indie underrated

We love what we hear in the title track of Tamar Berk‘s newest record, ocd. This alt pop song, “ocd,” is primarily characterized by a steady rhythm, spiraling synth tones, and breathy vocals. Berk uses these sonic tools to craft what is, essentially, a series of catchy melodies (which is no easy feat) and we think fans of artists like MGMT and Foster the People will love it especially. The video is really great too, check it out below!

Herman Martinez has a new album called UltraTerrestrial and its penultimate song, “Photographic Reflexes,” is one of our favorites. The song starts spare with arpeggiated guitar tones and vocals. Shortly thereafter, strings enter to give the song a burgeoning cinematic quality. Then, surprisingly, a drum track enters and locates a groove. Finally, the song ventures into a psychedelic jam space in its third act. We love this song because we see it as a microcosm of the larger record: it’s rock, it’s avant-garde, it’s prog, it’s drama… We think fans of artists like Frank Zappa will really like it. Check out the whole project now!

Fans of artists like Arcade Fire or Passion Pit will love this new single by Michael the Band. “Forming a Square (FOUR)” is a bright and intuitive indie pop blast. The drums are folksy, the melodies are playful, and the vocals are emotionally bare. We love it for its balanced employment of reliable motifs and creative risks.

Check out this glowing new indie rock single by Spanish Honey, “Aftersun.” We can hear a collection of influences in this song: The dissonant guitar is vintage Coldplay, the resonant vocals remind us of Wolf Alice, and that drum beat has Motown written all over it. This fusion of techniques makes for an inspired sound that jumps off the speakers and screams Spanish Honey. And we love that buzzy little guitar solo around the 2 minute mark.

Be sure to check out our Spotify playlist below!