The 30 Best Indie Rock Songs of 2016 (10 - 1)

No fucking about, let’s get into it. 

10. Red Cabin - I Can't Wait 

Red Cabin is Jonathan Foster, an indie pop multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter/producer from Long Island, New York. His sound falls somewhere between The Shins and Weezer. I Can't Wait (Feb'16) is an ebullient rock song with a vocal delivery that exudes joy. Unique.

9. Yak - Harbour The Feeling 

Yak are a psych-rock band from London, England. They sound like Pretty Vicious and VANT. Harbour The Feeling (Jan'16) is an intense and furious punk song designed for whipping up an instant crowd frenzy.

8. Sundara Karma - She Said 

Sundara Karma are an indie pop rock band from Reading, England. They sound like Blossoms and Get Inuit. She Said (Aug'16) is a slick and instantly catchy synth-pop song with jangly guitars. The heroin of songs.

7. VANT - Fly-By Alien 

VANT are a punk band from London, England. They sound like Public Access TV and Spring King. Fly-By Alien (Feb'16) is a punk song that takes a swipe at the apathy of the millennial generation. 

6. Nai Harvest - Just Like You

Nai Harvest are a punk duo from Sheffield, England. They sound like Cloud Nothings and The Cribs. Just Like You (Feb'16) is sweet punk with a big scuzzy riff and a shout-it-out-loud chorus. Essential. 

5. PARTYBABY - Your Old Man 

PARTYBABY are an indie rock band with glam stylings from Los Angeles, California. They sound like FIDLAR and SWMRS. Your Old Man (Dec'15) is an anthemic garage rock song that is elevated by the glam rock guitar. A fresh, savage, approach to indie rock.

 4. The Crispies - Bad Blood 

The Crispies are a garage rock band from Vienna, Austria. They sound like The White Stripes and The Arctic Monkeys. Bad Blood (June'16) is a gritty stomper with booming drums, that fires off nasty licks faster than lightening. It reeks of piss and blood in a basement where the band are elevating the crowd to Valhalla.

3. The Amazons - In My Mind 

The Amazons are an indie rock band from Reading, England. They sound between Royal Blood and Oasis. In My Mind (Sept'16) is a powerful rock song propelled by a massive riff, pounding rhythms, dense musical textures and desperate vocals. An indie rock tour de force.  

2. Low Cut High Tops - Lonely And Cold

Low Cut High Tops is multi-instrumentalist and producer David Burns. He is from Seattle, Washington. Low Cut High Tops sounds between The White Stripes and The Pixies. Lonely And Cold (Jan'16) is a grunge song that exudes an off-kilter sexuality while taking off musically with the power of a jet fighter. Blows your fucking head off. 

1. The Courteeners - The 17th 

The Courteeners are an indie rock band from Manchester, England. They sound like The Smiths and Catfish and the Bottlemen. The 17th (Aug'16) has a melancholic synth-pop feel that builds, painfully slowly but inexorably, into a joyful crescendo with a scream-it-to-the-heavens chorus. And that's it. The ultimate cock tease of a song. It'll keep you coming back for more.

PARTYBABY - New Years 2014 On A Beach (Felicity)

1.    Who are these heroes?

PARTYBABY have landed. These ubermensch are an indie rock band with sides of punk, glam and garage. PARTYBABY fly out of Los Angeles, California. The men have one mini-album to their names, The Golden Age Of Bullshit (Sept' 16). New Years 2014 On A Beach (Felicity) is an album track.

2.    What’s this New Years 2014 On A Beach (Felicity) like then? 

A passionate song of love lost that alternates between police-siren urgency and a big fat wallow in heart-break. All accompanied by the usual tsunami of guitar PARTYBABY are famous for. A brief old school drum and chorus breakdown too. A fucking classy effort.

3. Who do PARTYBABY sound like? 

At the minute FIDLAR, VANT or even SWMRS. It must be the All Caps. Back in the day Green Day, Weezer and Smashing Pumpkins. It must be the ability to whinge when you've got it good.

4. What have the press said about PARTYBABY? 

“Flag-bearers for a whole generation” – DIY.

“Raw and authentic” – Ones To Watch.

“Undoubtedly and unabashedly, the real deal” – Paste Magazine.

5. Which bands are the air beneath PARTYBABY's wings?

Some of the band's PARTYBABY like are Everclear, Primal Scream, Sparklehorse, Fat Boy Slim and SWMRS. 

6. Why should I give this fresh new shit a whip past the ears? 

For the tsunami of guitar PARTYBABY produce after the slow buildup. A fresh mix of old ideas with hot production. These are the heirs to the throne of alternative American rock'n'roll; I shit you not.

7. Do PARTYBABY have any more bangers? 

Fuck yes. Your Old Man is a fresh, savage, garage/glam rock attack on the senses that packs more wallop than a steel-capped boot to the taint. Overload is the album reprise, two minutes of a drunk man croaking along, playing his acoustic at 5 a.m. that explodes into a raging torrent of theatrical glam rock. 

8. Any more words numpty?

Noah Gersh was a guitarist with Portugal. The Man and Jamie Shefman is a producer and engineer, most notably on the last two 30 Seconds To Mars albums. 

“I see you, sweet Felicity,

The way you move is killing me” 

Ex Cops are an indie pop band from Brooklyn, New York. They have recorded two albums. Ex Cops sound a lot like classic English indie bands like James, Travis or Teenage Fanclub. They are influenced by Kiwi indie too so there is a bit of The Chills there too. Ex Cops debut album True Hallucinations (2013) contained the gem James. Not to be confused with the band James that it sounds a lot like. Pitchfork called James, “an exercise in indie-pop classicism” and it is James that is the quintessence of English indie.

“Thinking about what it all has to do”

America's 3 Hottest Punk Bands At The Minute In 3 Songs

1.    Sheer Mag - Nobody's Baby.

Sheer Mag burn out of Philadelphia and have three short players to their name. Nobody's Baby (March'16) is off the third EP III (March'16). Pitchfork said Nobody's Baby has “hip shaking hooks and burly riffs” and Brooklyn Vegan hailed it as “a fiery, punchy mission statement with a sing-along chorus.”

 

Sheer Mag have been compared to MC5 and Thin Lizzy. Sheer Mag's main influences are Drive-In, Bear Vs Shark, Thin Lizzy, Meatloaf and Fleetwood Mac. Sheer Mag marry seventies classic rock riffs to a roaring punk engine and Nobody's Baby's fiery vocals are belted out with furious indignation. A treasure.

 

“Wanting you so bad it hurts”

 

 

 

 
2. Public Access TV - In Love And Alone.

 

 

Public Access TV are from New York City and have one short player and a few singles behind them. In Love And Alone (Nov'15) is a double A side single. NME declared their love for the band saying they have “already proved the goldmine of rock’n’roll classics has yet to run dry” and DIY hailed In Love And Alone as “their most unhinged, all-out rock’n’roll single yet.”

 

Public Access TV sound like The Ramones, The Strokes and Palma Violets. Their main influences are The Strokes, Johnny Thunders, Lou Reed, Interpol and The Ramones. Public Access TV bring the urgency of punk to more complex post-punk melodies. In Love And Alone  is raw and modern, has grit and polish, the sound of the soccer stadium emptying into the fine city streets.

 

“She is lost and she is scared now,

I should ask myself why and how”

 

 

 

3.    PARTYBABY - Your Old Man.

 

 

 

PARTYBABY are from Los Angeles and have three big singles on their roll of honor. Your Old Man (Oct'15) was the second of these massive missives. The Fat Angel Sings said Your Old Man is “an intoxicating blend of frazzled punk and impossibly infectious melodic refrains” and DIY reckoned it is “snarling punk rock with a tab of anthemia.”

 

PARTYBABY have been compared to FIDLAR and SWMRS. The band's influences are band like Everclear, Primal Scream and SWMRS. Noah Gersh was a member of Portugal. The Man and Jamie Shefman is most famous for engineering and producing for 30 Seconds To Mars. PARTYBABY elevate their garage punk attack with soaring glam rock and pop sensibilities. Your Old Man blows out the cobwebs.

 

“Does he understand what we do on the weekends?”

 

 

 

 



PARTYBABY - Your Old Man

1.    Who are these bright new things?

PARTYBABY are Noah Gersh and Jamie Schefman and they fight out of Los Angeles, California. Your Old Man (Oct'15) is the second missile fired from these musical marvels.


2. What flavor of wonderful is Your Old Man?

Your Old Man is instantly lovable garage punk that reeks of gut punching honesty. At turns chill and sweet and noisy with an epic chorus that soars free into the stratosphere on gritty glam rock wings.

3. Who have PARTYBABY been compared to?

The consensus is FIDLAR. PARTYBABY are hitting the road in April with SWMRS and The Frights so that is the kind of pool they swim in. A fucking great one.


4. What have the pundits in the press said about Your Old Man?

“Snarling punk rock with a tab of anthemia” – DIY.

“An intoxicating blend of frazzled punk and impossibly infectious melodic refrains” – The Fat Angel Sings.

“Melody and hard rock edge” – Pigeons and Planes.

5. Which bands brought the favors to PARTYBABY’s party?

Everclear, Primal Scream, Fatboy Slim, Sparklehorse, SWMRS and more.

6. Why should I give Your Old Man a spin on the turntable?

Your Old Man brings a fresh, savage, attack to garage punk rock elevating it above and beyond the current crop of fine fucking soldiers battling for a righteous cause. Your Old Man packs the whallop of a steel-capped kick to the taint and is just as satisfying as collecting some sack with the follow through. It has a rich tapestry of musical textures, rhythms and blinding production too.

7. Do PARTYBABY have any more of these blinders?

The debut single Everything's All Right brings the pain and blows out the cobwebs.

8. Any more words fool?

Noah Gersh was a member of Portugal. The Man and Jamie Schefman is a producer and engineer and put his genius to shine on 30 Seconds To Mars last two long players.

“Do you ever talk to your old man?

Does he understand what we do on the weekends?”

It would be rude to ignore 30 Seconds To Mars for the follow-up seeing as how Jamie Schefman shared engineering duites on their last two albums. The alternative rock band roll out of Los Angeles, California and have been on the job since 1998 and sold over 15 million albums. This Is War (2010) screamed off the album of the same name that sold four million albums and a million singles. This Is War is bombastic nonsense but it is fun.

“Raise your hands into the sky,

The fight is done, the war is won”