian singer-songwriter and producer Dave De Vita has given the airwaves a break from archetypal pop with the release of his feistily melodic folk-pop-rock track, Control.

With the same panoramic production style as the likes of Mumford and Sons and the Lumineers, the high-octane hit is instantly accessible without ever feeling assimilative. The emotion in the soundscape is cranked up just as much as the guitars when the infectiously euphoric chorus hits. Adding Control to your playlists is a sure-fire way to make them more eclectic.

Control is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cherry Vynil has released their optimism-imparting indie rock single, ‘Lights’.

Posted on 6 July 2021

Cape Town’s most promising indie pop-rock outfit Cherry Vynil released their latest single, Lights, which explores the meaning of life through shimmering melodies, vibrantly uplifting vocals and an anthemic level of energy.

With a sound that sits somewhere in between Bastille’s and the 1975, they’re seamlessly in line with the jangle-pop trend, but with their optimism-spilling lyricism, they well and truly set themselves apart on the airwaves.

Lights officially released on June 25th; you can check it out on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Aza Nabuko leaves us feeling anything but ‘Blue’ in her latest indie-pop-rock single.

Posted on 27 June 2021

After her latest single racked up over 200k streams on Spotify, indie-pop soulstress Aza Nabuko released her debut album, Indigo, on June 4th. The standout single, Blue, is a flawless feat of panoramic pop that will be a hit with any fans of Pale Waves, Wolf Alice or the 1975.

The Vancouver, BC-based 18-year-old multi-instrumentalist and singer songwriter’s authentic indie-folk-pop fractured vocals bring a sense of intimacy and vulnerability to the otherwise sonic and high-octane hit that carries all of the emotion of a ballad and all of the energy of an anthem.

After Aza landed a sync placement with Netflix’s ‘Tiny Pretty Things’, her power-pop sound has earned her international acclaim. After the release of her deeply confessional and expressive debut album, the possibility of her becoming a household name matches the level of talent in the release. Hint, that’s pretty damn high.

Blue is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Observe the 93rd – punchy, potent, power-pop with new single ‘TRL’

Posted on 25 June 2021
Observe the 93rd

Based in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Observe The 93rd make a hell of a racket for a duo; that’s intended as a compliment, both vocalist/guitarist Derek Henry and drummer Dylan Zepp making some formidably good alt-rock power-pop noise. ‘TRL’ opens with a picked guitar line that’s kinda reminiscent of Blink 182’s ‘Adam’s Song’ or ‘I Miss You’, gently reverb-ed and turned up front and centre in the mix, before the track smacks you in the face like a badly-landed kick-flip; yeah, it’s got that ‘skater-punk’ feel in parts, a little of Simple Plan or Good Charlotte, but there’s an extra bit of heaviosity to the guitars, too, along with a Calling-like SERIOUSLY pop -driven, hook-laden catchiness to the chorus that works its way into your head really, really easily and then refuses to ever leave again.

It’s an absolute belter of a tune. You can check out Observe the 93rd on YouTube or here.

Review by Alex Holmes

Ferris shares affectionate coming-of-age anxiety with his latest indie pop-rock earworm, ‘growing up with u’.

Posted on 23 June 2021

Ferris’ colourful melodies and cutting lyricism have already seen his feisty take on indie pop-rock go viral. After racking up over 1-million streams with his, quite literally, infectious single, Zombie, he’s unleashed his sticky-sweet summer pop anthem, growing up with u, which discernibly deserves to go viral too.

His latest single explores the anxiety that kicks in when youth starts to slip away, and our tendency to look around for affectionate ways to stay grounded. It’s a stellar track. In every conceivable way. The commercial potential is resounding, but more impressively, the way Ferris embraces his authenticity and utilises his pop-punk attitude brings a stark sincerity to growing up with u. The candid and sporadically abrasive lyrics that construct sharp lyrical hooks take this radio-ready indie-pop jam to the next level.

The Miami-based artist and model has exactly what it takes to become a household name. Get him on your radar before he does.

Ferris’ latest single is now available to stream via Spotify.

Connect with Ferris via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Finley Clark explores growing pains in her latest bitter-sweet alt-pop track, ‘Lessons from a Great Cult Leader’.

Posted on 5 June 2021

With her latest single, ‘Lessons from a Great Cult Leader’, Finley Clark paid ode to her greatest lyrical inspiration, Bob Dylan, in collaboration with guitarist Alex Bunghez and producer Stefan Paraschiv. The lyrics tell a coming-of-age story that explores rights of passages and paths to maturity; instrumentally, the bitter-sweet melodies capture the innocence and ecstasy of youth along with the growing pains that eventually kick in when we leave our naivety behind.

With the fiery rockabilly guitar solos, Lessons from a Great Cult Leader is blazoned with some serious rock stripes; with Finley’s effect-laden vocals and the dancey beats, you’ll be thrown right back to 90s Britpop. Any fans of Garbage, The Cardigans and the Cranberries will definitely want to experience this authentically infectious track for themselves.

Lessons from a Great Cult Leader released on May 24th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Make Rachael Wood’s latest single, Be Mine, your summer pop-rock playlist staple

Posted on 21 May 2021
Rachael Wood

‘Be Mine’ is the latest pop-rock earworm released by up and coming artist Rachael Wood, she may have only made her debut during the 2020 lockdown, but her sound readily oozes sonic finesse.

After the Paramore and Pale Waves-Esque choruses, Rachael Wood finds space to exhibit the versatility of her style through Slash-style soaring guitar solos that won’t fail to leave you arrested as you appreciate the bluesy sleazy grit in the otherwise sticky sweet-soundscape.

With her distinctive voice bringing an intimate indie feel to the release paired with the powerful melodic hooks, Be Mine is a radio-ready track that easily sets itself apart from the rest.

You can check out Be Mine via Spotify; for more ways to listen, head over to her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast