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

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.   The Meligrove Band – Tortaruga

From their fifth album, Bones of Things (2014), the Canadian indie rockers The Meligrove Band have got a ‘rare as rocking horse shit’ indie rock classic here. Tortaruga (Aug'15) is one of the best indie songs of 2015.

“And we're never making it out alive,
Still we're walking, and we're running,
And we're telling all our lovers "goodbye"
 

 

2.   The View – Penny

This Scottish indie rock band have one of the best lyrics in rock’n’roll, “I got so many hidings in the city that they stopped being rare,” off 2011’s Grace, but Penny channels their inner Beatles. It sprang from their fifth album Ropewalk (Sept’15).

 

 

3.   Walk Off The Earth (with the Arkells) – Drag Me Down
 

Two great alternative Canadian bands come together for this One Direction cover. Of course it’s better, it's indie... Drag Me Down (Oct’15).

 

 

4.  Bronze Radio Return – Light Me Up

Indie pop rockers from Connecticut with the title track from their fifth album. Middle-of-the-road indie pop candy, Light Me Up (Oct’15) is packed full of ‘whoah’s’ and happiness. 

5.    Iration – Reelin'

Who doesn’t love Sublime? Sad people that’s who. White boy reggae that St. Bob would have loved, Reelin’ (Apr’15) is from the Santa Barbara (by way of Hawaii) sunshine reggae band Iration, and it’s a smoker...

 

6.   Nekokat – Up In Smoke

 “I wanna kiss you on the face, give me whiskey,” is a sample lyric from this bouncy indie popper from Los Angeles newcomers Nekokat. I’ll take mine messy... and there is an endearing, spontaneous, quality to Up In Smoke (Nov’15)...

 

7.    Faith No More – Superhero

A scathing alternative rock song from the hard rocking San Francisco legends. Sol Invictus (May’15) is their first album since 1997, seventh in total, and finds them in fine fucking form... Superhero (March’15).

 

8.   Civil Twilight – Holy Dove

There’s something of Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus in this tune. A dirty little rock groove that chugs along before the chorus takes flight in this earnest effort from the South African alternative rockers. Holy Dove is an epic with wings... (June’15).

 

 

 

9.    The 1975 – Love Me

Funky as fuck tune from the popular Manchester indie pop band. Love Me (Oct’15) is from next years album I Love You When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet Unaware Of It (Feb’16). It recalls 1980’s pop and for my dime INXS in particular but was a jab at people taking selfies...

 

 

10.   BORNS – Electric Love

 

This indie pop rocker from Michigan made a massive impression with his debut album Dopamine(Oct’15) this year. Electric Love(May’15) has some glam rock vibe to go with the ethereal vocals.

The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - Nathaniel Rateliff

Nathaniel Rateliff is a soul singer from Denver who has been making music for more than 20 years but his career switched to nitro when he pressed into service a seven piece band called the Night Sweats and released Son Of A Bitch (July’15).  The LA Times said it’s a “...flawless, once-in-a-blue-moon melding of supercharged summer rave-up (and) audience singalong” and What The Ruckus was sure it's “soul perfection.” The band's music is described by Gig Wise as “...a tour de force of electric energy that fuses the most accessible facets of modern American soul, R&B and rock ‘n’ roll.”

 

 

 

Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats are inspired by music like The Platters, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. Nathaniel Rateliff is often compared to Van Morrison and the band’s sound to Booker T and The MG’s.  Son Of A Bitch or S.O.B. as it’s officially known as, is about a piss artist with a broken heart. But women come and women go but the piss is always there. It’s all handclaps and singalong phrasing and is as fun as fuck. Rousing gospel meets rhythm and blues with rock trimmings. Get yer jive on because S.O.B. is one of the best indie songs of 2015.

 

“Son of a bitch, give me a drink
One more night escaping me”

 

 Shit you need to know:
 

The song S.O.B is the first single off Nathaniel Rateliff’s fourth album Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (Aug’15), but the debut for his collaboration with the Night Sweats.

Son Of A Bitch has been called “anthemic” and “...the catchiest song he’s ever recorded” by Hey Reverb.

N.P.R said the new album was “an upbeat old-time dance record” and “vintage soul.”

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats was produced by indie pop rocker Richard Swift  who has done graft for The Shins and Foxygen.

Nathaniel Rateliff is influenced by The Platters, The Moonglows, The Soul Stirrers, Sam and Dave, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, The Allman Brothers, Booker T & The MG's.

Nathaniel Rateliff has mad love for The Band, Damien Jurado and Bob Dylan.

The band are signed to Stax Records and have been called a “modern take on the Motown sound.”

For more good tunes from Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats try I Need Never Get Old or Howling At Nothing.

 

 

Slippery seconds is random. Canadian indie rock band The Meligrove Band went park with this brilliant song Tortaruga that sweats glam swagger. God bless these young gents.

“And no one's making it out alive,
Still we're walking, and we're running,
And we're telling all our lovers "goodbye"