Browsing Tag

Jangle Pop

Fading Out created the ultimate indie jangle pop anthem for the socially awkward with ‘So Embarrassing’

Posted on 17 October 2022
https://soundcloud.com/fadingoutmusic/so-embarrassing-master-v2/s-s15z5l7eAYc?si=379ae0cb9c0243bb91ef1336573ded22&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Brooklyn—based singer-songwriter, Fading Out (Evan Bieber) has launched the latest single, So Awkward, from his forthcoming debut EP, Maybe I Thought About You Once, and shared the ultimate indie anthem for the socially awkward.

With his upbeat approach to broaching cringeworthy moments, it is enough to instil you with a newfound sense of humility. The single, inspired by those everyday moments that compel you to run the second a micro faux pas slips out, is just a fraction of the introspective gold forged in his upcoming LP.

With a sonic palette that would complement any playlists featuring Peace, Swim Deep, Viola Beach and Jaws, So Embarrassing would be on the cusp of contemporary trends if it didn’t transcend them with the extra vigour in the angular jangle-pop guitars, which any indie rock fan will register as next level. Fading out even gives Marr & Robert Smith a run for their money with the intricately melodic gravitas in this colourful earworm that will stick to your synapses like superglue from the first hit.

So Embarrassing will officially release on October 17th. Check it out on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Manchester’s Dakota Avenue cry out for sanctity in their indie anthem, Slap Me Silly

Posted on 3 June 2022

No feeling can compare to hearing a sentiment that you’ve only ever heard reverberating around the most private corners of your mind versed through compassionately honeyed vocals. And that is exactly what the Manchester-based outfit, Dakota Avenue, delivers through their latest single, Slap Me Silly. Far from a masochistic howl into the void, Slap Me Silly claws into the soul-biting issue of needing someone that knows you enough to offer a firm guiding hand to pull you back into a state of sanctity.

It is about time Manchester’s music scene stopped being defined by nostalgia and started to revolve around the contemporary crafted resonance delivered by acts as energizingly profound as Dakota Avenue. Their indie jangle-pop melodies, cataclysmic crescendos and 80s-inspired synths are a hotbed of evocatively charged stylised alchemy.

But Dakota Avenue certainly hasn’t failed to gain traction; they’ve garnered radio play from Amazing Radio and XS Manchester, performed live sessions for BBC Introducing and played to thousands at festivals, and garnered critical acclaim from across the board. As a fellow Mancunian, I wouldn’t hesitate to sell Dakota Avenue as one of the hottest acts this side of the Mersey.

Slap Me Silly is due for official release on June 3rd; check it out for yourselves here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

San Gabriel brings panache to 80s indie-pop through his latest single, Tape Machine.

Posted on 27 October 2021

It was impossible to forget San Gabriel after hearing the luscious guitar tones in his debut single, Another One. Based on his third single, Tape Machine, it’s safe to say that he’s found his signature sound by mixing shimmering shoegaze guitars with 80s dance-pop beats that bring the energy while his angular guitar notes add absorbing layers to his instantly enamouring aural eclecticism.

Listening to Tape Machine instantly becomes a subjective experience as you’re enraptured by the sheer innovation and the magnetically warm vocal timbre that practically bathes you in soul. Despite the striking authenticity in his sound, it’s all too easy to succumb to efficacious hooks in the high vibe poppy hit that masterfully stands leagues apart from other indie newcomers in 2021. If you’re as tired as I am of indie assimilators, you won’t regret hitting play.

Tape Machine is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shake off the existentialism with Chris Sunfield’s symphonic baroque pop single, Tomorrow’s Here.

Posted on 14 October 2021

‘Tomorrow’s Here’ is the latest symphonic baroque pop release from singer-songwriter Chris Sunfield. It carries a similar uplifting finesse to the Manic Street Preacher’s latest album with plenty of extra added cosmic bliss.

With the orchestral scores against the enlivening jangle-pop riffs that prop up the layered choral vocals, Tomorrow’s Here is a sure-fire serotonin fix. With ‘we are asleep inside, we are the dreams we hide behind, who we fear to be, slumbering in a bed of history’ as an opening lyric, straight off the bat, you get the affirmation that Sunfield is an artist with a wealth of enlightened intelligence to offer to the existential.

Tomorrow’s Here is now available to stream on Spotify – don’t sleep on it.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Night Alone have released their cinematic indie-pop jam, Took My Breath Away.

Posted on 11 August 2021

With each new release being a refreshingly arranged amalgamation of pop, indie and rock, guessing what will come next from The Night Alone is an exercise in futility. Their latest single, Took My Breath Away, transcends both the synth-pop and indie pop-rock trends.

If the Editors brightened their tonal palette and opted for atmospherically euphoric vocals, you can get a sense of what The Night Alone brought to the airwaves with Took My Breath Away. The infectiously hook-filled earworm is prime material for your indie-pop summer playlists.

Took My Breath Away is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Modern Day Miracle has released their sonic indie power-pop sophomore single, Falling in a Dream.

Posted on 5 August 2021

Modern Day Miracle’s sophomore release, Falling in a Dream, has already racked up over 370k streams on Spotify alone. The electronic indie pop-rock single errs on the side of melancholy lyrically but the feisty anthem energizes you away from apathy as you listen to the effervescent jangle pop guitars, playful synth-pop melodies and power-pop hooks.

If someone sugar-coated and stripped the years off the Strokes, we’re fairly sure that the aural result wouldn’t be all too far from Falling in a Dream. Even from just listening to one single, we’re filled with that instinct to back the blossoming powerhouse that could easily have main festival stage crowds eating out of their deft hands.

You can check out the punchy pop-rock hit for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sign of Angelo – Future Finds Us featuring Bethii.

Posted on 13 July 2021

The mix of indie jangle pop and 80s synthpop is a common cocktail in 2021 but Sign of Angelo succeeded in creating a release that piques your interest in the intro and leaves you captivated by the outro.

His latest single, Future Finds Us, was created in collaboration with Bethii; it is just one of the melodically sweet singles that preceded the release of the debut album, To TheHuman. Sign of Angelo is a relatively new name to the airwaves but the solo artist behind it has been honing his talent for over ten years since releasing music with the popular synthpop outfit Muchuu.

Sign of Angelo’s debut album, To The Human, is due for release on July 16th. Fans of Coldplay, Bastille, M83 and Imogen Heap won’t want to miss it.

The official music video is available to stream via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jord has released his indie dream-pop pride anthem ‘(Gay) Teenage Dream’.

Posted on 27 June 2021
https://soundcloud.com/jordan-barhydt/gay-teenage-dream-1/s-f7llP4A90nl

Following on from his chill electropop debut single, ‘Fuck, I’m Not Famous’ that hit the airwaves in May 2021, Chicago-born, NYC-based artist Jord has released his sophomore single, ‘(Gay) Teenage Dream’.

The single that was released for Pride month is a stunning feat of indie-pop with intricate shoegaze nuances found in the cutting angular guitar notes that pop around the danceable electropop beats, tender piano melodies and the deep sense of soul that won’t fail to fill your own.

Given that most queer people’s teenage years aren’t anywhere near as idyllic as the tones you will hear in the release, (Gay) Teenage Dream is a stunningly consoling single that allows your imagination to run rampant through sweet hazy possibilities.

The lyrics, “I don’t care if I’m not 17, I just want to live the gay teenage dream”, are profoundly reflective of the sadness and sense of loss felt by many members of the LGBTQ+ community as they come of age and have little affection to look back on. He’s the queer pop artist we never knew we needed.

There will be plenty more from Jord throughout 2021 and beyond. iI he isn’t already on your radar, make room.

(Gay) Teenage Dream released on June 25th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Post-punk pioneers, Tube Amp 101, are set to release their single, ‘Strawberry Smile’

Posted on 15 June 2021
Tube Amp 101

Perth, Australia’s most promising indie post-punk outfit, Tube Amp 101 are set to release their sophomore EP, True Friend which features their mesmerising lead single, Strawberry Smile.

Fans of Echo and the Bunnymen, Desperate Journalist, Big Thief and the Smiths are sure to appreciate the overdriven tones overlapping snappy, fervent percussion to create a bed for the dream pop-style vocals that add a stunning sense of vulnerability to the release.

Living in Manchester UK, I’ve heard my fair share of post-punk and indie jangle pop, but it is safe to say that nothing flows in the same lusciously dark vein as Strawberry Smile.

You will be able to check out Strawberry Smile from June 18th via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kama Tala has unleashed their Caribbean funk-soaked jangle-pop single, ‘Honore’

Posted on 6 April 2021

If you could imagine what it would sound like if the Smiths was a Caribbean pop outfit, you will be able to get an idea of the jangly magnetism contained in Kama Tala’s recently released single, ‘Honore’.

The Chicago-hailing artist crosses borders and merges everything from soul to rock to pop to jazz in their sun-soaked tracks, but that’s not the most notable facet of Kama Tala’s talent.

The ingenuity largely stems from the seamless melding of the genres while never detracting from the accessibility of his sound. But the true distinction comes through their heartfelt vocal delivery. In a time when physical communities are inaccessible and social media has become a minefield of toxicity, tracks such as Honore are utterly priceless for the way they reach out to you and offer freshly orchestrated positive connection.

Honore is available to stream via SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast