Despite the pandemic, there have been plenty of great indie rock bands and artists dropping singles. The Indie Rock Bands Spotlight series includes a new indie music playlist that features the following indie bands and artists:
Moonunitt – Ithaca, New York (“Dragon”)
Strangely Alright – Tacoma, Washington “Maybe If”
Adam Hill – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (“Magnetic North”)
Hundred Miles High – Yorkshire, England (“Shine On”)
Annabelle’s Curse – Bristol, Tennessee (“Thunder”)
Operocia – Stockton, California (“We All Fall Down”)
Ison Ava – Utrecht, The Netherlands (“Like Lightning to Ground”)
Desmond Grundy – Toronto, Ontario (“Fifteen of Fame”)
Jerry Impini – Brooklyn, New York (“Been Bad For Me”)
Moonunitt – “Dragon”
The upstate New York psychedelic rock/avant-garde outfit are so-called “anti-heroes performing a mix of original tunes influenced by its favorite artists: Phish, Flaming Lips, and Mac DeMarco.
Earlier this year Ithaca‘s Moonunitt dropped a 10-track album, Like A Dream, featuring a collection of demo-like tracks spanning the spectrum of psych-rock, pop, folk, tropicalia, and offbeat. The tracks span the timeline from 2018 through 2019.
The vocals are rough and really need work in most spots. Some of the top tracks include the psychy number “Dragon.”
Check out Moonunitt’s Bandcamp page for more tracks.
Strangely Alright – “Maybe If”
Tacoma’s quirky indie rock band Strangely Alright has been pumping out mini indie gems for the past couple of years that we’ve been listening to their releases on Bandcamp.
The Washington state band just released the woozy – and a bit scary – song, “Maybe If,” an eight-minute foray into the zanny and partially demented minds of band members like the lead singer and songwriter, Regan Lane, as well as guitarist/vocalist Sean Van Dommelen; bassist Ken Schaff; keyboardist/vocalist Raymond Hayden and drummer Jason Bair.
Watch the official lyric video for the track.
Earlier in the year, the band dropped the super track, “Here.” Clocking in at nearly half the time as “Maybe If,” the second track may be more succinct for some listeners.
The band describes itself as “sonic time-travelers” who “paint paisley patterned pictures that shimmer with the 60’s mercurial blend of darkness and innocence; mesh psychedelia and pop melodies together; run rock muscle through the most danceable of tunes…”
Hundred Miles High – “Shine On”
Hundred Miles High is an English rock band from Yorkshire, England, formed in 2020.
The band’s lineup consists of veteran musicians who have played on the northern U.K. gig circuit for the past decade: Will Dunk (lead vocals); Paul Blackett (guitars and backing vocals) and Jonno Iliffe (drums).
HMH’s self-produced debut album, Boxfresh, is a collection of energetic songs full of swirling guitars, booming percussions, and intriguing lyrics on songs like the lead single, “Shine On.”
Unfortunately, as has been the case for tens of thousands of bands this year, the band cannot tour due to the pandemic.
HMH’s music is influenced by The Alarm, Hard-Fi, Big Country, and Oasis.
Annabelle’s Curse – “Thunder”
Musician Tim Kilbourne has released a number of compelling indie tracks with the band Annabelle’s Curse. Bristol, Tennessee -based alt-folk band Annabelle’s Curse isn’t so much a curse as a happy accident. A series of accidents actually.
One of the original group’s founders guitarist Zack Edwards explains that he showed up on the porch of the other co-founder Tim Kilborne (vocals, banjo, guitar) six years ago after being introduced through mutual friends at Emory and Henry College.
“We started playing music and I just never went home,” Edwards remembers. “We did that for a little while, writing songs on the front porch and playing open mic nights.”
A third member, bassist Tyler Luttrell, joined the group after a night involving mucho whiskey and a little sleeping in a Walmart parking lot.
Other members include Travis Goyette (drums/auxiliary percussion); Kirk Bagnell (auxiliary percussion); and Carly Booher-Edwards (mandolin, vocals).
One of the many memorable songs on the album is the spectacular number, “Thunder.” IRC wrote up a post about the album a couple of months ago.
Adam Hill – “Magnetic North”
Canadian folk/roots musician Adam Hill doesn’t seek out perfection; the world’s too complicated for that. He’s liable to pound random clusters of piano keys with an open palm if it makes music that feels good.
Mind you, he’s no slouch on his instrument. He knows his way around a guitar and can saw the heck out of a double bass.
There are no out-of-tune notes he won’t sacrifice in the interest of making honest music.
The Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island, Canada) songwriter is also a multi-instrumentalist, performing all notes for the bass, guitar, and piano on this uplifting, keeper track.
Operocia – “We All Fall Down”
In California, the Stockton alternative rock band Operocia is comprised of five friends who grew up together through high school and the years to follow.
For the past decade, the band has been knocking out the numbers and attracting crowds at shows and festivals.
The band’s latest release is the impressive lead single “We All Fall Down” from Operocia’s self-titled EP.
Two initial members, and brothers, Chris Hunter (vocals/guitar) and Jeremy Hunter (drums) started playing music as kids.
In high school, they met Michael Olson (bass) and Danny Marks (guitar). That was the true start for the band, but they were only fully Operocia when keys were added, commanded by Mike Soria.
Playing songs with melodic structures and heavy drum patterns, the band members are fans of Thrice, Manchester Orchestra, Brand New, and the Deftones. Additional influences include Explosions in the Sky, Circa Survive, and MuteMath.
Ison Ava – “Like Lightning to Ground”
Ison Ava is the pseudonym for indie/alt. rock guitarist, songwriter, and singer Wiard Jorritsma.
A resident of Utrecht, The Netherlands, Jorritsma’s music is characterized by his atmospheric guitar playing, melancholic lyrical themes, and a touch of electronics.
This is evident in the striking single, “Like Lightning to Ground.” He also recently released another single, “Eternity.”
A multi-instrumentalist, Jorritsma plays guitar, synths, drums, and bass on his tracks and DIY mixes and masters.
Desmond Grundy – “Fifteen of Fame”
On the new album, Animals on the Farm, Toronto musician Desmond Grundy‘s straight-up, alt-rock guitar music creates and licking and keeps trucking on.
Tracks like “Fifteen of Fame” are seeded in the creatively-structured musical styles of the bygone British Rock invasion and throughout the wide spectrum of Americana and folk styles.
The song, Grundy says, is based on Andy Warhol’s famous quote about everybody gets 15 minutes of fame. Whatever the case, the track is sure to get your blood pumping.
Grundy has an accessible creative signature coupled with musical influences from the classic rock and new wave eras. The album will drop next month.
“This is a fun song of hope for troubled times,” he says. ” I would generally classify this song as modern pop-rock with an intellectual bent.”
Jerry Impini – “Been Bad For Me”
Brooklyn musician Jerry Impini is a classically trained pianist, singer, songwriter, producer, and recording artist. Impini is a multi-instrumentalist with proficiency on piano, bass, drums, and banjo.
The tantalizing single “Been Bad For Me” is the latest single from the release.
Impini was classically trained since the age of six. He took private piano, guitar, and voice lessons at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music in New York and was accepted by audition into Fiorello LaGuardia School of Music and the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center in New York City at age of 15.
He has opened for bands such as The Romantics, LA Guns and is primarily influenced by Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, the Stones, and many others.
Recently we were introduced to the heart-wrenchingly beautiful voice and acoustic music of London DIY musician Chi Limpiroj who uses the moniker Dunebug.
Below are some of the best 2020 DIY/indie music videos we’ve seen/heard this year. This is a first of a series that will include more selected videos – many sent into us.
