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.

The Amazons - Nightdriving

1   1.    Who are the saviours of rock’n’roll? 

     The Amazons. Indie rock band from Reading, England. Putting the world to rights in a couple of minutes since 2015 and a short player and a clutch of singles to the good. Nightdriving (June'16) is a stand alone single at the minute and a taster of their debut album due soon.

     2. What's Nightdriving like?  

     Nightdriving hurtles along like a runaway van; traditional English indie guitar noise capturing ephemeral excitement. The vibe is vital, the vocals impassioned and Nightdriving exudes the best of English rock sensibilities.

     3. Who are The Amazons similar to?

     Oasis, Sundara Karma and Catfish and The Bottlemen. 

     4. What have the venerable citizens of the fourth estate said about Nightdriving?

“A super catchy single with a feel good, upbeat tempo” – Redbrick.

“Driven guitars and a chorus made for bouncing to” – Music Scramble.

“Fucking big tune. Every chance this’ll be one of the songs of summer and The Amazons one of the breakthrough bands of the year” – Gigslutz.

5. Which bands have influenced The Amazons? 

The Vaccines, The Arctic Monkeys, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Killers and Arcade Fire are just some of the bands that rock their boat. 

6. Why should I give Nightdriving a crack of the lash? 

The Amazons are a band on the make and this is one of the brightest gems in their indie rock crown. The tunes cracks along with barely a pause to take breath. Champion.

7. What are The Amazons' other barn burners? 

Stay With Me is the myth-maker, dragon-slayer and stuff of legend. Ultraviolet is bloody good too.

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8. Any more words muppet?

     Nightdriving was produced by Catherine Marks who has done the same for Wolf Alice, Foals and Sunset Sons.

“Diving in a pool of silhouettes I’ve seen”

     

     

     The Griswolds are a bubbly synth-pop band from Sydney, Australia. Slapping together happy-go-lucky tunes together since 2012 they have manufactured one solid long player Be Impressive (2014). Mississippi (2013) was the band's first big hit, making it to the top ten of U.S. college radio, and has choral vocals and a surprisingly deep soulful bent. Give it a crack.

     

“Here we go,

Walking down the Mississippi on our own”

The Amazons - Stay With Me

1.    Who are these fine gentlemen of rock’n’roll?

The Amazons are an indie rock band from Reading, England. These hard chargers are one short player and a single or two to the good. Stay With Me (March’16) is a stand alone single.

2. What gifts do The Amazon’s come bearing?

Stay With Me is proto-typical English guitar indie rock. It fits in a space inbetween Oasis and Royal Blood. Stay With Me rocks hard but is not hard rock. Concise, full throttle, melodic rock'n'roll that flows like a street riot being chased by the police and it is just as pumped full of adrenaline and unforgettable.


3. Who do The Amazon’s sound like?

NME were feeling Oasis and The Indie Rock Broadcast were put in mind of Sundara Karma and Catfish and The Bottlemen.


4. What have the plastic punchers said about Stay With Me?

“A gutsy guitar rock lament to young love” – NME

“A raucous and propulsive new track” – Shoot Match Day.

“A fantastically addictive guitar breakdown” – The Student Advertiser.

5. Which bands have put the fire in The Amazon’s belly?

The bands who impress The Amazons are Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, The Vaccines, The Arctic Monkeys, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Killers, Bruce Springsteen, Arcade Fire, Tame Impala and Ponds.


6. Why should I give Stay With Me a blast?

Stay With Me is another essential track in the recent English rock'n'roll renaissance and the sound of one of England's most exciting bands, top of the crop, hitting their straps. Hitting them hard. Stay With Me will be The Amazon's breakthrough hit if there is any justice in this world.

7. Have The Amazon’s graced us with any more of these belters?

Ultraviolet doesn't bang as hard but it is bloody fantastic. No fucking about.


8. Anything else to add?

Stay With Me is produced by Tom Dalgety who has sprinkled the gold dust on tunes for Royal Blood, Broken Hands and The Maccabees.

The Amazons are hitting the road and supporting The Strypes on a UK tour in March and fluffed for The Kooks last year.

“But being alone is being without you,

So stay with me”

The one two punch is delivered, hard, by Crows an alternative rock band from London with a single from their new short player Unwelcome Light (March'16). Pray (2015) is packed brim to the warehouse rafters with grainy garage riffs and a snarling vocal and is love at first lashing. BraceYourself called Pray “bloodthirsty and blunt like a fist wrapped in barbed wire.”

“His bloodshot eyes, his jagged teeth”

The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - 10 Of The Best (Part Four)

These songs didn’t make it onto the blog. They should have as these are some of the best indie songs of 2015 so prepare to have your socks knocked off in this New Year special!

1.   Beirut – No No No

The title track from their fourth album No No No (Sept’15). Beirut  are an indie folk rock band with a side of world music and No No No (June’15) is a cool gin and tonic with lime as you lounge on a yacht skipping over the water on a blue sky summers day. Mellow yet upbeat.

 

 

2.   Teen Men – Hiding Records (So Dangerous)

 

Teen Men are an electronic pop band from Delaware. Hiding Records (So Dangerous)(Nov’13) is the lead single from their debut album Teen Men (June’15) that obviously got a delayed release. It’s got a timeless, ethereal, vocal flow over a big ass bass and guitar groove and able assistance from the synths. It’ll make you feel dangerous.

 

 



 

 

3.   The Amazons – Ultraviolet

We’re back to guitar rock, British indie style, with The Amazons. A big vital sound for an anthemic track from the band from Reading, England. Ultraviolet (Oct’15) comes charging off their debut short player Don’t You Wanna? (Oct’15) and will have chests pounding and vaginas gushing all over England.

 

 

4.   Priory – Mother Mary

The title is a tip off but this really is a soulful, spiritual, exhortation for peace of mind and builds the musical textures layer by layer to a handclap beat. Beautiful. Mother Mary (April’15) flies off the Portland, Oregon indie electronic pop band’s second album Need To Know (April’15). This song is a piece of under appreciated genius and will bring a tear to any eye.

 

 

5.   COIN – Holy Ghost

Back with some fluffy middle-of-the-road indie pop nonsense. Amusing to follow a song called Mother Mary with one called Holy Ghost but, religious conotations aside, that’s where the similairities end.  COIN are an indie pop rock band with the ever present synths and Holy Ghost (July’15) plays like that song you like on your playlist but forget the name. Fun but. From the Nashville, Tenessessee band’s debut album COIN (June’15).

 



6.   Nonaphoenix – Already Gone

Indie pop from Cleveland,Ohio. From the EP Alive (June'15). Already Gone (June'15) is more paint-by-numbers indie pop that you'd never admit to liking in a crowd... but you know you do... a guilty pleasure.

 

 

7.   Panic Is Perfect – The Mailman

 

More middle of the road indie pop with girly man vocals and synths. This time the band have are from San Francisco, The Mailman (Jan’15)  is from their debut short player  Behind Your Eyelids and is as jaunty as a man the morning after a threesome.

 

 

 

 

8. Joywave – Somebody New

 

From Rochester, New York, Joywave's debut album How Do You Feel Now? (April'15) featured four singles and shot the indie rock band into fame and fortune. Somebody New (Feb'15) was the second single and it is a belter with a lashing of industrial electronica to keep you honest.

 

 

 

 

9. Harriet – Irish Margaritas

 

More synth madness from Los Angeles indie electronic band Harriet. Irish Magaritas (May'15) is the lead single from their second self-titled EP. Quirky synths, girly man vocals, you know the drill... now get marching...

 

 

 

 

 10.   Gregory Pepper and His Problems – Welcome To The Dullhouse

 

Welcome To The Dullhouse (July'15) bounces off the Toronto indie rock man's seventh album Chorus! Chorus! Chorus! (Aug'15) and sounds like a lost Weezer song. Fucking brilliant. Rocks as hard as a prison rapists shit pipe plunger. End of story.