The end of the month has rolled round again, which means that it’s time for the next installment of my monthly favourites. All of the tracks here have been handpicked by me as some of the best songs created by underground artists that I’ve managed to find of late, meaning there should be something for everyone!
Review by Jane Howkins
Picture by Zach Churchill
Zach Churchill – Surrender
First up is Surrender, a track curated by Californian singer-songwriter and musician Zach Churchill. It’s an indie pop song with a cool beat, which is added to by the guitar melodies that run alongside it. Zach has quite a unique singing style, but his vocals bleed with emotion, working well with the rest of the music as it pulls you into his captivating world. The chorus is very atmospheric, building up after the steadier verses, ramping the tension up slowly.
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Chapell – Gold
Up next is Gold, a track that was actually released by Chapell way back in April of this year, making me feel very lucky to have the chance to hear it! It’s clearly a rock song, but there’s a little bit of ska thrown in there for good measure, with a groovy beat and some cool guitar lines being the flavour of the day. The chorus changes the chord sequence a little, with some catchy vocal lines being added to draw you in.
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Jazelle – We Could Happen
Jazelle takes this list down a notch with her folky tune We Could Happen. It might sound like typical singer-songwriter fare at first, but there’s much more to the track than that! It’s a stripped-down song, featuring a simple acoustic guitar melody with some little piano notes played occasionally in the background. The simple nature of the track allows Jazelle’s vocals to shine through, sounding immensely clear.
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The Vacant Shapes – Lover’s Daze
Now it’s time for a bit of rock and roll, in the form of The Vacant Shapes, a band from California with a classic rock sound. I also felt that Lover’s Daze had a little garage rock mixed in, especially due to the raw sound of the music. The bass is surprisingly prominent, shining through to provide a rhythmic backbone to the song. The vocals follow a similar pattern, having a singalong quality that sounds rather melodic at times.
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Pamela Hopkins – Straight Shooter
Bringing an edge of country to this list is Pamela Hopkins, with her groovy track Straight Shooter. Whilst it’s definitely a country song, in terms of both the music and the lyrics, there are also some bluesy elements, especially in terms of the way the guitar lines fit the rhythm. She’s got a fantastic voice which suits the country genre very well, with a sense of cool rock and roll attitude that makes this track stand out from the crowd!
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Lo Monaco – Dear Abbey
Dear Abbey is another stripped-down folk song, this time produced by Lo Monaco. The thing that struck me most about this track was how emotive the vocals are – they’re incredibly heartfelt, and you can really feel the emotion in them as they sing to the pretty acoustic guitar melodies that characterise this song so well. It all sounds really gorgeous – if you’re into your folk or singer-songwriter music, you should check this out!
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Taylor Roche – day&night
day&night is more of a modern pop song, and perhaps the most mainstream pop track on this list. However, that isn’t a negative thing by any means, as it sounds fantastic! The vocals utilise autotune and other effects, but it works really well here, especially on the verses. The bassline creeps through the verses, raising the tension up until the singalong chorus appears, making you want to sing along instantly to Taylor Roche’s new track.
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Madison Deaver – Denim
We’ve been following Madison Deaver’s music for a while, so it’s great to be able to share 70s throwback track Denim with the world. It opens with an amazing buzzsaw guitar riff, priming listeners for what’s to come. The track is heavy, but it also has a melodic side to it, showing that Madison’s music truly has the best of both worlds. Her vocals have a touch of attitude, working well with the punk rock style of the song.
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tdotostudios – AFUA
The interestingly titled todotostudios have created a unique sounding song in AFUA – whilst it has elements of pop and r&b, there’s much more going on here than in your typical pop song. The beat is catchy and aligns well with the little guitar line running through the song, with a variety of background effects also thrown in for good measure. It’s an instrumental piece designed for chilling out to, making it the perfect background song for working or studying.
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Spyderhuff – What You Have
Spyderhuff are another act that we’ve featured over the course of the last year, bringing their blues rock sound back to the forefront with What You Have. The track sounds groovy from the off, with cool guitar licks combining with a harmonica and the rest of the instrumentation to make something utterly killer. The verses contain several breakdowns, with the vocals having a somewhat spoken sound, which works surprisingly well!
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Harlow’s Monkeys – Pleasure
Pleasure starts out with a light classical guitar melody before the beat kicks in, turning it into more of an alt-pop song. The vocals come in soon after, having a breathy quality that suits the eerie vibes of the tune, which are amplified by the bass, rhythm and the creeping synths. Harlow’s Monkeys have created a catchy song that also manages to be a really distinctive indie rock tune sounding very different from anything else I’ve heard recently!
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Onbar – GOOD
GOOD is catchy from the very start, opening with a cool bass beat, as well as some interesting backing effects. Onbar has created more of a typical pop song here, although it’s rather funky, with some cool drum and synth effects adding a special flavour to the piece. The vocals are really soulful, drifting through the rest of the music in a stylistic way. Listen to this and try to avoid tapping your feet along!
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Skender Beck – Stuck In The Sky
Last up is Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and musician Skender Beck, with his stunning new pop-rock song, Stuck In The Sky. The track opens up with a lovely chord sequence played on the piano, with a multitude of other rock band instruments being added alongside the piano, raising the tension up slowly. I felt like the whistling was a really nice touch, building up the awesome atmosphere that the track has, alongside Skender’s emotive vocals.
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