With spring in the rear view, we approach summer with indie bangers and collaborations from The Summer Set x The Ready Set. Not to mention, rock n’ roll vibes and synth galore in our playlist of the week. Each song uniquely it’s own, curated by our editors and equally worthy of grabbing the title for best of the week.
The Holy – “Land Before Time”
The music video for this is beautiful and something we watched a few times to catch all of the little details weaved throughout the video. The track is incredibly well-written and engineered with strong vocals. A definite earworm.
The Step Dads – “Tirade”
The sound and songwriting on this track has blues rock qualities made for radio, the engineering on it is strong and it’s clear there is quality musicianship backing this project. Coming from Miami, the group are a self-proclaimed “guitar-driven, synth-blasting, anthemic indie rock band.”
Palm Ghosts – “Who Knew Better Than You?”
The laidback indie-goth tone of this track shines outside the norm. The mix of both of the lead vocals adds a unique aspect to the track that allows it to stand out.
NEKOKAT – “I Believe in What You Are”
The Ready Set & The Summer Set have collaborated to fuse their past with an indie-electro prowess set for the summer. With strong vocals and a catchy chorus, the track is a definite beach tune.
Pink Lemonade – “Wasted a Moment”
Chillwave and dream pop all at once, this track holds pop qualities with wavy synth. The melodies of layered vocals are reminiscent of the cool, dreamy synth tracks of the eighties. There are even pops of guitar breaks in the track, fit for any movie soundtrack.
Of The Valley – “Quiet and Curious”
With great production quality and vocal range, the indie-rock crooner holds singer-songwriter aspirations. The influence of Bon Iver and Tom Petty is apparent in this track.
Lucy – “Hotel Room”
In the same vein of Kings of Leon meets War on Drugs with a pinch of Foster The People, “Hotel Room” holds all of the qualities to make it to indie radio charts. With melodies and a dip in the bridge that builds to the chorus, this track has guitar breaks weaving in and out of the track keeping things fresh.
The Brothers Moore – “I Can Relate”
This track is great and has a lot of variation in emotion, tone, instrumentation and melody. This is an earworm of a track with booming backing vocals and an irresistable twang in the vocals.
The Qualia – “Just Won’t Stop”
The track inspired by the singer moving from temporary housing to temporary housing project, the feelings of angst fade over time. While the track is upbeat and reminiscent of Spoon and Car Seat Headrest, the somber qualities shine through with the message behind it. According to the band, “reflecting the passionate and analytical personalities of Lars Casteen, Rossen Nedelchev, Matt Raymond, and Will McCutcheon, the group’s music combines a wry humor and dancefloor sensibility with lyrical depth and jangle to create their own brand of modern new wave.”
Loud Forest – “Hold On”
A Matt and Kim-esque track with more electro qualities, “Hold On” is “a song that is meant to be an encouragement to someone who is in that position of panic, a turning point, an ambition, a new venture, keep your cool, hold on tight, you’ll make it alive.”
Left-Handed Jacket – “Not First But Last”
With easy listening guitar tones and a vocal range suited for warm nights in their hometown of Miami, FL, “Not First But Last” is a definite love song set for summer. A track set for dancing the night away, the band have said their “influence from disco and funk legends of the past, [this]is Left-Handed Jacket’s ode to real modern love, showing a world where just because two people may have their own histories, doesn’t mean they can’t create a beautiful future together.”
LAUST – “Broken Love”
Los Angeles’ LAUST combines industrial pop with edgy cinematic elements born for commercial and theatrical use. The track builds throughout, coupled with LAUST’s vocals and the orchestral instrumentation, the track is a born banger.
