Dylan Sherry arrives with Ur Love. The 4 song EP release toes the line between alt-country and indie folk. The LA based songwriter has made good company. His first single was co-written by Misty Boyce of Lord Huron. He shares that groups penchant for Laurel Canyon vibes and desert folk auras. Sherry’s sunny psych folk starts with the bare ingredients of voice and guitar. Tasty guitar and soft piano leads accent the writers natural melodic textures. It all comes together elegantly on the title track, Want Ur Love. The soft piano production and octave guitar leads recall 80s Springsteen classics like I’m On Fire and Human Touch.
Sherry upbeats these vintage tones with indie sensibility. Falling somewhere between Mac Demarco and Wilco, the artist brings a solid mix of chill affect and thoughtful songwriting. Like the aforementioned indie darlings, Sherry’s a cool cat. That urban swagger can be traced all the way back to Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, that first iteration of this city rock sound. True to his SoCal surroundings, a 60s surf pop guitar break rounds out this feel good summer hit.
Sherry proudly boasts classic country as an influence. Ur Love has a semblances of spinoff country pop classics by early crossovers like Glen Campbell and Nielsen classics. Sherry can also lean more folk, like on the open track What U Need and on the delicate closer How To Stay Lonely.
The cinematic instrumental closer comes soundtrack ready, and should please fans of the aforementioned Lord Huron with it’s psych desert charm. Sherry flaunts his own palette mix of dreamy under layers.
The 4 eclectic songs that make up Ur Love lay the sonic groundwork for future works, casting a wide net for Sherry to peruse. 100% self funded and self produced, Dylan gives all of himself for Ur Love. A true DIY gem from a bright emerging LA star.
Get lost to Want Ur Love now on our Best New Indie playlist.
Jesabel pens a charming classic on her breathtaking This Small Town. The sentiment hasn’t been heard this genuine since it was traversed by the likes of Petty and Mellencamp. Jesabel smacks like indie pop gold, her sweet vocal drips with natural God-given talent. She settles into this intoxicating melody like it was written just for her, the story of her life in song. The mainstream potential is obvious, but this is one of those rare gems that should be far reaching. It’s alarmingly relatable, pretentious music lovers might try to push it away but the lyrical diary keeps sucking you back in with its truths.
It conjures subtle comparisons to Kacey Musgraves and lighter Phoebe Bridgers. The oft-country lyrical content gets a hipster arrangement of dreamy atmosphere where the lap steel might traditional be. Everyone gets in on the variation, and the crisp cut snare recalls mixes by The War On Drugs more than the Nashville standard. Still, at its roots This Small Town might get delegated to pop country. The Jacksonville based artist would likely embrace it, and the correlation would suit her well. But if the lack of cliche country references upsets this scene, indie fans should be happy to have her.
Jesabel sings a song for the perils of self discovery in small town America. Where the cost of being different could mean less friends and limited opportunity. Jesabel knows a little about it. Searching from Milan to Miami, only to head back to Jacksonville. Living for the love of it but still falling too far under the radar, she’s been making it work at local dives and tourist bars. Singing for tourists laid up on Landsharks, little do they know that they’re sitting in front of a rare gem. Jesabel has star potential, bring her into the light.
Enjoy This Small Town now on our Best New Indie playlist
Viben hits fresh on the fantastic new single Funk Duster. This groove pop is built on chill sweet tones that hit soft and get under your skin. The band cruises around exquisite bass runs uncommon in modern pop. Like a James Jamerson for indie pop, the bassline bobs and sways, never to be contained. There’s a standard riff at its core, but coming out of each evolution the bass man digs in. A subtle nod to jazz rock inspiration, the artist known as Viben proudly parades Steely Dan as an influence. The minimalistic mid-tempo charm of Aja can be heard in Funk Duster’s design, as stabbing piano lines dance around the bass and drum backbeat. There’s also a nice dose of the Rock/R&B stylings of Prince colliding into appreggiating synth lines from the lineage of Daft Punk’s discography.
Viben also embraces the Talking Heads as an influence, as Funk Duster brings indie funk sensibility to this art pop. Viben would make an obvious addition to the ermeging psych-pop movement known to bands like Tame Impala, Glass Animals, and Tennis.
Viben fits in nicely, because Funk Duster just hits different. Aptly titled, its quite frankly the funkiest indie pop iteration we’ve heard. It’s the kind of jam you would unabashedly describe as “funky fresh.” It’s just not a reference we throw around often, and it brings major crossover potential. Viben could be the next big psychedelia feature in pop. Already lighting it up with a full band, you can expect them to pack ‘em in with jams this fresh.
Enjoy Funk Duster now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
Isaac Neilson breaks through on his new single The Fall. The debut release swings between multiple musical worlds. There are elements of 60s psych pop and a few notable leads pulled from the archives of mystery soundtracks. Just when you might think this jam is ‘real groovy man’, Neilson pivots to more experimental instrumental sections and variations of the songs main riff. Coming out of a sonic party, an unexpected Pink Floyd esque second movement shows Neilson’s many diverse shades. Dressing it all with an atmospheric, distant vocal, Isaac commits to a vibe. He lifts it with proficient musicianship and a colorful arrangement.
It’s lead by the rapid tick of sprinting hot rods plotted around the bass notes melodic placemarks. A bobbing acoustic alternates between picked notes and rapid strums, leaving room for a space age guitar and cinematic strings. A cascade of tasty leads and captivating sonic signals build to a righteous crescendo before dipping out for the songs exit music.
Fans of early Radiohead, Doves, and Badly Drawn Boy will enjoy Neilson’s eclectic progressive features. Isaac presents a dreamy sonic soundscape with classic instrumentation at its core, as opposed to modern Indies electronic obsession. It’s less bedroom pop and more intricate alternative, connecting with indie’s early foundings. A solid debut from a bright young arranger.
Enjoy The Fall now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
The Wild Is Calling 