Before even listening to their latest track, I knew I was going to like Saint Marilyn. I’ve mentioned before that mixed gender groups like Oh Wonder, Beach House, Broods, and Matt & Kim are responsible for some of my favorite sounds, and this analog synth pop duo from Brooklyn fits that exact profile. Vocalist and
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Looking for something to help you escape the polarizing political climate? Well then I recommend you close out of this tab right now because Brooklyn-based indie rock collective The New Tarot has just dropped their new single, “America.” The band is fronted by sisters Karen and Monika Walker on keyboard, guitar, and vocals. They’re backed
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Natalie Lain is fiercely creative, injecting art into everything she does. The singer-songwriter’s self-titled EP showcases her diverse influences with varied arrangements and instrumentation on four fresh tracks. Inspired by Patti Smith, Lain follows an organic songwriting process beginning with lines of original poetry, and introducing chords and melodies to evolve her written words into
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The end of 2016 was only the beginning for solo musician Alyse Vellturo. Under the moniker pronoun, she released a debut 4-track EP in mid-November that landed spots on Spotify’s Viral Charts and tastemaker lists such as The New Indie Mix, Indie Chillout, and New Music Friday. If the album’s title There’s no one new
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If you’re in need of a new soundtrack for rebelling against the man, look no further than Ladyshark, the riot grrrl inspired alt-rock duo from Nashville. The band, comprised of Sarah Vardy on guitar loops and lead vocals, and Jane Boxall on drums and backing vox, has released two previous albums, BURIED and Lickety Split,
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Magic Island makes the type of music you’d hear in a hip café with a skip-proof indie soundtrack. Similar to artists like Grimes and Negative Gemini, who have graduated from making simple bedroom pop, Canadian-born, Berlin-based Emma Czerny creates perfectly curated lo-fi dream sounds. After releasing her EP Wasted Dawn last year, Magic Island is
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British singer, songwriter, and guitarist MA R I AM may be an unsigned artist, but she’s no newcomer to the art of making music. Crediting her Nigerian heritage for instilling the magic of storytelling and rhythm, she is a seasoned backing vocalist with renowned London gospel choirs. Now ready to take the next step in
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The Regrettes are a four-piece punk rock act from Los Angeles that just DGAF. Comprised of fearless frontwoman, Lydia Night, guitarist Genessa Gariano, bassist Sage Nicole, and drummer Maxx Morando, the group channels everyone’s inner teenager with raw, vulnerable rock-n-roll. Their latest single “Seashore” is no exception. Debuting on Consequence of Sound with a middle
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Emma Witmer is gobbinjr with a lowercase “G.” The Wisconsin-born, New York-based lo-fi vocalist, songwriter, and producer has just premiered her latest EP, vom night (also all lowercase) – the follow up to her 2015 pop debut, manalang. gobbinjr – pronounced like goblin without the “L,” and then junior according to the artist, herself – is
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The leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, and it’s time to find an album you can put on as you curl up and get ready to hibernate. You don’t need to look far though – you just need to look west. The new album from Furious Seasons is the band’s fifth, and it’s a
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Cleveland-born rock quartet Thaddeus Anna Greene feels familiar even upon the first listen. Formed in 2010 by then-14-year-old lead vocalist TJ Maclin, the band has gradually gained traction, getting picked up by ReverbNation’s invite-only artist development program, CONNECT, and showcasing at New York City’s CMJ Festival. After receiving the opportunity to record in Jimi Hendrix’
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Artists that can cross media and combine their passions always demand a little extra attention. British musician, photographer, and multimedia artist Wendy Bevan creates not just unique sounding music, but a multidimensional universe completely her own. Her new album, Rose & Thorn, which dropped at the beginning of September, is Bevan’s first full-length release. At
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“What an odd band name,” you might be thinking. The Staten Island-born rock quartet took its moniker from a Lou Reed quote describing the sounds of The Velvet Underground. While the band itself sounds different from Reed’s experimental group, Cymbals Eat Guitars looks to artists like him, Bowie, Springsteen, and Young for inspiration on music
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It takes some serious chutzpah to drop an album after a ten year hiatus but Vancouver-based five-piece Thunderbird nails it. After forming in 2003 and releasing their debut album What’s The Word in 2006, the band scattered around the world — from Australia to Costa Rica. Now, a decade later, they’ve reunited in the studio to
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I was sucked into the versatile sounds of Teeth & Tongue within the first five seconds of hearing her. The music project, powered by New Zealand-born and Melbourne-based songwriter and musician Jess Cornelius, has been praised by VH1, MTV, Rolling Stone, and Nylon. She even spent the first half of this year touring with fellow
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You may not have heard much about Terra Lightfoot before, but you sure will start to. The ferocious singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Waterdown, Ontario is kicking off a tour after releasing her sophomore album, Every Time My Mind Runs Wild, a roots rock triumph. Terra Lightfoot – Melding Many Styles Lightfoot’s stylistic diversity is
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“Negative Gemini is Lindsey French,” her website says. Since acquiring the moniker and going solo in 2011, the Virginia native — now based in Brooklyn — has transformed from an experimental bedroom pop artist to a seasoned songwriter and producer. After dabbling in a rap group for a period of time, French dropped her 2013 debut solo
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When I really love a song, I have pretty high expectations for anyone who tries to cover it. Changing a song risks ruining everything that made it good in the first place, while a really well done interpretation can reveal its original beauty in a new way. The latest triumph in the cover world comes from
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Animal Lover, Daisy Victoria’s third EP since starting out in 2014, is unlike anything I have ever heard. Co-written with her brother Sam and produced by mix master Dan Austin (Pixies), the three-track album’s ludicrous lyrics, theatrical vocals, and pop rock rhythms demand that you open your ears. Daisy Victoria — Not Afraid to Be Herself
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A few weeks ago my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist blessed my ears with a grungy, twangy cover of One Direction’s “Drag Me Down.” The band was Weaves, a four piece art rock outfit from Toronto. I clicked on their profile to take a deeper dive into the discography and learned they just released their self-titled
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Have you ever heard the first ten seconds of a song and immediately thought, “Who is this?” That’s how I felt about Ghost Wave, the two-piece psych-rock group from Auckland, New Zealand. After teasing listeners with four singles since last year, the duo — Matt Paul on lead vocals and guitar and Eammon Logan on drums
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I’ve been on a Seattle kick lately, last week raving about live jammers Wiscon, and now this week sampling the latest from five piece electro rock outfit Furniture Girls. The band, named after the 1973 sci-fi movie, has put out four albums since 2007 and toured the country playing to packed houses and opening for
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Seattle has always been a hub for good bands, churning out talents like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Modest Mouse, and Death Cab for Cutie. Our latest Pacific Northwest find, Wiscon, largely sticks to the live scene but has dropped a handful of studio gems, most recently their new single, “Wake Up.” The four-piece pop punk outfit,
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It’s always impressive to hear the raw talent of new artists, especially when their early releases show potential for a developing career. I’ve found that EDM artists particularly — Kygo, Porter Robinson, and Martin Garrix, to name a few — are increasingly emerging at younger and younger ages. At just 21 years old, South Korean producer IMLAY
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Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist D.S. Bradford has spent his life building up chops in the music industry. From growing up in a musical household to writing songs with his first band Certain Tragedy, and learning production techniques from multi-platinum producer Jeff Blue, he draws upon a deep pool of influences to craft his own brand
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I’ve written about my love for female-fronted rock bands in the past. Brooklyn noise pop duo Sleigh Bells is an established member of this list, featuring the vocals of singer-songwriter Alexis Krauss, whose occupation Wikipedia lists as “Musician, Princess.” Accompanied by guitarist Derek E. Miller, Princess Krauss and Sleigh Bells have released three full-length studio
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I hadn’t previously heard of Prinze George, but I knew I was in for something good when Facebook told me my hipster-but-not-obnoxiously-hipster friend from Bushwick was already a fan of theirs. The Brooklyn-based indie pop trio consists of producer/instrumentalist Kenny Grimm and vocalist Naomi Almquist, who grew up together in Prince George’s County, Maryland and
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Every now and then I think, “That’s it. We’ve made all the music. We’ve covered every genre and it will be near-impossible to make anything new sound original.” And repeatedly, artists like Sean Bones disprove me. The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, who previously released two albums under his real name, has taken the moniker Terribly Yours for
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Coming from someone who considers herself a somewhat hip chick, Alexa Wilding is far cooler than me. Called “one of music’s hippest chicks” by The New York Post (alongside Florence Welch, mind you) and “the neo-Stevie Nicks” by The New York Times, the critically acclaimed folk singer-songwriter has just released her third album, Wolves. Despite being
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If you’ve not yet heard of Butterscotch, allow me to introduce you. Antoinette Clinton is a singer, rapper, beatboxer, multi-instrumentalist, and hugely talented human from Sacramento, California. After creating a niche following as the world’s first female beatboxing champion in 2005, she achieved widespread recognition as a second runner-up on America’s Got Talent two years
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I’m always eager to learn about a band when their name gives a nod to a cultural or literary icon. Death Cab for Cutie, Titus Andronicus, Modest Mouse. And now Fialta. It’s a reference to a fictional city in a Nabokov short story. The San Luis Obispo-based indie pop quartet is comprised of two married
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After releasing the ironically named Self-Titled in 2013, High Water, the moniker of Manhattanite and multi-instrumentalist Will Epstein, has returned to grace us with his brilliant sonic debut, Crush, on Other People. The album courses with beautiful piano and synth melodies, as Epstein was a former touring keys player for childhood friend and label mate, Nicolas Jaar.
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Here’s what rocks: female-fronted bands. No Doubt, The Cranberries, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Alabama Shakes. I could go on. The newest group falling under this badass umbrella is Tired Lion, a four-piece Perth, Australia-based indie rock band led by vocalist and guitarist Sophie Hopes. The band had a busy 2015, snatching up Australian radio station Triple
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Holy hell. Bitter sweet. Serious fun. Brooklynite and co-founder of record label Underwater Peoples Evan Ønly is all about dichotomy and careful balance on his new album, /\/\ARBLE. The front man of critically acclaimed synth heavy band, Family Portrait, dropped the five-track solo EP at the end of June, stating he wanted to create music
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Two of my favorite musical elements are dark, chilled out synths and strong, female vocalists. Combine the pair and you get the intoxicating sounds of electropop queens like Tove Lo, Banks and Halsey. Now you can add newcomer Zealyn to that list. In an interview for the release of her debut EP, Limbic System, Zealyn
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Some music is just meant for summertime. Whether it’s the imagery, the instrumentation, or the lyrics, certain songs just match the sun and warmer weather. New York City-based neo soul duo Lion Babe has a sound that evokes exactly that. Comprised of singer Jillian Hervey (daughter of Vanessa Williams) and producer Lucas Goodman, Lion Babe
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Edmonton, Alberta may be a landlocked city but that’s not stopping it from producing some of the freshest surf rock sounds. Three-piece Canadian indie rock band The Velveteins have just dropped their semi-self-titled second EP, A Hot Second with The Velveteins, a surf-infused take on 1950s doo-wop. The album marks the first collaborative effort between
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Regular Indie Band Guru readers might remember our own Andrew Tobia’s praise for electronic music makers Apothek on their slow, brooding track, “Waiting for the Thunder,” which dropped earlier this year. He’s not alone in having this opinion; The Norwegian duo, comprised of singer-songwriter Morten Myklebust and producer Nils Martin Larsen, has received nods from
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It’s always interesting for me to hear how band members perform as solo artists, especially when I’m a fan of the band’s sound. Naturally, I was curious when Australian multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Allbrook, former Tame Impala bassist and current Pond front man, dropped his second solo album, Pure Gardiya on Spinning Top Music. The album undoubtedly
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On the opening night of Northside Festival’s music portion last Thursday, the masterminds behind Brooklyn’s shared performance space, Unit J, celebrated their official extension into a record label. Unit J is a collection of six guys who converted their Bushwick loft into an intimate concert venue and shoot space. They’ve created a tight-knit music family
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I’ll be the first to admit I love a good electronic tune with a catchy programmed drum sequence. However, in a time when computers and synthetic sounds can dominate the airwaves, it’s a real pleasure to dial it back and listen to some raw singing and songwriting. Bloomington, Indiana-born musician and visual artist Erin Tobey is
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If you love live music and discovering new artists but you hate the crowds and stress of a large scale festival like The Governor’s Ball or this summer’s inaugural Panorama (both held on Randall’s Island Park in New York City), there’s an event you need to know about: the Northside Festival. Now in its eighth
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British singer-songwriter Beth Orton is no stranger to the music scene. Having gained recognition in the mid-‘90s for collaborations with producer William Orbit and electronic duo The Chemical Brothers, she’s been steadily solidifying her authority as a folktronica pioneer over the years. After dialing back the synths and programmed drums for an acoustic folk sound
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Just two months ago, Australian singer-songwriter Hayden Calnin released the first half of his experimental debut with the album, Cut Love Pt. 1, earning comparisons to giants like Bon Iver and M83. After returning to the studio to work alongside Aussie producer Tim Carr, Calnin is back to give fans the highly anticipated second installment,
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Combining the talents of audio visual artist Ebony Hoorn and vocalist Ellery James Roberts (former front man of WU LYF ) comes the Amsterdam-based duo LUH, which stands for Lost Under Heaven. After dropping two singles, with music videos directed by Hoorn, the pair released their debut album, Spiritual Songs for
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I always have a greater appreciation for songs and musicians when I know a little about where they’re coming from. Singer-songwriter Amanda Markley is an example of an artist using music to overcome personal hardship and inspire others. After suffering a spinal injury that forced her to stop horseback riding, Markley began writing down her
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Everyone loves a good cover song – especially when it offers a unique take on a familiar classic. Swedish super group Amason recently injected their dream pop identity into the timeless Foreigner ballad, “I Want to Know What Love Is” by debuting a beautifully styled and shot music video on Pitchfork. The band, formed in 2012, combines
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Amidst a massive five-continent tour that will take them through the spring, summer, and fall, English alt rockers The 1975 stopped by the Barclays Center on Tuesday to bless Brooklyn with a killer spectacle of light and sound. Despite the specificity of the band’s name, The 1975 has borrowed from many decades to create the
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Fans of The O.C. will fondly remember Rooney as the first musical act to appear on the show. In a mid-Season 1 episode, the band performed “I’m Shakin’” and “Popstars” at a Newport Beach concert where Seth, Summer, Marissa, and Ryan were caught in a series of love triangles — a dramatic time in Orange
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