By Joe Vickrey
With so much music in the Provo music scene, it’s easy to get sucked in and start listening to music in a bubble. It’s always great to see what awaits you in the broader world of sonic textures, and to find new recommendations that can inspire you to make music differently than you did before.
Here are five songs from a variety of indie artists around the world! We hope something here helps spark that inspiration.
Muo Duo – “Postmodern Romance”
If MGMT still made good music, I don’t think they could compete with “Postmodern Romance” by Muo Duo. If I had to draw a comparison, I’d put it in a similar vein as MGMT, but this feels livelier to my ears. Kicking in with a horn section was a huge breath of fresh air for me, and the track has all the fun and flair of ’80s Europop while still having a modern flavor. It’s romantic, upbeat, catchy, and hard to take off repeat.
The Franklin Cassettes – “Summer Night Legends”
“Summer Night Legends” by The Franklin Cassettes combines a feel good Alternative arrangement with notes of modern pop and surf guitar for a hip-shaking party playlist classic. It’s a bit like JD McPherson meeting 2006 Kaiser Chiefs. Retro-yet-riveting, it’s a great example of how a pop song can be intelligent as well.
The piano and vocal-led tune beam brightly against some classy little synth runs that already had me regretting spending my summer indoors… Maybe there’s still time for me to be a Summer Night Legend?
The Thing With Feathers – “Dive Bar Breakdown”
If I broke down in a dive bar, and it was half as graceful as The Thing With Feathers make it sound, I’d consider it a win, personally.
The vocals are sweet with just the right amount of saturation. Coupled with some jangly guitar hits and sample-worthy drums, this leather-clad rocker deserves a prime place in your breakup playlist. The heavy rock choruses hit and this song also deserves your attention for hosting two different things we don’t have in Utah county: bars and songs about bars.
Love Ghost, Zach Goode – “Sandcastles”
Just like the Popeyes chicken sandwich and biscuit, this is a combo made in heaven. The grit of Zach Goode’s voice pairs potently with the angst of Love Ghost’s.
A barn burner. A blistering rocker. A toe tapper. The end of a relationship has never sounded so good.
The song isn’t all muscle, though. Lyrics like “I covered up your tattoo. Am I the sand in your shoes?” pierce the heart and provoke thought. The song has moments that sound like Smashing Pumpkins and others that sound like Pixies. It’s a cool combo for anyone who’s a fan of 2000s rock.
PETER LORD – “BOOM”
If supercharged drum loops, gospel choirs, and wispy male falsettos aren’t your jam… then maybe it’s time to change.
Peter Lord’s “BOOM” sweetly stirs a mix of classic soul with modern R&B. From 808s to vocal vibrato, none of the elements are inherently Alternative on their own, but something about the punchy beat and crunchy mix feels like the perfect gateway for the average alt fan. There’s even a brief-but-glorious Mellotron solo in there for my fellow 60s fans. Cinematic is an understatement for Peter as he tackles social issues with groove.
Maybe the real boom was the one that happened in our hearts along the way.