Photo Ops’ “July” basks in its own simplicity. From the simple chug of the drums to the unambiguous declarations of singer Terry Price, this dreamy new single from Photo Ops’ forthcoming 2019 album attempts to find sense in the most complicated matters. “Sometimes the only thing / The only thing to say / Is the most obvious,” sings Price, opting to offer comforting platitudes because they are universally understood. November 2016 saw massive change for many across the country, and Price found himself moving from his home of Nashville to Los Angeles, spurred on by the larger scale national changes. A resident of two of the American cities most steeped in music industry tradition, Price’s sound is one of timelessness, a fading photograph of an aging phonograph record. Price’s musicianship shines in the chorus, when his vocals soar, “I did you right / You just won’t know it for a while.” It all makes sense to him now, and that will have to do. He offers us his own comforting advice in the form of a song, says what it is he needs to say, and then fades out.

“Eggshell” is a look into the quiet pain of everyday life, cleverly assembled from parts found in the dustiest corners of the house. The drum loop might as well be leaking through the walls from a boombox in the next room, and anxieties once swept under the rug erupt left and right in the forms of various household chores. Singer Noah Weinman performs an earnest sort of verbal gymnastics through unexpected but charmingly effective rhymes to convey his constant state of malaise: “Nothing to do but keep texting my therapist / So many half-assed attempts to get over this.”

Los Angeles’s Runnner have dubbed themselves “Ableton folk” for the electronic production sounds of the Ableton audio software and the raw, heartfelt, stripped-down sincerity of acoustic confessionals. Weinman writes “Bandcamp songs for SoundCloud kids,” shouting his codas to the rafters with his indie rock friends, but secretly scribbling his angst down in garage solitude like the heroes of Internet bedroom hip-hop. The wide array of influences in Runnner’s music meld to structure a sound so endearingly original it has to be believed, while the lyrics steer clear of melodrama by portraying a familiar mundanity that permeates every second of every day. Even at the height of the song’s most cathartic moment, the melancholy is inescapable, as Weinman admits, “I hate the part of the song where the chorus hits / ‘Cause I don’t like sticking flags on my nervousness.”

On her newest single, "Lasting Friend," Brooklyn based artist SAMIA raises her voice in defiant confrontation with the kind of unsettling memories that are not so easily leveled by time. A punchy, scowling guitar and intensely metallic percussion drive the tune while SAMIA details a troubling anecdote from her school years, nearly dismissing the story as one might tell to an likely ambivalent, quietly amused crowd at a party. The chorus is a kind of hypnotic confession as SAMIA tries time and time again to assert that “I’m not ashamed of my past, ” though never seeming entirely assured. Through this repetition, SAMIA grapples with the uncertainty of early adulthood as she processes memories that left unaddressed can become “monstrous” and debilitating. "Lasting Friend" easily falls in line with SAMIA's other releases, which often seek to reckon with a wide array of generational anxieties through her wrenchingly eloquent, emotional and referential lyricism.

“Daddy Issues” by Amsterdam indie-rock band Pip Blom is a sneak peak at their upcoming album Boat. With fast paced vocals and rocking instrumentals, this song sets an upbeat tone with a clear indie-rock vibe for their album to come. Singing “You said you never want to die/ like you don’t care anymore/ What ya want to do/ what ya want to do/what ya want to do” Pip Blom leads us into a song characterized by evocative questions and battling layers of different vocals and instrumentals that leave us energized and ready for the next tracks from the album to come. Boat is set to be released on May 31st and until then Pip Blom has a busy schedule of touring.

Henry Jamison's, long-awaited sophomore album is finally here. Gloria Duplex has been revealing itself within its four singles, but the full collection is something to behold in one sitting. One of our favorites from the mix is the beautiful and poignant "Florence Nightingale." In a stream of consciousness mixed with thought-out reflections, Jamison covers a lot of ground within 4 minutes and 38 seconds. We learn that his girlfriend his does not like being compared to Florence Nightingale while also getting his thoughts on the state of imperialism — all while pointing to something bigger.

Taking a trip down memory lane, Jamison goes back in time to his high school and elementary school days but has more questions than answers. Still there was a  childlike innocence in squirt guns and sing-a-longs to Pocahontas's "Just Around the River Bend." The haziness of the music adds an extra texture to the reminiscing. A faint finger-picked guitar and strings pair nicely with vocalizations that ooh and ahh filling the song with yearning and impermanence.

One of the most heart-wrenching lines Jamison sings is regarding men, "we could find success / you know really be the best / then maybe we could rest upon our father's knee." "Florence Nightingale" doesn't set out to be hopeful but yet carries with it a weight of responsibility and understanding that leads us to believe in better days ahead. If you haven't yet, check out the four animated videos we partnered with Jamison to bring to life, all based off the message of each song.

Saint Louis dream-pop / indie folk duo Spectator is back with their first single, "Waves," off their second full-length album, Charlie. "Take me on a ride on the other side of your mind", sings Jeffrey Albert. The song is a journey of sorts, one that occurs next to steady streams and hilly terrain. While texturally calm, it lyrically centers around the hardships within intimacy. Albert's rich voice carefully contrasts the lightness of the guitar and tambourine making every line he sings front and center. Within "Waves" is the plea to be so intertwined with the person that you love, so that you don't where they end and you begin. This intense connection is what makes the rough times easier and harder. You know this person so well and they know you, but when you are at odds with each other, it is as if you are also at odds with yourself. It makes sense that these sentiments are sung and explored by Megan Rooney & Jeffrey Albert, husband and wife — two parts of a whole. Fans of Matthew Perryman Jones and Mumford & Sons will can be sure to enjoy Spectator's latest offering.

When Daisy the Great recorded their Buzzsession in a Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn, “Last Kisses” was a soft and wonderfully unassuming song. The gentle lilt of Kelley Nicole Dugan and Mina Walker’s voices, weaving consistently unexpected harmonies as the band’s collaborative lead vocalists, embodied lyrics like “I’m not sleeping / Just staring at the ceiling.” The song earned a full release on the band’s debut full-length album, I’m Not Getting Any Taller, and the duo has reimagined the song entirely. It’s easy to limit one’s attention to Dugan and Walker as they take their melodic twists and turns, but the rest of the band transforms “Last Kisses” into a high-energy romp by finding a groove as quirky as the singers demand. Daisy the Great's vocal philosophy extends into their instrumental arrangements as well, with syncopated hits from the whole band jolting Dugan and Walker into action as they claim to be staring at the ceiling. Hear this song and many more as Daisy the Great  joins a fantastic lineup this May at The Wild Honey Pie’s Welcome Campers festival.

Active Bird Community sings of absence in “Somewhere” and plays with the same concept musically throughout the song. There are two gut-wrenching, cord-yanking, rug-pulling stops: first when the whole band follows a halting guitar solo into silence and next when a chorus goes small when all signs point to big. The latter leaves singer Andrew Wolfson alone with the reality of the growing distance replacing a once-powerful love. Not just heartache, but also fear of what solitude might mean for him, rattles his voice as he realizes, “It made you want to leave / It made you want to be / Somewhere where I was not.” The definition of one’s existence purely in terms of another’s absence is a powerful one, and Active Bird Community conveys this weight through a wall of frantic distortion. Unlike abrupt stops earlier in the song, the ending is a reminder of just how long the days stretch in the darkest times, teetering at the brink of an ending for nearly a minute after Wolfson’s and SAMIA’s voices have said their goodbyes.

With their fourth release "Swells," Stray Fossa has nestled deeper into their dream-pop sound. The Charlottesville trio brings you out from the cold and into a warm cocoon of lo-fi chill-wave nostalgia. It feels homey, which might be a side effect of their decision to record and produce the single in their living room. The shoe-gaze guitar style mixes well with the hazey vocals and crisp percussion. The track ebbs and flows mimicking the subject matter of the song. It is even designed to be able to play on repeat and melt into itself through the last line, “these swells come and go,” which is repeated throughout. Stray Fossa seems to have found their sweet spot with this newest release.

It's not cool to admit you're lonely, sad and looking for something real with someone else in the hellscape of modern dating. But on her new song "Andromeda," Weyes Blood does just this AND makes it sound cool because that's just what she is — cool. Her singular sound is hard to place, with the only fair comparisons being Lana Del Rey meets Karen Carpenter, or Tammy Wynette's backing band meets Mind Games-inspired psych rock. Her lyrics, as always, twinkle with mystic themes, the track's title being inspired by Andromeda Galaxy, the galaxy closest to the Milky Way. The story of her broken heart and the "crazy guy" who she "dares to try" to love her is a tale as old as time, but Weyes Blood asserts the gravity and sincerity of her affections with zeal. Her strong voice croons, "You know that I hate the game/don't wanna waste any more time/you know I been holding out." Tired yet hopeful, "Andromeda" is a song for disheartened romantics holding out for something true "to hold on to."