Browsing Tag

New Wave Indie Pop

Indie pop’s most endearingly ruthless renegade, Stella., struck again with his latest earworm, Friendly Reminder

Stella. reached his subversive zenith with his latest alt-indie pop earworm, Friendly Reminder, which is anything but what it says on the tin. The neon-lit synth lines may deliver nothing but pure euphoria, but the lyrics, as they pour from the singer-songwriter’s euphonic vocal register, reach the epitome of ruthlessness to remedy anyone who still carries contempt for their toxic exes.

The sticky-sweet synth-pop hooks and Stella.’s organically seraphic harmonies honey the cathartically cut-throat lyrics, making you almost second guess the reprises given the juxtaposition between the butter-wouldn’t-melt textures and the vindicating attestations to how healing doesn’t always need to lead to wishing the best for someone who deserves to discover that karma is an even bigger bitch than they are.

If you constantly find yourself tied to trauma bonds, follow Stella. like your life depends on it; he’s a rare artist that can cut through the static of superficial pop, hit close to the bone and deliver anthems that are as infectious as they are empowering.

As an ingenious way of supporting his new release, the NYC singer-songwriter developed his own dating app; swipe your way into your next clusterfuck situationship here.

Friendly Reminder was officially released on September 27; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Follow Stella. on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Midnight Affairs unleashed their infectiously erratic alt-indie earworm, Blame It on You

For their sophomore release, Blame It on You, the Auckland pop/rock trio, Midnight Affairs, launched a hyper-frenetic hit that affronts the senses with a glitchwavey saturated in delay electro-pop intro before bringing in sticky-sweet neon-lit synth carved melodies which transcend the new wave indie pop trends to implant the independent artist’s sound in unchartered territory few would be bold enough to sonically roam in.

The lamentation of how memories of infatuation can become unescapable haunting spectres which could lead the sanest of minds to the brink of madness anchors the high-octane anthem of mental disquietude in visceral resonance to vindicate the romantically scorned and attest to the independent artist’s ability to render raw emotions into their superlative sound.

The intensity of the production, how deep the hooks sink in, and the infectiously erratic earworm appeal of Blame It on You will undoubtedly see Midnight Affairs go far. With a 5-track EP due for release later this year, Midnight Affairs becoming New Zealand’s premier indie pop rock band isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Blame It on You is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast