Indie Round-up – From the Inbox: Mar 22, 2021
New things are on the horizon!
That’s right – Dusty Organ is continuing to evolve and grow and shift and whatever other verb describes change.
But to tie you over, we are back with another weekly indie round-up, this time with 24 fantastic songs to get your ears on from around the world of music.
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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).
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Said the Whale – Honey Lungs
Vancouver indie act Said the Whale have dropped their first single since their 2019 LP Americana with “Honey Lungs”. As a teaser from their upcoming seventh album co-produced with Steve Bay, the new single is an optimistic two-parter that is both refreshingly new and exciting STW.
Spirit Award – NGDWY
Seattle-based artist Spirit Award released his new album Lunatic back on the 5th, which includes the single “NGDWY” – or Never Gonna Die Without You. Written back in 2019, the indie lo-fi rock tune was originally reflecting on wanting to keep certain people in your life, but took on a new meaning in 2020 with the pandemic.
Art d’Ecco – I Am The Dancefloor
Indie art-rocker Art d’Ecco will be releasing his new album In Standard Definition this April, and has shared the groovy, neo-funk pop tune “I Am The Dancefloor”. Inspired by the idea of a dance-obsessed aging loner who tears up the local clubs on the weekends, the new single is a confident and retro hit propelled by d’Ecco’s Freddie Mercury-esque chorus.
I Used To Be A Better Man – Small Sins
Tomas D’Arcy, the man behind the Small Sins, is digging into some new material with his latest single “I Used To A Better Man”. Revisiting the early days of his sound, D’Arcy reflects on being 26 and the conflicting need to figure out your life and figuring out what that means. Through groovy synth riffs before crushing into an electric guitar solo finale, “I Used To Be A Better Man” is a charming and fun hit of introspection.
Paris Pick – Hope For the Best
For her new music video for “Hope For the Best”, Whitehorse indie soul-pop Paris Pick was inspired by her curiosity of being a pizza delivery driver, as she travels around the city on a Saturday night meeting some interesting characters along the way.
Hiatus Kaiyote ft Arthur Verocai – Get Sun
Melbourne-based outfit Hiatus Kaiyote travelled to Brazil to work with legendary musician Arthur Verocai for their latest single “Get Sun”. The new track will be on their upcoming record Mood Valiant, out on June 25th, and is a brightly coloured and adventurous mix of genres.
The Zolas ft. Cadence Weapon – Another Dimension
Vancouver’s The Zolas have kept their discography fairly consistent for more than a decade with their past three albums. But looking towards the future, they’re keeping things interesting on their upcoming release Come Back To Life. Simultaneously retro and futuristic, their latest single “Another Dimension” features Toronto rapper Cadence Weapon for a bass-heavy, psych-synth hip-hop flavour.
Imagine Dragons – Follow You
Yes, I know Imagine Dragons aren’t indie (quite the opposite). But their new music video for “Follow You” is one of the funniest clips of the year and features It’s Always Sunny stars and real-life couple Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney. And the chorus hook is so, so catchy.
Chloe Tang – Voicemails
Indie alt-pop star Chloe Tang turned mopping the floors of a local venue into an opening slot for Dua Lipa. Her dedication to building a solid brand of relatable and personal indie pop has started to pay off with her new EP E-PITY ME released last week, and most notably its lead single “Voicemails”.
Luwten – Sleeveless
If Weezer has “Undone (The Sweater Song)”, Dutch indie art-pop Luwten has “Sleeveless”. For her new music video, she lets the thread unravel her clothes as she sings about opening up and being an honest version of yourself with the world.
Elissa Mielke – Palace
Indie singer-songwriter Elissa Mielke (who formerly performed as Mieke) has hit refresh on her music with two new singles, one of which is the hopelessly romantic “Palace”.
Gallery 47 – Angel Follows Me out
English singer-songwriter Jack Peachey, who performs as Gallery 47, recorded his new single “Angel Follows Me Out” in the stillness of the night with a single microphone. The raw, acoustic performance is as tender and soothing as you might expect.
Half Moon Run – How Come My Body
Well into their career, Montreal-based Half Moon Run are showing no signs of slowing down with a new collection of music on the way. Teasing the release is their latest single “How Come My Body” and its accompanying tour footage music video.
Learn more about the song in the full article.
Anna Mae Kelly – White Lies
17 year old indie pop artist Anna Mae Kelly turned her soul-crushing experience with heartbreak into an emotional and powerful performance on her new single “White Lies”, giving teen heartbreak a new anthem.
Red Moon – Emotional
Norway indie pop vocalist Red Moon pours her emotions and soul into her music, and has done so more literally with new her single “Emotional”. Written about a fight within a relationship, “Emotional” is the 20/20 hindsight about how the situation unfolded and the uncontrollable spilling of emotions in the moment.
Rivals ft. Dutch Melrose – Change Things
L.A. alternative pop-metal group Rivals put out their new album Sad Looks Pretty On Me over the weekend. Their latest single “Change Things” is the finishing touch on and comes with a new music video featuring Dutch Melrose.
Out of Love – See Right Thru
London punk quartet Out of Love are calling out the liars in the world (themselves included) with their new single “See Right Thru”. The catchy pop-punk track is an energetic burst of self-reflection as they inspect the masks and disguises of everyday life that are used to be someone different.
Fiddlehead – Million Times
Alternative emo group Fiddlehead combine both the sing-along hooks with front and centre emotions on their latest single “Million Times”. The rough vocals of frontman Pat Flynn add a gut-wrenching melancholic quality to the song as the hook and power come in waves with each chorus.
Learn more about the song and their upcoming album here.
Boys Noize & Kelsey Lu ft. Chilly Gonzales – Ride Or Die
As great as this song is, the music video steals the show. The stunning hand-painted animated clip directed by Art Camp was loosely inspired by The Trolley Problem Experiment and combines the meditative electronica produced by Boys Noize with the dramatic narrative. Featuring the piano of Chilly Gonszales and the striking vocals of Kelsey Lu, “Ride or Die” is a wonderfully entertaining piece.
Mark Clennon – Stray
Speaking of compelling music videos, Montreal’s Mark Clennon managed to create a stunning one-shot music video for his new single “Stray”. Through unique sets and careful camera work, Clennon and his team create an exciting visual experience. Additionally, Clennon celebrates his Jamaican roots by performing in Patois on the eccentric dancehall track.
Paris Texas – Situations
Combining their love of 2000s video games with their lo-fi hip-hop production, newcomers Paris Texas have shared the nostalgic music video for “Situations”. With only two tracks out, they’ve certainly made a strong first impression.
FJ Law – Catching 22
FJ Law, the solo project of bedroom producer Danny Hall, is back with a new single off his upcoming debut EP Tape 1 out May 14th. Mixing his electro-pop energy with the slick vocals of EDM-pop, he revisits the lose-lose situation of a break up.
Melldu – Mute Theatre
Alternative electronic composer and producer Melldu released his new album Mute Theatre a week ago, and the album’s title track does a wonderful job of capturing the cinematic and progressive vibe of his music. Featuring a repeating piano mantra and swelling strings, “Mute Theatre” is a gentle and meditative track to close off this week’s playlist.
