Tag Archives: Indie

Midweek Music: White Boys, MitiS, GRMM, Lookas, KSHMR & Vaski

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These Irish guys said they’d let me know when their new single was out and they came through. This is a funky, indie flavored track that really makes me want to go to the party this was filmed at. Excellent effort by White Boys, and I can’t wait to see where they go with this sound. Here’s to hoping they invite me to the next party. I’ll show up. Even if it’s in Dublin. That kind of scene is totally worth a hop across the pond for.

GRMM is an Australian stunner on Hegemon records. This future tune took me by surprise. It almost shimmers as it smooths along the avenue. Travolta Cool is such a clever title for a relaxed track like this. Now I’ll be following this dude around the internet like the weird, creepy sonic stalker I am.

MitiS is a force of nature. I don’t care if you’ve followed him for years like I have, or if this is the first time you’ve heard one of his tunes. His signature fusion of electro, progressive, trance & chillout make him an act to remember. I interviewed him way back when. Who knows if he even remembers now that he’s a big star. If you don’t know why, put Forever into your face.

This Song Is Sick debuted a stupendous chillstep track this weekend. KSHMR & Vaski collab with Francisca Hall for a lovely, edgy dubstep track that keeps it taut. This one is some new hotness that should be getting a lot of attention this week already.

 Lookas keeps things real, and I’m so glad to hear some originals from this guy after a string of dope remixes. This kind of anthem trap that gives you hope for the future and doesn’t remind me of white guys with dreadlocks at all. When it could be performed live with a drum line you know it’s dope.

Midnight Music: Imogen Heap – Hide & Seek (JPOD Remix) [House]

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Imogen Heap - Hide & Seek (JPOD Remix)

Imogen Heap – Hide & Seek (JPOD Remix)

People travel the globe for a good house breakdown. The Armand Van Helden remix of Tori Amos was the first one of these pop reworkings, but every major pop, indie, alt & vocal heavy track worth its salt has been remixed by some of the most talented producers out there. Some hit the mark, some pratfall really hard, as you find out from that one weird guy who keeps sending you YouTube links. I found Imogen Heap’s remix offerings to be kind of lacking in general. There was a gorgeous simplicity to the original that most producers really couldn’t stay true to, plus it’s really embarassing when your vocalist has better production values than you do. However, JPOD’s remix won me over almost immediately. The funky breakdowns mesh with the synthy vocals & inspire thoughts of dancing to it at a trendy, tiny bar on Rivington somewhere. This is one for the Manhattan & Brooklyn nights if I’ve ever heard one. Head over to JPOD‘s Soundcloud & enjoy the Canadian knows what he’s doing.https://soundcloud.com/jpodtbc/imogen-heap-hide-seek-jpod-remix

Midnight Music: Huntar – Autumn [Future Garage]

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Huntar - Autumn

Huntar – Autumn

Starting the week off with some fire from Annie Mac. A 21yr old named Huntar pushed out this crazy good track, a mix of pop, indie, future & garage elements coming together in a moody gorgeous way. I’m thinking “producer & vocalist” is going to become the new “singer/songwriter” when it comes to the way we’re going to describe things in the future. It’s a fun, bobbing tune from an up & comer that I totally wouldn’t have heard without Ms. Mac giving me the scoop on this. It’s got a great UK garage’y house feel, with some more of an early Disclosure vibe than I thought it would. It definitely holds up on repeat listenings, so make sure to hit up the page for your free DL. Huntar is young, but the tune hit #1 on HypeM, so don’t count him out just yet. This track surprised me, and it may just surprise you.

Midnight Music: Jukebox The Ghost – The Spiritual (Tom Norton Cover) [Acoustic]

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Jukebox The Ghost - The Spiritual (Tom Norton Cover)

Jukebox The Ghost – The Spiritual (Tom Norton Cover)

Dub Scout is a transcendently talented & hard working producer you probably haven’t heard of yet. He’s one of the most creative innovators in the electronic space right now, and yet, he doesn’t just kill it on the beats. This crushingly beautiful acoustic cover of The Spiritual by Jukebox The Ghost made me sit up in my chair. This is the singer/songwriter cover that I’ve been looking for. People ask whether I listen to acoustic music, and when it sounds like this, the answer is absolutely.  If you’re a fan of a voice , a melody, harmony and a beat, you’ll be right at home here. Take a couple of minutes and enjoy.

Midnight Music: Jaymes Young & Phoebe Ryan – We Won’t [Vocal Indie]

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Jaymes Young is the He Man to Phoebe Ryan’s She-Ra in the Eternia that is Indie Soundcloud. Now that we’ve put that exceptionally tortured metaphor behind us, this track is exquisite. Phoebe Ryan joins Jaymes for one of the best duets since that summer we were all singing about “now you’re just somebody that I used to know.” This skill when it comes to lyrical genius and tonal perfection from both singers is second to none, and I really do believe both of these artist need solo pop careers. Each has been featured on this site before, Jaymes earning an Earworm of the Month tip, with Phoebe being my Valentine’s Day release. The mastering is second to none as usual, so I really hope this goes le viral.

Midnight Music: Ayesha Adamo – Midnight Elite (Harder Remix)

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Ayesha Adamo – Midnight Elite (Harder Remix)

You don’t hear this kind of sound too often outside of Who’s Afraid Of 138 & BlkMarket Membership events. This ethereal, almost psychedelic remix of Ayesha Adamo‘s new single Midnight Elite. This is a totally indie, underground producer here in Brooklyn who spent some time in China before triumphantly returning. I’ve had the privilege of booking her to perform a couple of times where she’s repeatedly a crowd favorite. You know you’ve made the right decision when dozens of people ask for her booking information 15min into the set. She managed to tape this video herself, showing that in today’s economy, you have to wear a thousand different hats. Getting back to the tune, the production value is solid, as is the heavy, drawn out remix ambiance. If you’re into it, check out the whole remix package on Beatport. And, because she’s so dope, here’s a DJ mix she did for Winter Music Conference a couple of months back, giving you another facet of her competence. Enjoy!

Midnight Music: Nightcall – Reverie [Euphoric Synth Metal]

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Nightcall - ReverieNightcall is one of the few moody, dark triumphant groups that get an instant listen whenever they put out new work. Their explosion 2min in is one of mastery and could best be described as “viking metal without guitars.” There’s a powerful dark future sound here, while staying true to the fundamentals of a genre of music that ISN’T DANCE MUSIC. This is straight up some progressive metal that is being made with a keyboard, or some crazy synth work. If this is coming out of a laptop, which, is likely at this point, I think we’ve seen the tip fellas. Like, this means that all genres are on the take when it comes to this, as my longstanding love of indietronica helps to reinforce. If you can take the best of what’s coming out of laptop production & throw it into some pre-existing musicality/vibe/whatever, bang. And we’re all better for it. This is the kind of work that needs to be happening across genres to really find the sweet spot that bands need to sound unique in an ever increasingly crowded marketplace. 

Midnight Music: Ratatat – Cream On Chrome [Indie Pop]

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 Any fan of indie, pop or alt dance should be salivating at the fact that the word Ratatat is in my title. This is some classic Ratatat right here. The guitar work doing the heavy lifting, with a clever, understated video to go along with it. Ratatat earned the opening slot at Daft Punk’s shows here in the USA for a reason. The seemingly overly simple music reveals a level of composition complexity that is rare for kids with hair as long as they’ve got. This is definitely a track not to be missed, as is whatever follows. Trust that if this is the herald of a new album or a new tour, you’ll hear about it first right here. This is their first new song since 2010, so, sit up, take note and put it into your face.

Midnight Music – Brian Wilson Joins Mini Mansions (Indie)

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Any emotions is a surprisingly compelling indie collab between Brian Wilson & the Mini Mansions. Mini Mansions is made up of Michael Schuman, Zach Dawes & Tyler Parkford, while Brian Wilson needs absolutely no explanation. Most people have only heard of these guys as what Queens of The Stone Age does when they’re bored, they’ve managed a huge pick up here. Connecting with the sound of the sun, Brian Wilson, they’ve put together a dreamy, almost indie track that really takes off. It’s really hard to find things that still rock, but this quietly does. It’s over far too soon, but before it’s done, you get classic Brian Wilson vocals, chords that don’t disappoint, and a performance by Mini Mansions that reveres who they’re working with & doesn’t try to steal the spotlight. Kudos again to Joy of Violent Movement for the clutch tag on this.

Hometown Fire: D.V.S.*

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DVS - AMPLIFYSo, remember that whole Amend the Rave Act thing? Yea, so that’s still happening (focus people), and because of that, I wanted to use the paltry internets soapbox (wow, that’s such an outdated description of methods of communication) to give shout outs to artists that are going out of their way to do so. This guy is one of a series of DJs part of the AMPLIFY Project, focusing on harm reduction and treating ravers better. These DJs & producers are taking risks doing so. If you don’t think so, you’ve never seen bar managers argue with event producers about water. But, more importantly, he’s freaking talented & technically skilled as fuck. He walks this fine line between psy & indie with his production sounds/vibe, but he applies it across the spectrum.

It’s impressive to hear someone be able to produce competently both in a live mix/house environment & in the wacky realm of psy-dub that Space Jesus calls home. This guy knows what he’s doing & deserves your attention. The album below is a soothing, melodic journey into synthy sounds & organic instrumentation, mastered exquisitely. He splits his time between Brooklyn & Austin, and if the Gods are willing, I am hoping to convince him to help in our little harm reduction struggle. Judging from the picture below, I’m hoping he agrees. Remember to go support Amending The Rave Act if you haven’t already.