Annie Bacon & her Oshen land iconic on their recent Mist. There’s a brilliant nostalgic elegance to this vibe. It’s updated with and indie sensibility, but thankfully it doesn’t shake it’s classic roots. For us it bridges the gap between 80s Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac. We also hear an influence of Sharon Van Etten and War On Drugs, artists who were also inspired by similar artists.
Annie Bacon & her Oshen keep it cool with an honest arrangement that stays true to the band aesthetic. Most striking is the singers voice. She own an intoxicating vibrato with a delivery strong enough to carry a band and mesmerizing enough to stand alone in a bar arrangement. We’re big fans.
Hear Mist now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
There’s a genius quality to modern mainstream pop. Yes we said it. Artists like Post Malone, Steve Lacy, and The Kid LAROI are giving pop its integrity back. In fact, we’re even high on tippy top artists like Tay, Bey, and Eilish.
For us the lines are blurred, but if you need an underground equilavelent we’ve got one courtesy of the artist sheluvsstutt. His new single Can’t Cope features a vocal part that has a modern commercial sensibility within an abstract, trippy musical construct. It’s undeniably catchy and if you bypass the brilliance by its assimilation to pop, then you’re missing out. Can’t Cope is a vibe. It’s dark, sad, minimalistic bliss. Get into it.
Hear Can’t Cope now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
We love how philine winds and weaves the guitar progression on her imaginative new single your house, my house. There are only 12 notes, and philine uses them intriguing in a way that captures the aura of modern indie pop in a fresh way. She may be drinking the final drips of this style, and we’re not mad about it. The lyrics are lucid too, entirely relatable and amplified by a convincing performance that feels true.
Stylistically she bridges the gap between Holly Humberstone, Charlotte Day Wilson, and T Swift. Like Wilson her vocals are rich and lush in a way that would make Swift jealous. Like all of them, philine has superstar potential. The new single is a triumph.
Hear philine now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
We dig what J Duran is bringing with their new single Keep It Real. There’s an underground folk pop aesthetic to his writing that connects classically with the vibe of T Rex. He updates that vibe with a modern psych pop sensibility akin to Tame Impala or The Flaming Lips. Like all of them, Keep it Real is insanely catchy within a cinematic construct.
It’s a song to tie to a cherished moment. It’s measured too, threatening to break out but never evolving out of its established space. As a recording artist you always hope to capture the aura of a feeling within your work. Keep It Real earns that distinction.
J Duran is featured on our Best New Indie Playlist.
The Wild Is Calling 