Browsing Tag

Indie

Rising Above It All: Electronic artist Jacquiequinox shows us deeply into ‘The First Smile’

Posted on 9 January 2022

With a sultry start to proceedings that might have you wandering lucidly into this dreamy track, Jacquiequinox brings us a single that might be just perfect for a forthcoming Hollywood thriller movie with ‘The First Smile‘.

Jacquiequinox is a Providence, Rhode Island, USA-based indie electronic artist who makes that mystique-filled ambience you can’t seem to easily forget.

Surging ahead as a shining light away from all previous darkness of doom, Jacquiequinox has just dropped a song that will have you feeling so thoughtful as you vow to shake off any lingering shadows that threaten to bring you down. There is a consistently brooding beat attached that smarms your mind, as you unlock your potential that has been hiding away for too long.

‘The First Smile‘ from the Providence, Rhode Island, USA-based indie-electronic act Jacquiequinox, is a new single that is made with an edge that takes your mindset into a new place of intrigue. This feels like the perfect track to play when you are cruising around town as you look for inspiration – to finally get away from this rat race – that can suffocate your priceless soul if you let it dominate your actions and thoughts.

Remembering to smile in the face of adversity, is something that no one can buy from you anyway.

Listen to this new single on Soundcloud.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Too Caught Up: South London’s FERNE drops breakup-fueled single all about ‘Louisa’

Posted on 9 January 2022

As she endeavours to quickly forget the past and cleans out the kitchen cupboard to get rid of anything left behind by her foolish cheating ex, FERNE guides us into this emotionally-charged story that will have you leaning closer to hear each word with ‘Louisa‘.

Jordan Blythe Nelson aka FERNE is a Philadelphia-born, Southwest London, UK-based indie alt-pop solo musician and University student.

”FERNE started her music career when she moved to London in 2019 to study music technology at university. She was discovered at the regional finals of an open mic competition in London where she was signed to an artist development program and has been creating ever since.” ~ FERNE

After her promising 4-track EP called ‘Dreams‘ from 2019, you immediately sense the massive growth from an artist who seems to be elevating her game after a brief hiatus to evolve her sound and to work on her studies.

With sincere vocals and beautifully-crafted lyrics that have you feeling so captivated by her vividly projected picture, FERNE is so honest on this incredible single that will take you into a highly contemplative place.

‘Louisa‘ from the youthful Southwest London-based indie alt-pop artist FERNE, is such a tremendous new single from a delightful musician who sings from the heart. She tells us the true story that threatened to derail her life and cause her to lose confidence – as she shows so much strength – to only be with those who will truly care for her valuable heart as she ultimately deserves.

Listen to this excellent new single on Spotify and see more on her IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Patience Is Wearing Thin: Alabama band Think Sanity look for the best way to prevail on ‘Closest to Happy’

Posted on 6 January 2022

With their 2nd album on the way soon as they bring us a speaker-shaking start to wake up the nosy neighbours, Think Sanity sends us a candid message about attempting to keep that smile nearby as everything else falls apart on ‘Closest to Happy‘.

Think Sanity is an Anniston, Alabama-based 4-piece indie rock band who bare their honest souls on each track as they lace down realness to ponder all about mental health and issues that so many of us can relate to.

”A musical mixing pot of all the things we need to say, but can’t.” ~ Think Sanity

Breathing fire into our ears with a real message which sparks your attention quickly, Think Sanity leads us into a world where you need to be sharp to survive and extra motivation is highly necessary to brush away all the self-doubt. There is so much electrifying energy here that flows through our ever-thinking consciousness as we all look for that happier path to reaching true contentment within ourselves.

‘Closest to Happy‘ from the Anniston, Alabama-based indie rock act Think Sanity, is a true story all about getting that coffee quick when you start the day so that you can achieve all the goals that you have set out in this wild world. With passionate vocals and thunderous guitar riffs loaded with heartfelt emotion – this is a highly reflective song – that will restock your mind with flashbacks of when you wondered if your patience was about to break in half.

Check out this new single on Spotify and see more via the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

I’m Done: Florida’s MASSIVESAD wonders if anyone else will love him with ‘Overrun’

Posted on 4 January 2022

Bringing us an extraordinarily introspective and significant soundscape to start off 2022 with music containing real substance, MASSIVESAD has sleepless nights worrying that he will not be loved properly again with ‘Overrun‘.

Florida, USA-based indie-pop artist MASSIVESAD is the kind of rare musician that you don’t come across too often in life. He makes an ever-evolving mix of constantly sumptuous creations that propels you into a different world than before and seems to only be getting better and better with each release.

”Driving the story forward with a kick that makes your heart beat faster, and climaxing with an all-out dance vibe, this is a liberating experience that gives listeners the space to heal from past mistakes by acknowledging the hurt we all cause those we love.” ~ MASSIVESAD

After skillfully exploring the grey areas of mental health that are often never spoken about on ‘Make This Real’, this is the 4th single during this conceptual journey that has been an absolutely mesmerizing listen to wholeheartedly embrace.

”This song primarily deals with the struggle to love others, when it is difficult to love ourselves … giving the listener an audible palate and potential template for what it feels like to wrestle with one’s own mental health while trying to connect and maintain meaningful relationships with others.” ~ MASSIVESAD

‘Overrun‘ from the special Florida-based indie-pop artist MASSIVESAD, is a simply mind-bending track from a quality artist who brings the world something so valuable that you could never put a price on. What is that you may ask? Music that actually matters and helps others.

This is a wonderful gift to start off 2022 that shows us the power of music – as it benefits so many all over the world as they open the curtains and find that ray of sunshine – when everything seems so gloomy and too much to handle at times.

Hear this translucent single that will hold you close like a ghost on Spotify and see more via the IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Alternative singer-songwriter Laura Lang shares artful introspection in her debut single, Lithium

Posted on 3 January 2022

Tennessee-based independent singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Laura Lang is fresh from the release of her debut single, Lithium. With a voice as arresting as Angel Olsen and Phoebe Bridgers and the artful baroque nuances, you can’t help getting caught up in the captivating chord structures paired with the pop-inspired melodies.

After a melancholy bleeding intro, Lithium shifts into a testament of Lang’s introspective intellect, creative imagination and ability to create an ethereally captivating soundscape from the unravelling of her emotions.

With her debut album, All Downhill from There, which promises to echo suffering, beauty and nature due for release in January 2022, saving space on your radar for Laura Lang will undoubtedly pay off. Her debut single, Lithium, is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get your feel-good fix with BG Scott’s sticky-sweet alt-indie pop single, Don’t You Say.

Posted on 3 January 2022

US alt-indie artist, BG Scott, has deservedly garnered plenty of hype with his honeyed experimental music which pushes the envelope into unchartered aural territory. His debut EP, Leap of Faith, is a soul-soaked triumph – especially on the basis of the bright and wavy lead single, Don’t You Say. The lo-fi track is almost paradoxical for its radio-ready resonance; the sticky-sweet sensibility evokes emotion while the entrancing grooves feed the dopamine.

The 20-year-old Virginia-hailing artist has already racked up over 59,000 streams on Spotify alone with Don’t You Say which merges trap pop energy with lo-fi indie style. Considering that he is still at the outset of his career and his tracks are already this entrancing and evocatively appealing, his future is set to be as auspicious as his sound.

Don’t You Say is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

New York’s alt-soul pioneer Leifer lets the good vibes groove next to heartbreak in his funk-laced indie synthpop single, Vacancy

Posted on 2 January 2022

It was impossible to imagine room for improvement after hearing Leifer’s standout single, Say You’re Mine, in 2021. Yet, his latest release, Vacancy, which hit the airwaves on New Year’s Eve, even caught us broadsided by the way it pulls you down with mellow tones in the intro and brings you back up fast enough to give you whiplash.

Vacancy starts by teasing serenity in the easy, hazy guitar chords before bursting into a high-vibe alt-indie pop track, complete with euphoric synths, funk riding basslines and vocals that make an earworm out of the release.

Despite the vibrant energy, Vacancy forces you to reflect on the spaces that we leave other people’s lives, while the high-energy progressions ensure that you don’t get caught up in rumination. We can only hope that Leifer starts a trend with his meaningful approach to pop. If there’s one thing that this world needs more of, it is self-awareness, and Leifer’s emotionally intelligent lyrics offer the perfect mantras to follow.

Vacancy is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Indie-pop goes baroque in Millaze’s standout single, Viscera.

Posted on 2 January 2022

The first thing that grips you with the standout single, Viscera (I’m Saying You Can Still Have Me), from Millaze’s 2021 album, A Note on the Author, is the vibrant deep-rooted originality. In the same way that Bjork and Kate Bush ran with their avant-garde authenticity, the Oakland-hailing singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is making strides in her own direction.

While plenty of artists struggle to find confidence in their authentic voice – especially at the outset of their career – Millaze’s confidence allows her to defy harmonic convention. Instead, she offers visceral outbursts of passion that *actually* reflect human emotion.

With song titles as endearing as Courtney Barnett’s, her unapologetic candour and frankly alchemic melodies, the aural world is at Millaze’s feet. If the Billboard charts were based on ingenuity and distinction alone, we have no doubt that Millaze would be riding high at the top.

Viscera is now available to stream on Spotify, along with the rest of Millaze’s seminal album, A Note on the Author.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shake the cobwebs off romantic regret with Michael Vincent’s alt-indie pop-rock hit, Mine

Posted on 1 January 2022

The up and coming artist Michael Vincent came into 2022 with a bang with the release of his infectiously upbeat alt-indie pop-rock track, Mine. With lyrics that shake the cobwebs off of romantic regret and fiery vocals that will throw you right back to when Fall Out Boy was reigning supreme on the airwaves, Mine has all the makings of a playlist staple, and then some. The snappy percussion, crawling basslines, and rock virtuoso guitar licks break into exuberantly electric radio-ready choruses that won’t ask permission before glueing themselves to your synapses.

One of the hardest life lessons to learn is that there is no guarantee of closure after a messy relationship. Michael Vincent finds a sticky-sweet way to lend compassion to his amorous-less fans looking for consolation that their ex was too douchey to offer. In every conceivable way, it is a hit.

Mine was officially released on January 1st, 2022. It is now available to stream here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Klo transcends the ‘Small Town’ mentality in his latest alt-indie track.

Posted on 31 December 2021
https://soundcloud.com/klomusic343434/small-town-prod-splashgvng

There’s nothing like small towns for dragging us down; anyone relating to that sentiment will undoubtedly find the resonance in Klo’s latest single, Small Town, produced by Splashgvng.

With reminiscence to Lil Peep in the melodies and vocals, Small Town is instantly familiar but Klo easily sets himself with the quintessentially Midwestern indie vibes which allow Small Town to unravel like an accordantly candid dream.

The single grooves through every consideration when it comes to cutting the ties with our hometown roots – the suffocation imparted by small-town mentalities to the faces that we will regret leaving behind. It’s a gorgeously well-rounded track that proves Klo is well worth a spot on your radar.

Small Town is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast