Top 10 DIY Songs, Jan. 2022 – No Suits in Miami, Darksoft, Marquee Sullivan, 8Bit Wizrd &more

More than ever, the choices of music are overwhelming.

Therefore, keeping focused is important. And yet, it used to be, say a decade ago, easier to focus on the ‘indie rock’ craze (which began to wane right about 2012 for whatever reason; proof is this keyword search chart from Google Trends) and a few dozen popular artists and bands.

But nowadays there are too many fking good artists and bands. And with fewer people going to blogs (you guys turned on us – sniff sniffle) to find new music and bands, there are fewer truly independent music indie blogs (like yours truly); many have closed shop or stop posting.

The advent of ad-blockers also helped put a big nail into the blogger world, as did the continued corporate take-over of the web (yes, you too Google – replacing so many naturally earned search positions by regular folks with all of your own content – hugely impacting blogger’s visibility and thus traffic.)

One of the things that will never fade out for us is putting the spotlight on talented, rising DIY indie artists and bands. The fact is that there is way too much good music out there. A possible hit record (if radio played diy music – yeah right); a genius young songwriter; a breakthrough album; a hot new band on a tear, etc., already exist with more to come.

SO, let’s celebrate what we can.

A big asterik to the title of this series would include a note that says ‘the top 10 is based entirely on the music we’ve actually had time to listen to’.

Let’s face a fact: there is so much damn good music that comes from non-labeled artists.

Here are just a few for January’s Top 10 DIY Songs of 2022 releases. In this playlist: No Suits in Miami; Marquee Sullivan; Darksoft; 8BIT WIZRD; Indigo/Lure Division; Lucas Stern; Slark Moan; The Lagoons; Cole Loomis and String Machine.

Enjoy and please share.

Quick Hits featuring Destroyer, Spoon, String Machine, Young Prisms

This week’s quick hits features new singles and videos from Destroyer, String Machine; Destroyer; Partner Look; Spoon; Young Prisms. Coming up: the latest Singles Club; January’s best album drops and fest updates.

Destroyer gets gritty on “Tintoretto, It’s For You”

It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from regarded alt rock songwriter and musician Destroyer, aka Daniel Bejar.

His sizzling new single, “Tintoretto, It’s for You,” is an intoxicating mix of orchestration and synthesizers and crazy drumming.

Destroyer’s new album, Labrinthitis, drops in March.


String Machine reveals anthemic new single

Know Hope Records’ artist String Machine drop the video single, “Touring In January”, ahead of the release of the album Hallelujah Hell Yeah on February 25.

The track is full-blown, anthemic indie baroque pop that is reminiscient of bands like Arcade Fire.


Partner Look drops new jangly single

Melbourne rock band Partner Look will release their new album By the Book on February 4 via Trouble in Mind Records.

You wouldn’t be far-off if you think “Right Here” sounds like a Go-Betweens cover, but this track is an original recording. However, there is clearly a Go-Betweens influence.


Spoon goes western on new video

Spoon is best sticking to the studio – definitely not making westerns of any sort.

But “Wild” is satisfactory as a track – still, a staple Spoon song; nothing really noteworthy. The band’s latest release, Lucifer on the Sofa drops in February.


SF’s Young Prisms drop first new single in a decade

You couldn’t have blamed anyone over the past number of years for thinking that San Francisco shoegazers Young Prisms had disbanded.

But a soaring and sizzling new melodic single, “Honeydew” is providing for an exciting return by the band. It’s the debut single from the band’s first album in a decade.