September kicks off with indie rock songs from indie rock bands across North America and around the world. Here they are. Make sure to check out other posts for great indie songs and bands/artists. If you can share us on your socials, we’d appreciate it greatly.
Moonroof – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Melbourne, Australia
Toui Manikhouth – Hamilton, Ontario
Smoking Alaska – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Hayes & Conner – Chicago, Illinois
Avalon Highway – Midsomer-Norton, England
Moonroof – “Trojans”
Philadelphia-based indie band Moonroof creates its own brand of upbeat, catchy indie/alt-pop. They’ve also been fairly quickly building up a following in Philly and beyond with impressive must-hear tracks like the band’s newest single, “Trojans.”
The band says the song originated from one of the member’s attraction to someone they didn’t really click with but still pursued the relationship anyway.
“Something about the person kept him interested,” said drummer Dan Rendine. “We’ve all been there before – chasing after something we know we shouldn’t.”
As summer winds down for another year, it’s almost even more of a rush to share ‘summery’ tracks with our listeners (we have a number of them in the wings). This is one of them as are other tracks herewithin and in the yellow bar playlist at the bottom of the page (the best DIY of 2019).
“We really wanted a summer chill style song to pair with this melody so the guitars created that warm and sparkly tone that’s felt throughout,” Rendine adds.
In April 2018, Moonroof released the debut E.P. Good Luck Out There. The band followed that with three singles: “Honey Honey” last fall, followed by “Be Somebody” and “Home Alone” earlier this year.
The band members are Dave Kim (vocals); Dan Rendine (drums); Nick Cellucci (guitar, keys, vocals); Danny Walsh (guitar) and Kevin Randolph (bass/vox). The four then-students met in a Bloomsburg University dorm, where they graduated in 2017.
Moonroof’s music is unmistakably indie-pop; light, poppy vocals; soaring, ethereal guitar leads; steady, driving rhythms and funky bass lines with hip-hop/rock combo beat.
Originally called The Big Picture, the band started out playing acoustic sets at open mics for a few years – refining their craft – before “getting serious and moving on to bars and clubs like big bois [sic],” they write.
“[We’re] on a journey to conquer the underground Philly scene.” Some would argue they’re doing a good job of it.
This past June marked a milestone for Moonroof when they shared the same bill with The Lumineers, Death Cab for Cutie, Grouplove and others at the Radio 104.5 12th Birthday Show.
The band’s musical influences include The 1975, Two Door Cinema Club, and Last Dinosaurs.
Rolling Blackouts – “In The Capital”
Similar to past singles like “French Press” and “Talking Straight,” Australian indie rock band Rolling Blackouts’ newest single, “In The Capital,” has the same glossy, youthful glow and energy.
The track is the first new drop from the Melbourne quintet since the 2018 release of their debut album Hope Downs.
“I first had the idea for the melody and some of the lyrics when I was swimming,” said Rolling Blackouts’ Fran Kearney.
“It’s taken a while to finish the song, to make it feel like the initial feeling. I can’t neatly describe it, but something like connection despite the distance.
“I was thinking about transience and water and death and big cities and fishing towns and moon river.”
Rolling Blackouts has had a quick rise, some would say, including as a band to watch at the all-important 2019 South by Southwest conference.
NOTE: The band’s original name was Rolling Blackouts but was changed to Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever for a reason that is unclear.
Toui Manikhouth – “Is It Strange?”
The single, “Is It Strange?,” from Canadian songwriter, vocalist and musician Toui Manikhouth, is his latest beautiful track that is turning folks on with its gorgeous melodies and vocals.
His acoustic guitar playing is calm yet engaging. Recorded and produced at home, the single was mastered by Michael Chambers (Royal Wood, Paul Federici, Boy With An Atlas).
Born in Dunnville, Ontario, Canada and now living in Hamilton, Toui Manikhouth sets out to create music wildly different from past projects.
In 2016, Manikhouth (Man-ee-couth) released, This Service/The Fire, a collection of sweet, thoughtfully composed acoustic songs.
Interestingly, his other music endeavor is as a member of the metal rock band Hey Clown.
By entertaining these dual sides of his artistic personality, Manikhouth adds a well-rounded flair to his songwriting arsenal.
Smoking Alaska – “Through The Blue”
Dreamy guitars of warm melodic distortion, extensive, deep bass riffs and tight, creative drums are the main contours of the music of The Netherlands indie rock band Smoking Alaska.
This is true on the band’s most recent single, “Through The Blue.” The members know how to create a good atmosphere and then switch it up.
They are armed with songs that range from soft melancholic numbers to harder, more alt. rock-style songs.
The band’s main influences are Muse, Nothing But Thieves, STRFKR, Franz Ferdinand, and The Strokes.
Hayes & Conner – “No Need To Feel Wrong”
The first few seconds of the track “No Need To Feel Wrong” may remind listeners right away of Nick Drake’s style of guitar playing, wherein blues-folk meets the acoustic troubadour’s organic, rhythmic flow.
“After completing our debut album [2014], we let it sit for four years without promotion or show support,” says the Chicago music duo Hayes & Conner.
What happened earlier this year was a surprise to them both.
Back when they recorded the album, the duo didn’t think of that track as much more than a B-side when they recorded it.
They say the song is about unanswered questions: ‘What if? What could I have done differently or had I listened close enough?”
“When moving through such sadness and disappointment, it was a way to heal. It’s trying to show an appreciation in place of what could have been.”
Filled with sorrow and joy, and the unavoidable highs and lows of life, Hayes says the duo’s songs are “part of the journey of learning to trust, love and become.”
Their debut album, Talking to Myself, was produced by musician Evan Graham Dunn.
Avalon Highway – “Hungover In The Sun”
The U.K. five-piece indie-pop group Avalon Highway dropped their debut single, “Hungover In The Sun,” just recently.
While summer is near to the end, the song itself has a mean summer vibe that got some attention among bloggers and made the rounds recently.
The band’s driving, roots-influenced debut track was produced by the legendary producer and singer-songwriter Mike Batt.
During nearly a half centuries’ time, Batt has produced dozens of artists, including The Hollies, XTC, and Manic Street Preachers.
Hailing from Midsomer-Norton near Bath, England, Avalon Highway consists of five friends who have blue-collar day jobs and own a music shop in Bath. They’ve opened for bands like Toploader.
