Mums Favourite drips with style on their new single Joan Of The Arcade. The sultry vocal quivers with fiery soul. A solid music composition in its own right, it’s boosted by the singers passionate captivating howl. Drawn from the wells of Robert Plant and Ann Wilson, but tweaked with the sexual jazz tinged flare of Amy Winehouse, she garners undeniable star power. With a strong unique female lead, Mums Favourite has the mainstream appeal of Lake Street Dive but the underground flavor of Ruby the Hatchet or Sheer Mag. With a touch of glam they enhance these tasty jams with superior fashion sense. The big curls, oversized lenses, and tight blue jeans recall the early 80s. They could make a proper cameo on Stranger Things and fit right in. Even the songs content brings fun nostalgia as the group tackles arcade culture and the anomoly of rare video game babes.
The tune is catchy too. The band employs clever moments of syncopation and timely variation in the melody to keep it fresh and engaging. Altogether Mums Favourite is a sure thing. The complete package that could easily build a following from touring alone. As long as the tools are in place to let fans known when they’ll be back in town, they’re bound to inspire new listeners to pull their friends out the next time their in town.
These young bloods are fresh out the coup. Say you knew them when, get started with Joan Of The Arcade now on our Best New Indie Playlist
Everything is not how it seems in the world of Sahara Beck. The artistic musings of the Australian artist bounce between the world of pop and indie. The relentless contrast is on full display with the new EP And Her Kryptonite. An undeniable doll face starlet, her mystery and beauty are the first mirage masking this superior art project. She shares that trait with indie icon St Vincent, and she matches her musicianship and musical prowess. Her intentions are slightly reveled on the video for Nothing Wrong With That.
Sahara Beck has a big imagination. She brings this innovative intellect into her musical designs. Kryptonite brings together polar musical worlds. The peaking vocal has punk appeal, and the chorus recalls classic disco cuts by Blondie. On Nothing Wrong With That the passionate vocal connects with the Alabama Shakes, with a musical lineage that can be traced to Elton John and David Bowie. Crave Me is an anthemic pop hit in the spirit of Fun.
The overall execution is nothing short of exceptional. Every vocal is delivered picture perfect. With her natural vocal talents, she is able to give all of herself to the performance. The result is a convincing, believable performance front to back. The collective mix is crisp, the music is tight, and the sonic choices are sensible. There’s never a moment on the EP where you question the artists choices.
Sahara Beck caps it off with a minimalistic acoustic interpretation of Teenage Dirtbag. A song that defined a generation, presented in this simple folky package accentuates the intoxicating melodic design. The lyrics laid bare are striking. Once discarded as an average sugar pop hit, Beck turns it into a Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen level lyrical classic.
The entire EP is fire, and Sahara Beck is starting to catch on.
Get started with Nothing Wrong With That now on our Best New Indie Playlist
Arthur Delaney is no stranger to cult stature. As part of the project HÆLOS he graced the likes of Coachella, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands. The appropriately titled debut solo single Peace In Me is his first release under the moniker Cult For Two. It’s a solid mix of electro pop with 90s sensibility and a flash of indie. It’s somewhere between Mondo Cozmo and The Verve. The hook is infectious and gets right in your head. That’s Delaney’s trademark. He’s been there before with HÆLOS undeniable Dust. With Cult For Two, he brings denser sonic layers and the DJ touch to flesh these jams out live. The outro jam on the new single teases how these grooves might evolve in concert. The spaced out vocal, full of attitude and disdain, is received like a more electro LCD Soundsystem.
Delaney’s vibrant synth choices have space age appeal. These cosmic soundscapes can enhance your chemical dance-off or just lift you out of your daily doldrums.
Most notably, Cult For Two brings a new stylistic blend to the world of indie pop. The 80s were cool, but they’re close to getting played out. Delaney is likely on the front end of revivalist 90s culture. He’s struck gold before. Success leaves clues.
Enjoy Peace In Me now on our Best New Indie Playlist
Present Paradox is the experimental project of producer and songwriter David Kleinekottmann. His new release Caesura is a mix of confusing tempo formulas mixed in with intoxicating riffage and dark sensual vocals.
He understands he’s going to get compared lazily to Radiohead, but there’s also evidence of misunderstood experimental projects like Talk Talk and the vocal delivery known to Jim Morrison. The most accessible piece might be his single The Eyes Of All. A combination of simple ideas puzzled together like a musical optical illusion. If you let your organic makeup flow with its curious creation, its incredibly pleasing. But if you fight it, if you want it to be conventional, if you resist to understand it… then it will make you insane.
Present Paradox is not immediately accessible. You have to earn the right to enjoy this kind of intelligent musical magic. It does cater to elite indie fans who demand something different, and originality can be hard to come by these days. But there are also enough melodic cues to entice fans of intellectual bands like The National and Grizzly Bear. For us, we think its just fantastic.
Get twisted to The Eyes of All now on our Best New Indie Playlist
The Wild Is Calling 