Myra Keyes is a good example of a modern-day Renaissance woman. The 19-year-old Chicago-based singer-songwriter released her debut LP Flower in the Brick in February and it’s a criminally overlooked release in modern indie rock. She’s a talent to watch over, wonderful in her vocals and guitar and bass playing, especially in how young she is. Previously, Keyes had released the EP Girl Reimagined in 2022 and worked with the Portland-based indie punk band Rawt.
Keyes’ general style, like a lot of modern indie rock, has its inspirations from the 90s with lo-fi production and some sludgy grunge guitars. She had spoken about how one of her main inspirations is indie rock goddess Liz Phair, and it’s entirely apparent as her voice is occasionally a dead ringer for Phair’s earlier work like Exile in Guyville. I’d love for Keyes to open for Liz Phair at some point based on her enthusiasm for her music. However, she still manages to not come across as an imitator by adding heavy 90s alt-rock guitars and a great rhythm section (provided by Joe Mengis of Eels on drums) for many songs. Tracks like “Powder Blue” and “Clubs” have consistently enjoyable grooves that keep the songs moving at a fast tempo and never let up. This is even during the somewhat silly rockabilly-inspired “Skylight” that features my favorite bass performance from Keyes on the record.
Keyes’ vocals are also a strong point of the album, transitioning easily from a breathy lower register (“MME”) to more expressive songs that focus more on her lyrics and personal sentiments (“A Year Above Ground”). She has a captivating presence that keeps you interested in her, and the way she consistently uses the wide range of her vocals is impressive. At only 29 minutes and eight songs, the album still has a unique voice for each track, and I’m interested in hearing what Myra Keyes offers next. Flower in the Brick is a confident debut LP that suggests more solid work from her in the future.
A 50 track grab bag of Indie Rock’s most rambunctious outings with less synths and more sizzle. Don your black leather jackets and add a bit of swagger & strut to your day with this Indie Rock REVIVAL Playlist from FOXYMOJO.
Chamber-rock indie band Cloud Cult from St. Cloud, Minnesota has just released their newest song “The Universe Woke Up As You” and it is a philosophical masterpiece. The song consists of Craig Minowa as the band’s lead vocalist and songwriter, Jeremy Harvey on the drums, Shannon Frid-Rubin on the violin, Sarah Perbix and Aurora Minowa as backup vocals, and Daniel Zamzow on the cello. Minowa recorded the song in the midst of a divorce, in the Wisconsin woods. Minowa was able to process his grief through music and regain control over his perspective on life with this song.
“The Universe Woke Up As You” came out as part of their Alchemy Creek album, due to come out on August 8th. This full-length studio album is made possible by Earthology Records, the band’s own record label created by Minowa himself. A really interesting fact is that Cloud Cult’s efforts to create music, advertise their band, and tour in the most sustainable ways possible have earned them a spot in “Top 10 Green Bands” by Rolling Stone in 2009.
Both the melody and lyrics of the song are melancholic and very reminiscent of the past. The feminine background vocals provide wonderful harmony to Minowa’s soft-spoken singing. In the end, a beautiful violin solo pulls the song to a close. In my opinion, the musicality of this song reminds me of Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”, mirroring its soothing vocals which convey a surprisingly depressing message. This 5-minute song is a great way to wind down after a long, hard day.
At the beginning of the song, Minowa can be heard whispering the intro, which makes the intended audience and all who listen feel small. The lyrics tell a story of hopeless nostalgia. Minowa reminisces about simpler times when he was a kid, and implies that things are much more difficult now as an adult having to deal with this “skull-sized hell.” Personally, my favorite verse of the song is:
Gonna draw myself a picture of the way things were What is real and what is fantasy? Well, I really can’t be sure There’s so much here to feel, well, it’s all just a blur Gonna draw myself a picture of the way things were
By the end, Minowa explodes into something bigger as he yells the title of the song “Today the universe woke up as you!” This piece depicts an interesting message of how one can control one’s own perception of time, space, and reality.
The accompanying music video starts with Minowa in front of a camcorder. It is apparent that the set takes place in some type of storage unit, giving the video a quickly-made unplanned feel. Behind him is the back of a garage door; on the camcorder screen, however, it is clear that the video editors have added a green screen to the background. The family-friendly vibe of the song is enforced by children acting as a film crew. For what seems low-budget, this video is a perfect visual for the song. “The Universe Woke Up As You” can be watched on YouTube here.
You can follow Cloud Cult on their own well-cultivated website. You can also subscribe to their Patreon, where they rank as one of the top content creators on the platform. Cloud Cult will be touring later this summer, headlining at the People Fest in Yuba, WI on August 9th. Be sure to catch them live before their last performance on September 28th at the Palace Theater in St. Paul, MN.
For two decades, Scott Fisher has crafted musical fusions of his own design, with works featured in popular TV shows such as Shameless, Parks & Recreation, and Gossip Girl. His groovy rhythms are infectiously catchy and are right at home in these comedies and dramas. If his new single “Still the Same” were in a show, it would accompany a protagonist returning to their old hometown, expecting friends and family to have changed—only, they find that everything has stayed the same.
Funky jazz chords and a guitar riff hook the listener from the start, evoking 1970s production styles. Fisher’s voice echoes with reverb, infusing the song with a contemporary indie-pop spin. The lyrics are contemplative, as the speaker observes the inherent constancy of people despite ever-changing surroundings. Fisher observes that “the same old thoughts” are “in different brains” and “the gray in your beard is all that changed.” It’s a timeless feeling, as we move from one place in life to the next and realize that human emotions are, at their core, changeless.
“Still the Same” is the third single from Fisher’s upcoming album, Kingdom of Ego. Fisher is currently based in Los Angeles, where he has worked on acclaimed television shows (Shameless, Parks and Recreation, Better Call Saul, The Good Doctor, etc.). He has opened for Brandi Carlile, Augustana, and Pink Martini, in line with their genre-crossing musical styles.
Refreshing indie pop duo Lime Cordiale just released their full-length album Enough of The Sweet Talk on July 26th. The LP comprises 13 songs separated by four “French Cue” interludes. After listening to the whole album, I couldn’t help but compare their music to The Wiggles, an Australian-based music group known for their iconic tunes. Sure enough, after doing some research, Lime Cordiale hails from Sydney, Australia, and gives off the same vibes as the aforementioned, but with a mature coming-of-age twist.
The band is made up of brothers Louis and Oliver Leimbach, later joined by Brendan Champion on the trombone and James Jennings on the drums. The musicality of the album at its core is pop, with hints of indie rock shining through in the latter half of the album. The drums, electric guitar, and trombone make regular appearances throughout the album, with an electronic keyboard as a fun cameo added to a few of the songs.
The first part of the album feels amazingly carefree and pays tribute to romantic relationships. “Pedestal” and “The Milk Man” are perfect songs to jam out to, so much so that they paint vivid pictures many can relate to, whether it be slow-dancing at prom or having a summer fling at the beach. I can already see myself listening to these songs while I’m getting ready for a special night out!
“The Facts of Life” is where the album breaks out into more of a self-reflective realm. In my opinion, the song encourages you to pay attention to your surroundings and enjoy the smaller things life has to offer: chewing gum, ice cream, the birds and bees. Alternatively, “The Facts of Life” could also imply the feeling of sexual release, as evocative hot-and-cool imagery is used throughout the song. The next piece “Enough of The Sweet Talk” is as literal as it can get. As a listener, you can’t help but empathize with the brothers. Leimbach states that talking with this person (I assume a romantic partner) is frustrating because they truly won’t listen to him; it’s all meaningless sweet talk. Even if they share the meaning of life or the world is ending and they need someone to rely on, he still wouldn’t talk to them– opting to be alone despite such drastic conditions.
This brings me to my favorite piece of the entire album: “Happiness Season”. It’s a beautiful song wherein each lyric is punctuated by the drum’s beat and accentuated by an impressive trombone riff. Additionally, this piece really highlights the Leimbach brothers’ talents as tenor vocalists! My favorite part is the chorus:
She didn’t need me, I’ve been defeated, Oh that’s how it goes in happiness season She didn’t need me, I’ve been defeated, Oh that’s how it goes, imagine her leaving, with happiness season~
“When I’m Losing It” is where the album takes a serious turn. In this song, Leimbach is, for lack of a better term, head-over-heels crazy about his lover. He admits he gets jealous easily and always loses his nonchalance when he’s around her. Accompanying this self-deprecating streak are “Imposter Syndrome” and “The Big Reveal; Ou L’Hypocrite”. Both songs reveal feelings of bittersweet inadequacy. Leimbach doesn’t see his own appeal and cannot accept a compliment for his life. Leimbach is hiding a big secret under his stardom and it’s the fact that he’s a hypocrite living with imposter syndrome. To be honest I can see many young adults of my generation (Gen Z) relating to these songs the most. At the end of the day, whether we hold mid- to senior-level positions or amass thousands of followers, at one point in our lives we’ve all experienced imposter syndrome.
Another amazing song I would like to spotlight is “Country Club”. The lengthy trombone solo, reminiscent of New Orleans jazz, graciously allows listeners a moment to reflect on the message of the song. “Country Club” has an oddly psychedelic feel to it, with a catchy and hilarious chorus. This song narrates the life of a ‘nepo baby’ who cannot rely on their parent’s money anymore. Despite its advantages, having rich parents can actually be a disservice as the person in question doesn’t know how the real world works. Overall, it’s a great message anyone can take away from.
Ultimately, Enough of The Sweet Talk provides listeners with a wonderful range of life messages to learn from. In addition to love and heartbreak, the album touches upon the importance of self-reliance, staying humble, and the harm caused by your inner critic. These songs are going to be on repeat in my summer playlist and–dare I say– years to come!
Another band I’ve seen pop up in my socials a bunch is the band grlztoy of the DMV area, made up of Theo Zamani (lead vocals, guitar) and Molly Izer (drums). Their EP green!, released last June, is an assured and confident debut I think is worth listening to for anyone into indie pop/rock.
For a release that’s only 12 minutes long, grlztoy easily establishes themselves with just six tracks. The opener, the title song, is only a minute long but still establishes a calming, slightly psychedelic mood through the guitars and slightly echoed drums. It’s ultimately just an intro to the EP, but it still feels complete. Each song carries the same vibe established in the intro title track, creating a hazy, colorful, summer night atmosphere.
The next three songs, “spring (untied shoes)”, “say when”, and “wavelength” are all a showcase to both members’ talents. Throughout the album, Theo’s singing is wonderful, clearly inspired by both a lot of 90s and 2010s indie singers, but she still almost equals those obvious influences in her abilities. Her voice is sweet and soft, but is still expressive when it needs to be. She carries a song like “say when” by sounding sweet and romantic in a way that’s earnest and never anything but genuine. Molly’s drumming is also consistently great, giving each song a fun, up-tempo groove. Her style varies neatly from cozy indie rock (“teenage dirtbag”), sort of bluesy (“keychain piano”), to garage power pop (the totally killer “wavelength”).
Admittedly, the band is still very new and occasionally some songs could use more substance (ex. “keychain piano” being clearly a mess-about band jam but still entertaining) or space to breathe. Still, despite having room to grow, green! is a kind of first release that makes you excited to see where the band will go next.
Brooklyn’s own indie rock band Razor Braids just released Big Wave, their sophomore LP after 2021’s “I Could Cry If You Want Me To”. The new album is of a concept record about the timeline of going through a breakup, and lyrically it’s very personal. It goes into the narrator’s (which could be any of the members of the band, or multiple writing from shared experiences) feelings about their insecurities, self-doubts, and feelings of anguish within themselves. The lyrics are one of the strong points of the band, being clear, relatable, and easy to identify with as a listener.
Musically, the band’s style has its inspirations in 90s indie and alternative rock. There are many obvious comparisons like the lo-fi sound of Liz Phair, some Mazzy Star-style touches of psychedelia, as well as heavy grungy guitars that occasionally pop up. The production and guitar work on the album is consistently good, with a hazy but dreamy atmosphere composing many of the songs. Lead vocalist Hollye Bynum gives a lot of great performances throughout, showing her singing as more confident than the band’s earlier singles like “Nashville”. The backing vocals (contributed by rhythm guitarist Jillian Karande) are just as strong, though some of the best sounding parts of the album were when both vocalists harmonized, like on “B26” and “Windy Gap”. It’s an element of the band’s sound that I wish they used more.
My favorite track is the lead single, “She”, which is an upbeat pop-rock song that easily has the breeziest and most danceable groove on the album (with the drums provided by former member Sid Nichols). The band’s irresistible energy and chemistry here shines through, accentuated by brief giggles by the band as the song closes. However, while “She” is a great single, it differs a bit from the rest of the album in terms of its accessibility and focus on a pop chorus. Not that this is a bad thing, as mellow and downbeat songs like “It Goes Quiet” and the title track are still strong because of the earnest performances and lyrics, and especially from the lush guitars (from lead guitarist Janie Peacock) in the second half of the latter.
Big Wave is mostly a storytelling album rather than one that’s song driven. There’re points where the tracks can feel more about expressing emotions rather than structure and rhythm. This is most apparent on “JR”, which seems to explode with intensity as a musical emotional breakdown in the second half, as psychedelic guitars bury the vocals before they come crashing down on themselves. The vulnerability given from Bynum’s performances helps make this seem rawer and more effective.
All the songs are good, and the album is easy to recommend to fans of modern indie rock that are more into lyrically driven music. It’s not perfect, as I think it could’ve used another good hook or two and better pacing. Still, the album ends on a bittersweet but hopeful note on “There’s No Sound”, and I think the band still has a lot of talent and potential to build on based on the more promising parts of the album.
Big Wave may end up just being a steppingstone for a band that’s still evolving, but it’s captivating enough to look deeper into it.
Ann Arbor based indie rock band Fallow Land has recently released their first LP Slow Down, Rockstar dripping with hefty arpeggios flush with reverb and repetition while emotional lyrics slide over the top. A true evolution for the band from their EP Pinscher guitarist/vocalist Whit Fineberg claims a lot of emotional healing in the two years between records. He was even quoted to say, “When I was younger I lived more recklessly, it sometimes felt like every aspect of my life was an extension of the art I was creating.” While this was helpful in creating the band’s early works a fundamental shift was necessary for further production and as they’ve matured emotionally listeners can hear a change between the two albums.
With “The Things You Say” and “The Hope” emerging as the two most popular songs it’s by no coincidence that they’re also two of the most emotional and healing songs on the album. “The Things You Say” offers a total expression of fears and emotional exposure from the band. While in “The Hope” listeners are able to come to a place of complete comfort, similarly to how Fineberg himself was able to find comfort in the relationship he was writing about. With an emotion for everyone expressed on the album, the most unique song is “The Dog Song” featuring a heavy metal vibe unlike anything else on the record, and at third to last it creates a nice change of pace to reinforce the attention of the listener. As the band figured out who and what they wanted to be throughout the course of the work anyone listening in is also able to follow the narrative arc from beginning to end.
Perhaps though one of the most unique features of the album is how every track’s title begins with “The” instantly piquing the interest of anyone reading through the songs. This repetition of “The” also reflects the repetitive nature of a few of the tracks on the album such as “The Boredom” discussing gym class days and a need to feel comfortable in your own skin again. This album contains lyrical warmth felt inside of your bones while also packing a powerful punch from the content of the words being said.
Slow Down, Rockstar is a perfectly complete album with a definitive style created and maintained throughout its entirety. With lines such as, “I was unaware of the space your presence occupied inside of me” and “I wish I could undress your influence” it’s no wonder anyone who sits through the whole thing will feel as if they just traveled along an emotional roller coaster, and came out better because of it.
Fallow Land will be announcing their 2019 tour of the USA soon, so be sure to check out their new LP Slow Down, Rockstar here and stay up to date on their tour here.
If you’re looking for a video unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, we’ve got you covered: Tide Pods meet Britney Spears. For Elisabeth Donaldson’s directing debut, the multi-talented artist teamed up with indie piano rockers Molly Rocket to create a cover of Britney Spears’ legendary hit, “Toxic” while simultaneously creating satire that brings the current state of affairs in America to light. The video utilizes the infamous 2018 Tide Pods trend to show how crazy it is that, while there are much more important things to be worried about, America is focused on tiny balls of laundry detergent.
Exposing cultural decay while creating entertainment can be a tricky thing to pull off, but Donaldson achieves it. Visually, the video sticks to a Tide Pods themed color scheme, outfits, and locale (aka the laundromat). Who wouldn’t want to try some of the tasty meals shown in the video: Tide Pod cereal, eggs, pizza, etc?? Props to Donaldson for a directing debut worth noting, and Molly Rocket for a unique and unforgettable performance.
