There are many different approaches when it comes to indie music, but if you find yourself leaning towards slick and stylish performances with flawless refined production, then this is right up your street. This highly polished paragon of indie pop from Coralcrown, the new solo project from Luis Gotor, recalls the likes of Blossoms and Two Door Cinema Club with its potent one-two of bright riffs and retro synths. ‘She is a Saint’, taken from the new EP Birth, has all the hallmarks of an upbeat indie hit, but lurking just beneath the surface there is an abiding air of lust and longing to throw in some passion and a fresh gritty angle on proceedings. This disco-tinged track delivers from start to finish and will make worthy addition to the playlists of any fun-loving indie fans.
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Top Tracks: Kit Kazar – Spell
As I write this the sun is out, the birds are singing and the flowers are in full bloom; spring has officially sprung. There’s new life everywhere you turn and it’s hard not to be caught up in the rush of it all. This is the song that your heart sings when you finally feel the sun again after a seemingly endless winter. This track from Kit Kazar, the new solo project from Beach Tiger’s Taylor McCleskey, is the perfect feel-good tune to bask in the joys of spring and daydream of the summer to come. ‘Spell’, taken from the new EP The Sun Has Seen It All Pt.1, simply exudes positive energy in all directions and recalls that bright and dreamy 60s pop sound at its very best. This carefree track is nothing short of irresistible, and is sure to inject a hearty dose of happiness into your day.
Music and Mental Health: What makes the industry so vulnerable and what can we do to make a difference?
We’ve lost more than a few music icons in recent years, and far too many of those deaths have either been self-inflicted or the result of people battling addictions as some form of coping mechanism. These tragedies have far reaching effects, and shed a light on how even those that seem to have everything can be suffering in ways we can’t imagine. What often isn’t brought to people’s attention however is how the music industry as a whole is such a vulnerable target for mental health issues, particularly those individuals at the bottom of the ladder who are trying to make ends meet. But what makes musicians so susceptible, and what can artists, and us as music consumers, do to improve the situation? I’ve narrowed it down to three key issues. Continue reading
Top Tracks: Leon + the Fantastic – Grieving Friend of a Superman
Right from the off ‘Grieving Friend of a Superman’ offers hints of Bowie’s Blackstar. From the world-weary vocals and cryptic lyrics, to the retro synths and bizarre little nuances, this track from Leon’s forthcoming EP Let Me Cool (out 18th May) deals equally in both the foreign and the familiar. Odd enough to feel exciting and new, but maintaining convention just enough to keep you feeling at home in your new surreal surroundings. The stop motion video for the song, featuring an astronaut losing his grip on reality and suffering hallucinations in deep space, is one of the most fascinating videos of recent years. The real star of the show however is the captivating drum work, constantly pulling you in deeper and feeling like the lead instrument in a way that few acts ever manage to. “Fantastic” is a hard moniker to live up to, but on this track Leon and the band pull it off.
Album Review: Edenthorn – Exist
Edenthorn – ExistTop Tracks: The People The Poet – Kids on the Corner
Music can do a lot of wonderful things, and sometimes, by either a personal connection to some cherished memory or by wonderfully woven nostalgic lyricism, a song can take you back to simpler times. Such is the case with this new track from Welsh band The People The Poet, taken from their new album A Short Obsession With Time. Even if your childhood bears little resemblance to the misspent youth described in ‘Kids on the Corner’, its hard not to feel some kind of affinity with the sentiment: a longing to go back to those carefree days when the world seemed limitless and all your thoughts and feelings burned their brightest. This journey back to “the good old days” is one you will make time and again, as the emphatic drums, gorgeous piano coda and gritty vocals reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Adams make this a song you will keep coming back to for a good long while.
Album Review: Isaac Gracie – Isaac Gracie
Isaac Gracie – Isaac GracieTop Tracks: RIVVRS – Let It Die
Mark my words, listening to just this one track is all you need to be completely sold on RIVVRS. Pressing play on ‘Let It Die’, the latest single from forthcoming album Cosmic Dream, is like a tall dark stranger walking into town in the wild west, with an air of mystique and the road-hardened stare of a man who’s seen too much. A track about knowing when to cut loose those who are dragging you down, and not dwelling on those who messed you around whom you’d be better off without, ‘Let It Die’ shares its potent and relatable message with such superb charm and character. With its heavy stomp, understated bluesy riffs, and those suave gritty vocals, this new song from Californian native Brandon Zahursky is a timeless slice of Americana that is not to be missed.
(The Reign of) Kindo – Happy However After
ISLAND – Feels Like Air
Belwood Music 