Indie splash
We come to you this week with an ear out for everything indie. All tracks are new. Prepare for some pop ear tweaking!
‘Kyoto’ by Phoebe Bridgers
The proficient and infinitely cool Phoebe Bridgers is fast becoming a giant in the world of indie pop songwriting. Her new album “Punisher” is one of the best indie pop albums of 2020. “Kyoto” is an upbeat alt-county sounding number that actually put us in the mood for this column’s concept this week. We’ll definitely review “Punisher” in full soon.
‘Dying To Believe’ by The Beths
The totally nerdy music video of New Zealand indie pop band The Beths got us hooked from the get-go. Looking like true adorable dorks, the premise of “how to be The Beths in four easy steps” is the kind of selfmocking that reminds us pop is not just about being packaged pretty and nice. Sometimes, a little irony, creativity and most importantly, a kicking catchy melody is just the thing to get you on the right path.
That is what “Dying To Believe” has got in spades! Singer Elizabeth Stokes has got a sweet-sounding voice to go with her witty, conversational lyrics. And the track---a pumping, rhythm guitar driven number that is tight as it is melodious---is just the type of upbeat number to get us out of these pandemic doldrums. The Beths was formed in 2015 in Auckland, New Zealand. Aside from Stokes, the members are guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair and drummer Tristan Deck.
The band’s upcoming album is “Jump Rope Gazers” that comes after “Out Of Sight” and “Future Me Hates Me.”
‘Loner’ by Dehd
This Chicago trio takes offbeat weird to a new level as seen on the music video of their new song “Loner.”
The band – – lead vocalist and bassist Emily Kampf, guitarist Jason Balla and drummer Eric McGrady – seems easy to peg at first, what with their modern pop rock-new wave amalgam sound, mixed with Kampf’s Siouxsie And Banshees-like vocal timbre. But then there’s the music video, where all the weirdness starts (think hellish-looking angel and she devil meet in a girly bar where messy boot fetish ensue).
“Loner” is from their new album “Flower Of Devotion.”
‘I Wanna Be There’ by Liza Anne
This song has got all the makings of classy indie classic. Check out the tasty synths, effervescent melodies and an even more lively tone that comes out of Liza Anne’s singing. Hear more of her brand of sparkling singersongwriter pop on her new five-song set, “I Wanna Be There.”