indie underrated

From its opening lines of “baby please, I’m lonely”, you will be hooked on the retro soul vibes heard in “Baby, Please” brought to you by UK artist Loz Chandler… 

Monotronic are a self-described “collection of musicians based in New York City that blend a wide array of genres and styles to produce a unique sound of their own” as clearly evidenced on their latest release “Everything Moves”. A transformative blend of sounds that are both familiar and foreign, the song begins with an intro that is reminiscent of early Phoenix setting the tone for the explosive, yet catchy chorus echoing (another NY staple) LCD Soundsystem. It’s like a sonic thrill ride of clean and crunchy guitars, relentless drums, and perfectly articulated synth sounds topped off with searing vocals. If the music alone doesn’t scratch your itch, check out the accompanying music video. Shot in an LA hotel (that I’m pretty sure I’ve stayed in myself) its like a combination of James Bond and “Memento”. Following the protagonist trying to piece together the night before, it’s a visually engaging experience that matches the energy and tone of “Everything Moves”.

Fans of Andy Shauf will dig the folky vibes heard in “What We Don’t Know”, the new single from Belgian singer/songwriter Floris Francis Arthur. Set to a shoulder weaving Bossa Nova inspired drum groove, the song builds from a delicate acoustic ballad evolving into a huge wave of sound which even includes a children’s choir providing backing vocals. Despite the rather upbeat, easy, velvet-lounge feel of the instrumentals, Arthur maintains a melancholy tone in both lyrics and delivery, expressing a loneliness that is pleasantly offset by the backbeat. There are plenty of hooks and ear-worms that will stay with you long after listening.

From its opening lines of “baby please, I’m lonely”, you will be hooked on the retro soul vibes heard in “Baby, Please” brought to you by UK artist Loz Chandler. The hypnotic guitar lines, swampy and funky backbeat, coupled with the impressive vocal delivery and clever lyricism from Chandler make this a tune that seems familiar, yet refreshingly new. Tinges of Amy Winehouse and other neo-soul singers of a similar era can be heard in the way Chandler phrases their vocal lines and annunciates the vowels, while the rhythm section maintains a simple groovy feel that compliments the vocals well, like that of Alabama Shakes. Take this song with you on an outdoor adventure, or when the mood strikes to clean your house. Either way, “Baby, Please” will surely get multiple spins after the first listen.

Listen to Monotronic, Floris Francis Arthur, Loz Chandler & more on our All New Indie Pop playlist on Spotify: