Tag: synthpop
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review by Michael McCarthy Today I’m delighted to premiere Manhattan-based dream pop singer/songwriter Michael Rider’s new protest anthem, “Capital.” From its punchy main beat to its layers and layers of instrumentation and subtle vocal samples, which glide along under Rider’s lead vocals like a surfboard under his feet, its production is complex enough to make…
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Indie-pop, singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson has just released an exquisite new album called Stranger Songs on which every song is inspired by the Netflix series Stranger Things. The album came out just before the new season of Stranger Things started so a lot of the references were lost on me until I started watching the new…
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If you took Phoenix, Hot Chip and Passion Pit and chopped them up in a blender then made a gorgeous painting out of them and that painting could play music, Mcbaise is exactly what it would sound like. OK, so that’s a bit of a stretch, but those are the three bands I hear in Mcbaise’s…
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interview by Michael McCarthy Mystery Skulls, otherwise known as Luis Dubuc, was something of a mystery to me prior to reading the press release for his new album, One of Us. All I knew was that I loved the Mystery Skulls debut album, Forever. You see, I had no idea if Mystery Skulls was a…
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“No turning back…” Our latest song of the day is Alvvays’ new tune, “In Undertow,” a mix of synth pop, shoegaze and alternative rock that is ripe for rejoicing because, well, it’s totally awesome! If you’re in the middle of winter right now, listen to this and it’ll thaw you out. It’s so sunshiny it…
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I was born in ’70’s and grew up in the ’80’s with a fondness for synthy pop like the Eurythmics, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys and so many others. Practically every song on the radio relied heavily on sythesizers. It was wonderful. Even when my beloved heavy metal bands (now called hair metal) came along,…
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Recently I reviewed Chungking’s incredible new album, Defender. It was a rave review during which I gave the album very high praise, comparing it to some of the greats, like Goldfrapp and Ladytron. I highly recommend that you read the review before reading the following interview with Chungking’s charismatic lead vocalist, Jessie Banks! But, if you…
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Chungking released their much-praised debut album We Travel Fast way back in 2003. Their 2007 album Stay Up Forever is a veritable electronica-meets-trip-hop masterpiece. During more recent years the Brighton-based trio — Jessie Banks, Sean Hennessy and Ben Townsend — have worked with Richard X and WARP Records’ Jamie Lidell. Perhaps more impressive is the…
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I’ve often felt sorry for The Ting Tings. Their debut album, We Started Nothing, was a big sensation. Magazines, blogs, late night TV shows — they were everywhere. Their music had a universal appeal; it was artistic enough to please indie pop fans yet immediately catchy enough to please the bubble gum pop club. And…
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“Underbart” was already one of the most invigorating tracks on Little Dragon’s Nabuma Rubberband, but this intense video gives it a sense of urgency, making the song stand out like a passionate battle cry, ready to conquer any and all contemporaries. And, with a little luck, it will.
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“If we could all fall in love together, we’d have no enemies,” sings rising pop sensation Kiesza. And she does have a good point. Better still, she has a lovely, throbbing, monstrous pop song that bangs its way into your head while causing you euphoria in lieu of pain. Trust us, it’s quite the bouncy…
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When Stars released Set Yourself on Fire ten years ago they were a rough around the edges indie rock band with flourishes of pop melodies thrown in for good measure. But ten years of making albums and growing up have changed them and transformed their sound in the process. Now they’re more of an indie…
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I was recently introduced to the music of Veiga Sanchez, who goes by the name Salt Ashes, and after listening to just a couple of her songs I already fell head over heels in love with her sound. Like any artist, she has influences and those influences can be heard in her music. But, here’s the thing…
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Singtank is a French duo who mostly sing in English, such as during the above song, “Can You Hear Me,” which is a precious blend of synthpop, electropop, dance pop and… reggae! Chances are it’s going to be the most original song you’ve heard, and will hear, this week. But it’s not original in an…
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We’ve loved LIGHTS from day one, since we bought her first EP something like six years ago. There are few people on this planet who make electro-pop and synth pop as catchy as she does.
