This new indie songs playlist includes a rising teen DIY band from Oregon; a return track from a Modesto DIY rocker; debut music from a Boston band, as well as tracks from DIY rockers in Sweden and eastern Massachusetts. Don’t miss the latest Top Ten Songs playlists.
Roseburg – Rosenburg, Oregon
Crane Song – Modesto, California
John Hanson Project – Boston, Massachusetts
Backseat Driver – Malmo, Sweden
Telamor – New Bedford, Massachusetts
The indie rock trio Roseburg – of Roseburg, Oregon – formed the band only a year ago, and already they are smoking up Spotify playlists with the new track ‘Wave.’
In 2018, the band, fronted by Zach Knell, dropped a series of singles that were immediately gobbled up by a growing audience of Roseburg fans.
“We had some early success with our first singles,” Knell said, continuing, “and producing a viral video in Oregon about our formation; being featured on Snapchat’s first original TV series, Endless Summer.” His bandmates are Samuel Sheppard and Keith Lambson.
The track is impressive for a DIY band made up of three teens. The single is yet another track in a series of singles that have later added more fans to Roseburg’s overall following.
“Wave” moves with a strong melodic rock edge that does not overpower the catchy, almost anthemic, chorus. It was originally written for models-turned-musicians, The Atomics, and is “a surf rock song at its core,” according to Knell.
Roseburg is currently living in Utah and working with producer Scott Wiley (Neon Trees, The Aces) and Grammy-nominated producer Nate Pyfer (Kaskade, Joshua James) on new tracks.
Crane Song – “Skeletons”
Modesto indie musician Maxwell Wine, aka Crane Song, just dropped a new 10-track album, Sounds of Sleep, featuring a number of potential singles, including the alt. pop/rock track, “Skeletons,” sporting crunchy guitar chords, heavy bass notes and Wine’s spooky vocals.
As time has progressed, we’ve watched and listened to the maturation of Wine’s songwriting and recording skills, as well as the overall production value improve, although without losing too much of his lo-fi tracks.
Mostly what we are hearing is an expansion of his musical palette and Crane Songs’ growing following is likely to dig this newest release. Other standout tracks include the pop-leaning “Nature’s Holographic Peach” (which clocks at only 1:20 minutes); the retro-feeling, “Let’s Be In Love”; the mellow grooves of “With You” and the more spacious and dreamlike “Sleep Water.”
We are fans of all of his releases since starting out in 2015, but it can be stated with confidence that Crane Song’s releases over the past couple of years are our favorites. As the years move on as they will, we expect Wine will continue his growth as a musician, and if the universe is right, the growth of his discography and followers.
Wine has opened for bands like Strawberry Alarm Clock and The Dickies, and his influences include Spoon, The Pillows, The Cranberries, and Beck.
In December of 2017, we featured two terrific songs, “Get In The Car” and “Showtown,” from Crane Songs’ Heartstring EP.
John Hanson Project – “Now”
Last week, the Boston area band John Hanson Project dropped its debut album, Go On, a 12-track pop-rock of melodic pop rock songs that collectively remind this listener of an album that could have dropped in the 1980s.
The opener, “Take Flight,” has a funky vein underlying an 80’s-style pop rock track with guitar work by John Hanson that reminds this listener of Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) guitar playing. The following track, “Now,” with its spatial guitar rock sound, is one of the best songs on the album.
Another standout track on the album, “Pace,” switches things up by displaying Hanson’s vocal skills and acoustic guitar playing abilities.
As we feel with many albums over seven tracks, this set of 12 tracks could have been stronger if it were about seven or eight tracks instead.
There are a number of tracks, especially “Trenches” and “Demons,” that seem like they could have been left off. Sometimes less is better.
There are some fine songs, including as the single-friendly, “Human,” on this album, but there are just as many that could have been left off. That does not negate the fact that this album offers a handful of solid tracks for folks who enjoy unconventional melodic guitar rock.
Hanson has been writing songs and playing the guitar since he was very young growing up in the Boston area. In past years, he has toured Europe as a solo acoustic singer-songwriter.
Producer Benny Grotto, who has won the prestigious Boston Music Award for producer of the year, professional drummer Mike Levesque (David Bowie, Natalie Imbruglia); Sean McLaughlin (bass), and Dom Tenaglia (lead guitar) provided their contribution to the recording.
The band says that the album reflects influences like REM, Arctic Monkeys, and Elliott Smith.
Backseat Driver – “Help Me!”
Inspired by 1990’s alternative rock and classic rock, Malmo, Sweden quintet Backseat Driver, just dropped a fervent new single, “Help Me!” The song, driven by powerful electric guitars and a frantic chorus, has a strong sense of urgency. This is the band’s debut single, and so far they’re off to a smoking start.
The band may have not picked the best band name as there are at least three other bands that have staked claim to the name here in the U.S. alone. It’s safe to say that they are young, just starting out, and rough around the edges, requiring some work on vocals and timing.
The song was written by Max Kuuttanen and Edvin Peterson. Backseat Driver’s five-song debut EP will drop on February 8th. The band’s musical influences range from The Doors and Blur to Nirvana.
Thomas Hauck – “Hello Love”
Boston veteran musician and songwriter Tom Hauck, aka Telamor, continues his on-going project of dropping classic rock-inspired tracks mixed with enough pop to keep them melodic and accessible.
The latest such single, “Hello Love,” memorialize the first time he saw the woman who eventually became his wife.
“I wrote [‘Hello Love’] on my Martin X-series acoustic guitar,” he says. “Then I brought it to my co-conspirator, Warren Babson, and we recorded a basic voice/guitar/click track demo in the studio.”
“Using this simple version as a guide,” he adds, “we recorded roughly a dozen electric guitar tracks using a Fender Strat and a bunch of different amps. No keyboards on this one – all guitars.”
