POSTS TAGGED : Indie-Pop

Maida Rose – ‘I Remember’

Maida Rose is dream-pop pairing of Roos Meijer and Javièr den Leeuw from Dutch seaside city the Hague.

Having introduced themselves with ‘Harmony of Heartache’, ‘Where Do We Go’ and ‘Every Day Is Blue’, the pair are back with another wonderful single, ‘I Remember’ and news that Maida Rose will release their debut LP ‘Tales Of Adolescence’ on March 25th. The new single is a real gem; it is three minutes of pure pop perfection. A gentle and somber wander, it is oozing with a sense of nostalgia and melancholy as sighing vocals and heartstrung melodies coiled around a gentle piano led waltz amid a sea of lavish fuzz, woozy tones and dreamy air. A truly beautiful,rich and wistful track, simple as that.

Listen to ‘I Remember’ below and keep an eye out for debut LP ‘Tales Of Adolescence’ in March.

Freedom Fry – ‘Ego Trip’

Freedom Fry is held in very high esteem around these parts – no question about that. 

Over the years the prolific pairing of Marie Seyrat and Bruce Driscoll regularly brighten up our lives with charming, catchy and memorable indie-pop jams culminating in 2018 debut LP, Classic, 2020’s Songs from the West Coast, and L’ Invitation earlier this year.

Not content with releasing a new album, Freedom Fry are signing off on 2021 with a new EP, Broken Down on Planet 909, and with it, a new single ‘Ego Trip’. Retaining their signature touches; an ear for hook, melody and harmony amid their charming shimmering sonic delights – ‘Ego Trip’ is rich and heartwarming as it meanders along a gentle waltzing groove while sinuous melodies melt into the warm organ and rich vocals amid a sea of lush and woozy tones. It is just a fabulous track, and one that sees them continue to flirt with electronic elements and all whisked together into a beautiful confection of melodic, dreamy and hazy indie-pop.

Tune in below:

Maida Rose – ‘Every Day Is Blue’

Maida Rose is dream-pop pairing of Roos Meijer and Javièr den Leeuw from Dutch seaside city the Hague.

Having introduced themselves with ‘Harmony of Heartache’ and ‘Where Do We Go’, the pair are back with another wonderful single, ‘Every Day Is Blue’. It is woozy, richly melodic and marked by a pang of wistful melancholy and dreamy tones.

Smooth, breathy vocals cruise calmly over a gentle strum, shimmering guitar and gently waltzing groove as rich melodic allure pours from the lush, dreamy atmosphere. Like it’s predecessors, ‘Every Day Is Blue’ is oozing with heartfelt nostalgia, nostalgic for a dream that has passed but it has a lovely, human optimism, and leaves a warm wistful glow and a feeling that all things – good, bad or indifferent – eventually pass. Utterly beautiful stuff once again.

Listen to ‘Every Day Is Blue’ below now:

Air Devi – ‘Lint of a Masterpiece’

Air Devi is the moniker of Philadelphia singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Devi Majeske who has been really impressing in recent times with a slew of sumptuous singles.

Beginning life as a home recorded lo-fi indie pop project, Devi released debut EP, ‘Swanning About’ last year, and singles ‘Move Without Place’ (2020) and ‘Mosquitos in the Backyard’ (2021) – and is back with another sublime piece of woozy, starry-eyed dream-pop in ‘Lint of a Masterpiece’. Soft pattering drums and warm melodic vocals usher in the dreamy vibe as guitars jangle gently amid a plush haze of warm alluring fuzz. It meanders along hypnotically subtly adding layers and layers of sound, triumphing as a sitar leads the charge to an emphatic climax. ‘Lint of a Masterpiece’ is yet another piece of indie-pop brilliance from an artist that continues to impress no end.

Listen to ‘Lint of a Masterpiece’ below – you won’t be disappointed.

Bobsled Team – ‘Hey Kid’

Bobsled Team are a Belfast pairing – Oliver and Kimberley – with a preference for dreamy, lo-fi guitar-pop – and proudly DIY.

The emerged last year with jaunty debut single ‘This Pink Moon’ and put last year’s rolling Covid-19 lockdowns to productive use, having brought their debut album The Colours Blur into the world this summer. The latest single lifted from the record is ‘Hey Kid’ – a slightly rough around the edges, lo-fi ditty with a charming heart of gold – it perfectly captures the aesthetic of both band and album. ‘Hey Kid’ takes us on a melodic meander as a soft snare patters beneath layers of woozy tones, swirling fuzz and atmospherics as guitars jangle and scratchy riffs waltz with heart melting melodies all while hazy lilting vocals cruise calmly above. 

A warm, charming and heartwarming slice of indie-pop brilliance – give it a spin below – the album (which is definitely worth a moment of your time) is here.

Holiday Ghosts – ‘Off Grid’

Holiday Ghosts – based in Brighton, via Falmouth, appear to be something of a magnificent pop music recycling plant.

On the evidence of latest single ‘Off Grid’ Holiday Ghosts borrow from some of the finest sounds of past era – mining parts the Kinks, Violent Femmes, Alex Chilton and Modern Lovers – while transcending their influences in a rather simple manner: by producing a really great song and crafting their own irresistible concoction of modern indie-pop.

‘Off Grid’ is quite simply an irresistible indie-pop jam blending bright tones, sunny disposition, endearingly ramshackle jangling guitars and dueling vocal melodies, and packing pop sensibility at every turn. It fizzes with energy that whizzes around addictive melodies and all bathed in youthful sense of freedom and untamed possibilities. ‘Off Grid’ is an utterly addictive and contagious ball of fizzy joy and such is its earworm powers, it will compel you  to hum, whistle, sing-along from the off. An utterly addictive and contagious ball of fizzy joy, ‘Heading Out’ will be spinning around your head for days.

‘Off Grid’ is out now with forthcoming album, North Street Air, following on May 21st via Fat Cat Records.

Lauran Hibberd – ‘How Am I Still Alive (feat Lydia Night)’

Lauran Hibberd has been a really reliable source of irresistible blasts of fuzz-filled indie pop with a satiric, tongue-in-cheek manner wrapped with fuzz, crunchy guitars and anthemic tendencies.

Ahead of a brand new EP ‘Goober’ arriving on 30 July – the Isle of Wight native has returned with yet another massive, massive tune in the form of new single ‘How Am I Still Alive’ a collaboration with previous touring companion The Regrettes’ Lydia Night.

Marked with a lot of the recognisable Hibberd traits; it is punchy, potent and powerful with crunching guitars, massive soaring riffs and hooks you could hang your hat on, all bathed in a wall of warm fuzz and distortion.  Lyrically Hibberd toys with the bleakness of everyday life, making it sound more entertaining, making it a catchy fuzz-filled anthem bursting with all the brilliance we’ve come to know and love.

Listen to ‘How Am I Still Alive (feat Lydia Night)’ below – and if your into this, there is an interview with Lauran Hibberd in the 10 Year Celebratory Zine from last year – you can read it here.

Remington Super 60 – ‘Talk With You’

Remington Super 60 are a Norwegian outfit formed by songwriter and producer Christoffer Schou, who over the course of two decades has established a reputation for lush, retro-flavoured indie-pop brimming with warmth and dreamy nostalgia.

In mid-March, the trio – Magnus Abelsen, Elisabeth T & Christoffer Schou – released a brand new seven track EP ‘Nouvelle Nouveau’ – a veritable treasure trove of serene, beautiful and beguiling pop perfection. Lead track ‘Talk With You’ captures the essence of the EP in three beautiful minutes – offering pure pop perfection and escapism at the click of a button. Lush, dreamy vocals flow above a gently undulating groove as soft drums patter beneath a breezy air of softly strummed shimmering guitars that sooth like lapping waves and gently swaying palm trees at a beach. Hypnotic, seductive and escapist brilliance!

Listen to ‘Talk With You’ below and you can check out the EP here.

Freedom Fry – ‘Corde Sensible’

We love a bit of Freedom Fry round these parts – no question.

Over the past number of years the prolific pairing of Marie Seyrat and Bruce Driscoll have  regularly brightened up our lives with charming, catchy and memorable indie-pop jams culminating in 2018 debut LP, Classic, and 2020’s Songs from the West Coast.

And now, Freedom Fry are back with new single ‘Corde Sensible’ – a second track lifted from their forthcoming third album, their first entirely in French. ‘Corde Sensible’ is an exquisitely crafted track fueled by a dance beat coupled with moody piano chords, bright strings, shimmering synth and ethereal tones of Parisian, Seyrat. It has something of an indie-music-to-dance-to vibe as it grooves along a disco-indebted beat  and flows with an ease and breeze. ‘Corde Sensible’ might be Freedom Fry’s danciest tune to date but while it marks a change of pace it retains their signature touches; an ear for hook,  melody and harmony amid their charming shimmering sonic delights.

Get acquainted with ‘Corde Sensible’ below –  it will be released alongside two other new songs as part of a three-song EP on Friday, February 12.

Alexis Neon – ‘All My Dreams Of You’

Alexis Neon are a dream-pop pairing based in Ottawa, Canada.

Buoyed by a flair for rich, dreamy soundscapes, the Canadian duo reside in an enchanted world of calming sounds, hazy vibes and rich melody, marked by an omnipresent melancholic air.

Alexis Neon have opened their 2021 account with ‘All My Dreams Of You’ – and it is a doozy. Written, recorded, and produced in their apartment, it takes us on a woozy waltz that meanders through a sea of dreamy tones and textures as gentle melodies undulate below. ‘All My Dreams Of You’ sees an exquisite pairing of lush dreamy vocal lines with woozy instrumentals and atmospherics, with tranquil and beguiling results. A beautiful and entrancing slice of woozy and enchanting pop, a fine way to kick off 2021.

Check out ‘All My Dreams Of You’ below and if it is too your liking, why not check out their Seven Windows EP here.