BEST NEW INDIE POP: MISSIO - KDV

Happy Post-Passover, Post-Easter, and Post-Coachella Weekend Number One to everyone, and welcome back to We Are: The Guard where I am quietly spending No-Coachella reviewing upcoming indie tunes for you. Based in Austin, Texas, Matthew Brue and David Butler of the musical duo, MISSIO are too familiar to the vapid and superficial lifestyles of modern youth of major metropolitans. Much like their first major hit, "Middle Fingers," their newest track called "KDV" is another unapologetic response to naysayers and haters to their music and steez.

MISSIO - KDV

KDV, short for Killing Darth Vader, is a song off their upcoming debut album, Loner, which is due for release in the middle of May 2017. I am not quite sure what “Killing Darth Vader with my motherfucking kickdrum” has to do with a song about having found salvation through music-making, but we can take it as some sci-fi, popular culture symbolism. Beyond that, the message is quite clear, especially when you take in consideration the lines of “Thank God for the haters” and “These songs keep me sane”. Obviously, creating music acts as a form of therapy for the duo. If the lyrics are any indicator, they are going through some First-World troubles of whiskey and Perrier.

The electronic-based instrumental track is loaded with loud and aggressive beats, only to change abruptly thirty seconds into the track, where the melody takes a turn for the chill. For the duration of the roughly three minutes and fifty seconds, the song alternates between the smooth sounds, supplemented by sultry vocals and mellow backing music, which is juxtaposed by harsh, provocative hooks and an equally vulgar rap verse by SUGE. It is this meshing of alternative and electronic genres that makes them a future contender for pop success. Though this is a strong entry for their album, I prefer Middle Fingers as the “Driving Down the 405, Stuck in Traffic Summer Jam of 2017”. Be sure to catch them on their upcoming summer tour/festival circuit beginning in June.