The month of July has brought us tracks from around the world to our doorstep ranging from pop punk to acoustic folk. With a little something for everyone, each track below truly represents our admiration and plan to highlight under-the-radar artists who deserve recognition. From fast guitar breaks to velvety vocals, our picks for the summer were hand-selected with readers and listeners in mind. Check them out below and be sure to keep up with the ones you love just as much as we do.
A love song full of pop punk prowess, Zalta coos lyrics with nostalgia like, “I want to be your superhero/I want to be your Spiderman/I want to kiss you in the rain when it’s me under the mask.” A true ode to teenage love, this track holds poppy guitars and catchy bridges. A definite must-listen to for the summer.
Brooklyn indie rockers The Exits hold energy and attitude similar to The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys with their bright guitar notes and smooth vocals. Their track “Stranded” holds rock n’ roll elements while adding melodic background vocals and hooks for days. The group who met in college as students say their songwriting “delivers tales of city life and romance through catchy melodies.” Their track has a little bit for everyone.
Civilana – “Void”
Gritty, abrasive and smooth at the same time, this true rock n’ roll track holds groovy tempos with silvery vocals. Similar to their predecessors in The Black Keys and Queens of the Stone Age, the track has “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” qualities; true rock will never die and this song adds to the collection of modern headbanger tracks for rock revival.
Indie psych-rock at it’s finest, the outfit known as Gamma Dog bring twinkle and electronic notes to the forefront in this indie track. With vocals similar to British rockers Arctic Monkeys, the band have created a slightly different variation of psych-rock with more melody and booming instrumentation. A deadringer for a cartoon theme song in the best way, “Wa” has pleasantries for even the most lax indie listener.
The Aussie known as Renwick can be described as bedroom pop with an 80’s twist. High pitched vocals and synth bring the 80’s quality to life with this melodic song. Slow (and fast) enough for the dance floor and commercial space at the same time, you could equally trap this song inside an arcade machine.
This Swedish duo may be small, but so mighty! Their experimental band Music Teacher holds heavy Pavement and Silver Jews vibes, which are the indie rock standard. Their production quality, lyrics and tempo show they’re wise beyond their years when it comes to making a quality track. Not to mention, this song has castanets in it, which makes for any good dance track.
While rough around the vocals, this track bleeds into the heavier side of grunge and rock. Similar to Dinosaur Jr. and Nirvana, the group bring dynamic guitars and bridges to life with “Ennui in Texas”. Full of body and promise, this track is for any grunge fan.
Twinkly acoustic with cooing, loving vocals full of emotion and warmth bring this track to life. With lyrics loud enough to mimic a written letter like, “Daisy on a mountain, I might never get over you”, bring up heartache, but Garratt turns it into something beautiful.
A metaphor for war, this track holds resistance song similarities to the 60’s and 70’s. The song by Austin, Texas alt rock band Vision Arcade brings indie chords and melodic hooks. With lyrics about war and soldiers in combat, it brings a strong picture to the forefront as well as layering a solemn blanket over the outro’s guitar solo.
A beautifully bold track 12 years in the making with four vocalists across different countries, Beaufort mixes elements of electronic and indie. Upbeat and glittery, the french intro builds into an inspirational chorus of strength and beauty, not unlike Avicii or Futurecop!. The mixing and placement of each instrument and sound is placed perfectly to showcase an undeniable dance track with heart.
Soft while still proving a punch, the video from the group The Bergamot showcases a subject we don’t talk a lot about in society; “suicide rates have spiked among young women, up 12.7%.” With the emotional heaviness of the video along with the somber track, the slight instrumentation along with cooing vocals brings the message to life with this song.
The layered vocals on this indie track show promise with comparisons to folk artists Night Flight and Kris Kelly. The slow build flows into the chorus which features waves of hushed, long vocals, which are mesmerizing. The instrumentation is reminiscent of the 70’s.
