This is a “free pass”, so get on the Indie-Coaster for a 15-track ride of indiepop, jangle pop, psych, alternative, indie electro & indie rock!

Artist: Dark Sven

Track: ’98 Percent’

Swedish dream pop/indie pop sensation Dark Sven (singer songwriter Henrik Möller‘s solo project) recently released ‘98 Percent‘; An alluring indie gem with a divine chorus straight from the sweetest part of “indie heaven”. You see with Dark Sven the listener is privieged to only close his/her eyes and travel to the most alluring places.

Artist: HighSchool Jacob

Track: ‘Open Sickness’

Usual suspect Highschool Jacob returns to join the 10th round of Indie-Coaster with his latest single ‘Open Sickness‘, a smooth alt-pop single with gentle funk and nu-disco elements ideally combined with a warm, emotive and well-balanced vocal performance in absolute style!

Regarding the track, Highschool Jacob explains, “This song was written after a difficult conversation with an ex on a cold winter day in New York City when I was crushed with the realization that she had undoubtedly moved on. I began writing the song focused on how sorry I felt for myself, but then I realized I was the reason for the circumstances in the first place. How dare I approach someone I had been apart from for so long and expect them to feel the same way I did? How dare I meet their emotional maturity with tears? Often these sort of songs (especially from the male perspective) look to demonize and shift blame to the other person, and I wanted to draw attention to how that is often not the case. I wanted to write the angry breakup song where my ex was some crazy mean girl and make myself the victim, but in the end it was my fault. I couldn’t make her the bad guy no matter how hard I tried.”

Artist: The Malarkey

Track: ‘Never Coming Back Again’

We adore 90s brit pop-rock scene, and Bristol-based outfit The Malarkey seem to contain all those elements that made the ‘scene’ so great: They are not afraid to express their lyricism through their music, and the bittersweet characteristic is just pervasive throughout the song. ‘Never Coming Back Again‘ is a fabulous song about ‘sentiment of the past, combined with contentment and self-assurance of times ahead’ with great lyrics such as:

“…Under starlight confess to me depravities
that plague your mind, relax, unwind
As worlds drift far apart I leave your life
I need your heart…

Artist: Gaspar Sanz

Track: ‘You Can Be Somebody To Love’

Love those bands that try to keep the flame lit though this ongoing, “endless”, pandemic era; Aussie outfit Gaspar Sanz is one of those, and in particular their latest single ‘You Can Be Somebody To Love‘ (produced by Jacknife Lee) is an absolute sexy, funny gem with quirky melodies and an addictive, sing-along chorus.

We wanted to have fun with this track and focus on good vibes but also let people know that they have the choice to be the best versions of themselves,” says singer James Bell. Ready for a positivity overdose?

Artist: Little Suspicions

Track: ‘Limes’

Would you ever imagine The Smiths produced by Phil Spector? Sounds pretty interesting, and perhaps unconventional we guess, but the most recent single from British “moody romantics” Little Suspicions, ‘Limes‘, could very well have been the bastard baby of this crazy marriage. Baroque pop at the highest level, with a lot of drama; An unmissable gem for those who still miss ‘Dog Man Star‘-era Suede & ‘Different Class‘-era Pulp. On endless repeat! And to paraphrase Protomartyr‘s album, ‘no technique, all passion‘!

Artist: New Polarities

Track: ‘Echo’

Next up we have the latest video ‘Echo‘ from Swiss band New Polarities, taken from their recently release album ‘Œ‘. The alluring synths are genuinely matched with the absurd, falsetto a la Bee Gees vocals, to create a unique indie electronic oasis with strong nu-disco and neo-psychedelia elements. More than ideal companion is the video directed by Tali Hamzavi. Nothing happens by chance for these Yello‘s compatriots….

Artist: Blood Honey

Track: ‘Game Baby’

The debut track by California duo Blood Honey (comprised of lyricist and vocalist Jackie and producer and instrumentalist Kevin), ‘Game Baby‘, is an  utter electro pop bliss, combing  the Chromatics‘ atmospheric aesthetics with Everything But The Girl‘s poppiness.

Kevin explains about the track: ‘We started writing our first song the week after Jackie’s last surgery, which was an overall unstable time. I didn’t have a place to live. Jackie was in a lot of medical debt,”…’Our music explores power balances and the struggle for control over addictions, relationships, and emotions

Artist: Josh Fudge

Track: ‘FEEL LIKE’

18 y.o. indie music prodigy Josh Fudge is back with another stunning number, called ‘FEEL LIKE‘. The first word that comes in mind while listening to this jewel is ‘euphoria’. Just imagine yourselves in a giant Chocolate house and listening to this syrupy ear-candy. Groovy, sexy and ultra catchy!

Artist: Benedict

Track: ‘Sweet Sister’

Dutch crooner Benedict proves for another time with his latest single ‘Sweet Sister‘  that he’s more than a dab hand in writing flawless indie pop ear-candies for broken hearts without getting mellow. This one reminded us a bit of The National, and ‘is a song for all the brothers and sisters in the world. A little reminder to make time for each other – listen to each other and share life and joy together. This song takes me back before all of that, when we shared a bed and hung out our bedroom window imagining our lives not yet unravelling, seeing only stars. This song from the world of 2020, not forgetting everything that happened‘.

Lovely vocals and vibes!

Artist: Mother Sun

Track: ‘Fish & Chips’

British Columbia based artists Mother Sun gift us with one of the trippiest indie treat of 2021 so far. ‘Fish & Chips‘ is a shangri-la example of indie pop mixed with tropicália and psychedelic rock, with a sublime vocal performance by Jared Doherty and Emilio Pagnotta.

Out on always reliable Earth Libraries.

Artist: Piper King

Track: ‘October Sun’

Long Beach-based singer-songwriter, self-taught producer, opera singer, and music therapist Piper King, released her 2nd single ‘October Sun‘ a short while ago. This indie fairy will definitely amaze you with her magic wand and this dream pop bliss about ‘changing your personal world when the world around you is already changing rapidly and uncontrollably‘.

October sun
had just begun to remind me
of the peace
that I once felt
this somewhere else
in a waking dream
it’s coming back to me
back to me

Please don’t wake me up from this dream!

Artist: Medium Love

Track: ‘New Pyramids’

Think this is the right time to pump up the volume a bit for the latest alternative rock anthem ‘New Pyramids‘ from Medium Love (Kacey Underwood‘s new band after BIG DEAL). Melodies are strong & fortissimo even sor the rich sound textures and the amplifiers on red.

Kacey explains about track: ‘Things feel like they keep moving faster, and it doesn’t seem like we can slow down. It makes me thing about what lasts. I have a deep interest in the Pyramids of Giza. I started to think about what would be left of us if it did all go south, which would just be tonnes of plastic floating in the ocean and in the trees. Might as well do something with it all and make our own monument to our new gods‘.

Artist: Hollow Graves

Track: ‘Marriott’

Toronto indie ensemble Hollow Graves are soon to release their debut album (recorded at Royal Mountain Records studio, and mixed by Alex BonenfantAlexisonfire, METZ, July Talk– at Dream House Studios), but before this they unleashed their highly energetic indie/garage rock single ‘Marriott‘.  Hot as lava!

Artist: I Was Love

Track: ‘It’s With Me’

Dark electro pop duo from Manchester I Was Love, ‘It’s With Me‘, contains some of the most memorable work we have experienced in a while.  The rare beauty of this magnum opus is discovered with each subsequent listen, and we just cannot get enough of the colossal, emotional crescendo. This is not only a great, it’s a pure sonic tsunami!

IWL’s Samuel Jones explains: “Originally written to try and encapsulate the sense of dread felt during an emotional cycle, the song seems more reflective of the situation everyone finds themselves in during the current world pandemic.

Artist: Daddy Longhead

Track: ‘Plano’

Last but not least we find alternative rock/post grunge behemoths from Texas Daddy Longhead (JD PinkusButthole Surfers, Melvins, Honky– on bass and vocals, Jimbo YongueMax Brody, Suffer Robot– on guitar and vocals, and Frank Gary MartinTruth Decay, Walking Timebombs-) and their first taster off the upcoming album ‘Twinkle‘. A maximum rock n’ roll opus for infinite headbanging!

Visit also:

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Curator: Christos Doukakis