Welcome to Weekly Round-Up No. 47! This week we feature debut releases by Mines Falls, Karate Prom OK!, NÛRNBEAR, ARK, Thunder Jackson and Robert Earl Thomas. And we review new singles by Julia Jonas, Mental Bend and The Girl Who Cried Wolf. Enjoy the music!
Mines Falls – My New House
Pure sonic sadness, but oh so beautiful! Mines Falls‘ debut single “My New House” is a sad and slow piano ballad with haunting shoegaze-like melodies. The lyrics are about a great loss leaving an eternal void. The vocals are sung with a certain distance which make it all the more sad and emotional.
Karate Prom OK! – Your Favorite Soul
Indiepop duo Karate Prom OK! from Atlanta, USA just released their debut EP “Black Belt” last week. From just an idea, through demo-recordings, to this first EP in less than 18 months is quite an achievement! The EP is filled with songs somewhere between indierock (“Beckon”) and chamber pop (“Idling”). Our favourite track is the sweet “Your Favorite Soul”.
Julia Jonas – Spilling
Swedish multi-instrumentalist Julia Jonas has been around for awhile, creating intriguing songs based on jazz and world music. Yes, her sound is definitely adventurous! Her new single is a continuation, but sounds more peaceful, yet mysterious. “Spilling” is a beautiful ethereal ambient pop single.
Mental Bend – Madly In Love
German indietronica duo Mental Bend make music on the crosspoint of trip hop, ambient pop and electronica. Singer Sissip’s vocals are dreamy and heavenly, and fit the music perfectly. Their beautiful new single “Madly In Love” makes us, well… fall madly in love with them!
NÛRNBEAR – Isolation
New Danish pop band NÛRNBEAR debut with a catchy electropop single. Despite the catchiness, there is a serious theme: the isolation of people in modern times. The band wants to draw listeners in with their accessible music, but make them think also. Mission accomplished!
ARK – Made For Us
Singer-songwriter ARK has stormed the indie blog scene with her debut single “Made For Us”. It’s a classic piano pop ballad, gripping and even overpowering. The lyrics are about self-doubt, empowerment, and being a guide for yourself. The last few key notes of the song give enclosure and hope. Beautiful.
Robert Earl Thomas – Another Age
Robert Earl Thomas is Windowspeak‘s guitarist, but is now also releasing music solo. His first single “Another Age” has that same dreamy sound as Windowspeak, but feels far more nostalgic. A combination of dreampop, indierock with a hint of americana does the trick. And not only the music (and Thomas’ voice!), but also the lyrics about closure and looking forward make this a melancholic listen. His album “Another Age” is out February 16th, 2018.
Thunder Jackson – Guilty Party
New pop duo Thunder Jackson remain a mystery for now, but that’s okay, because for us it’s mainly about the music. Their first offering is “Guilty Party”, a party to listen to! Uplifting, yet melancholic. The music video is a collage from 1980s clips, and embodies the title: a guilty party! We definitely want to hear more from them.
The Girl Who Cried Wolf – White Noise
Dark pop from Belgium! The Girl Who Cried Wolf is a five-piece band creating haunting, hypnotic pieces of music from the darker side of the soul. You can hear influences from gothic rock, shoegaze, ambient and trip hop. They don’t shy away from a big dramatic sound, overwhelming you with their melancholy. “White Noise” is a perfect example, the song will draw you in and won’t let you go.