YOU SAID STRANGE • My Own God • 2024

The EP is the fruit of exciting collaborations with friends Marvin Borges-Soares (Structures), Raphaëlle Verlaine (Metro Verlaine), Joseph Baudet. Their contributions add a unique dimension to three of the tracks. A dynamic, feminine pop touch with Raphaëlle for "My Own God." Bold elements and flamboyant flights of fancy for "Dance For No One" with Joseph, the musician and occasional saxophonist. A cold-wave dimension to "Trade Your Soul," featuring Marvin. This EP was also an opportunity to collaborate with engineers Arthur Guegan and Daniel James Goodwin. Furthermore, the project was additionally mixed and mastered by Daniel J. Goodwin. 

"Occasionally, we come across a band that feels like we’ve known them forever. Their music seems to have a deja vu effect, mirroring our past follies, fun-seeking behaviors, and bittersweet relationships. You Said Strange, a Giverny, France-based quartet is just that, a band new in statute but at home in the back pocket of all your recent ebbs and happy errors, an indie band that, well is properly, that."
- Ones To Watch

"If you want a new band to fall in love with, this is it. You Said Strange’s latest LP, Thousand Shadows Vol. 2, is brilliant and versatile."
- SPILL Magazine

Asha Jefferies • Brand New Bitch • 2024

Today, Brisbane, Australia based indie-pop riser Asha Jefferies shares "Stranger," which premiered today on Under The Radar. This is the final single to release ahead of her debut album, Ego Ride, due April 12th. Asha is currently here in the US, set to play a special School Night for Reproductive Rights on 3/11, six shows at SXSW, and a headline showcase in NYC. More info below. Listen to "Stranger" HERE, and presave Ego Ride HERE.

fanclubwallet • Band Like That • 2024

https://www.fanclubwallet.com/

Canadian singer-songwriter Hannah Judge, otherwise known as fanclubwallet, is stepping out of the bedroom and embracing the band on new EP Our Bodies Paint Traffic Lines.

 

The 24-year-old, until now proudly DIY in her approach, has enlisted the help of three close friends from the Ottawa scene (who also happen to be her touring band) for her most exciting record yet, out March 29th on Cool Online.

 

The first taste of the new direction as a quartet is available now in the form of lead single “Band Like That.”

 

“I had spent months studying everyone else’s bands,” says Hannah, acknowledging a love for the likes of Metric, Pinback, Plumtree and Alex G. “What made them so good? Why couldnt I be like them? And that’s where this new track came from.”

ifitbeyourwill S03 E16 • Magana

I'm thrilled to share the exciting news about Magana's upcoming album release on the latest episode of ititbeyourwill Podcast! 'Teeth,' the second album from Magana, is set to be launched on March 25th, perfectly timed to coincide with the peak illumination of the Worm Moon. This highly anticipated record will be available through Audio Antihero Records. Magana, the solo project of talented multi-instrumentalist Jeni Magaña, has been making waves in the music scene in recent years. With a unique blend of creativity and passion, Magana's music is sure to captivate audiences far and wide with her “Witchy Rock” for the masses. Enjoy 🎙️

https://linktr.ee/maganarama

The sound of late-night

emotional fragility writ

large...Recalling Torres and

Sharon Van Etten at their

most intimate moments…

Magana’s parched vocal is

a complete heartbreaker.”

– The Line of Best Fit

“Through music, I have

learned the shape of

desire – contoured and

faceted, with the texture

of velvet and the sheen of

spilt oil on the blacktop. In

Magana I feel it again.” -

Collapse Board

"Feels expansive and

breathlessly travelled." –

Gold Flake Paint

Cosmo Sheldrake • Interdimensional (Live from the studio) • 2024

On the new tracks, Cosmo says, “‘Interdimensional’ felt as though it came almost in one long thought, but it took about four all-night sessions for it to emerge. It is another one that came to me while on a solo musical retreat in Somerset. It is about the feeling of losing the normal sense of self, and features the wonderful HOWL.”

“‘I Stitched My Mind Back To My Body’ was the first song I recorded from start to finish in my new studio. It started with me shuffling around stomping and clapping trying to find the best sweet spot on the floor for a good stomp. I like how much the sound of the space itself is present. It is a song about attempting to fuse the body and mind after centuries of unsuccessful attempts to prise them apart.”

Website

Logan Lynn • To Be Of Use - SOFTCORE Short Film Scene 1 • 2024

https://loganlynnmusic.com/

“This track is a cover of one of my all-time favorite songs — originally written and recorded by SMOG — and for me, it’s about wanting to feel useful in a relationship, and in the world in general. It starts off soft and spare and slowly builds into a banger dance track. As the album opener, I wanted it to set the tone for the entire release: Find me at the intersection of masculinity and femininity, of hard and soft. This song embodies that.” - Logan Lynn

Tanlines • Vanishing Point • 2024

ifthisbeyourwill S03 E15 • Shaina Hayes

Raised in Shigawake, in the Gaspésie region of Québec, Shaina Hayes grew up listening to singer-songwriters like Feist, Joni Mitchell and Regina Spektor, traditional country artists such as Hank Williams and Dolly Parton, and modern country stars, including Shania Twain and The Chicks. After studying agricultural sciences at McGill University in Montreal, she returned to her rural hometown and began recording and co-producing her self-released debut album, to coax a waltz, which came out in April 2022. Bohsound

On her latest release, Kindergarten Heart, Shania lays down indie folk pop melodies that support her explorations of nature and her connection to it! It was a great conversation, sure to warm the soul and touch the heart. Enjoy 🎙️ 
https://shainahayes.bandcamp.com/ 

ifitbeyourwill S03 E14 • Olivia Nowadays

Olivia Nowadays, the talented musicians Kent Carson and Evan King, recently joined  ifitbeyourwill Podcast for an engaging conversation about their musical journey. The podcast delved into their inspirations, creative process, and the stories behind their captivating songs. Listeners were treated to insights into Olivia Nowadays unique approach to music-making and how they navigates the ever-evolving music industry. Their passion for storytelling through music shone brightly during the podcast as they shared anecdotes and experiences that have shaped their artistry. Enjoy 🎙️

http://www.michirecords.com/artists/olivia-nowadays/

TSDEATTOTP is Olivia at our most maximalist, merging sparkling instrumentation, candid field recordings, and frequent experimentation into sonically dense songs that evoke a sense of melancholy and wonder. The soaring shoegaze track “Be Right Back” recalls the abrupt loss of a loved one, opening with a poignant field recording of Merlin the lonely parrot muttering to himself in a room. A swirl of uncanny voices coaxed from a glitchy machine learning model features on “New Philosophy”, which paints a wry art-pop portrait of a listless urbanite inspecting a past iteration of himself. The hazy, stuttery slowcore of “First Trauma” reflects on generational wounds and anhedonia, bearing a message from the past to a grown child: “making choices makes you.” Woven through each of the album’s eleven songs is a distinct sense of someone approaching the border of their understanding, in hesitation of what they may find on the other side.

Dent May • "Coasting On Fumes (feat. Jordana)” • 2024

I think this album might be the purest power pop collection Dent has made, and one that really captures his talents as a pop songwriter in a classic mold. He's never flashy or gimmicky, but I think has truly emerged as a master of the form, and this record encapsulates that nicely.

dentmay.com

 "One of indie-music's most tasteful songwriters."

NPR

 

"Dent May shine[s] a light on efficacy of simplicity in the face of the complexities of modern life."

Pitchfork

 

"Remarkable...May doesn’t have any easy answers, but the pop hooks lure us in, inviting us to suss out these universal ambiguities right alongside him."

Bandcamp 

 

"Absolutely dazzling."

Stereogum

BMX Bandits • Hop Skip Jump (For Your Love) • 2024

https://www.tapeterecords.de/artists/bmx-bandits

BMX Bandits were formed in the Scottish ex industrial town of Bellshill in 1985 by Duglas T Stewart and Sean Dickson. When Sean left to concentrate on his other band The Soup Dragons so began BMX Bandits, not as a conventional band of the same 4 or 5 faces but as an ever growing extended musical family which has included members of The Vaselines, The Pastels, The Pearlfishers and Teenage Fanclub over the years.

Mal Not Bad • No Worries • 2024

Back in November we teased a new release from Mal Not Bad (AKA LA’s Mal Hauser) with the single ‘AP’. A track which “display[ed] a newfound depth within the [project’s] sound,” as we put it, “leaning further into electronic sensibilities while simultaneously interrogating the impact of technology, resulting in a nuanced exploration of the human experience within the digital present.” The album, This Is Your New Life, will be the debut full-length from Mal Not Bad and continues this style, expanding the sonic palette introduced with previous EP Continuous Short Feature Film with a mix of sampled and live instruments and probing to the heart of the contemporary moment.

ifitbeyourwill S03 E13 • Strawberry Runners

https://linktr.ee/strawberryrunners

The music of singer songwriter Emi Night, aka Strawberry Runners is characterized by its dreamy and introspective melodies, often accompanied by gleeful guitar work and grounded vocals. Their lyrics delve into themes of self-discovery, love, and navigating the complexities of human relationships. With a unique blend of indie pop and folk influences, Strawberry Runners creates a sound that is both nostalgic and refreshing. Check out their latest self-titled record and if you’re in the UK a tour is happening as this is published. Enjoy 🎙️ 

King Hannah • Big Swimmer • 2024

https://www.kinghannah.com/

Joh Chase • Gone • 2024

https://killrockstars.com/pages/joh-chase-solo

Chase’s musical journey has been a winding but steady evolution. While they were raised Evangelical and originally wrote songs that grappled with leaving the church, Chase found revelations in introspective songwriting. “My brain is completely filled with the music I was raised on: Elton John, The Cranberries, Bonnie Raitt, and the Mamas and the Papas,” they say. “I will always think of my music through that template while trying to find a place for myself in the world and pushing the boundaries of that.” 

ifitbeyourwill S03 E12 • Jad Fair

Jad Fair's music is characterized by its raw, unfiltered energy and unconventional song structures. His distinctive vocal style, marked by childlike wonder and spontaneity, adds a unique charm to his compositions. With his band, Half Japanese, Fair has been a pioneering figure in the indie and lo-fi music scene, inspiring generations of musicians with his fearless approach to creativity. Jad just released two epic records, 100 Songs (A Master Class In Songwriting) and  Film Music clocking in with 250 new glimpses into the music of a legend. Enjoy 🎙️ 

https://www.jadfair.net/

Jad is a stunning study in contrast, with enough eerie ghouls to fill up the Shudder Channel and enough plaintive love songs to fill up the Hallmark Channel. There’s truly something for all tastes here and now you can soak it all up in one place. 

Jad Fair • 100 songs & Film Music! • 2024

Can an indie/punk legend create his most epic work a half century into his career? As productive as Guided By Voices and Buckethead are, neither could match Half Japanese leader Jad Fair’s quest to release100 albums in 2021 during his COVID downtime- he actually topped that goal with a whopping 160 albums then. Now he’s whittled them down to a 100-song, double album set that’s a cornucopia of words/songs/sounds. The brief, juicy nuggets of songs were crafted by Jad alone, composing the sounds via the GarageBand computer program, supplemented by his recitals and booming vocal percussion.

Statisk Støj • Mit skelet lyser svagt • 2024

ifitbeyourwill Podcast S03 E09 • Jacob Faurholt

ifitbeyourwill Podcast promo S03 E12 • Jad Fair

Coming Next Tuesday March 12th • Jad Fair

Frog Unplugged and Unhinged: Live at the Canary Club Trailer • 2023

https://frog.band/shows/

Recorded at a sold-out show in Manhattan’s Canary Club this past December, the film is their first since the award-winning ‘Kings of Blah’ documentary, and it captures Frog playing acoustically for the very first time. “Unplugged and Unhinged” also offers the first official recordings of their expanded lineup as band leader Daniel Bateman (Guitar/Vocals) and his brother Steve Bateman (Drums) are joined by returning co-founder Tom White(who has traded the drum kit for bass).

Call Me Spinster • "Burn the Boxes” • 2024

Call Me Spinster on the new single: “‘Burn the Boxes’ is all about tearing down and re-defining terms - of relationships, of our contract with societal institutions. It felt fitting to rip apart and reuse cardboard boxes to make something colorful, haphazard and beautiful - a reminder that change takes the creative, destructive and playful mind of a child.” 

https://www.spinsterband.com/

ifitbeyourwill S03 E11 • Kilgour

buy

Kilgour's ability to craft grungegaze landscapes and evoke deep emotions makes them a band to watch in the indie music scene. With their latest record "How To Put Your Hat On” set to drop, they are poised to further solidify their place in the shoegaze layered with a grungy edge, offering listeners an unforgettable musical journey.  Fionn Crossan joined me from Edinburgh to chat about his musical journey, the launch show and the making “How To Put Your Hat On” Enjoy 🎙️ 

https://linktr.ee/kilgourtheband

Songs About Food • 2024

ifitbeyourwill S03 E10 • American Analog Set

https://www.amanset.com/

The music of American Analog Set is a captivating blend of indie rock, dream pop, and synth undertones. With their latest record, "For Forever," they continue to mesmerize listeners with their lush soundscapes and hypnotic melodies. The album effortlessly transports listeners to a dreamy sonic landscape, filled with shimmering guitars, ethereal synths, and intricate rhythms. Each track is a sonic journey, inviting listeners to get lost in the band's signature atmospheric sound. Lead singer and guitarist, Andrew Kenny joined me from his Texas home to share his incredible musical timeline, and be sure to catch the first track of For Forever at the end of our chat. Enjoy 🎙️ 

Lo-fi, low budget, and low key, The American Analog Set’s suite of hypnotic, neo-psychedelic, Texas sloth-kraut LPs appeared briefly on Austin’s Emperor Jones label and slunk quietly into the sprawling indie underground as the old millennium crested. Gathered here are The Fun Of Watching Fireworks, From Our Living Room To Yours, and The Golden Band albums, garnished with period b-sides, outtakes, and demos. Remastered from the original analog tapes, this early-career spanning 5xLP box includes lyrics, photos, and ephemera from the before times. 

https://numerogroup.com/products/new-drifters

BETS • Blister In The Sun (Violent Femmes Cover) • 2024

First she transforms the Femmes' biggest splash into a shoegazey spectacle, putting the jaunty sounds of "Blister In The Sun" into slow motion, and re-contextualizing Gordan Gano's original lyrics of addiction and rejection into a somber, gentle, ballad reminiscent of Mazzy Star. The heavily manipulated footage for this video fades in between black and white and color, tracking the woman's longing gaze out of a backseat car-window, staring out at the city lights in a state of solitude. Says Bets, "Music + car + windows down, that feeling. Made in Tokyo. Where anything you want at night you can find."

“Lust in the streets, music to our ears.” 
- NOISEY

“Drift away with BETS’ dreamy new music video”
- NYLON

"It’s an album outfitted for the young urbanite just taking things day by day, hitting the inevitable rough patches but also strongly shining at times. BETS, it seems, is poised to be doing more of the latter in the near future."
- Paste

“BETS’ voice mesmerizes as it lulls us into a full dream state with her, as the gentle, warm, optimistic melodies wash over us.”
- Popmatters

"The producer’s light electronic touches allow the bicoastal artist’s ballads to breathe, lending verisimilitude to whatever issues BETS is tackling."
- Buzzbands.la

YOU SAID STRANGE • My Own God • 2024

In the tradition of classic indie rock, the band breaks new ground with their latest release, a simple yet highly melodic single that explores the idea of trust, tackling the complex themes of betrayal and disillusionment, demystifying the heroes in whom we have placed our trust but who have ultimately disappointed us. Let's be our own God!

"Occasionally, we come across a band that feels like we’ve known them forever. Their music seems to have a deja vu effect, mirroring our past follies, fun-seeking behaviors, and bittersweet relationships. You Said Strange, a Giverny, France-based quartet is just that, a band new in statute but at home in the back pocket of all your recent ebbs and happy errors, an indie band that, well is properly, that."
- Ones To Watch

"If you want a new band to fall in love with, this is it. You Said Strange’s latest LP, Thousand Shadows Vol. 2, is brilliant and versatile."
- SPILL Magazine

"A fresh spoonful of indie pop glory"
- V13

"Led by intense yet melodic pop-tinged instrumentation, the track strikes an intricate balance between the tenderness and danger of handing over the reins of our lives to someone else."
- EARMILK

moving mirrors • Never Going Back Now • 2024

“It's not a conventional heartbreak song but also not an overly uplifting one, so it was a cool challenge to try and capture the specific emotions of the lyrics within the style and balance of the instrumentation itself as well,” the band said of ‘Never Going Back Now’. “The inclusion of the backing vocals in the track choruses, for example, make things more rhythmic in contrast to the verses which sound a bit more melancholic thanks to the guitars, so it was a creative challenge in the studio to try and get this balance just right but actually a really enjoyable process.”

click for IG

“continuing to cement themselves as one of the more exciting names on the rise.”

Mystic Sons

 

“An eclectic and kaleidoscopic outfit, channelling everything from indie vibes to dreamy vocals, passing through experimental stylings.”

Mesmerised

ifitbeyourwill promo • American Analog Set

ifitbeyourwill S03 E10 with American Analog Set March 5th via all Podcast platforms

good morning • excalibur • 2024

"Toil and talent" NME

"Polished and accomplished... they've evolved" Rolling Stone

"Lush retro pop balladry... melodious pop-rock, magnificently rendered with a gentle touch" Stereogum

"A classic songwriting lineage that stretches from Harry Nilsson to Jon Brion" The Guardian

"Everything's looking good for Good Morning" Billboard

“The superbly executed sound of the pair is in full flow on the new tracks, oozing radiance and reflection” WONDERLAND

Official Website