TOM and His Computer are vintage catchy with the new single Heart Blossom. Classic post punk vibes collide with a shoegaze vocal design. It’s somewhere between The Cure and Beach House. An ethereal soundscape is toned to wash over you calmingly. The contrast comes from the textured leads littered throughout.
Ripe with charm and catchy appeal, Heart Blossom sticks where shoegaze so often passes through the listener. The arrangement is glorious and wonderfully layered, and the mix helps it shine. Dreamy lofi with NPR potential, the melodic genius is undeniable. A wonderful balance of aesthetic and pure ability.
The projects leader Thomas Bertelsen is fully aware of the liberties modern stylistic niches like lofi and shoegaze have awarded him. He can now embrace an upbringing filled with cassette tape experiments, assembling an arsernal of tape machines that serve his recent creative exploits. With works this compelling he could energize a lazy lofi scene in need of melodic innovation.
Hear Heart Blossom now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
We fell for the genuine charm of Desert Mama, the new single from Juan Wayne. Like a Laurel Canyon outcast hiding out in the badlands of Psych Pop, Desert Mama is classic California at its core. An updated sonic palette gives it modern appeal. The lead singers almost falsetto vocal is soothing, like their singing their sweetheart to sleep. Subtle swagger and groove imported from the boutiques of Haight Asbury dress these Beach Boys melodies with psychedelic pep. You can zone out to the songs trippy vibe or zone in to it’s compositional craft. Juan Wayne serves it up both ways. Both sultans of style and poetic princes, it’s a little Neil Young and a little Lord Huron. We can dig it.
The duo is catching on, performing regularly in their native CA. Life long friends with an adventurous spirit, the Cowboy hats and rodeo-wear add to the vintage appeal. Carry on my righteous merry-men.
Checkout Desert Mama now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
Lyrah mines indie dance pop gold with her infectious In the Leaves. Injecting her supreme vocal talents into the world of electro pop, the affect is intoxicating. Her ability is strong enough to captivate in its own right, and when spiced with the tasty production littered throughout In The Leaves, makes for a flavor packed blend of stylish delight.
The sonic design recalls works by Jamie XX, with spaced out vocals in (dare we say) the spirit of Dua Lipa. It’s more a testament to how Lyrah spaces her lines. Her voice, however, is all hers, and to an extent, unparalleled in mainstream music. And that’s what In The Leaves offers. Mainstream potential that should please an indie market. It’s the same sentiment that launched Billie Elish. Lyrah is currently considerably more dance pop than Eilish. She has our full attention. We’re excited to see how her creative journey evolves.
Find yourself In The Leaves now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
A cascade of colorful synths and an expressive vocal explode on Castle, the new album from Coloured Clocks. A prolific writer, the 13 song offering is expansive. There are moments of ambient bliss throughout. They often accentuate the progressive conceptual nature and intermittent psych pop pick-me-ups. Castle as a full album is a fun psychedelic trip. The progressive influences poke through on songs like Sun and Lightning and Castleworld. In regards to Castleworld, a 7 minute retro futuristic exploit, it pushes the bounrdaries of psych pop using modern technology in refreshing ways that only enhances the vibes well covered intentions.
Though never a derivative of themself, Coloured Clocks has carved out a sound that is both unique and definable. It’s a solid mix of psych pop and retro pop with classic vibes in the songwriting. It’s as if Elton John wrote for Foster the People and the album was produced by MGMT. its’ something entirely different that also references melodic clues to possible influences and chemical inspirations. With it’s drenched and dreamy vocals it should also please fans of shoegaze and indie art projects like Dr Dog.
Hear Set In Stone now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
The Wild Is Calling 