Indie Music Discovery, Vol. 3

Cloud 9, Beach Bunny

This song, according to lead singer Lili Trifilio herself, is “an ode to [her] little snail son Nigel who passed away last year”. More broadly though, it’s a fast-paced summery track about feeling on top of the world when you’re in love. “You will always be my favorite form of loving”, Trifilio sings. A romantic partner or her snail? Both? Give it a listen for yourself and decide.

Till Forever Falls Apart, Ashe, FINNEAS

Ashe and FINNEAS have worked together before, most noticeably on “Moral of the Story”. This song is a romanticization of an apocalyptic scene, where “the tide takes California” and “the sky falls from heaven above”. The moral of the story here is that the narrator is professing her eternal love for a partner, be it west coast waves or Chicken Little skies. If that reference doesn’t do it for you, the explanation is that Chicken Little skies are falling. Haha.

Serotonin, girl in red

Look out – this song is girl in red’s first release with a capital letter. It’s also the most energetic song she’s released, which still isn’t saying much. “Serotonin” is a close-up view of mental illness, a topic girl in red’s songs often deal with. This song doesn’t pull any punches with its lyrical descriptions of how the narrator’s head feels. There’s some graphic imagery, so handle with care.

Leave The Door Open, Silk Sonic, Anderson .Paak, Bruno Mars

Silk Sonic is the duo of Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars. “Leave The Door Open”  is the debut release under this moniker. It’s a crooning entreaty to an imaginary girl to come over to a clean house and a warm pool; the door is open for her to enter any time she wants. This R&B song is full of soul and cheeky lyrics, and Bruno Mars’ influence is definitely felt. 

Gasoline, HAIM

“Gasoline” is slow but commands attention. The lyrics point to a dysfunctional relationship, and the sound is reminiscent of something quietly unsettled, about to boil over. This L.A. sister trio never disappoints. This song represents a new foray into music for HAIM, whose third album strays from rock sounds and into more electronic ones. 

The Kiss of Venus, Paul McCartney, Dominic Fike

This is Dominic Fike’s cover of Paul McCartney’s “The Kiss of Venus”. It appears on the latter’s latest album, “McCartney III Imagined”. It takes the acoustic original and turns into wildly catchy R&B. The music video features Dominic Fike working at the New York Times. It’s always interesting to see Paul McCartney’s modern sound – go check it out.  

SUPERBLOOM, Misterwives

The title track of Misterwives’ 2020 album is the last song, and it leaves the listener with an encouraging positivity. It’s quite different from their arguably most famous song, “Reflections”, with a jazzy beat and a poppier sound. This song chronicles Misterwives’ struggles and ultimate (super) blooming into new beginnings. They compare the feeling to being a wallflower in the spring breaking through the cracks.