Indie Pop

New album: Har Mar Superstar || Roseville

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Sean Tillman aka Har Mar Superstar is one of those beloved illustrious artists who make the music business so entertaining. Anyone who has attended one of his many sweaty over-the-top live shows will never forget him. Although he has been performing for over 20 years and has recorded several albums, I have only been a fan since Bye Bye 17 (2013), with the awesome soul single Lady, You Shot Me. Seventh studio album Roseville has just been released, a career-defining culmination of life and musical experiences, influenced by ’70s stars like Todd Rundgren, Elton John, Carole King, Hall & Oates, and ELO, to name a few (it’s a combination of soul, r&b, and pop – some new songs also remind me of Stevie Wonder, Prince and even The Beach Boys). It’s the first true collaborative effort of the whole touring band: Sean Tillmann (vocals, piano, bass), Aaron Baum (synths, organs, cello, guitar), Ryan Mach (drums, guitar, keys), Nelson Devereaux (clarinet, flute , whistle, bass, sax), Jake Baldwin (trumpet, mellophone, flugelhorn), Adam Hurlburt (bass, synths), Ethan Elseth (guitars, piano), accompanied by various guest musicians. ‘Destination was a place to hide // But somehow you got yourself inside my head instead,’ Har Mar Superstar sings in Where We Began, and that’s what happens with these songs when you listen to this mature and coherent trip.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Har Mar Superstar Webstore

New EP: Sanya N’Kanta || These Are The Days

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Every now and then the personal “Discover Weekly” playlist that Spotify automatically generates makes you turn up the music, then you discover something that you haven’t heard before but is worth your attention. Such is the case with Waste My Time, a beautiful song from Sanya N’Kanta‘s new (digital) EP These Are the Days. Accompanied by an acoustic guitar, the Jamaican born artist / producer sings with his great falsetto that ‘the hard lesson to learn in life is that some friends come and go’ and you can’t help but cry along with the person being addressed.

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New album: Model Village || World Of Carp

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UK jangle pop veterans Model Village open their fourth record (World Of Carp) strongly with Insufferable. It’s a welcoming indie pop track that will instantly make your head bop on its bouncy rhythm. Other standout tracks on World of Carp include the upbeat Oslo and Find It Out, and the Belle and Sebastianesque Roll It Over. Singer Lily Rose has the ability to draw you into these songs while making her singing sound effortless. She has just the right touch of melancholy in her voice, not unlike Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura and Elizabeth Morris of Allo Darlin. Musically, fans of those bands will enjoy this record as well. Out now on Kingfisher Bluez (Canada) and Towed By The Ghost (UK)!


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: Texpack || The Early Serenade

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Let’s add Indonesia to our ever expanding list of fine music from around the Globe. To be more specific, let’s go to Bogor, Jakarta where Texpack recently released a three song EP called The Early Serenade. If you like alternative ’90’s pop, you will definitely enjoy this one. Never having heard of Texpack before, I mistakenly thought on the title track that Texpack was a new shoegaze project by Davey Von Bohlen (Cap’n Jazz, The Promise Ring, Maritime). The second track, Between 4 and 10 is a classic indie pop single including a surprise cameo of a trumpet. Speaking of trumpets, Texpack closes the EP with a well executed cover of the Eggstone song My Trumpets. Out now on Anoa Records (Jakarta).


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Western Threads || Cowboys in Montmartre

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Western Threads sounded “too country” for the indie labels and “too indie” for the country labels, as the band’s singer / songwriter Jacob Lewis told us earlier in a GIMME 5 post about the inspiration for their debut album Cowboys in Montmartre, that has finally been released. The ten songs about love, death, sex, murder, and friendship don’t have the sharp edges of The Vaselines’ music (one of the main influences), and are therefore somewhat easier on the ears. While listening, my feet unconsciously moved continuously with the rhythm of the drums and screeching guitar. The fact that the voices of Jacob Lewis and Ainsley Richter alternate and then come together again creates a pleasant balance. For what it’s worth, for Add To Wantlist the band from Austin, Texas sounds just right.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Nuevos Hobbies || Monstruoso

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New Hobbies! Is there are more positive and concise way to frame the past 12 months? It makes for a great bandname as well. Nuevos Hobbies are from Pamplona, Spain. They named their latest record Monstruoso, an even more concise (and more truthful?) way to describe the past year. The ten song on Monstruoso were recorded right before the first lockdown. It was inspired by the tension its band members experience between personal hapiness and not wanting to harm the planet. It’s something most of us can relate to, and even though I don’t speak Spanish, I quite enjoy what I am hearing. Nuevos Hobbies play indiepop with a capital P, with dashes of sixties pop, jangle, and the occasional hint of northern soul. Monstruoso is the perfect soundtrack to starting this saturday slowly, drinking coffee and reading the paper. Out now on Hurrah! Música.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Randolph’s Leap || Spirit Level

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Randolph’s Leap sometimes is a solo project by Adam Ross from Glasgow (Scotland), but on the just released Spirit Level, Randolph’s Leap are a collective of eight. The songs on Spirit Level sound upbeat and joyful, despite being written in a turbulent time in Ross’ life. Part of that joyfulness comes from the occasional horns, keyboard, violion and sugarsweet nananana backup choirs in their indiepop sound. The other part comes from Ross’ voice, which is pleasant yet vulnerable and not unlike Ramesh Srivastava of Voxtrot. Ross is a prolific songwriter; he released over 40 home-recordings last year. Based on the songs on Spirit Level, he has yet to come across the bottom of his well of creativity. Put simply, Spirit Level is a joy to listen to. The sun is out today. I am no weather man, but it may be due to this release. Check out their video for Moment Passed, which offers a reminder of the importance of taking your music seriously, but not taking yourself seriously. Out now on Fika Recordings (UK).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Spires || Era Was

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The Spires are from California. They play timeless guitar pop that is pleasant to the ears, soul and mind. Era was, I believe, is the band’s fifth full-length, which “started off as a full band live record then ended up a bedroom headphone jammer.” Recommended if you like your indie rock understated, subtle, and well executed.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Hoorsees || Hoorsees

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I liked the previously released video for Hoorsees’ song Get Tired, so I was really looking forward to their first self-titled album. It’s out now on Kanine Records (USA), Howlin ‘Banana Records (FR) and In Silico Records (FR) and to be honest, I didn’t really feel it when I listened to it through my laptop speakers the first two times yesterday. That changed with the third listen, through my headphones – the jangly indie pop of the French four-piece takes some time to grow, but slowly but surely it gets under your skin. They say ‘Hey, I’m useless’ in their bio, but that’s false modesty – this music does add value.

Add to wantlist @ Bandcamp:  Howlin Banana Records || In Silico || Kanine Records

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New album: Justin Freely || What A Time To Be Alive

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Indeed, the flow of good music from Melbourne, Australia continues, but this one sounds a bit different from the Melbourne bands we have recently written about. What a Time to be Alive is the debut album by Justin Freely, who wrote all the songs and did the vocals and guitars. The eight lyric focused topical and love songs form a multi genre collection; I’ve placed it in the indie pop category, but there are also influences from folk, blues, and even reggae (Shake It All Off). Thanks in part to the production and sound effects of Brooke Penrose (Saint Jude), this is an entertaining and engaging listening experience.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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