Greetings readers,
Today I will highlight some of my Spotlight selections from artists’ albums and tracks released last month. If you’re just joining the family, my Spotlight series focuses on new releases from emerging or under-appreciated artists from around the globe, excluding debuts (I handle those separately!)
March has felt like a year. I was supposed to go New Colossus Festival at the start, but had to cancel my trip as the horrors still persist with my disc herniation issues. However, I was still able to write about New Colossus and music discovery with Gabbie and Jeff Van Dreason: read here. At least I got to go to my first concert of the year - some local bands playing in walking distance of my house - and do some volunteering with WXPN. I’m slowly getting back into it!
And of course, there were a million releases. It was hard to keep up, and even harder to narrow down this list, but here are some recommendations that tickled my ears this month. (And check out the playlist at the end for everything I enjoyed.)
Spotlight: Albums and EPs
TA GA DA - Last Party On Earth
[Padua, Italy] - alternative rock, indie rock, Brit Pop
FFO: Weezer, Shame, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Stone Roses
I’m always happy to put my college minor in Italian to use and find some Italo-bands, but luckily this album delivers all of its lyrics in English for those who aren’t as fluent. There’s a comforting nostalgic sound to these alternative rock tracks, with their power-pop delivery and melodic riffs. And as a brain dump, I also love to read the name of this band to the tune of Foals’ “Two Steps, Twice.”
Want more Paduan indie rock? Check out The Junction - The Junction.
Outer Shapes - FORWARD BACKWARD (EP)
[New York, NY] - indie pop, indie rock, indietronica
FFO: Bully, Glass Animals, Sir Sly, Zero 7
This NYC-based duo records and produces their music in their home studio, and even designs/animates their own music videos. There’s a good blend of genres on this EP, but I would say it mostly leans toward early 2010s indie pop rock, delivering smooth and honey-like vocals over upbeat tracks. The group has yet to release a debut LP, so it’s one to keep on your radar.
VIAL - Hellhound
[Minneapolis, MN] - punk, indie rock, alternative
FFO: THICK, Pinkshift, Be Your Own Pet
I’ve been following VIAL for a few years, and it’s impressive that my dedication to them can withstand an anti-Philadelphia song on the album (“BOREDOM/COMBUSTION” stopped me dead in my tracks). And while I hope someone can ease their ill-advised views of this fantastic city one day, I don’t want to deter people from checking out the rest of this hard-hitting punk release, because it truly rocks.
Want more female-fronted punk, but from NJ? Check out best dressed ghost - Let’s Go Home (EP).
Footballhead - Weight Of The Truth
[Chicago, IL] - 90s alternative, post-hardcore, pop punk, pop rock
FFO: Jimmy Eat World, Ben Quad, Arm’s Length
Footballhead was one of the groups I featured on my Artists To Watch list for this year, and their third album may be my favorite release of theirs. It packs a punch from the beginning, adding more post-hardcore vocals to the tracks, and showcases the great songwriting skills Ryan has developed over the years through its melodies and lyrics.
Want more similar 90s alt emo sound? Check out Heavywave - Who Are You.
Witch Post - Butterfly (EP)
[Scotland x America] - indie rock, fuzz rock, bedroom pop
FFO: Shout Out Louds, New Radicals, Pixies, Peter Bjorn and John
Another pick from my Artists To Watch list! What I love most about this band is their complimentary vocals, with Dylan Fraser and Alaska Reid delivering beautiful harmonies that melt into each other. Their storytelling almost leans more toward folklore, but the sound is straightforward indie rock, with a bit of that 90s/00s nostalgia. This EP is an incredible follow up to their debut EP from last year, and I can’t wait for the eventual album to come.
Looking for a similar indie rock sound? Check out Sloe Noon - Principles In The Way Of Progress (EP).
Stuck - Optimizer
[Chicago, IL] - post-punk, noise-rock
FFO: Deeper, Shame, Interpol
IDK what it is about me, but I love a band that’s a trio. This is the third release from these punk heroes, harnessing some of that gritty Chicago scene energy. This translates into a punchy post-punk album that blatantly discusses all the ways the world kinda sucks right now; well, except for musical releases, so find your escape with this one!
Looking for a more garage rock lean? Check out Bad//Dreems - Ultra Dundee.
Bonus enjoyments: WAAX - ANGEL’S MESS, Surfbort - Reality Star, Tennis Courts - Why Would We Fight?, Gladie - No Need To Be Lonely
Spotlight: Singles
If you like trip-hop x indie rock, and bands like Sorry or Cocteau Twins, check out:
Sandhouse - “Snapdragon” [London, UK]
If you like egg punk (La Securite) and indie whimsy (Portugal. The Man), check out:
media puzzle - “Knowledge” [Lismore, Australia]
If you like dreamy indie pop, Lily Allen, Wolf Alice, or cinematic tracks, check out:
Eaves Wilder - “Mountain Sized” [North London, UK]
If you like dance-punk with some humor, like Talking Heads vs Viagra Boys, check out:
Two-Man Giant Squid - “3 Hits” [New York, NY]
Bonus enjoyments: Carver Commodore - “The Tiger”, Deep Thrills - “Lock Me Up”, Adult Leisure - “The Light You Attract”, Sylvie’s Head - “Frankie”
Spotlight: Pre-Debut Artists
Highlighting any monthly tracks that have put me on the radar of a pre-debut artist.
Factory Set
A post-punk group from North Wales, delivering alternative/industrial leaning tracks with a driving force.
born for nothing
This DIY midwest emo band from Dubuque, Iowa delivers hard-hitting pop-punk tracks and has opened for bands like Hot Mulligan.
BONUS: Earworms and Big Hits
I seem to be one of the few people who really enjoyed Harry Styles - Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally, and that took up a lot of my listening time in the early month. While it was not the groove I anticipated from the title, I really enjoyed its 80s/Peter Gabriel influences and it grew on me over a few more listens. If you’ve been on the fence, the Netflix live special (or any live recording) might help push you over.
I’ve been a more passive enjoy-er of Courtney Barnett, but Creature Of Habit really resonated with me, and it’s one of my standout indie rock/singer songwriter albums of the month. “One Thing At A Time” seems to the most poignant, especially when it’s felt like everything has just been piling on top this year.
burger diva and mel's room have been throwing Slayyyter singles to me for months and I was not fully engaging (my bad!), but now that the album (WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA) is here, I get it. This album fucks. I saw a Reddit comment that said this was “Riot Grrrl + Y2K + Recession Pop” and that’s probably a pretty accurate description. It reminds me of Grimes, it reminds me of Charli, it reminds me of the 2000s…one of the top pop albums of the year.
Lastly, I really enjoyed the indie rock x emo release from Tigers Jaw, and the debut project featuring Denzel Curry with the The Scythe.
For singles, nothing got more replays for me this month than “Star” by Iceage. Apparently I’m late to this Elias Rønnenfelt project, but this sound immediately drew me in and had me checking out the back catalog.
Help (2) released this month, and I had pre-ordered the vinyl in excitement for a new Foals track (and the bonus Oasis 7”). But the track that really stood out to me was Cameron Winter’s “Warning.”
Lastly, I really enjoyed singles from Victoria Canal, Metric, and Death Cab For Cutie.
You can find my entire Monthly Highlights playlist below - this playlist will reset on the 10th, so be sure to Save it to keep up with next month’s releases. You can find all of my Spotify, Apple Music, and Youtube (free) playlists in the corresponding links.
Thanks for reading, and happy new music discovery!
x Erin
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As a soon-to-be Philly resident, I begrudgingly admit that VIAL rocks