5 Indie Rock Tracks for late summer

The last few weeks, it’s been really hot where I live. But today, it broke a bit cooler and there is already a hint of fall in the air. This week’s additions to the 2021-a-Day playlist all have that late summer feel for me, breezy indie rock and pop with a bit of wistfulness.

Current Day Nostalgia from Norway

The only thing really current about this track from Oslo’s Flight Mode is the release date. Tx, 98 was released in June of this year, but recorded in 2017 and written about experiences from 1998. But the songs on this short EP feel perfect for this moment where we are standing at what feels like an ending, reflecting back on what has just passed and to the future hoping for more.

Melodic Psychedelic sounds from Sun Seeker

This track from Nashville’s Sun Seeker somehow reminds me of my favourite late-summer Pavement songs, without actually sounding like Pavement at all. Although this track comes from their first album, the band’s bio indicates the three musicians have played together since high school and describes the band as having a “jangle-pop lens on timeless folk songwriting”.

Dreamy, dreamy pop from LA’s Massage

Indie pop, sensitive punk and lo-fi are all terms I’ve seen LA’s Massage use to describe themselves, but perhaps its the description from their bandcamp bio that describes them as “sunny, bittersweet and tender” that perfectly sums up why this track “Michael is My Girlfriend” feels just like the waning days of summer.

Twangy, noisy indie rock from The Glow

Brooklyn’s The Glow return with a two song single, their first recorded output since 2019’s debut full length Am I. Initially the solo project of Michael Caridi from low-fi land LVL UP, with these two tracks the project has morphed to a four piece.

More Australian Pop with Snowy Band

It feels like no post on this blog would be complete without me mentioning the great indie scene in Australia. You can find Melbourne’s Snowy Band (and the album Alternate Endings that the track below comes from) on Bandcamp, but they don’t give me the option to share the bandcamp track here. So, here’s their very cool video for Living with Myself, the lead track from their sophomore record that was released in May.

5 for a Globetrotting Weekend

I’m not doing any globetrotting this weekend – at least not in the physical sense, but here are five tracks from five different countries for a virtual travel experience, all added to the 021-a-Day playlist today.

Echo Beach from Montreal

Surf rock from Montreal? Sure, why not! Echo Beach released their 2nd full length, Salt in June on BC’s Divine Bovine Records. While a surf sound may not be what you expect from a city known more for its winter cold than it’s beach access (although you can surf on the Saint Laurent river in Montreal) this track will have you looking for more of these jangly, rocking sounds.

Melbourne Shoegaze from Grazer

Another nice discovery from the bustling Australian music scene…

“Grazer is the joint musical venture of Matt and Mollie, whose backgrounds of painting, photography and poetry coordinate their eclectic sound. The music is a dreamy coalescence of 80s indie pop and the catharsis of 90s grunge and shoegaze.”

Bandcamp bio

Dreamy indie rock from Charlottesville

As the summer stretches toward its end, I’m definitely favouring a kind of airy dreamy sound that seems to match the feel of the late summer weather. Stray Fossa‘s debut album was released in April and I’ve been enjoying this track Hypocritic for a few weeks now.

Holiday Ghosts (Falmouth, UK)

A friend recently asked me if I knew the Holiday Ghosts, praising the jangly pop sound and mentioning that they really loved the bands’ self-titled 2017 album. I dug into the band’s latest – North Street Air, released this year – and really liked this track with its rumbling opening guitar and slightly shouted doubled vocals.

STEREOGIRL (Tokyo, Japan)

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to be in Osaka and visited a number of indie record shops and randomly picked up some interesting looking releases from Japanese indie bands. Digging through CDs recently, I came across a the thin CD sleeve of the STEREOGIRL’s 2018 EP ベイビー、ぼくらはL.S.D. and wondered if the band is still active. And they are! They have been playing and recording steadily since what to the best I can tell was their first release, hitting SxSW in 2019 and releasing the album Pink Fog in 2020. This track is the most recent single from a band that Next Music From Tokyo describes as playing an “emotionally charged combination of alt-rock, punk and new wave.” I can’t locate a bandcamp page, so check out their video above, or, of course, hear them on the 2021-a-Day playlist.

5 for Hot Summer Nights

I’m not sticking to my schedule these days, but I’m not prepared to give up on 2021-a-Day playlist entirely. It seems clear that we won’t end up with 365 tracks on our end of year playlist, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t space for some occasional additions. Here’s a few gems for your hot August nights.

Rock it up with Les Shirley

A friend put me on to Les Shirley from Montreal – punk rock with attitude that is perfect for summer listening. Their Bandcamp page describes them as a “kick-ass rock power trio” and that sums it up pretty nicely. I really don’t need to tell you much about this one, except that you should turn it up!

Pigeon brings punk

Here’s what I know about Pigeon: they are a three-piece from Berlin, they have releases on Bandcamp going back to 2014 and this track rips. Check ’em out.

BRNDA on Crafted Sounds

BRNDA are a three piece from Washington, DC and their arty, post-punk sound is exactly the kind of thing I love to share here on 2021-a-Day. The band has two previous albums but are new to me. This track will be included on their soon to be released record Do You Like Salt? Jump on this one early.

Indie rock from Oslo

Veps are 4 teenage pals from Oslo, Norway: 17 now, they’ve been playing together since they were 14. Their Spotify bio describes them as a “seamless blend of 90s indie aesthetic and classic pop hooks” and their debut EP was released on Kanine Records this year. Shoutout to Emily Smith of BRTtoday to turning me on to this one through her Ladies Skate Only show.

The Supreme Joy of Garage Rock

Hailing from Denver, Supreme Joy is songwriter Ryan Wong and a large and varied cast of local musicians. Supreme Joy’s debut cassette Joy was recorded over 2020-1 in a “Denver basement amidst a tumultuous year of pandemic, civil unrest, and a personal identity crisis” (Bandcamp): Body Contact is a standout track.