A woozy, romantic dream-pop waltz that explores themes of escapism and connection in the metropolis, inside of its four-minute runtime, latest single ‘Heaven’s Gate’ encapsulates all of what HighSchool do so well throughout their second studio EP. Continuing to hone their ever-tasteful sound, low-slung instrumentation play off propulsive rhythm sections, while sumptuous soundscapes are balanced with a hook-replete pop nous and rich vein of melodicism, all permeated by evocative layers of spectral and saturnine atmosphere. Beneath its foggy exterior, HighSchool’s music pulls effortlessly from the gamut of indie rock history - from shoegaze and new wave to slowcore, jangle pop, slacker rock, art pop and beyond - into something wholly their own.
Buckle up for a wild ride with BMX Bandits' Duglas Stewart on S03 E23 of the If It Be Your Will podcast! Chris and Duglas delve deep into Duglas' musical journey, from overcoming introversion through performance to the upcoming release of his decade-in-the-making album "Dreamers on the Run." Expect hilarious anecdotes, heartfelt confessions, and a sneak peek at the band's latest masterpiece – all wrapped in Chris' signature interview style. You won't want to miss this! 🎙️
BMX Bandits are back with their twelfth studio album, their most musically ambitious so far - 'Dreamers On The Run'. An album dedicated to all the outsiders out there.
Hailing from a place of ancient mariners' secret coves and vast moors beaten by the wind and rain, Backwater Collage is James Hoare's first solo album under the name of Penny Arcade.
Dive into the world of the music of Flowertown. One part Cindy (Karina Gill), one part Tony Jay (Mike Ramos), all parts amazing alternative music. This episode explores their musical journeys, from childhood influences and early bands to their current songwriting processes. They reminisce about the Bay Area scene, discuss the evolution of the band, and delve into the origins and development of their collaborative project, Flowertown. Expect insightful discussions about artistic influences, creative approaches, and the power of collaboration, all wrapped up with a taste of Flowertown's latest album Tourist Language (Feb 2024). Don't miss this chance to peek behind the curtain of artistic creation!
Listening to the latest Flowertown collection you enter a new portal into their world. A blend of old-world romance and modern-day ephemera swirls together, beckoning you in. The music is romantic as a result of its intimate style, stripped back to only its essential components, both in terms of sound and imagery.
Comprised of identical twins Adam Moss (violin, vocals) and David Moss (guitar, vocals), The January Album will be the duo’s fourth studio album and follow-up to 2021’s Calla Lily. Aptly named for its month-long recording in January 2021, David describes it as, “basically an ode to the time we had time to take time.” Adam adds, “Almost all of the songs were written in NYC during those first few months of the Covid lockdown and tumultuous police protests in the city. It was important to capture the zeitgeist but also just as important not to dwell on it in the music.” And dwell they do not. It’s an album that captures the intimate world around them while delicately illustrating the deep well of human experience that the pandemic forced into sharp relief.
Alice Merton has undeniably become known as the girl with no roots. In her songs, she’s always talked about celebrating life as a nomad, and making a home wherever you want it to be. With this next chapter however, her thoughts turn inward, and instead of finding a home in the outside world, she goes on an internal journey of feeling lost on the inside and asking the question of all questions: who am I supposed to be, and how well do you know yourself at all?
Ottawa's rising indie rock project, fanclubwallet, is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Hannah Judge. Her music blends relatable coming-of-age stories with a vibrant and catchy sound. Originally a solo bedroom pop act, fanclubwallet has recently evolved into a full band, bringing a fresh energy to their live performances and latest EP, "Our Bodies Paint Traffic Lines.” Enjoy 🎙️
As a way of documenting her transition into motherhood in the early days of the pandemic, Olesner began capturing her effervescent grunge pop songs at home with the help of a four-track tape recorder. The result was the twelve songs that make up Mirror, Reflect, an intimate and exploratory work that weaves collected home and field recordings with shimmering synths and Oelsner’s playful lyricism.
Reflecting on “Early Days,” Oelsner shares “This song is processing my experience in the first year after my daughter was born. I experienced postpartum depression and anxiety and it was also the start of the pandemic. Altogether it was a really hard time. I wrote it a few years later, when my daughter was a toddler, after talking to a friend who was about to give birth. The conversation helped me reflect on how far I’d come.”
Max Blansjaar is an indie pop artist whose music blends catchy melodies with fun lyrics. He started out as a classically trained pianist, but now crafts lo-fi pop tunes. His debut LP, "False Comforts," explores themes of feeling like an outsider and navigating the complexities of life. Blansjaar draws inspiration from his move from Amsterdam to Oxford and then Brooklyn and back again, infusing his sound with a unique perspective. Produced by Katie von Schleicher and Nate Mendelsohn, who helped Max realize "to get straightforward. Stop chasing complexity and Follow Your Nose! Amongst others I owe a debt of gratitude to The Velvet Underground and to Elephant 6 for teaching me the power of the harmonically simple, to Beck and to Cate Le Bon for lyrical inspiration.” Enjoy 🎙️
Steve Schiltz, the enigmatic force behind Longwave's mesmerizing melodies, navigates the sonic landscape with the finesse of a seasoned voyager. With each chord he strums and every lyric he pens, Schiltz crafts an auditory odyssey that transcends time and space, beckoning listeners into a realm where introspection intertwines with euphoria. His musical prowess, honed over years of dedication, is a testament to the transformative power of artistry. Longwave just re-released their 20 year old classic, The Strangest Things with a one time show at the Bowery Ballroom. Steve is currently touring with Blue October. Enjoy 🎙️
Longwave formed at the dawn of the New York indie rock resurgence in 1999. The Brooklyn-based band’s first release was the indie distributed Endsongs.
The band then signed to RCA Records where it released the Dave Fridmann-produced The Strangest Things. Longwave followed up with an EP, Life Of The Party, which was produced by Fridmann and future producer of The National, Peter Katis. The band would enlist John Leckie (Radiohead, XTC, and Stone Roses) to helm the production for the full length a There’s A Fire. In 2008 Longwave released Secrets Are Sinister, which Katis produced, through Original Signal Recordings.
The band explain that “Tremors is about defiance in the face of crushing waves of change. Sometimes embracing and accepting its fate, but also concern for the uncertainties of the future. During our third North American Unity tour of 2022, we experienced extreme natural events. The tour began in Mexico City with an earthquake of magnitude 7.7, and ended in the aftermath of a hurricane in Florida. These forces of nature are referenced in the lyrics and are echoed in the post-punk energy of the track with the stabbing guitars, gale-like synth pads and seismic wave-esque effected vocals.”
Sisters Rosalie, Rachel, and Amelia formed the trio, whose individual talents converge into a harmonious whole, Call Me Spinster. Together, they create an alchemy of sound that is both evocative and empowering, inviting audiences to embark on a journey that transcends boundaries and resonates on a deeply personal level. Call Me Spinster showcases a profound commitment to artistic exploration and authenticity. Their music is a reflection of life’s many family complexities, offering solace, inspiration, and a sense of connection in a world that often feels fragmented and chaotic. Enjoy 🎙️
Potholes was recorded in the vaunted studios of Chase Park Transduction in Athens, Georgia where Call Me Spinster teamed again with Drew Vandenberg to co-produce and engineer the record. Base tracks were recorded live as much as possible, pulling in JoJo Glidewell (of Montreal, Modern Skirts) on keyboards and piano. Countless harmonies and overdubs were recorded in Rachel’s Chattanooga bedroom, synth or solo ideas passed back and forth between band members, Glidewell, Vandenberg, and pedal steelist Matt ‘Pistol’ Stoessel.
The result is a truly unusual concoction, swirling around familiar sounds but always landing slightly askew of expected territory. The first track “Feet Are Dirty” nods to Robyn and ‘90s synth pop but with a post-punk plainness that is both wistful and honest and entirely its own brand. The second track, “Married,” trades in Rosie on lead vocals in a dreamy, almost psychedelic offering, with moments of Minnie Riperton-era Rotary Connection and Air. Other songs like “White Lines” dip into the realm of country - folk, but in an unusually understated, anti-Nashville style, pedal steel or accordion pinging nostalgia but staying out of the way. “Born in a Ditch” is a doo-op era banger, but like their effervescent first single, “Here You Are,” moves outside the trope with an unexpected twang and in this case, trumpet by Wave Magnetik. Alex Behles
“The main overall theme of this album is connection. Connection with myself, connection with the world and connection to the people around me who I love. This album is for me first and foremost and was a way for me to internally process.
The origin of these tracks all stem from me wanting to understand these connections and process my emotions surrounding them. The album covers topics such as the power of queer love, humanity and its ‘delusions of grandeur’, reflection and purpose.
It would be unwise to say that I haven’t developed and changed a lot since my EP. I’ve experienced more, questioned more, felt more and allowed myself to be vulnerable more - which I hope translates throughout the Album.”
On the latest episode, Jason E. Lambeth of Red Pants from Madison, Wisconsin shared how the presence of his children has influenced his approach to music, leading him to cherish the short moments he has to create, often finding inspiration from magazines from different eras. When I asked about his spectacular cover art, he emphasized the element of chance in his work, stating that the final result often depends on what he finds. And for all those Red pants fans out there, Jason and bandmate Elsa Nekola are getting back into writing mode, aiming to release another album next year. WooHoo! Enjoy 🎙️
Waves of static guitar sounds, spirited pattering of drums, pensive keyboard drones, and intimately whispered vocal melodies make up the noisy indie rock of Red Pants’ “Not Quite There Yet”. The music seems to fit perfectly into the visual world that exists around Red Pants: vibrantly colored nostalgia collages, pen and ink portraits showing domestic scenes, and slightly silly stop-motion videos. There’s a kind of homely wonder to the work that is then countered by a splash of color or a subject with two sets of eyes. Like the visual art, the music washes fuzzy guitar tones next to moments of sonic destruction and pairs it all with catchy pop murmurs.BUY
The EP is the fruit of exciting collaborations with friends Marvin Borges-Soares (Structures), Raphaëlle Verlaine (Metro Verlaine), Joseph Baudet.Their contributions add a unique dimension to three of the tracks. A dynamic, feminine pop touch with Raphaëlle for "My Own God." Bold elements and flamboyant flights of fancy for "Dance For No One" with Joseph, the musician and occasional saxophonist. A cold-wave dimension to "Trade Your Soul," featuring Marvin. This EP was also an opportunity to collaborate with engineers Arthur Guegan and Daniel James Goodwin. Furthermore, the project was additionally mixed and mastered by Daniel J. Goodwin.
"Occasionally, we come across a band that feels like we’ve known them forever. Their music seems to have a deja vu effect, mirroring our past follies, fun-seeking behaviors, and bittersweet relationships. You Said Strange, a Giverny, France-based quartet is just that, a band new in statute but at home in the back pocket of all your recent ebbs and happy errors, an indie band that, well is properly, that." - Ones To Watch
"If you want a new band to fall in love with, this is it. You Said Strange’s latest LP, Thousand Shadows Vol. 2, is brilliant and versatile." - SPILL Magazine
Today, Brisbane, Australia based indie-pop riser Asha Jefferies shares "Stranger," which premiered today on Under The Radar. This is the final single to release ahead of her debut album,Ego Ride, due April 12th. Asha is currently here in the US, set to play a special School Night for Reproductive Rights on 3/11, six shows at SXSW, and a headline showcase in NYC. More info below. Listen to"Stranger" HERE, and presaveEgo Ride HERE.
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