BEST INDIE SONGS – WEEK 20

5/11/15

Swish! Welcome back to another edition of BitCandy's best indie songs! Unless it's your first time here... in which case, where you been for the past six years, bro?! Smdh. Anyways, glad you found us as we're about to stuff your ears, eyes and mind full with some awesome, cool and rad tunes as hand-picked from the blogosphere by yours truly. We got The Chemical Brothers! We got Alabama Shakes! We got Odesza! We got a fuckton more but don't worry, we won't actually list them because we're not crazy and we're not going to waste your precious time with an arbitrary, extended and long-winded introduction when you could be listening to music instead! Ahem... So let's get down to business then, shall we?

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THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS (FEAT. Q-TIP) – GO

The Chemical Brothers are back and in a big way. Like, really big. Like, song featuring Q-Tip and video directed by Michel Gondry big. “Go” is a funky, groovy space ride and bangs so, so hard. I can't wait to hear it through a club soundsystem instead of my shitty laptop speakers. This futuristic, sci-fi visual from Gondry is iconic too. I was brought up on The Chems' music videos so it's awesome to see they're still pumping out this kind of eye candy in 2015.

 

ALABAMA SHAKES – SOUND & COLOR

Alabama Shakes are the sort of band I'd expect to drop a video set on an organic farm or in a microbrewery, not on a spaceship complete with a plot resembling some kind of 2001-Moon hybrid, but this actually, totally works and is actually, totally heartbreaking. Something about the stripped-back approach to the music combined with the starkness of the visual – it's very moving, emotive and effective. Hats off to Brittany Howard and co.

 

ODESZA – SAY MY NAME (LIVE ON KCRW)

Whether they're performing to a packed out Gobi Tent or a bunch of kids in Sonos Studio, ODESZA always crush it. These dudes are playing every festival ever this year so make sure you catch them because their set will be pure fire. Let's just hope you get Zyra and not Young Summer. Burn...

 

NOONIE BAO – I'M IN LOVE

Stockholm chanteuse Noonie Bao, the voice behind the omnipresent “I Could Be the One,” gets freaky in the video for her new single “I'm in Love.” As in, dancing with a vacuum cleaner, mincing her own appendages and eating a bunch of wires in a bathtub freaky. I guess that's what prolonged exposure to Avicii does to a person. Lol. Jokes aside, holy shit this is way, way catchy.

 

WOLF TIDE – SPOKE THE WORDS

Wolf Tide are a duo from Sydney and this Ben Howard-esque slice of gorgeousity made flesh is their debut single. Accompanying it is a video which sees various life stories told through hand movements. I was going to make some lameass quip about it being the most hipster Nivea commercial ever, but fuck that noise. “Spoke the Words” is too goddamn beautiful for such tomfoolery.

 

TOWKIO – I KNOW YOU (PROD. FKJ)

Forget Chance or Vic Mensa – Towkio is Save Money's ultimate secret weapon. The Chicago rapper recently dropped one of the dopest mixtapes of the year so far and is legit on the brink of world domination. “I Know You,” .WAV Theory's centrepiece, is straight up vibes. Smooth as fuck production from FKJ with a beautifully choreographed video to boot. Fire gon be fire.

 

GYPSY AND THE CAT – CAN'T STOP ME NOW

Nothing says “summer is here” like a skate through a sanguine city (I've got no idea what I'm talking about – I've never skated in my life). Dude does exactly that in this hypnotic long take filmed in Melbourne for Australian duo Gypsy and the Cat's latest single “Can't Stop Me Now” – a psychy, shoegazey, Madchestery melange of a number that's a perfect appetizer to Tame Impala's new shit. Bliss.

 

PALE HONEY – TEASE

My ass is being kicked so hard right now. Gothenburg duo Pale Honey show us who's boss on the fuzzy juggernaut “Trust” (hint: them). Distorted guitars, piston synths, motherfucking cowbell. What more could you ask for?! Except maybe “more cowbell.” But that's an obvious and predictable response and the amount of cowbell on this is just fine, k?!

 

CYPHER – LIAR

Ever heard a song that was so divine, it made you stop whatever you were doing and listen? Yeah, “Liar” by Cypher is one of those songs. This girl's voice is absolutely and irrevocably sublime. Like a warmer version of Elena Tonra's timbres (she has actually covered Daughter). Hard to believe a 16-year-old can write with such emotional and intellectual depth. Something tells me this Brisbane chanteuse is one to watch.

 

THE BIG MOON – SUCKER

No biggie, just another girl band who're going to rock your face off this 2015. The Big Moon are a four-piece hailing from London who specialize in striking jangle pop inspired by the likes of Palma Violets and Fat White Family. Combining soaring harmonies, distorted guitar riffs and genuinely beautiful melodies, their debut single “Sucker” is without a doubt my pick of the week.

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Thanks for checking in! Don't forget to come back next week for more, k?! Swish! x

Mia II” by Winnie Liu is licensed under CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized).

About Jess Grant

When Jess Grant isn't writing on music, she can be found playing it – on her guitar, on her ukulele, and on her recently acquired mandolin. Playing it hideously, she ought to add. Jess also studies. She studies the English language, to be precise. Jess is currently on her way to a degree in the subject, and enjoys starting and never finishing novels, screenplays, and poetry in her spare time. She also likes dogs. Lots of dogs.