Brimheim - hurting me for fun
Brimheim’s “hurting me for fun” is more than just a song. It’s an anthem. It’s a moment in time - suspended in dark matter. It’s a heartfelt journey into all the experiences and memories that make us uniquely human. And it’s a character study into the driving forces behind Brimheim, aka Helena Heinesen Rebensdorff’s, sonic makeup. This Copenhagen-based artist is new on the scene, but her debut LP can’t hurt myself into a different shape is as polished and mature as it gets. The reservoir of emotions “hurting me for fun” taps into seems endless, but what magnifies this powerful track even further is the production value behind it. Throughout the record, she and producer Søren Buhl Lassen rely on some creative reverb automation, particularly on the vocals, to amplify the point(s) they’re trying to convey. And they take it one step further on “hurting me for fun,” as they close out the song, and the album, with an absolute bang using some crushing distortion and a quick window of deep house sidechain pumping before a final moment of clarity. It’s the instance of coming across these sorts of goosebump-inducing moments (also know as frisson) that make the often-exhausting job of music curation and discovery more than worth it.
The Moving Stills - U and Me
Like seasoning the prefect dish or mixing a classy cocktail, combining surf rock with garage pop requires a delicate balance. If not done right, you’ve got a recipe where one flavor overpowers another or, even worse, it just tastes plain bad. The Moving Stills clearly took this into consideration prior to working on their excellent debut LP, Sunshine Corner. This four-piece from New South Wales, Australia have a familiar sound that’s kept fresh with tunes that are as fun as they are wholesome, such as “U and Me.” Straight out of the playbook of The Drums smash hit track “Money", this one’s similarly driven by a strong bassline, fuzzy guitar chords, and those quintessential falsetto notes from lead singer Mike Drennan. With a sound this infectious, we don’t expect The Moving Stills to be flying under the radar for much longer.
Anaïs Mitchell - Watershed
Anais Mitchell is one-of-a-kind. No one makes music like her, but that doesn’t mean we can’t convey our point with a few apt comparisons. She’s got the poignant lyrics of Phoebe Bridgers, the sentimental charisma of Damien Rice, the unbounding authenticity of Destroyer, and the legendary folk status of Bon Iver. If that ringing endorsement doesn’t convince a newcomer to begin their journey down Mitchell's transfixing catalogue, nothing will. And looking back on that catalogue, it’s one we’ve grown up to. And, coincidentally, some of her songs have grown up, too. “Now You Know,” formerly featured on her compilation record Xoa, received quite the full-band makeover from its original, acoustic upbringing. You’ll find that tune alongside nine others on her brand-new, self-titled album - which we’re crowning as the first exceptional record of 2022. It was hard to choose just one song to feature here, but we’re going with the closer, “Watershed.” It’s an elegant and touching tune, powered by a grand piano melody and Mitchell’s heartfelt lyrics that weave tell a tale of hardship, adversity, and human resilience.
Lisa Mitchell - I Believe In Kindness
I can’t figure out Lisa Mitchell. You look on her Spotify page and she’s clearly mainstream, but then you dive in to her catalogue - and it’s all over the place. From a series of popular covers to hits from her 2009 record Wonder, which, if I am being honest, don’t sound much at all like her new releases. But I don’t know enough about her to determine whether this is Lisa Mitchell reinventing herself, simply exploring a new genre of delicate folk, or a little of both. What I do know is that her newest single “I Believe in Kindness” has shook me to the core. It takes a poignant dive into the best and worst elements that make up the human condition - and the result is something overwhelmingly……real. The stellar production of this spellbinding tune (lead by Big Scary’s Tom Iansek) is worthy of a discussion its own, but it’s going to take some time for us to fully digest and appreciate. For now, we’re simply over the moon about this excellent track and intent on sharing it with everyone we know.
Palace - Shoals
If you even casually spend your time navigating the indie rock scene, you’ve probably heard of Palace. While they are still technically classified as indie as per the definition of being signed to an independent label (Fiction Records), any other metric you’d go by would lead you to conclude that these guys are big time - and deservedly so. This UK four-piece are on the cusp of having released their excellent third full-length LP titled Shoals. They made a splash at the end of 2021 with a run up of single releases, but with the entire record now at our listening disposal, they’ve ventured into full-on wave territory. The title track, “Shoals,” is one you’ve got to brace for prior to giving a proper listen. A slow, meticulous build up guided by some lush guitar notes and wavy vocal harmonies culminates with a huge chorus that can only be described as sonic bliss. Enough to leave any listener satisfied despite the emotional resources a tune like this might take out of you.
Mild Orange - Oh Yeah
We did not anticipate liking Mild Orange’s “Oh Yeah” as much as we do. And that’s not a knock against them. In fact, we had never heard of this New Zealand-based indie rock four-piece until earlier this morning. It’s just that, when you’re taking one last deep dive into the darkest recesses of the weekly new release bin, you don’t often like what you find at the bottom. Except when you come across a brilliant gem like “Oh Yeah,” which validates the seemingly endless hours you spent “nexting” your way through abrasive sound after abrasive sound that masquerade as music. We’re getting some serious Dinosaur Jr./Pavement vibes, but there’s also something intrinsically modern about this song - and it’s one we’ll be coming back to a lot this year. Look out for their new record, Looking for Space, due February 11th.
Freak Slug - Out of the Blue
Freak Slug self describes her musical style as “inspired by the 90s, some 60s, and some of now.” The woman behind the moniker, Xenya Genovese, just recently made her way onto our radar, and those influences (she cites early Grimes and Joy Division) are apparent on her new single “Out of the Blue.” It’s a mellow tune with some hazy psychedelic vibes that align with whatever genre you’d classify Mac Demarco and King Krule as. But as we make our way through the rest of her catalogue, it’s clear she’s not following by any known rules or standards as she forges her own path in the music industry. With this being her first release since 2020, we’ll be expecting more lush tunes to vibe to from Freak Slug in the coming months.
No Star - Slip
You can tell a lot about an undiscovered artist’s level of obscurity by their Internet footprint. The metric we prefer to go by is the length of time it takes to find their album art via a simple Google search. In this case of Chicago indie rock duo No Star, they clocked in at a solid 2 minutes and 10 seconds - which equates to “moderately obscure.” Their new single “Slip,” off their Palm Reader EP, is a charismatic alternative rock anthem with quite a grand, encapsulating sound. Grand enough to conclude that this dynamic tune might just need to be heard in an arena in order to be fully appreciated. And if No Star keeps producing tracks of this quality, they’ll be putting on that first arena show in no time.
Nilüfer Yanya - midnight sun
“midnight sun” by English singer/songwriter Nilüfer Yanya is a challenging listen. And if you’re looking for the feel-good track of the year, you might want to look elsewhere. Kind of like the feeling you used to get watching a Breaking Bad season finale, “midnight sun” elicits a similar feeling of near-visceral discomfort - and yet you’re left wanting more. This enchantingly somber tune breaks the mold of what we’re traditionally used to in the indie rock genre, and if you’re like us, it’s not one that will sound fully “accessible” at first. Only on the third, fourth, fifth listens, preceded by a necessary pallet cleansing session of shameless, indulgently superficial pop, did this track fully resonate with us. Her new record, Painless, is out 3/4/22.
Big Thief - Simulation Swarm
Big Thief has never really been our cup of tea. That’s OK to say out loud, right? We’ve got nothing against the narrative that Pitchfork, Sirius XMU, and every indie blog in between have been pushing for the last few years. And Lord knows we’ve tried to like them, but it’s a fact of life that not every band’s music will resonate with you - that would be weird if it did. However, this isn’t exactly a binary feeling - we do still enjoy a few of their tunes. And you can add one more to that list with the release of their excellent new single, “Simulation Swarm.” It takes us right back to the olden days of basking in the folk glory of Memoryhouse’s The Slideshow Effect or Anais Mitchell’s Hadestown. And, most importantly, it gives us a newfound appreciation for everyone else’s appreciation of Big Thief. After we give their upcoming new record a spin (out 2/11/22), we’ll be diving back into the rest of their catalog to see what other gems we might’ve missed out on the first time around.
Yumi Zouma - In The Eyes Of Our Love
By this point in their career, Yumi Zouma have got this dreampop thing down pat. And they are comfortable enough in their own skin to explore every nook and cranny of the genre. With their newest single “In The Eyes Of Our Love,” we’re getting some notes of pop rock with a slight country infusion - reminiscent of vintage Haim. They’ve coupled this wholesome tune with two others on an EP that will set the stage for their fourth studio LP, Present Tense, out March 18th.
The Knocks - Walking On Water (ft. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs)
In the rare instances when two of my favorite artists join forces, I’ll typically demonstrate a set of conflicting feelings: excitement and anxiety. While both of these artists are unconditionally loved by us, that doesn’t mean that every track of theirs unconditionally resonates with us. But by the time we were halfway through our first listen of “Walking on Water” by The Knocks and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, any anticipatory concerns of disappointment were fully squashed. And instead, we’re now having a discussion about where this is going to fare in our EOY top tracks category. And if you listen close, this track features way more than just that mesmerizing pulsating, filter-sweeped synth with a slight swing variation. TEEDs lush vocal harmonies are crucial, but it’s those subtle, yet inexplicably essential bird calls spruced throughout that wind up as a key driving force behind this fascinatingly brilliant tune.
Boyish - Smithereens
“Smithereens” by NYC duo Boyish comes along when the alt pop market finds itself increasingly saturated with artists looking to recreate the magic of mallrat’s “Groceries” or beabadoobee’s “Coffee.” And while the genre is by no means played out, it takes a concerted effort for new and emerging artists to not sound as if they are rehashing something that’s been done before. “Smithereens” achieves that feat and more, and gives us some newfound faith that this brand of alt pop has still got some juice left in the tank. Conceived following a failed Berklee songwriters showcase audition, Boyish now find themselves no strangers to success. We’ll certainly be tuning in to see what’s in store for this duo in 2022.
Indigo x Lure Division - Blurred
Being out of the blog game for so long, we had to relearn the music discovery process in order to uncover some of those deep-cut gems we used to so often feature back in the day. Kind of like riding a bike, it came back to us pretty quickly - and what we soon thereafter came across was our first exciting new find of 2022. “Blurred” is a fast-paced, lo-fi surf pop tune that had us hooked from the opening guitar riff. Here’s to hoping this is not the last collab we hear between these two exciting up-and-coming hazy rock outfits.
Widowspeak - Everything Is Simple
After recapping a few of our favorite tunes of 2021, it’s time to get back on track and feature those new releases that have recently caught our ear. Let’s get it started with a band that’s been a resident staple in our playlists since we came across “Ballad of the Golden Hour” a near-decade or so ago. We’ve been fixated on Widowspeak’s work ever since, and that culminated with the release of their fifth LP Plum in 2020, which turned out to be our favorite record of that fatefully dreadful year (Owen Pallett gets an honorable mention). The title track, “Plum,” also sits atop our favorite tracks of 2020 list. They’re back in 2022 with the first single off their upcoming record The Jacket, out on 3/11/22. And if “Everything Is Simple” is any indicator, we’re in store for another good one from this always-riveting New York City two piece.
Rostam - Changephobia
We featured Rostam’s “Wood” and “Don’t Let It Get to You” in the “before time” of the Lower Frequencies blog. Back then, circa 2012 or 2013, they were two rather mysterious singles floating around the fringes of the blogosphere. We even recall reaching out to him around that point to inquire about the status of his debut LP, but a “Soon!” was all we got in response. About four years and some change later, the magnificent Half-Light came out. And while that response of his may imply that we can’t necessarily rely on Rostam to show up for a dinner engagement on time, we’ll never have to worry about the quality of the product he puts out. The title track off his 2021 sophomore LP Changephobia weaves a sentimental tale about those creeping feelings of self doubt and fear of change that seem to infiltrate us all from time to time. And while the world is certainly a different place from that “before time,” it’s nice to know some things, like Rostam providing us with excellent listening material, haven’t changed a bit.
Sticky Fingers - Saves The Day
Our infatuation with Sticky Fingers started all the way back in 2013 with a tune that I’ll confidently proclaim as one of the best songs ever made: “Australia Street.” For those who haven’t heard it, I’d strongly encourage you to watch the music video, which also holds a special place in our heart. This is a group that self-admittedly doesn’t take themselves too seriously, yet at the same time are capable of producing some of the more profoundly sincere tunes I’ve ever heard. Most recently, that honor goes to “Saves the Day.” And while I admittedly don’t fully understand the story Sticky Fingers might be trying to tell in this tune, I think the real measure of a good song is when none of that even matters — and it’s got you floating on a new existential wavelength anyway.
Hovvdy - True Love
We jumped on the Hovvdy bandwagon late. And if someone were to ask us what draws us to their work, the response would undoubtedly include more than a few references to Elliott Smith. From the enchantingly somber chord progressions to the all-too-similar vocal parallels, there are plenty of tunes in Hovvdy’s catalogue that lead us right back to Smith’s. But when it comes to the title track off their new record True Love, the comparisons end there. Characterized by a bright strumming guitar, reverse acoustic textures, and their powerful vocal harmonies, “True Love” is an inherently uplifting tune that testifies to the healing properties of love. With plenty of folk pop gems like this one on one of our favorite records of 2021, we’re excited to see where the evolution of Hovvdy’s sound goes from here.
Illuminati Hotties - Protector
Our discovery of Illuminati Hotties wasn’t an especially organic process. Rather, it was more a result of us succumbing to the peer pressure of the seemingly endless array of positive critic reviews of their debut LP Let Me Do One More. In this case, we’re all the better for it, because what we heard was a genre-bending record that pulled no punches and certainly wasn’t afraid to go against the grain. Sarah Tudzin’s had a few years now as Illuminati Hotties to establish her identity as a music producer, but with the eclectic stream of tunes coming from Let Me Do One More as any indicator, you shouldn’t expect her to nestle into one particular category of sound anytime soon. And by the time “Protector” rolls around at track 6, you’ll be more than welcoming of the downshift in pace. If you’re lucky, what transpires for the following 4:32 might leave you feeling as entranced and existentially dilated as we were the first time this gem of a tune graced our headphones.
Flight Facilities - Lights Up (feat. Channel Tres)
In our return from a hyper-extended hiatus, we’re going to run it back with a few of our favorites of 2021. We’d be remiss if we didn’t begin with our personal favorite tune of 2021, “Lights Up” by Flight Facilities. At this point in their career, Flight Facilities are OGs on a block full of eager new faces. And yet they’ve found a way to keep their material fresh and original, while still incorporating that signature sound that got our attention all those years ago. Their sophomore LP, FOREVER, features a potent concoction of danceable gems, with none resonating more than the opening track, “Lights Up.” There’s one thing clear about a tune like this. It didn’t just happen. It was meticulously crafted, blueprinted, and planned in advance. And that’s most apparent by the way it builds on itself, like the endless folds of that delicious holiday layer cake you’ve committed to work off with your New Year’s resolution.