As someone who identifies with the LGBT+ scene myself, I believe it’s important to shine a spotlight on artists that would consider themselves to be a part of the movement. That’s why I’ve decided to create a round-up review based around artists with an LGBT+ background – all the bands and artists on this list have a slightly different sound to one another, so there should be something for everyone here!
Review by Jane Howkins
Picture by Maya Yenn
Maya Yenn – Call Me Back (When You’re Sober)
Our first addition to this list is actually a remix of a Jimmy Harvey song, created by talented UK producer Maya Yenn. As you might expect from its remix status, Call Me Back (When You’re Sober) is a dancey pop song with EDM elements. It’s also really groovy – the bassline is very prominent, adding a nice backbone to the piece. The vocals have a lot of effects, but they’re used fantastically here, making the entire thing sound extremely catchy! This is a pop song with a difference!
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram, TikTok
Villanelle & the Northern Wonder – December Bloom
Taking things in a slightly different direction are Villanelle & the Northern Wonder, with their amazing new tune, December Bloom. It’s a bluesy rock song that adds a 70s vibe to the garage rock elements that make up this track – the rhythm has a proper stomp to it, working well with the guitar riffs. The track sounds slightly eerie at times, due to the dark guitar lines that characterise this piece of music so well. The chorus is particularly catchy, seeing the vocals rise slightly higher.
Social media: Facebook, Spotify, Soundcloud, Youtube, Instagram
Matt Landi – Frankensteins
If you like your pop music on the quirky side of things, then Frankensteins is for you! The synthy bass adds a great deal to the upbeat rhythm on Matt Landi’s track, as multiple vocal lines layer themselves over each other. More and more elements are added over time, including a huge drum beat that combines itself well with the bass and synths. It’s certainly very different to a lot of the other pop music you usually hear on the radio, which is something Matt should be lauded for!
Social media: Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Youtube, Instagram, TikTok
Alba James – Light On Your Face
Swedish artist Alba James has created something really beautiful with her song Light On Your Face, opening with a gorgeous string section. The track then turns into a folk song, with a simple yet pretty guitar melody following her vocals perfectly. The strings appear again later on, working in brilliant time with the vocals and the rest of the instrumentation. The backing vocals have a particularly interesting sound, adding extra layers to this wonderful piece of music.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram, TikTok
Jeremy M – gone forever
Jeremy M is a young singer-songwriter and musician based in our very own city of York! gone forever is a slow and stripped-down song that mixes together pop and folk music, sounding really beautiful throughout! A slow piano melody combines well with the strummed acoustic guitar, as some pretty strings play along in the background at certain times. You can really feel the emotion in Jeremy’s vocals as he follows the main melody provided by the instruments.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram, Songkick, TikTok
Slow Funeral – Living How You Wanna Live
Living How You Wanna Live is an alt-pop song with a beautiful vibe – the slow nature of the tempo really allows the music to shine through. Slow Funeral’s vocals are very heartfelt to behold, soaring alongside the additional backing vocals on this gorgeous tune. The chord sequence is rather interesting, as little spidery guitar lines tail off from the main piano sequence. The track breaks down towards the end, as a palm-muted guitar riff takes over, allowing the vocals to truly shine through.
Social media: Facebook, Spotify, Youtube, Instagram
Litvar – You Should Find A New Boyfriend
Litvar are a pop band based out of Connecticut – their music is pretty unique for this genre, as the band play their own instruments. The little keyboard melody that opens up You Should Find A New Boyfriend has a really wintery feel, perfect for this time of year. The track sounds rather minimalist at times – even with the guitars and percussion joining in with the fun – before the huge breakdown appears in the middle of the track, turning it into more of an anthemic rock song.
Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Youtube, Instagram
Alice Jayne – The Hanged Man
The Hanged Man is the debut single to be released by Alice Jayne, making it sound all the more impressive due to how good the track is! It’s a pop song with a difference – there are also some EDM elements in there, but it’s definitely more in line with the dark-pop/alt-pop genre. The beat has a throbbing quality, pulsating through this track as eerie synths swirl in the background. Alice’s vocals are rather unique sounding, however they suit the style of music well.
Social media: Facebook, Spotify, Instagram
Agon Branza – Some People
Agon Branza is an award-winning musician and composer now based in London, although he originally started life off in Lisbon. Some People is a sombre sounding pop song, also adding in elements of folk and classical music to make something that seems really distinctive in the modern age. The vocals have a huge range and depth to them, as a gorgeous piano melody performs underneath them. The strings are astoundingly beautiful, adding lots of texture to this heartbreakingly haunting song.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Instagram, Youtube
Occurrence – Heels Over Head
New York group Occurrence who produce indie pop music with a difference, as latest tune Heels Over Head shows. The first thing that struck me here was how busy the rhythm sounds, with masses of percussion mixing with a huge array of synths in the background. It’s the sort of track you’ll need to listen to a few times to really appreciate everything on offer here! The chorus slows things down slightly, introducing an 80s style bassline, as the vocals drift across the music in a stylistic way.
Occurrence – Fudge
We’ve actually got two tracks from Occurrence here, so there’s more for your listening pleasure! Fudge is a fuzzy electronic song, featuring a dark bassline that rumbles underneath the surface. Lots of backing effects are added, helping to raise the tension up suitably. The female vocals are slightly on the monotone end, but they work really well with the themes of the track! The music changes about halfway through, introducing a discordant electric guitar melody alongside the EDM vibes.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram
PiPELLA – Life As A Movie
PiPELLA is a cinematic rock storyteller, also including elements of folk and pop within her music. Life As A Movie opens with a really interesting drum section, with the orchestral elements in the background elevating this track well above PiPELLA’s peers. The vocals are very powerful, suiting the style of music well. The strings are the stand-out feature of this killer track, drawing the listener in instantly. The busy percussion style also differentiates the music, sounding really busy throughout.
Social media: Spotify, Soundcloud, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter
Hope Whitelock – Stoned
Hope Whitelock‘s track Stoned reminded me a lot of the female singer-songwriter music that became so popular in the 90s, a genre I love! It’s an indie-folk tune with a positive sound, due to the pretty guitar and keyboard melodies that characterise this track so well. Hope’s vocals are stunning and suit the genre of music well, carrying the main melody alongside the backing instrumentation. The tempo is fairly upbeat, making you want to tap your feet along straight away!
Social media: Website, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram, TikTok
Evie Balfe – Toxicity
It’s time to take things down a notch with Evie Balfe’s latest single, Toxicity. It starts out as a stripped-down piano number, with the sparse instrumentation allowing her gorgeous vocals to really shine through. The percussion is fairly quiet, consisting of a subtle electronic beat playing underneath the surface of the tune. More and more elements are added over time, but the focus still stays on the lead vocals here, which sound beautiful throughout this alt-pop number.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Instagram, TikTok
MDL CHLD – Numb
Last but by no means least is Canadian recording artist MDL CHLD’s offering, titled Numb. It’s more of a hip-hop song and the lyrics are really interesting, making this track well worth a listen by themselves! The vocals are rapped in a smooth manner, playing in lovely style over the hip-hop style percussion and the basic synth chords that provide the main instrumentation for this tune. The percussion makes it sound particularly catchy, working its way inside your head on the very first listen.
Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Instagram