Funk and soul find their indie footing on the groovy new single from Danny Kuttner. Limelight is a sultry jiving jam that struts with 70s flavor and Neo-jazz flare. Kuttner’s voice has the right kind of smoky urbane attitude, leaning into it in the songs most impactful melodic changes.
The stuttering palmed guitar work and popping baseline find innovation within these tricky mediums, transforming their instruments into percussive sonic communicators. This is how we hoped Vulfpeck would evolve when they started featuring vocals. Limelight is slightly abstract and dark, an exciting indie soul adaptation that harkens a new vibe within the movement.
Dig into Limelight now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
“Living out our best years, thinking ‘bout our next years.” Nolan Garrett kicks off his new single The Line with an introspective dig. Paired with the infectious tempo drop, it’s all meant to pull you out of your repetitive doldrum. It suits the songs inspiring vibe. With nostalgic retro flair it lightly connects to the 80s. It’s more of a reflection of that generation and new pathways to existentialism that culture uncovered.
Known for their materialism, there were popular outliers, faux heroes like Rocky and Ponyboy, or John Cusack character from Say Anything. Similar characters seep into most 80s films, the anti-hero who sees through public convention, typically not worried about being popular. Garrett embraces the vibe with an updated indie sensibility, tagging the chill pop vibe of DayGlo and the sonic guitar adventures of The War On Drugs. The Line is also just straight catchy, melancholy fun. A contrast that always yields comfort.
Hear The Line now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
Joel Porter is an alternative folk artist, composer, and producer from North Dakota, now based in Nashville, TN. He’s high on our radar after the release of his new single Bad Habits. The expressive presentation has cinematic appeal and progressive flair. He pulls from an expansive sonic toolkit, all meant to illuminate his instinctual melodic glow.
The textures are crisp and the presentation lively, like a breathing sonic organism. It’s a testament to the A-list team he enlisted that includes producer Eric Hillman (Foreign Fields, Hembree), Mixing by Zach Hanson (Bon Iver, The Staves, Gordi), and Mastering by Taylor Dupree. Teamwork makes the dreamwork. Habitually bypassing pro contributors is a bad habit. Joel knows better. Hear for yourself
Bad Habits is featured on our Best New Indie Playlist.
If you’re going to revisit an 80s pop classic and reimagine it as an indie rock jam, take heed of this version of Shout by Forty Feet Tall. The LA natives already caught our attention with their own blend of energetic indie rock. They apply that same excitement to an unlikely inspiration.
Maybe this is how Shout would’ve sounded if the Strokes wrote it. Regardless of how you shake it, you can’t deny that it does the original justice in a new light. Great songwriting shines through in any light, and Tear For Fears were certainly masters of composition.
Forty Feet Tall are currently featured on our Best New Indie Playlist
The Wild Is Calling 