Baby Boys - Desperado
Crafting insane, bizarre, abundantly creative tunes is second nature to Baby Boys. The production/ multi-instrumentalist team is made up of well-versed music industry wunderkinds, including the likes of two Hippo Campus alumni: Jake Luppen and Nathan Stocker. Joining friend Caleb Hinz, the St. Paul trio seem adept at crafting their own chaotic sound, even though they've only been releasing music together for a few years.
Hyperactive, bouncy, fun and surprising, "Desperado" joins Baby Boys' handful of singles that continue to jostle and excite the scene. It's a wildly intelligent listen, and an effortlessly engaging alt-pop song. But unlike a lot of experimental pop, this track still manages to be accessible for unrefined ears. Baby Boys have carved out a niche in the rising indie scene that's all their own. In spite of the kaleidoscope nature of their soundscape, there's obviously a clear creative direction this band is following. Whatever it is, it's working. They manage to create cohesion out of gritty vocal distortion, gentle acoustics and dance beats. I can't explain why it works, it just does. Baby Boys has the talent, originality and acumen to succeed in anything they try. Whenever live shows come back, I plan to be front row at theirs. Photo by Muriel Margaret.
Check out "Desperado," and be on the look-out for Baby Boys' upcoming LP Threesome, dropping March 12 via Grand Jury Music.
— Hannah Lupas on March 4, 2021Quarter-Life Crisis - Comfortable (feat. Hand Habits)
“Comfortable,” the latest single from Quarter-Life Crisis, producer Ryan Hemsworth’s recent project, is a futuristic, slow-burning synth-pop track with a love of collaboration at its core. Built upon a solid foundation of hazy synths, relaxed guitars and the warm voice of Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy, “Comfortable” shows off Hemsworth's ability to craft songs that immediately get stuck in your head. The most recent of three singles, the track follows a structure that is no doubt familiar to Hemsworth; starting by producing carefully crafted, radio-worthy instrumentals, he has then invited some of his favorite artists to do their thing. In the instance of “Comfortable,” Duffy has done just that. Their comforting voice brings the track into a dream-like state. And, like any good dream, “Comfortable” is over before you want it to be, as the instrumental slowly fades. Photo by Colin Medley.
— Jonah Minnihan on November 17, 2020JOHO - Favorite
"Favorite" by JOHO (Joel Holmes) is a classic mid-2000s falling out ballad that hits a nostalgia sweet spot. A lyrical guitar riff gently raises the curtain to a duet-from-afar montage. It starts more or less where you expect it to — a guy lamenting the loss of a girl he never really expected to leave him. It starts from a place of bitter vanity, almost more upset about a post-breakup bruised ego than the loss of the relationship. But as the verse continues, the ego washes off of Holmes’ voice with each successive syllable. It slides into vulnerability just before he passes the torch to Makenna Parr’s sweet voice in verse two. Her verse plays off the melodic contour of the first, honest and vulnerable in a way that complements Holmes’ well. However, Parr also infuses it with a distinct character, gentle but resolute. A tender keyboard countermelody settles just beneath her warm inflections, a delicate counterpoint to the guitar riff. It drops out as soon as the verse ends, and octave-spaced strings take its place. The perspective returns to JOHO, but all sense of selfishness has evaporated. An admission of fault spirals into an echo chamber of thoughts as Holmes’ voice layers over itself. Parr’s voice mostly disappears among the swirl of harmonies, and suddenly it’s not a duet anymore. It’s all-consuming, tail-chasing regrets — but still, somehow, sweet. After all, it was really something that was lost, wasn’t it?
— Allison Hill on November 17, 2020Omar Apollo - Want U Around (feat. Ruel)
This song’s super chill and laid-back. I’m also a big fan of Omar Apollo and Ruel so it was super cool to hear them on a song together. — Claire Rosinkranz
Claire Rosinkranz was thrust into the indie spotlight after her song "Backyard Boy," the last song she wrote for this year's debut EP, BeVerly Hills BoYfRiEnd, went viral on TikTok and Spotify. Since then, she has amassed millions of monthly listeners on Spotify and even released a different version of "Backyard Boy" with fellow pop artist Jeremy Zucker.
— Alessandra Rincon on November 16, 2020We the Commas - I Will
Celebrating the sun-kissed California sand and surf isn't only a treasured feeling or a beloved aesthetic for We the Commas. For the three San Diego-based brothers, their breezy brand of surf R&B is a loving tribute to their California roots. "I Will," a track from the brothers' debut EP, SARB, reflects how personal the trio feels about creating music that reflects their beloved homestead and tight bond. The track begins with an ominous-sounding organ to draw the listener into the sound, encouraging us to be present in the moment for what the brothers are about to deliver. However, just as quickly as we're drawn into the somber-but-still-sexy-sounding intro, fueled by the sounds of a swirling trumpet, the mood suddenly changes, and we're transported into a joyous celebration of young love and commitment, a love letter of encouragement to release all expectations and surrender to the infinite possibilities a relationship can bring.
SARB is now available via Flying Boy Entertainment.
— Taylor Hodgkins on November 16, 2020Bre Kennedy - Where Did Summer Go
The first thing I think of to describe “Where Did Summer Go,” Bre Kennedy’s latest single, is tender. The mixing here is absolutely gorgeous; her vocals are a perfect mix of strength and dreamy breath, expertly lifted by a soft, lilting instrumental bed of guitars, subtle piano and stripped down drums. She goes on to lament that summer has passed her by with “nothing to show,” and I don’t know anyone who would hear this in the depths of fall 2020 and not feel a deep heartstring mercilessly pulled for the year that’s almost gone (and did it ever really begin?). Psychology tells us we feel comforted by music because it triggers our feelings of being empathized with; “Where Did Summer Go” is the soft, thoughtful hug we all need right now to feel not so left behind, and to make peace with time’s relentless passage in a year when it seems to have stood still. “Where Did Summer Go” is a welcome emotional gut punch reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s recent creative partnership with The National, and I’ll be listening on repeat for some warmth ‘til spring peeks its head out once again. Photo by Lindsey Patkos.
— Stephanie Lamond on November 16, 2020Iska Dhaaf - Unheard Choir
With budding instrumentation and feathery vocals comes Iska Dhaaf’s “Unheard Choir,” the final track on the Brooklyn-based duo’s latest EP, Up. “Unheard Choir” traces the everlasting remnants of loved ones that have either been lost or separated from: “Even when our bodies disconnect / There’s always something left.” Opening with cradling strings of guitar and weaving piano notes, the track flows into a cascade of reverb and percussion. As the luminescent vocals ensure that “There’s never nothing left,” the track falls into an arrangement of strings sweeping high altitudes. It is an intricate and riveting expression of longing conveyed in a balance of softness and swift cadence.
— Katya Myasnikova on November 16, 2020Reptaliens - Taking
In the science-fiction universe of Reptaliens’ “Taking,” a compendium of synths orbits complex themes of perception and existence. “Taking” is the nebulous matter on our cosmic route, mystifying our notion of self to later inquire, “Are we existing?” And how can we tell? The answer may lie within the lyrics’ own contemplation of life, broken down in its simplest, most absolute forms: “Making / Eating / Loving and / Hating.” It is these characteristics, along with others, that we can tether ourselves to on the tumultuous planes of existence — the textures of life. The synth-pop track is an otherworldly experience of whirling, euphoric sounds and beaming spaceship lights that coax us into a dance — the best way to be present in our bodies and with ourselves. Photo by Dan Hanson.
Captured Tracks group Reptaliens hail from Portland, Oregon. Their dreamy new EP, Wrestling, was released on November 6.
— Katya Myasnikova on November 13, 2020shiv - Hold Me
Zimbabwean-Irish singer-songwriter shiv (also known as Siobhan McClean) has been quickly carving her way into the rising ranks of young R&B artists. She recently dropped "Hold Me": a silky and sentimental track lacing nuanced memories into unhurried but intricate beats. This track comes after the release of her other stand-alone single "You and I," making "Hold Me" the second song promised to be featured on her upcoming debut EP, Me 2 Me.
"Hold Me" is a confessional and sweet song about the love the artist has for her parents. It touches on the inevitable vulnerabilities every young adult encounters in their striving towards independence and security. "I want you to hold me like you did when I was younger... and then everything will be okay" is a deeply sincere expression in this song. Shiv has concisely and effortlessly made an emotive and understanding song about the woes of growing up and the sanctuary of coming home. The audio of her parents' encouraging words at the start of the song is enough to make you shed a few tears. This song reminds me of the importance of writing what we know and touching the very visceral and immediate emotional needs we may be experiencing. That level of self-reflection and empathy produces honest, good, heart-stirring art, and that's what shiv has done with "Hold Me." Listen to it wherever you stream, and be on the look-out for her EP! Photo by Joshua Mulholland.
— Hannah Lupas on November 13, 2020Simen Mitlid - Last of Us
With “Last of Us”, Oslo’s Simen Mitlid takes a soft, lush cloth to the foggy windows of our Zoom burned-out minds. Soaking up its delicate, meticulous production, I’m reminded of Sigur Rós’ ethereal style; Mitlid’s vocals float across the track, expertly layered over a rhythmic backdrop of rain-tapping-on-the-window-esque plucking and smooth, sinewy strings. Lyrically, he reminisces on childhood, on returning to “the ordinary normal,” with an earthy authenticity. The track stays right at home in its even-keeled dreaminess for its duration, evolving to deeper emotionality in tandem with the string lines lowering in key; by the time the chorus sings, “Honey, we’re out of this world,” Mitlid has brought us to back in time right along with him. Fans of José González will love this one; it’s a beautifully evocative work of art, perfectly at home to be put on repeat in the crispy winter days on the horizon.
Simen Mitlid's third full-length album, Birds; or, Stories From Charlie B’s Travels From Grønland to the Sun, and Back Again, was released on October 30.
— Stephanie Lamond on November 13, 2020Derek Ted - Out There
Hopeful pessimism is something I’ve become very familiar with recently. Feeling as though the world might be ending, but still choosing to hope for the best, has become common practice for many. While the lyrics of Derek Ted’s new song, “out there,” appeal to the pessimist within me, the melody and instrumentation of the song make for a more joyous three minutes and forty five seconds. Ted makes his feelings known in the first verse as he sings, “There’s poison out there just waiting for you / Don’t you forget what you’re made of / When everything taught just waltzed out the door / That look in her eyes won’t tame you.” While this seems to be pulled from a specific experience, it also feels like Ted is generally warning his audience about what the world has to offer and how to proceed accordingly. Each chorus differs slightly, but they all focus on a sensory experience in Ted’s environment, varying from water dripping from a faucet in the kitchen to the rising of dark smoke on the horizon. Though each differs, the repetition in the lines, “There’s no way to save the world we live in / Hide out alone, let the silence sink in,” furthers the doomsday narrative Ted propagates in the song. With all of this being said, I wouldn’t classify “out there” as sorrowful. The fast-paced finger-picked guitar and light percussion lightens the seriousness of the lyrics, creating a contrast that allows for listeners to bop their head along to the narration of the end of the world. Photo by Jason Lin.
— Sloan Pecchia on November 13, 2020