Buzzing Daily

Find Buzzing Daily on Spotify

Clairo - Softly
Clairo - Softly

Clairo - Softly


Bedroom pop phenom Clairo blossoms into a refined, yet unflinchingly sincere songwriter on her debut album Immunity, released August 2 via FADER label. With "Softly," Clairo gives queer girls an outlet to dance around their bedrooms full of youthful infatuation. It captures the subtlety of a soft brush of fingers and stolen glances in the early stages of an innocent crush without the pressure of labels on a relationship or sexuality. Wistful lyrics over a lax, off-rhythm guitar melody improvised by Rostam further the song's whimsical energy. "I got this feeling / Telling me girl, I gotta know," she croons in a way that young queer girls can look up to, while also tugging at the heartstrings of older queer girls who felt confused and repressed. As a children's choir echos "I don't care what they say" in the background, Clairo asserts that she's exploring her sexuality on her own terms; she's "doing it differently," and although some look down upon queer love, this blissful feeling is the only thing that matters.

Ysabella Monton on August 20, 2019
Julia Jacklin - Someday

Julia Jacklin - Someday


Julia Jacklin’s cover of “Someday” by The Strokes is a stripped-down, sultry take on the garage rock-revival energy of the original. A dreamy rock ballad for lonely, wandering nights, the arrangement is slowed down but kept in its traditional 6/8 tempo, so it moves at a gentle, swaying pace that maintains its momentum. Jacklin’s emotional sound, which exists at the intersection of indie-pop and alt-country, lends itself nicely to the moody, angst-ridden pulse at the heart of the original arrangement. Her performance is mellow but just as raw and sonically immersive—not to mention it was recorded live, which pays homage to garage rock in its own right. Most captivating of all is Jacklin’s control over the vocal melody, which feels and sounds like it was written for her. Silky, crooning, and evocative, her voice commands the arrangement and your attention. Jacklin’s cover of “Someday” is a quiet and captivating force that holds its own against the original.

Britnee Meiser on August 6, 2019
slenderbodies - away from you

slenderbodies - away from you


"Away from you" is a dance-pop deviation from slenderbodies' usual psychedelic jazz style without losing their trademark sound. This track reminisces upon unresolved feelings from an ended relationship with lyrics that make it evident that slenderbodies have broken into a fresh space as songwriters. "It's a lonely world, yeah, I'm on my own / The memories they sell you / You told me that you felt it, it's over here / I don't let it go now"—words drawn from personal relationships of all kinds have become the focus of the band's latest work enhanced by their already stellar musicality.

Jazzmyne Pearson on August 5, 2019
Moonchild - Too Much to Ask

Moonchild - Too Much to Ask


Smooth R&B meets plucky indie-soul on “Too Much to Ask,” a laid-back new groove from LA-based trio Moonchild. With its thoughtful lyricism and delicate, sharp production, the track marks the beginning of a new era for the group, as it’s the first single from their upcoming album, Little Ghost. Crisp and clear, the arrangement, reminiscent of Noname, exemplifies a fun and seamless blending of sounds. Clicking and snapping work together with a drum pad to create a tight percussive beat that feels close-knit, like you’re right there in the room while it’s being recorded. Nice, 90s-inspired electro keys, bursting synths and a faint guitar round out the instrumentation, invoking a sound that’s part soul, part jazz, and entirely immersive. Similarly, lead singer Amber Navran’s vocals are like smokey honey; sung barely above a whisper, her lyrics about unreciprocated love seep into you like a love spell. “Is it too much to ask for you to love me like that? / Is it too much to ask?” Hopeful and mature, “Too Much to Ask” is easy listening for the digital age that sways to a perfect summer beat. Little Ghost, which Moonchild calls their “most thoughtfully crafted and complete work to date,” is set to release on September 6.

Britnee Meiser on August 5, 2019
Mons Vi - Come on Violet

Mons Vi - Come on Violet


Mons Vi delivers another smooth, ethereal track that works its way into your head with “Come on Violet”. Singer-songwriter Matthew Hershoff blends emotive narratives with his take on atmospheric pop to create something truly unique in his third single released this year. “Come on Violet” is a tribute to a friend and a story of loss stemming from addiction. Hershoff creates a melancholic, reflective moment in time with his strong, poignant lyrics. His words perfectly encapsulate the feeling of looking back—“Spin on a beam at the top of the moon / run through old scenes that once felt brand new / You never notice the things you lose.” As time passes, it’s sometimes hard to believe where we are and realizing what’s actually changed around us. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stop and take a moment.

Meredith Vance on August 2, 2019
TWIN PEAKS - DANCE THROUGH IT

TWIN PEAKS - DANCE THROUGH IT


“Dance Through It” is a lyrically cinematic story of a woman with unfaltering intrigue carried by a palpably fresh sound. This track breaks the typical style boundaries of Twin Peaks’ music with a full take on funk. The Chicago-based indie-rock five-piece gains even more flavor for their repertoire of tastefully crafted, age-old music for the modern world. With lyrics reminiscent of a dancing Uma Thurman, this masterpiece is riddled with soulful keys, sprinklings of brass, and naturally, looming trouble.

Laney Esper on August 2, 2019
​Kate Bollinger - I Don’t Wanna Lose

​Kate Bollinger - I Don’t Wanna Lose


Kate Bollinger’s bouncy title track from her most recent EP I Don’t Wanna Lose is an anthem for indecision. Her honey-dipped voice nearly hides the struggles of a person trying to adjust to adulthood, while still feeling like a child at the same time—“I was a child once / I still am one / I know it / But I just turned twenty / And I feel time slipping by.” Bollinger's voice is soothing, and her words are relatable. If you’ve ever been paralyzed by the fear of realizing you’re a real adult person who is responsible for the rest of your own life, “I Don’t Wanna Lose” pretty much sums up that feeling. Bollinger wonders, “So what if it's all / My decisions / Or my indecision / Oh, I just can't pick one.” Amidst all the chaos and stress, she realizes she has something or someone really good in her life and she wants to hold on to the feeling that brings—“There is so damn much that I'm afraid of / You give me so much to be afraid of / But I don't wanna lose.” While the lyrics are heavy, the song is light and breezy and almost makes you forget whatever you were worried about.

Anastasia Philabaum on August 2, 2019
Jay Som - Tenderness

Jay Som - Tenderness


With her upcoming album Anak Ko ("my child” in Tagalog), LA-based Melina Duterte, better known by the moniker Jay Som, has reinforced her title of queen of bedroom pop. "Tenderness," one of two singles currently released from Anak Ko, is a lo-fi dream. Like her first album, Everybody Works, the song maintains a shoegaze sound with hushed vocals, breezy keyboard parts, and light jazzy guitar riffs. "Tenderness" ruminates on meeting someone and wondering if something more will become of it—“Tell me / Did you fall in at first glance? / Do you think you’ll take a chance?” The chorus perfectly encapsulates that rush of hope, fear, and vulnerability you feel when you meet someone new. Duterte croons, “I’m feeling like we’ve just begun / Nothing’s ever good enough / Tenderness is all I’ve got.” Just like the repetitive thoughts of someone overthinking a new relationship, the chorus repeats several times until the end of the track. Get your fill of “Tenderness” to hold you over until the full album is released on August 23.

Anastasia Philabaum on August 1, 2019
​(Sandy) Alex G - Hope

​(Sandy) Alex G - Hope


(Sandy) Alex G reflects on lives lost to the opioid crisis in his newest single "Hope." The sped-up acoustic track covers a lot of ground in just two and a half minutes. His straightforward lyrics already highlight the message by the end of the first verse as he sings, “He was a good friend of mine / He died, why write about it now?” Though the song tells the story of just one life lost, it finds universality through specificity as he discusses waiting by the bedside and hoping for the best while preparing for the worst. There is an undercurrent of anger and sadness displayed through the lyrics, but the instrumentation and production add a sense of optimism. Recognizably a (Sandy) Alex G track from the start, it's wobbly and idiosyncratic—leaning heavily into his signature sound while still allowing for growth. It is the second single from his upcoming album House of Sugar.

Corey Bates on August 1, 2019
Hippo Campus - No Poms

Hippo Campus - No Poms


Within the folds of the bottom middle half of the brain, there exists a small, seahorse-shaped organ known as the hippocampus. As the apparatus responsible for learning and long term memory, the hippocampus is one of the most studied parts of the cranium. It’s also the brainy buzzword guitarist Nathan Stocker latched onto after seeing the term in one of his psychology textbooks back in 2013 when he and his fellow bandmates were forming their group Hippo Campus—the pop-rock outfit that’s planted its name in every indie enthusiast’s long term memory, fan or not.

Now, the Minnesota-originated five-piece has released two collections of demos featuring early and alternate versions of songs from their sophomore album, Bambi. Having amassed a dedicated slew of fans since their South days, the demo tapes allow an intimate look into the process of rough drafts that eventually become an album and headlining tour. One rough draft that sticks out in particular, is “No Poms,” (or ‘No Pomegranates’) which didn’t make the cut for Bambi but remained a faithful setlist resident and fan favorite during live shows. Nihilistic musings wrestle against a backdrop of fast-paced, surfy garage rock before exploding into a starry smattering of what can only be described as, if Rainbow Road from Mario Kart became an alt-rock ballad.

Lindsay Thomaston on July 31, 2019
girl in red - i’ll die anyway.

girl in red - i’ll die anyway.


Oslo-based artist girl in red’s (aka Marie Ulven) newest track "i’ll die anyway." is a three minute and twelve-second glimpse into an existential crisis. The 20-year-old bedroom pop artist plays down the melodrama with new wave-inspired guitars and her edging on monotone vocals. The story of self-doubt, omnipresent anxiety over the future and creeping despair is achingly familiar as Ulven launches into the chorus, “I reach for me, but I’m not there / I always wonder why I’m here / it’s fine it’s ok / I’ll die anyway.” If you didn’t listen to the words, you could think it was an upbeat song as it builds from verse to chorus with gradual precision. Each instrument fills in to create a track worthy of tapping your foot along to as you overthink your place in the world. "i’ll die anyway." is the first track off of girl in red’s forthcoming sophomore EP Chapter 2, which follows last year’s successful debut Chapter 1.

Corey Bates on July 31, 2019

Subscribe