Browsing Tag

LA Indie

Lia Woods bleached the airwaves with her indie pop hit, Blonde

Posted on 31 March 2024

Lia Woods’ ‘Blonde’ is an indie pop sophomore release to die for; fans of Lucy Dacus, Big Thief, Angel Olsen, and Mitski will be consumed by the raw visceralism of the emotionally turbulent release which sonically heightens the profound experience of soaking in confessionalism.

The LA-based singer-songwriter’s aching narration of striking lyricism filters into the dark, melodic, and broodingly intimate atmosphere of the single to depict the jarring emotional tumultuousness of going through the motions of heartbreak and the compulsion to tear yourself away from the person you were in that relationship to abstract yourself from the agony of being a person worth abandoning.

Lia Woods couldn’t have feasibly built more anticipation for her debut EP, Teething, with her follow-up to her debut single, Fevering. From the juxtapositions between indie, pop, rock, and shoegaze and her own signature ‘bubblegrunge’ synthesis to how her voice feels sharper than being impaled by a thousand knives, Blonde is a phenomenal release which will stand the test of time.

Blonde hit the airwaves on March 22; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Skittish became the ultimate purveyor of folk-rock nostalgia with ‘Mannequin’

Posted on 2 September 2023

The LA-residing indie folk-rock artist Skittish is fresh from the release of their eclectic era and genre-spanning seventh LP, Midwest Handshake. Genre-fluidity may have become the default position for artists in the 21st century, but few succeed in making a smorgasbord of style as cohesively electrifying as Skittish.

Midwest Handshake is a route back to the golden era of emo via a road never taken. Jeff Noller’s vocation in film sound production in recent years allowed him to sonically visualise his concept in panoramic colour.

This time, Skittish enlisted Ben Etter (Deer Hunter, Kaiser Chiefs) to mix and master the album in his analog-centric studio, resulting in a project that draws you in with nostalgia and quells modern malaise with lyrical resonance that could have only been rendered in our blighted with dystopic blues era.

With the Weezer-esque guitars lending themselves well to the earwormy hooks and the drawling with deadpan attitude vocals in the verses evolving into adrenalized harmonies in the standout track, Mannequin, you couldn’t ask for more serotonin from a single. The raucously riled deliverance of unity is the ultimate olive branch to the disenfranchised by ennui outliers. After one hit, you will want to devour the cinematic album whole.

Mannequin hit the airwaves on August 25; stream it 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

Lazy Daze asks the question we’ve all been thinking with their surfy indie rock track, ‘What is Real?’

Posted on 12 April 2021

If the last 12 months have left you questioning the nature of reality, you’ll definitely appreciate the latest single from Lazy Daze that explores that very same existential question while carrying sweet yet sonic summer tones.

The LA-based artist, songwriter and producer cooked up a lofty indie jam that bursts with jangle-pop vitality, teases elements of indie post-punk and infuses modern elements of surf rock to stay true to his LA roots.

What is Real? is a mash of everything there is to love about Supergrass, the Beach Boys and Joy Division simultaneously unfolding around a deep questioning that never gives way to melancholy. Instead, Lazy Daze seems to take the Bukowski approach to life; laughing in the face of trepidation and chaos and inviting the listener to do the same.

What is Real? is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast