The year isn’t quite over yet, and there are still plenty of new songs to check out. So here are eight recent releases that deserve your attention.
Kevin Reith – “Hug The Line”
Solid groove to this song, it has such a great indie sound without being overly poppy. Plus, you cant go wrong with a well-placed guitar solo! From the band: “Hug The Line is the first single off of Kevin Rieth’s debut solo album, Up & Up. The song was self-recorded in a DIY space in San Diego, CA, and was mixed by Dan Molad (Lucius, Coco, CHIMNEY). Lyrically, the song explores coming to terms with one’s identity in the face of external expectations.”
Snap Infraction – “Repeat Offender”
Snap Infraction are back with a stellar new indie rock song with some serious Britpop appeal. This one is catchy as hell, and perfect for all types of music fans. From the band: “This is our 6th and final single of 2021. This one hearkens back to the heady days of mid-90s Britpop, when bands like Supergrass, Blur and Oasis ruled the (UK!) charts. “
Turnpike Gates w/ Jared Hart & Pete Steinkopf – “Drive-by”
Killer accessible alt-punk here. It strikes the right balance between edgy rawness and melody. From the band: “Drive-by is the opening track from City In Heat, a 5-song EP that was produced by Pete Steinkopf (The Bouncing Souls, Beach Rats) and recorded at Little Eden in Asbury Park, NJ. On Drive-by, Turnpike Gates songwriter Ryan Smith has enlisted a talented group of musicians, including Steinkopf, who, in addition to producing, lends his extraordinary guitar talents; Jared Hart (Mercy Union, The Scandals), who provide backing vocals; Jimmy Walsh (Rest Easy, Shook Ones), who provides drums; Armand Gerbach, who provides bass; and Kristin Hutchinson, who provides piano.”
Equals Conquest – “Less Affected”
This is the first song I’ve heard from this band, and it automatically made me a fan. There’s a throwback post-punk feel to it, though it also encompasses the pop rock sensibilities that will help it connect to more music fans. From the band: “This song is the first song on our new album and the song itself was around for several years but sat in limbo as we didn’t have things worked out correctly. Our singer/guitar player Imix came up with several small augmentations as we were wrapping up the album and not only did they work, the song became the song we wanted people to hear first from the record.”
The Appalachians – “Outside”
If you took the shoegazey indie sound of Silversun Pickups, added some of the rock riffs of QOTSA and then something extra to make it even better, you’ve pretty much nailed the cool style of this song. From the band: “After The Appalachians frontman’s cancer battle, the band returns full-force with their grungey-silversun pickups-eque influence while acknowledging their pop tendencies.”
Toby McAllister – “Coast to Coast”
If you’re a fan of Old 97s and Jason Isbell, you just might be a future fan of Toby McAllister. From the artist: “I wrote this song last winter during the pandemic, and recorded it along with a handful of other tunes on the Daydreamin’ EP this summer. It just came out on December 8th. The song is about my twenties and how I spent them touring with my band at the time (Sparks The Rescue) and how being on the road led me to meeting my wife.”
Desk Job – “We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes”
Some solid punk-tinged alt rock, hard not to dig! From the band: “Being connected to someone who struggles with depression/anxiety can be really challenging, especially when you also struggle with those same things. You can never really be sure you are doing the right things to help and sometime end up doing more harm than good”
Delespine – “Sun”
We’re ending this week’s list with this alt-rock gem from Delespine. For me, there’s a bit of a 90s appeal to it (which is a compliment). From the band: “This is our latest single, “Sun”. It was written for our lead singers mother, Tia. It is a celebration of life and a story of loss. We hope it helps comfort those who have lost someone before. We recorded the song with Paul Hundeby at PhiliaAudio and had it mastered by Grammy Winning engineer Ted Jansen (Green Day, Eagles, Bring Me The Horizon) This is our third released single and our favorite yet. The chorus and bridge really send this song into another ethereal place transcending the standard “rock song”.
