Indie pop
Perfume Genius Performs “Jason”, “Nothing at All” from Joshua Tree on Kimmel: Watch
Half a year may feel like a lifetime ago, but in that time, Perfume Genius’ Set My Heart on Fire Immediately has remained easily one of the best efforts of 2020. On Thursday night, Mike Hadreas’ project reminded us of this with a performance of “Jason” and “Nothing at All” on Kimmel. Hadreas and his band set up remotely at Joshua Tree for the performance, caked in dirt like they’d actually dragged their gear all the way from Los Angeles. But though the appearance was soiled, the magic hour “Jason” performance was as delicate and gorgeous as you’d expect from Perfume Genius. The band also played “Nothing at All” for an online exclusive, with the more dynamic song allowing Handreas to let himself go in energetic fashion. Watch both clips below. Editors’ Picks Perfume Genius recently an...
Clairo Forms New Band Shelly, Shares Debut Songs “Steeeam” and “Natural”: Stream
Since releasing last year’s stellar debut album Immunity, Clairo has preoccupied herself with a series of collaborations. Our former Artist of the Month has linked up with producers A. G. Cook and Mura Masa, as well as futurist pop queen Charli XCX and rising songwriter Arlo Parks. Now, Clairo is taking her collaborative spirit a step further by forming a new band called Shelly. The outfit pairs Clairo with Claud (they/them), a Brooklyn-based indie pop artist who also just so happens to be the first act signed to Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory label. Shelly are rounded out by Clairo’s two old friends from Syracuse, Josh Mehling and Noa Frances Getzug. To coincide with today’s announcement, Shelly are sharing their debut songs “Steeeam” and “Natural”. Both continue the bedroom pop narrati...
Jordana Shares New Single “I Guess This is Life”: Stream
Indie pop artist Jordana will cap off 2020 with a new album called Something to Say to You. The sophomore effort is comprised of two EPs, this past summer’s Something to Say and To You, which is out the same day as the complete full-length. Following last month’s single “Divine”, the musician born Jordana Nye is now previewing the LP with “I Guess This is Life”. Similar to its predecessor, today’s track sees Jordana formulating a more polished and punctuated pop sound, thanks in part to her producer Jeffrey Melvin, better known under his EDM moniker MELVV. Subject-wise, Jordana takes a step back to really evaluate her life in a very present and mindful type of way. The new song is “about the motions of everyday life and how experiences, no matter big or small, make up the person ...
Tegan and Sara’s High School Memoir Being Developed into TV Series
Last fall, indie pop duo Tegan and Sara released their first-ever memoir, High School. That book is now being adapted into a TV series by filmmaker and actress Clea DuVall. High School traced the origins of the Calgary-born Quin sisters, from their days spent raving in the’90s to their current status as both pop music and LGBTQ icons. The forthcoming coming-of-age comedy, also dubbed High School, follows suit. A longer synopsis from Deadline reads: “Through a backdrop of ’90s grunge and rave culture, the series tangles itself in the parallel and discordant memories of two sisters growing up down the hall from one another. This is a story about finding your own identity — a journey made even more complicated when you have a twin whose own struggle and self-discovery so closely mim...
Mac DeMarco Joins Benny Sings on New Song “Rolled Up”: Stream
For Record Store Day, Mac DeMarco released not one, but two new demo albums for 2019’s Here Comes the Cowboy. The jizz jazzer has returned now with a feature on “Rolled Up”, the latest single from Dutch pop artist Benny Sings. DeMarco’s lo-fi and lax aesthetic is well represented here, as is Benny Sings’ throwback groove, which sounds like a cross between the Bee Gees and The Stylistics. For all the chillness between them, though, “Rolled Up” is full of heavy existential reflection: “Rolled up, tossed out/ Trying to understand why my life turned south/ Oh I’m holed up, locked out, shut in, held down,” the opening verse reads. In a statement, Benny Sings talked about the track’s meaning and how it came together back during pre-coronavirus times: “The song is about being in the dumps without...
Artist of the Month beabadoobee Unleashes the Raw and Gutting Fake It Flowers: Review
The Lowdown: If you’ve ever scrolled TikTok, you’ve heard beabadoobee’s sweet single “Coffee”. It — plus a song that samples it — has been used to soundtrack almost every clip that includes any of the following: a nausea-inducing relationship montage, a racoon (or other wild animal) doing something kind of cute, or a craft project that you will absolutely never do but bookmark anyway. “Coffee” had taken off even before it made its way onto the omnipresent app, when it was posted by 1-800-LOVE-U, a popular YouTube channel with 700,000-plus subscribers. Characterized by a soft, almost dissolvable voice, the song is just under two minutes of simple guitar chords, doughy lyrics, and pleasant feelings. It’s charming, the equivalent of a gentle hug and kiss on the forehead. If, at times, the son...
Claud Signs to Phoebe Bridgers’ Label, Shares New Song “Gold”: Stream
Earlier this month, Phoebe Bridgers launched her very own record label called Saddest Factory, and today she’s announced the imprint’s inaugural signing. The Brooklyn indie pop musician Claud (they/them) is the first artist on the roster, and they’re kicking off the partnership with a new song called “Gold”. Bridgers previously said that her vision for the Dead Oceans imprint is “good songs, regardless of genre”, and “Gold” definitely qualifies. Previous Claud tracks like “Wish You Were Gay” (not to be confused with the Billie Eilish tune) and “If I Were You” were more outwardly melodic and brisk, but “Gold” has has a resigned haziness to it. Claud’s frustration with the ending of a relationship comes through not just in their fatigued vocal delivery, but also the misty harmonies and ...
CHAI Share Sub Pop Debut Single “Donuts Mind If I Do”: Stream
Japanese indie pop band CHAI have signed to Sub Pop Records, and are now sharing their first song on the label, “Donuts Mind If I Do”. The track is the latest in a string of singles from Nagoya-based band, following “Ready Cheeky Pretty”, “keep on rocking”, and their Hinds collaboration “UNITED GIRLS ROCK’N’ROLL CLUB”, among others. Compared to their 2019 album Punk, and even their 2017 debut Pink, “Donuts Mind If I Do” has a much more relaxed vibe that might be signaling a new direction for the quartet. Instead of their usual blend of eccentric pop and giddy punk, this tune moves at a gentle sway and is stuffed with ’80s-esque synths and percussion that create a sense of dreamy lushness. The soaring harmonies are sung in the way of ’70s girl groups, but everything else about the song...
Sylvan Esso Share a Mystical Partnership on Free Love: Review
The Lowdown: At first glance, the crowd at a Sylvan Esso show may look still. Hone in on the mound of bodies, though, and you’ll see that the opposite is true: The crowd is moving unanimously. “Just imagine you’re the seaweed in Ursula’s cave,” lead singer Amelia Meath said during the band’s 2015 Tiny Desk Concert. Although she cringed at herself after sharing the thought, it was a resoundingly accurate way to describe the innate physical reaction the band provokes. Comprised of Meath and producer Nick Sanborn, the duo formed in 2013 after unearthing the power of their combined talents. Meath told her then-boss Feist, “It’s sort of electronic music and he’s going to make beats and I’m going to sing and it’s going to be massive and amazing,” according to an Entertainment Weekly interview. A...
Lykke Li Covers Gloria Gaynor Classic “I Will Survive”: Stream
It’s been well over a year since we’ve heard anything new from Lykke Li. That changes today, however, with the release of a fresh cover song. Fitting considering these unprecedented times, she has tackled the Gloria Gaynor anthem “I Will Survive”. In 2018, the Swedish songwriter effortlessly turned mournful brooding into something hot and heavy on her bluntly titled but very good so sad so sexy. It should come as no surprise, then, that her rendition of a disco classic sounds far and away from Gaynor’s original 1979 vision. That’s not to say the cover isn’t worth a spin or two, especially if you’re a fan of the way Li can evoke a very specific fragile ambiance. Hear it for yourself below, and then revisit Gaynor’s recent interview on This Must Be the Gig. Lately, Li has been surviving...
MICHELLE and Arlo Parks Collaborate on New Version of “Sunrise”: Stream
Earlier this summer, New York City collective MICHELLE returned with “Sunrise”, their first single since 2018. Today, the R&B-inspired group of mostly queer PoC are releasing an alternate version of that song featuring new contributions from British poet and bedroom pop artist Arlo Parks. This new collaboration doubles down on the feel-good warmth of the original track, breezy, sunbaked melodies and all. Its air of longing — specifically for someone who’s definitely not worth a second chance — also remains, but is further emphasized by Parks’ additional verse. Although just 20 years old, Parks has earned a reputation for brutally raw and honest songs — including perhaps one of the most devastating of the year — and she shows that same self awareness here, recognizing that she needs to ...
Anna McClellan Announces New Album I saw first light, Shares Two Singles: Stream
Indie pop songwriter Anna McClellan has announced a new album titled I saw first light, set to arrive November 20th. To accompanying today’s news, the Omaha musician has shared two new singles, “Desperate” and “Pace of the Universe”. The record is McClellan’s third full-length to date and second for Father/Daughter Records following her 2018 album Yes and No. Early on in her career, the Nebraska-born singer-songwriter was cosigned by Frankie Cosmos, which gave her profile a boost and placed her in a league of comparable contemporaries. Like Cosmos and others such as Florist and Dear Nora, McClellan makes soft, relatively lo-fi twee pop with intimate subject matter and clever lyrics. Unlike those other acts, though, McClellan’s songs have a woozy and whimsical swing to them that’s distinctl...
