The Pink Nostalgia returns with their new single, Kodak.
Like a student of Morrissey, Joseph James swoons over the music with fluid melodies. His lyrics are modern romantic with subtle clues hinting at simple delights in poetic prose.
“Told you how I poured my heart out last year in my songs, it’s all there in black and white. Someone take my picture, keep it for your insert, in this moment I’m yours.”
The short phrases sweep like novelettes meant for the heart, he just begs you to fall in love with him and all his robust swagger. The slick backed hair and babyface shave of a 21st century Elvis supports the dapper designs of these chic arrangements, as this modern indie pop has nostalgic appeal down a path less travelled, referencing early 80s brit pop that countered its wave colleagues. The Smiths and the Cure come to mind, more rooted in Punk and 50s nostalgia than the synth-soaked pop of wave. The Pink Nostalgia also embraces the dark leanings of Echo and the Bunnymen and the sexy minimalistic indie pop vibes of the XX.
Joe admits that he wrote this comeback single by himself in his home studio with one thing in mind: to write a catchy love song for people to sing back to him. Knowing he would be supporting the popular Coach Party in 2022, as he has gained traction with several strong single releases including his lovely Pluto, he sets his sights on the stage as live music begins to make a comeback.
Hear Kodak now on our Best New Indie playlist
Tasty guitar licks, emotive synths, and a shuffling groove. It’s all a part of what makes People In Their Houses, the new single from artist Greg Bounce, so infectious. You might find yourself swaying alone in your room to this indie pop groove, and that may all be by design. The single serves as a soundtrack to our new stay at home existence, as Greg chronicles this reality in the themes on his new song.
Greg has the indie pop sensibility of artists like Oh Wonder and Barrie, and he adds some new flavor with guitar prowess that recalls John Mayer’s “New Light” phase. His catchy pop leanings suggest an appreciation for the slow groove movements in chill wave and art pop, with a subtle hint of 80s affliction much like how Bon Iver channels Peter Gabriel on his masterful Beth/Rest.
The lyrics for People in Their Houses are abstract poetic phrases that connect like polaroids of our pandemic selves. All of these images and phrases puzzled together paint a more complex and vibrant picture of what this experience became and how it changed us forever. The idea that we turned ourselves off for two years is a farce, we submitted to an accelerated evolution that is already revealing itself in how we work, date, create, and more. Bounce is aware of this transformation and with thoughtful phrases he acknowledges its complication. “The ethical gene, your mixed up world.” We looked in the mirror a little too often during these isolating periods and often we saw something we didn’t like. Some people got better, and some got bent. Sex might never be the same.
Whether you just want to groove or you need an intelligent indie pop pick me up, Bounce delivers. Enjoy People In Their Houses now on our Best New Indie playlist
Washed out vocals vibe beneath dirty chorus guitars and a driving beat during Over Now, the new single from Florida based rockers Cmpny of Anmls. CoA join a movement of indie acts such as Cabin and Pink Milk who we absolutely adore. Thoughtful melodic writing and vibey under layer vocals make up the core of the music. It’s all about a feeling, and though its dreamy and you can get lost in it, there’s also a heavy dose of energy. Over Now is like a battery pack for our soul. There are elements of retro dark wave influence like The Cure, colliding with the indie rock stylings of My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses, and the spirit of shoe gaze bands like Slowdive and Ride..
Over Now is meant to be played loud, to soak you in its melodic overtone glory. With the synth breakout that follows the second chorus, CoA gives us a taste of where they might take us at a live show. Their music has the ability to evolve, to rip into the emotion of the night, and feed off the crowd and the tension in the room.
Emotion is at the heart of shoegaze, and CoA is ripe with feeling. They reference a slowchadelic and polyamorous relationship of influences, and you can absolutely get smoked out to these ethereal jams, but its also just some of the best damn rock around right now. A proper derivative to grunge that has embraced the echo of bedroom pop and brought it into the alternative space. We would have wanted the Seattle movement to evolve in this way but it took the wrong turn towards pop leaning power rock and rap metal. CoA is here to claim a little of that back. Rock isn’t dead, it’s hiding in shoegaze. Go see a show and tell me it isn’t so.
Here Over Now here on our Best New Indie playlist.
Synth pop retro wave rockers Far West hail from sunny Santa Cruz, the surf capital of the world. On their new single It Feels New they capture a dreamy summer serenity with retro-futuristic flavor. They offer a proper indie alternative to the synthwave stylings of bands like The Midnight and FM84, with a taste of the vibey dark melodies known to M83 and a sensibility towards the dreamy psych pop vibes of Tame Impala. It’s all rooted in our obsession with 80s pop and new wave. It Feels New would fit well on the soundtrack of a Breakfast club remake. It has the spirit of Simple Minds and Tears For Fears adapted to a modern style, complete with soul-core saxophone and distorted guitars.
Singer Ryan Settles knows how to inject catchy moody melodies reminiscent of 90s emo-indies Jimmy Eat World. You can’t help but catch a whiff of emo pop in these emotive movements. There’s a clear affinity of punk underneath these synth pop leanings, as a generation of emo kids grow out of their hipster kicks and into the vastness of indie. That’s the beauty of the indie movement, the indie sound entails a culmination of all of the best of everything. With every act you can hear a bit of where it might have been bred from. Far West is thick in its breadth of influence. They’re pulling the best elements from our catchiest favorites and reinventing them in a rock wave combination ready for the best part of your summer escape.
Get lost in the indie wave vibes of It Feels New, now on our Best New Indie playlist
The Wild Is Calling 