Indie Rock
Guided by Voices Announce Third Album of 2020, Share “Mr. Child”: Stream
Proving the pandemic hasn’t put a major dent in their plans, prolific band Guided by Voices are announcing their third album of 2020. Titled Styles We Paid For, it’s due for arrival December 11th via the aptly named Rockathon Records. The upcoming project follows closely behind February’s Surrender Your Poppy Field and July’s Mirrored Aztec. Frontman Robert Pollard originally envisioned it to be an all-analog LP called Before Computers, but with lockdown in place, GBV were forced to take their creative process online. “The pandemic obviously changed our recording plans and ironically it was all recorded digitally on computers,” Pollard told Rolling Stone. Each member contributed their parts from their own faraway quarantine locations — guitarist Doug Gillard in New York, ba...
Shura Remixes Becca Mancari’s “Lonely Boy”: Stream
Back in June, Becca Mancari released her excellent debut album, The Greatest Part, via Captured Tracks. Today, our former Artist of the Month has shared a remixed version of the single “Lonely Boy” by none other than our former CoSign, UK electro-pop artist Shura, Although The Greatest Part was produced by Paramore’s Zac Farro, Mancari’s sound has more roots in indie music than pop or pop-punk. The original version of “Lonely Boy” is a catchy indie rock track with a bumpy bassline and a dreamy hook, but there’s a spaciness to the song that translates really well in Shura’s dance-pop context. In the remix, the main hook of the tune remains intact, but Shura adds some clubby flair and an epic drum breakdown that transitions into a dazzling synth melody. In their respective press st...
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...
The National’s Matt Berninger Releases Debut Solo Album Serpentine Prison: Stream
Matt Berninger of The National has released his debut solo album Serpentine Prison. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. The album was produced by the legendary Booker T. Jones, and features contributions from Andrew Bird, The National’s Scott Devendorf, The Walkmen’s Walter Martin and Matt Barrick, and Menomena’s Brent Knopf. But the only other artist actually heard on Serpentine Prison is Gail Ann Dorsey, whose vocals featured on six of the tracks from the 2019 The National album I Am Easy to Find. Here, there’s little to distract from Berninger’s mellifluous voice. In a review of Serpentine Prison for Consequence of Sound, Jordan Blum wrote, “Serpentine Prison isn’t the drastic change of pace that many frontmen create when they do a project outside o...
The Hold Steady Announce 10th Anniversary Reissue of Heaven Is Whenever, Share Previously Unreleased “Separate Vacations”: Stream
It’s been 10 long years since The Hold Steady released their fifth studio album, Heaven Is Whenever. To mark the anniversary, the band will reissue an expanded deluxe edition of the LP featuring previously unreleased songs, demos, and alternate takes. Due out November 27th via Vagrant Records, the double-album reissue consists of a newly remastered version of Heaven Is Whenever, along with nine (!) bonus tracks. Some of these unearthed songs are called “Ascension Blues”, “Touchless”, “Beer on the Bedstand”, and “Wonderful Struggle”. There’s also an alternate take on “We Can Get Together”. For those fans hankering for even more goodies, the digital version of the reissue comes with an additional six tracks. Most are recordings from The Hold Steady’s Avatar Sessions with Franz Nicolay (...
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...
beabadoobee Releases Debut Album Fake It Flowers: Stream
Artist of the Month and London-based indie rocker beabadoobee has released her highly anticipated debut album, Fake It Flowers. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. Fake It Flowers is Bea Kristi’s first full-length record under the moniker beabadoobee. It follows five EPs, including her 2019 releases Space Cadet and Loveworm. The 12-track record includes the previously released singles “How Was Your Day?”, “Worth It”, “Sorry”, and “Care”, the latter of which stole the Song of the Week spotlight. Not only is Fake It Flowers one of the most anticipated albums of 2020, but it’s also a long-but-short time coming milestone for beabadoobee herself. While talking with CoS in a new interview, Kristi revealed that she was surprised how quickly songwriting came to her, especially considering ...
Local Natives Announce New EP, Share Sharon Van Etten Collaboration “Lemon”: Stream
Local Natives will return next week with a new EP titled Sour Lemon. Out through Loma Vista Recordings, it’s being teased today with the almost-title track “Lemon”, a collaboration with Sharon Van Etten. The upcoming EP comes a little over a year after Local Natives’ 2019 album, Violet Street. In a statement, the California indie rockers talked about how the effort’s four tracks materialized in their own time, and separate from a proper album cycle. “There’s something freeing about writing without the goal of an album in mind. It feels like waking up for class only to realize that it’s Saturday and you can sleep in as long as you want,” they remarked. “The songs on Sour Lemon each have their own long histories but they all finally decided to arrive at the same time. Rather than waitin...
Chromeo Remixes Dirty Projectors’ “Lose Your Love”: Stream
Felicia Douglass of Dirty Projectors (photo by Jason Frank Rothenberg) and Chromeo (photo by Heather Kaplan) In May, the Dirty Projectors released the perfectly effervescent new single “Lose Your Love”, fronted by keyboardist and percussionist Felicia Douglass. That little slice of heaven has already attracted one remix from Jimmy “The Senator” Douglass, a Grammy-winning producer who also happens to be Felicia’s father. Now, electro-funk duo Chromeo have dropped remix number two, giving the track their own disco-ball spin. The original “Lose Your Love” used warm synths and whimsical, chipmunk-soul samples to put some bounce in your step. In contrast, the Chromeo remix finds a harder, sweatier approach, the better for dancing all night. In Club Chromeo, the strutting bass line holds the flo...
CARM (of yMusic) Shares New Song “Land” Featuring Justin Vernon: Stream
After a decade of guesting on high-profile albums, founding member of yMusic CARM (CJ Camerieri) will drop his star-studded solo debut CARM next year. His latest single is “Land”, which reunites him with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. yMusic is a contemporary classical ensemble, and over the last few years they’ve become one of the most in-demand backing bands in the world. Led by trumpeter Camerieri and violinist Rob Moose, they’ve appeared on recent Bruce Hornsby efforts Non-Secure Connection and Absolute Zero, Paul Simon’s In the Blue Light, and Ben Folds’ So There, to name a few. Camerieri has also won two Grammy awards as a member of Bon Iver, and he comes highly recommended by that group’s lead singer. As Vernon said in a statement, “CJ and I have worked together ...
Cloud Nothings Announce New Album The Shadow I Remember, Share “Am I Something”: Stream
This past July, Cloud Nothings dropped a surprise album titled The Black Hole Understands, written entirely during quarantine. They’re back today with the announcement of yet another full-length record: The Shadow I Remember is due out February 26th via Carpark Records. The band is also prepping a reissue of their debut LP, Turning On, in honor of its 10th anniversary. The Shadow I Remember sees the indie rockers reuniting with Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studios in Chicago. The veteran producer previously worked on Cloud Nothings’ acclaimed Attack on Memory, one of our favorite rock albums of the 2010s. According to a statement, frontman Dylan Baldi came up with nearly 30 demos before finally whittling down the new album to 11 tracks. And instead of leaning into hi...
Julia Jacklin Unveils New Songs “to Perth, before the border closes” and “CRY”: Stream
Australian songwriter Julia Jacklin has unveiled a pair of new songs: “to Perth, before the border closes” and “CRY”. Both cuts are available as a 7-inch as part of the Sub Pop Singles Club, Vol. 5. As you probably guessed from the titles, these tracks were written in quarantine. This past March, Jacklin was nearly finished with a year-long world tour in support of her excellent sophomore album Crushing, when the Australian government issued a series of lockdown orders. After half-a-decade of nearly nonstop touring, Jacklin was forced to pick a spot and stay there. She chose Perth, and “to Perth, before the border closes” was written in that moment of turmoil. She sings, “I loved it there/ That city held me/ Don’t you know that everything changes?” In a statement, Jacklin explained wh...
