Earlier this week, Vancouver-based Indie darlings Peach Pit dropped their new track "Magpie" in advance of its eagerly anticipated, similarly titled parent album. Magpie's October 25th release will be the band's most recent since 2022's From 2 to 3, with this titular single being their first musical offering since that album's "Vicky." "Magpie" sees Peach Pit - who have previously characterized their music as "chewed bubblegum pop" - coloring their trademark aesthetics with layers of rich harmonic fuzz. No pun intended.
Stung!, like most of the band's repertoire, is an trippy blend of a myriad of musical elements, but "Neon City" is classic, raw Pond. One can hear in it everything that makes the group and its various sister-acts great.
Clairo has been a staple in the indie pop scene ever since, from the eclectic ear-candy of her 2019 debut Immunity to the more intimate, Sufjan Steven-style baroque pop of 2021's Sling. Now "Sexy to Someone" sees her making use of the best elements of all these past chapters, synthesizing parts of each into a unique new whole.
The song “Atavista” sees Glover return to peak R&B form. Soulful and impeccably groovy in the vein of earlier hits like “Redbone,” and touched with added flair from some trendy retro-futuristic synthesizer pulsations, it feels something like a mission statement for the album at large. "Atavism," per Merriam-Webster, means among other things the "recurrence of or reversion to a past style, manner, outlook, approach, or activity." On an album that itself fits that definition to a tee, "Atavista"
"Claw Foot" ... is a tightly constructed and eminently catchy exemplar of Royel Otis' sterling approach to alt-pop/rock. The song's bass-heavy rhythmic figure and chimey guitars are immediately evocative of genre paragons like Joy Division and The Cure, while it's breakneck pace and chanted chorus keep things sounding fresh and the energy high.
Every now and again an avid enjoyer of all things music is treated to the unique experience of discovering greatness at the ground floor, and given the chance to watch a band blow up in real time out of a moment that you feel in your guts is the genesis of a phenomenon. The April 19th release of Answer Slow, the latest offering from Arizona-based indie rock darlings Vinyl Station, was one of those moments.
Tantalizingly groovy, tastefully multi-cultural and, ultimately evoking a sense of effortless calm - not stillness, but utter calm - "Peaceful Place" is the type of song where the mere act of listening refreshes in the same way a deep breath of fresh air does.
PA-based indie rock outfit Sun Not Yellow has made a habit of applying their own distinct sensibilities to a wide array of styles since their 2017 inception, and their latest single "Younger Me" is a perfect microcosm of that melting pot mentality. This latest offering sees the group adding Dawes-esque folk rock to their genre grab-bag, organically touched with the idiosyncrasies that make the group stick out from a multitude of others operating in that same, heavily saturated sphere.
Asian Dub Foundation are known for their eclectic, genre-bending brand of electronic music combining everything from dancehall to raga, and are no strangers to the gritty, guitar-driven aesthetics of punk rock. That said, a collaboration with the Godfather of Punk himself definitely dials that influence up to an entirely different level.
"El Gato", and Copenhagen 1958 as a whole, not only serve as a time capsule for Ellington's unparalleled artistry and his orchestra's matchless stagecraft, but also as a reminder of the Duke's enduring legacy.
French EDM darlings Justice are back, patented Cross-aesthetics and all, with "Neverender," fresh off their newly released album Hyperdrama. Bolstered by the the tantalizing addition of psychedelic synth-pop king(s) Tame Impala (brainchild of Aussie indie maestro Kevin Parker), the two have delivered a glossy, classic slice of electronica tailor-made for the dance floor.
Taken on its own merits, Pop was a daring synthesis of mainstream proclivities, techno affectations, and '90s rock sludge, built upon a foundation that remained distinctly U2.