Mirage by Sam Valdez Sam Valdez is the human equivalent of time machine. She encapsulates the sonic beauty of the Laurel Canyon neighborhood in the ’70s while creating cinematic soundscapes and poignant stories akin to Angel Olsen, Hope Sandoval, and The War On Drugs. This combination should eventually result in the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter becoming an indie star. For now, […]

 Attention Seeker is a great follow up to The Regrettes‘ debut album, Feel your Feelings Fool!, which also made one of our 2017 lists. The energetic, retro-inspired, female-fronted band are creating rock ‘n roll with an attitude and plenty of personality, and all this despite an eventful year that included a few line-up changes and their tour bus getting […]

Moonlight Baby EP by The Dig Moonlight Baby was released this year by The Dig. The band is creating really catch indie rock with a bit of a psych flair. It was actually a hard decision of which EP to nominate, as they also released the EP Afternoon with Caroline which was part of their El Dig playlist of 2018 […]

More than two years, Andrea Silva introduced herself to the world with her stripped-back folk-rock approach. At the time, Silva performed alone and under her own name, which is understandable as she had barely set roots in Los Angeles. She, however, eventually found a backing band, who helped her evolve as an artist. Within a year, her music has become […]

 Two years ago when IAN SWEET released their debut album, Shapeshifter, the band effortlessly moved from edgy rockers to lo-fi, blissful tunes. It showcased the then trio’s refusal to be pigeonholed into a specific genre, yet at the same time it revealed their continuing journey to define themselves. Since its release, IAN SWEET has once again become the solo […]

 Stardom has been in Miya Folick‘s future since she released her debut single, “Talking With Strangers”, which revealed her awe-striking, wide-ranging vocals and poignant and gut-wrenching songwriting. Over the past three years through the release of more than dozen singles and two outstanding EPs – 2015’s Strange Darling and 2017’s Give It To Me, which was one of last […]

Darkness Rains by Death Valley Girls Two years ago when Glow In The Dark was released, we commented how Death Valley Girls are “living in the wrong era”. Their brand of a rock ‘n roll – or witch rock or a really chilling version of psychedelic rock – would have won them massive battalions of fans in the ’70s and […]

Over three records, Slothrust have created a sound that is undeniably powerful. From front woman Leah Wellbaum’s witty, relatable lyrics that dabble in the surreal to her killer guitar licks to the most solid rhythm section in music – drummer Will Gorin and bassist Kyle Bann – Slothrust are an absolute force of nature. Since their 2016 record, Everyone Else, […]

Emma Ruth Rundle‘s last album, Marked for Death, was a sonic and emotional catharsis that continues to tremble walls and souls. It is Rundle’s masterpiece and one of the great records of not just 2016 but this decade. Trying to follow up a generational LP is a challenging endeavor that many before have fallen short, but Rundle, with the assistance […]

Marlon Rabenreither is a throwback to the days when songwriting was entrenched as a celebrated art form. The music he crafts under the moniker Gold Star is in a word – timeless. His first two albums, Dark Days and Big Blue, captured the energy and spirit of the late ’60s and ’70s when rock ‘n roll and folk-rock were at […]

Nobody’s Watching by Steady Holiday There are songwriters, and then there are imaginative storytellers like Dre Babinski, who is the mastermind behind Steady Holiday. She simultaneously shocked and awed on her 2016 debut album, Under the Influence, and its follow-up, 2017’s Terror EP. Despite one of the most tender voices in the business, her combination of spine-tingling atmospheres and vivid lyricism […]

It wasn’t long ago – about two decades – when the southern US was the place to find the hottest, upcoming indie band. From Louisville to Athens, Georgia to Austin, outfits such as My Morning Jacket, Drive-by Truckers, Okkervil River, and Shearwater were transforming rock ‘n roll. Or more accurately, they were re-defining southern rock, bringing the music of Lynyrd […]

 Approximately a year ago, Sam Valdez quietly launched her career, introducing herself with two dazzling singles – “Hours” and “Don’t Want To Be Yours Anymore”. Comparisons to Angel Olsen, The War On Drugs, and Hope Sandoval were inevitable and unsurprising since they are three of her influences. She is not, however, an imitator nor a follower, but rather she […]

Jesse Jo Stark‘s life since her infancy. Her parents are the founders of high-end fashion and furniture brand Chrome Hearts, whose clients included bands like the Sex Pistols and Hollywood film studios. Her godmother is none other than Cher, and she grew up in a household where music was as much a part of the family’s life as were costume […]

Since 2015, we have asked independent artists to share their favorite memories from their time at SXSW. In just three years, this project has become one of our most popular features thanks to the growing interests of bands and singers from around the world. These memories are from Freedom Fry. The project of Marie Seyrat and Bruce Driscoll has been […]

Sleepless Dreamer by Pearl Charles “It all feels familiar / Like we’ve lived this life before”, sings Pearl Charles on “All the Boys”, the shimmering opening single of Sleepless Dreamer. Those lines encapsulate the entire album, as a wonderfully familiar feeling streams across the album. In each of the LP’s ten songs, the warm and sunny disposition of the Laurel […]

Kiwi ingenuity is a term probably only known by New Zealanders. The phrase essentially means making the most out of something no matter how big or small or how many resources one has. Musically, it also refers to going against the grain and doing something different without completely alienating the masses. So while trio Santa Barbara may currently call Los […]

Omeara is a sprawling arts venue near London Bridge. The building was renovated just over a year ago by Mumford and Sons‘ Ben Lovett (although I suspect he got some builders to help him). The main hall, which is currently hosting a series of sold-out gigs, is a throwback to days gone past. It looks like the ballroom of The […]

Seventeen years ago, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club announced themselves with their fantastic debut, B.R.M.C. It wasn’t just a celebrated album – it had some critics calling the band “revolutionaries” because they were making psychedelic and garage rock relevant once again. Maybe the term was unfairly applied to the Los Angeles-based trio, but it was clear Peter Hayes (vocals/guitar), Robert Levon Been […]

 Once upon a time – and not that long ago actually – many within the music industry and even fans held the belief that “girls can’t rock”. The notion that a group of women could unleash explosive rock ‘n roll was unthinkable to many. It has been only a little over forty years since The Runaways changed the music […]