Indie Round-Up: From the Inbox (Mar 15, 2021)

I’m trying out the live stream thing again!

I‘ll be live on Twitch tonight at 9pm EST to share some of my favourite songs of the week, turning the From the Inbox: The Podcast into a more interactive experience!

But for now, check out the best songs of the week in this indie round-up collection.

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Find Dusty Organ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify to stay up to date on new releases. You can listen to the entire collection with our handy From the Inbox Spotify playlist (it’s also embedded at the bottom of the post).

Listen to the new From the Inbox: The Podcast episode to learn more about some of the week’s featured tracks.

Most importantly, if you enjoy something, share it around!

Michaela Slinger – Too Good To Be Great

Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Michaela Slinger has officially announced her debut LP Panorama will be out April 16th (although if you had listened to our interview with her, you would have already known that).

Her new single and video “Too Good To Be Great” is a fun indie pop hit about realizing that it’s time to switch gears and lead your life down your own path.

VISSIA – The Cliffs

After announcing her new album With Pleasure will be out April 30th, Edmonton-based indie pop artist VISSIA dropped her latest single and video “The Cliffs”. While she’s moved on from her folk/roots beginnings, she still manages to combine folk-style harmonies with a neo-soul energy on the track that’s all about taking the leap to say goodbye to toxic people in your life.

Jensen McRae – Starting To Get To You

Jensen McRae jumped into the spotlight after a joke tweet about Phoebe Bridgers writing a song about getting a COVID vaccine went viral – fortunately, her music is equally worthy of attention. Her new single “Starting To Get To You” is a warm goodbye to a past relationship, and once again showcases her stunning alto range.

emlyn – a thousand parties

While she admits she’s never been in love, Los Angeles-based indie pop artist emlyn manages to recreate the excitement of falling for someone in the Gatsby-inspired song “a thousand parties”. Fantasizing about the glitz and glamour, there’s a heavy Taylor Swift-esque energy on emlyn’s upbeat indie pop track.

The Workday Release – Say A Lot With Light

With a handful of albums under his belt, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter David Ottestad has shared his latest single under the moniker The Workday Release with “Say A Lot With Light”. The poignant and delicate song is about staying true to yourself in a relationship and making sure to not lose sight of who you are. The accompanying music video was shot in downtown Los Angeles at night, to give the song an equally compelling visual.

Jenny Owen Youngs – Dungeons and Dragons

With her new EP Echo Mountain officially out as of last week, Maine-based singer-songwriter Jenny Owen Youngs has shared the escapism anthem “Dungeons and Dragons”. Her fragile vocal style contrasts her strong lyrics and metaphors, as she sings about the fear of developing the toxic behaviours of the people who raised you.

Garrett Kato – Firestarter

Canadian-born/Australian-based singer-songwriter Garrett Kato wrote his new single “Firestarter” in just two days during the early days of lockdown in Byron Bay. As an ode to human connection and a longing for the “good ol’ days”, it’s a soothing and heartfelt indie pop ballad.

Laura Lefebvre – FLASHBACK

“A summer of intense heat, a desire for an ice-cold treat, the hand reaching for the metal handle of the freezer and, at the same time, lightning hitting the floor; it’s a shock. From that day on, visions of the future, revelations of a past life and a psychic gift manifest themselves. This is a true story, believe it or not. It is the one Laura Lefebvre lived on that famous evening of July 28, 2018″.

The urban legend of Laura Lefebvre is reimagined in her new music video for the glossy indie pop tune “FLASHBACK” from the Francophone artist.

thomTide – daysSince

San Diego-based creative duo thomTide are deep into their musical series ahead of their debut LP. Following a similar pattern to the release of TV show episodes, the pair of instrumentalist Lee Rutledge and visual artist Dominique Mills have been sharing music bi-weekly, following through the course of the seasons. Their latest single “daysSince” is a fitting choice for March, as they look back at the winter with the brightness of spring just ahead.

Crumb – Trophy

Since releasing their 2019 debut Jinx back in 2019, the Brooklyn-based four-piece Crumb have put out their first bit of new music with “Trophy”. Their familiar sonic haze and dreamy neo-jazz stylings are mixed with a surreal trophy ceremony.

Woody and Jeremy – Rolling in the Basement

Formed from their friendship growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, indie duo Woody and Jeremy began making music together in their youth, before Woody split his time as the keyboardist for Vulfpeck. The old pals are back for their upcoming sophomore release Gravy In My Coffee out June 4th, and have shared their testament to the good times of hiding away in basements with their minimalist funk tune “Rolling In the Basement”.

Jason Collett – Crab Walking Home In The Rain

Toronto-based indie music veteran Jason Collett is celebrating 20 years in the industry with his upcoming greatest hits album Best Of, out this Friday March 19th. Featuring 12 previously released hits, the album will also feature his new single “Crab Walking Home In The Rain” which was produced by Andy Shauf. The easy-going tune is paired with a moody animated music video.

Chris Wise and the Hidden Revolution – Don’t Belong

Combining anthemic alt-pop spirit and relatable lyrics, British singer-songwriter Chris Wise and his band have shared the uplifting single “Don’t Belong” and its colourful stop-motion music video.

cleopatrick – THE DRAKE

Cobourg-raised heavy alt-rock duo cleopatrick were inspired by an altercation with some old high school bullies for their blasting new single “THE DRAKE”. After what was supposed to be an exciting, celebratory night following their first performance at Toronto’s The Drake, the duo were blindsided by some old bullies from their old town that were hoping to hop on the bandwagon as their band grew in popularity, but only lead to fisticuffs.

teeballpaul – Full House

One-man-band teeballpaul (aka Paul Gordon) has hit a homerun with his ’80s inspired neo-funk track “Full House”, inspired by the relatable topic of getting your hopes up with online dating.

Franc Moody – Losing Touch

London-based electro-funk collective Franc Moody put out their debut album Dream In Colour just days before the lockdown hit in 2020. Over the last year, they’ve been growing their fanbase online with live stream shows and fundraisers, and have just put out their first bit of new music since the debut. “Losing Touch” is a lively and funky electro-pop hit that effortlessly modernizes the timelessness of ’80s funk.

The Sponges – Jerry Brain

Electrco-disco outift The Sponges have shared their irresistible and animated new single “Jerry Brain”. Warped synthesizers, slick guitar riffs, and intergalactic mayhem build up the house-beat driven tune.

https://soundcloud.com/relishprfactory/the-sponges-jerry-brain-box-of-cats/s-04zNGsYxien

Moe Chaieb & Claire Ridgely – Fly Off

Montreal-based producer Moe Chaieb has teamed up with fellow Montrealer Claire Ridgely for the glowing electro-pop single “Fly Off”. From Chaieb’s upcoming EP Here You Can Leave Me, “Fly Off” gives the exciting moment of letting go with someone a hazy and ethereal soundtrack.

Tiiva – Collide

Experimental pop producer Tiiva explores the conflicting ideas of being vulnerable and real against the desire to wear a fake disguse of strength on her hypnotic new single “Collide”, as she combines elements of new wave and M83-esque synth-pop.

https://soundcloud.com/user-889378560/collide-1

Ayelle & Nobu Sounds – Verdad

Swedish-Iranian-born/Spain-based singer-songwriter Ayelle put out her new EP Cuentos De Distancia back in February. The trilingual artist combines the sultry sounds of Latin music with the slow-burning fusion of R&B on EP stand-out single “Verdad” co-produced with Nobu Sounds.

Rochelle Jordan – NEXT 2 YOU

Reinvigorating the vintage sounds of ’90s pop, jackswing, and UK garage, London-born/Toronto-bred/Los Angeles-based R&B artist Rochelle Jordan is back with another single “NEXT 2 YOU”. Serving as the third taste of her forthcoming album Play With Changes, out April 30th, Jordan travels back in time with her sound and aesthetic on “NEXT 2 YOU”.

James Vincent McMorrow & Rudimental – Be Somebody

Singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow has been expanding his sound and style with his recent releases, reimagining the possibilities of both his songwriting and his vocal style. The latest shift is with the help of UK dance music act Rudimental, who blend drum n’ bass with McMorrow’s lo-fi singer/songwriter style.

GoGo Penguin – F Maj Pixie (Squarepusher Remix)

British neo-jazz trio GoGo Penguin will be releasing their new remix album GGP/RMX on May 7th. It will feature reimagined versions of songs from their 2020 self-titled album, including the lead single “F Maj Pixie” and it’s bass-solo remix from experimental electronic legend Squarepusher. Known for their virtuosic performances, GoGo Penguin add to the bill with Squarepusher’s phenomenal bass playing and electronic nuances.

Guapdad 4000 ft. P-Lo & !llmind – She Wanna

This feels a little out of place this week, since it’s the only hip-hop track on the list, but it also happens to be one of the strangest/funniest music videos of the week. Guapdad4000 and P-Lo star in the sitcom-parody music video for “She Wanna”. The track was written in about half an hour, and Guapdad’s low, throaty delivery contrasts the bass-bouncing ’00s Ying Yang Twin-inspired beat.