“I got an itchy, an itchy itchy eye.” If we told you this is the foundational lyrics to a retro synth pop gem that straight slaps you’d probably look at us sideways. But so it is that the new jam Itchy Eye from Mango Dog just tickles us fancy. It reminds us that so often it’s all in the delivery, and in this example its flashy 80s alternative nostalgia as the main influential stylistic culprit.
We hear elements know to The Cure but in a dare we say more theatrical eccentric realm. It’s a testament to the vocals dramatic inflections, a typical turn off that Mango Dog adapts attractively. Hear for yourself.
Itchy Eye is featured on our Best New Indie Playlist.
ROXY JULES enwrapped up in the hypnotic vibe of Copenhagen Summer. A blend of chic poetic and psych nostalgia blends with exotic reverence. It’s an elusive seduction, presenting as exclusive and cementing its celebrity stature in vibe. It reflects the musics gypsy mystique, adding to its prophetic illusion. Stylistically in that way it reflects the works of Lana Del Rey and The Doors, double soaked in the psych influence of Jefferson Airplane and adapted into a framework familiar to Queens of The Stone Age and PJ Harvey.
It’s a testament to Roxy’s intoxicating low range vocal, with Cophenhagen Summer feeling tailor made for her stylistic vocal talents. The arrangement makes refreshing use of power chords within an atypical sonic scenery. Copenhagen Summer is a thoughtful effort, where everything feels in its right place. It’s got the intrigue to capture an equally elusive indie audience hungry for compositional surprise that feels oddly familiar but impossible to place. Copenhagen Summer delivers.
Hear Copenhagen Summer now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
Beachdust caught our attention with the classic guitar wave nostalgia of their single Shadow. Elements of Post Punk and Darkwave intersect in the form of a catchy revolving guitar lick and a brooding bridge section. The artist wears his influences on his sleeve while finding some unclaimed space to adapt these vibes new. This is how we imagine a more wave centric Television might have sounded.
For contrast their single I Don’t Wanna die leans heavier into their shoegaze dream pop inclinations. The new wave melodic spirit still reigns heavy on the composition, as the vibe cleverly bridges the aura of Echo and the Bunnymen and Kings of Leon. It’s an exciting blend that adds a furious detail to their live show. We dig their eclectic nature.
Beachdust is featured on our Best New Indie Playlist.
def.fo breakthrough with their new single Play It Cool. There’s an intriguing scope of influence heard on this eclectic arrangement. It charts a trajectory in rock rooted in 60s beach pop and brought through the rarely cited psychedelic offerings heard on Tiny Music by STP. We also hear evidence of Scott Weiland in the vocals emotive vocal delivery. def.fo add a psych indie sensibility known to Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra to reimagine this era modern.
Play It Cool is a strong debut to introduce this new project from songwriter Tom Powell. def.fo is his self described nomme de guerre and he’s using this moniker to release his upcoming album Eternity. With Play It Cool he activates the buzz machine, one that should attract a wide scope of fans within modern rock.
Hear Play It Cool now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
The Wild Is Calling 