Planet Ibiza exists rent free in our headspace. Their new single M.E.D.H.A.N.E is an NPR dead ringer. It’s dynamic and catchy, crisp in presentation and melodically automatic. The electro contributions expand the sonic atmosphere without taking away from the songs simple reverence. The vocal performance is humble but believable and slightly familiar, bearing its influences while embracing its unique truth.
We hear evidence of Field Report and Hamilton Leithauser in that Planet Ibiza finds its vibe and bears down into it. It’s a kind of groove you can get lost in, and it never feels repetitious despite its revolving nature. Like Jimmy Eat World’s hypnotic Clarity closer Goodbye Sky Harbor, M.E.D.H.A.N.E could roll on and we would have stayed in it. That feature gives it serious radio potential.
Hear M.E.D.H.A.N.E now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
Jacy is intoxicating on her new single Flat Champagne. Her raw broken delivery communicates her broken temperament. A nihilist anthem, Jacy searches for a spiritual reawakening. “The magic’s missing, the Champagne’s flat, the sparkles gone…”
With progressive appeal Flat Champagne slowly builds and breaks, offering a sliver of rhythmic escape before retreating back into its ambient soundscape. Conceptually it imitates that fleeting late night erotic respite before life dulls down again. Stylistically, with its electro vocoder presentation, it presents like an alternative R&B altered Imogen Heap, flirting with the retro pop appeal of Kacy Hill and Holly Humberstone, but with more gritty urban attitude. We can dig it.
Get some Flat Champagne now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
Dreams on Tape continues to deliver gems with their new single 1999. This an elite analog lofi love fest. The songwriting stands strong on its own. Presented in this manner it accentuates its dreamy otherworldly features, immersing you in its sonic cinema. The songwriting bares some melodic sensibility to The National, the Strokes, or Phosphorescent. It brings a classic indie appeal with elevated lofi flare.
1999 is another strong contribution to the growing discography of Dreams on Tape, as he continues to tease singles in advance of a larger presumed drop. The combination of melodic catch and aesthetic has offered a flurry of playlist placements and adoration from both the indie and lofi communities. With tunes this good, we find him undeniable.
Dig into 1999 now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
R.D Thomas shines on their new single Welcome to The Deep End. Upbeat with dreamy folk intention, the artists smoky delivery brings troubadour reverence. There’s cinematic intention as evidenced in the droning atmosphere that shifts beneath the mix like a wading ocean, retreating entirely in substitution of a frantic lead guitar solo in the songs closing section. The songs signature feature is its trademark chorus, a sort of self asserting mantra that gives the song an inspirational edge. “You know I can do better than that,” he repeats in a tempered aggressive hush.
A true indie journeyman, R.D Thomas has worked as a member of The Ben Howard band and has contributed to recent works from Paolo Nutini. He shares in Howards innovation compositional flare and in Nutini’s rare vocal style. The catchy upbeat psychedelic desert folk appeal of The Deep End should also appeal to fans of Lord Huron.
Hear The Deep End now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
The Wild Is Calling 