It’s February, England is still in lockdown, the weather is still rubbish and we’re still here making a monthly playlist. Expect your normal mix of indie, folk, pop and rock, the right tracks to hopefully liven up your day and get you moving. This month we are also lucky enough to feature a host of local (well, to us at least), Bristol based bands.
Opening up this month and featuring as the lead image is Wildpack, with their second single Talk About It. The first of our local bands, these guys have exactly what you would expect behind an up and coming indie band. Josh, Howard, Callum and Hugo all met at BIMM, a well-known creative hub that has brought along so many great, undiscovered artists (more on that coming soon). This single talks about the struggles of a relationship and the importance of communicating. This message, with the driving, jangly guitars and twangy bass, make it the perfect opener to this month’s playlist.
Next up is Blue Statue, with their single So To Speak, which was part of a double A side released in October last year. Although the songs were actually released back in October, the band have recently released a music video for So To Speak. Also it’s our playlist and we can put whatever we want in it. A mix of bright indie riffs with the underlying pop-punk styles, this song and music video looks to explore confusion, the uncertainty with life and just having a bit of fun and a laugh. A decent track and a band that would be pretty cool playing live.
The first from across the seas, Chattanooga based indie band Behold The Brave released their latest single, Doctor, back at the start of the month, along with an awesome, dark yet very funny music video. This rocking banger is reminiscent of early brit-rock, with crazy synths and twangy basslines. To me, there isn’t a huge amount of meaning behind the song, which is great because it is one you can simply enjoy and rock out too.
Also from the USA, Minneapolis based Sleepy Soul’s latest track comes in at number 4 on this month’s playlist. Another dreamy indie track (can you sense a theme yet), this track explores loneliness and wanting to be with others, that feeling we have all been missing so much at the moment. The sad song style, combing with the drawn out melodies, really help set the mood that everyone is feeling right now.
Tigers Jaw, The Menzingers, Captain, we’re sinking. These are just some of the amazing music creators that have come out of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and our next track joins the ranks with some of these Midwestern legends. Sleeplore’s Anything You Want To Know combine post punk and indie elements to create a washed out track, which explores new beginnings. Although the band formed reasonably recently, this is certainly one that has the potential to go far.
Now back in Bristol, Duke Frienzy released their latest track, Disintegrate, last week. Going down a slightly heavier indie-funk sound, this is another track that will hopefully get you dancing around the kitchen. Describing their music as Rebel-Folk, they hope to spark fresh perspectives, which this certainly does, and this split genre does not contain the band, even going into a near rap style, come the second half of the song. Think Sleaford Mods but less angry. These guys are certainly one to watch out for in the Bristol Scene when things return. (This track is not currently on the playlist, it will updated as soon as possible, however the video is available below)
Taking a less indie turn, Believe, the new track from Scottish based SheBeat, hopes to bring some positivity into this world, with this folk-pop single. SheBeat’s Jodie wanted to help people feel uplifted and help make the most out of the life we find ourselves in, and as her Dad always told her to believe in herself, why not spread this out to the world. Although originally made back in 2014, the song has had a 2021 revamp to help give something back to all her fans out there.
This month’s penultimate track is from midland’s based indie band Violet, titled Fade. Although it sounds like a bit of a bleak track to begin with, and seems to explore teenage naivety and the move into the ‘real world’, to me this track still has a positive message behind it, a message of hope and the fact that you can still enjoy things. This is certainly one band who make the most out of their guitar pedals, combining weird and wacky sounds with a heavy bassline and driving drums, a worthy contender in this month.
And coming in to end this month off is Reality, the new single from Eric Vattima. The song is the last track from what will be his up and coming EP, due later this year. A punchy guitar riff driven song, the powerful vocals help bring attention to the ‘fun’ of casual conversations and the effect of those meaningless interactions. A happy end to the playlist.
And there we have it, another month gone by, and another 9 tracks for you to get stuck into. I promise there won’t be as much indie next month (well, maybe. Who knows?).
So what else is there left to do but have a listen. In the meantime, stay safe, keep finding new music, support your favourite artists, wash your hands, wear a mask, stay at home (depending on where you are in the world), and we will all see each other at a gig as soon as it is safe to do so.
All tracks for this playlist were discovered by Musosoup. If you are a musician looking to get your music out there, you can sign up here.
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