acoustic, folk, indie

This lovely collection of songs from Canadian painter and songwriter Alex Southey came out this summer and we totally missed it because (in a move that’s becoming more common and which we both support and encourage) it wasn’t released to Spotify.

One of our favorite songwriters in his own right, Jason Pilling, brought the record to our attention and submitted this review as the first installment of Reader Reviews - another wonderful initiative we fully encourage!

Southey has a way with words and a steady hand in the “studio” - which is really just his home - and this is a beautiful selection of songs for any fans of thoughtful, tasteful, minimalist folk music.

acoustic, indie folk, soft

Colorado based singer songwriter Clarice Backus has one of the most soothing, authentic, and all-around beautiful voices you’ll ever hear, and she’s become a reliable creator of simple, song-forward folk music. Full of vulnerability, grace, quiet defiance, and a self-confidence that feels hard-earned, the music of Paridae will stick with you long after the final notes evaporate.

Groove Art Universe contributor David Clark Carroll reviews the latest collection of original songs from this phenomenal artist, released as a Bandcamp Exclusive - we encourage everyone to get a Bandcamp account and use it to support independent music. Paridae’s Fluvius is a great place to start.

power pop, alternative, indie rock

Red Cavalry will induce waves of nostalgia in folks of a certain generation. Comparing themselves to The Smiths and REM among others, they have a shimmery and unpretentious vibe, keeping the melody upfront and the vocal delivery earnest and sincere.

They are out on streaming today with their full length album Alas, So Long - an 11 song love story that feels like watching an opium-ravaged Romantic poet ranting through a cloud of smoke at a Barmaid who has stopped listening.

If that sounds dubious, just give it a shot. We are particularly fond of “Unread Books” and “Last Wish” at the moment.

Rock, hard rock, grunge, alternative rock, funk rock

Bay Area multi-instrumentalist Jackson Allen is a phenomenal drummer, guitarist, vocalist, lyricist, composer, arranger, and producer. The wealth of talent and experience brought to bear on this, the third studio album under the name Captain Monk, is staggering.

From the gritty, impossibly heavy swagger-rock of the first few tracks, to the rootsy and soaring beauty of “Nickel”, to the funk groove in “Feds” that takes you by surprise just when you think you’ve figured out what Captain Monk is all about, this record will be an instant favorite of anyone who’s been missing original rock music with a unique perspective and a healthy dose of attitude.

Prog rock, heavy, instrumental, experimental

New York guitarist and mad scientist Dan Walsh is involved in a staggering number of projects - the most fascinating is his experimental, instrumental, prog / metal project under the name Donner & The Devil.

There exists no box you could stuff Donner into, no borders Walsh doesn’t trample on as soon as they’re demarcated, no begging for your approval, no sparing your feelings or your right brain.

cinematic, post-rock, experimental, instrumental

Dim Dead Boy makes (usually) long-form, cinematic instrumental music that lets its ideas marinate, stretch, build, and find their resolution.

The ambition involved in a 6-song album with a run time of nearly 75 minutes, and “conceptualized as the ethereal dreams of a cosmonaut in suspended animation while he traverses interstellar space”, is a rare thing to find in the indie space.