Welcome to “The Indie Inspection!”
In this monthly feature, I dive into new releases from a handful of artists that deserve attention. In fact, the Indie Inspection takes full advantage of the malleability of “indie” as a concept and aesthetic. That could mean lesser-known acts releasing their music either independently or on a smaller label. It could also refer to artistic vibes and approaches that fall outside of the mainstream. It might even mean nothing at all!
My advice? Leave your preconceived notions at the door and just listen to the music.
In the real world, this has been one of the oddest summers of my life.
But in the music world, Summer 2023 has overflowed with amazing albums from a stellar variety of artists. In the June and July installments of Indie Inspection, my affection for indie-pop, post-punk, and folky singer-songwriters have been fully sated. This month, I will explore other excellent musical avenues, including ambient, noise rock, slow core, and three different takes on electro-pop. My ears have been awash in engaging beats, inventive production, gloomy moods, and stirring synths for weeks now, and I hope you’ll enjoy these recommendations.
As always, if you like the music you hear, buy it from the artists directly instead of streaming it.
alice does computer music – Shoegaze 5G (Jolt Music)
I still surprise myself by the amount of pop-oriented music that enters my ears to immediate acclaim. I’m not talking about bargain basement poptimism. That stuff has progressed far beyond cliche in 2023. I’m talking about impressive music with impeccable song craft and undeniable rhythms that stretch far beyond the lowest common denominator.
This month’s standout example is Alice Gerlach, a cellist who performs under the moniker of alice does computer music. On her new album, entitled Shoegaze 5G, she uses her cello to create clever sound loops of both the stringed and percussive varieties. From there, she layers on her ethereal vocals with stunning range with minimalist beats to build arty compositions that are also fun.
Think of it as a lovely mix of Tori Amos, Kate Bush, and Lorde. I’m especially fond of the deft leaps in and out of falsetto, as they pair nicely with the stark, sensitive tunes revealing Gerlach’s inner strength. If you’re in the mood for some talented outsider pop with integrity, you should start with standouts such as “The Sandcastle,” “Lilypad,” and “Oil Spill Halo.”
Ki Oni – A Leisurely Swim To Everlasting Life (AKP Recordings)
I’ve written about the music of Ki Oni for this website before, just not for Indie Inspection. The pseudonym of Chuck Soo-Hoo, he creates rich, heady ambient designed for purposeful introspection. On his new project, he has crafted a solid hour’s worth of sanctified music for restful reflection and intentional meditation. The five songs of A Leisurely Swim To Everlasting Life grace our ears with warm and welcoming textures built out of found sounds and synth patches.
“An Infinite Dive” delivers thick swathes of dreamy chimes, while “Floating in a Stream of Consciousness” reminds you of lilting birdsong as you walk on a trail. With “Reincarnation at the End of the World,” we hear rapturous tubular bells, and “My Grandmother’s Garden” conjures the sensation of branches rustling in the wind as rain slowly begins to fall. “To Wander Beyond the Aquatic Center” closes out the experience by hearkening to sumptuous sunshine as leaves toss about in a gentle breeze. It’s an exercise in inclusive intimacy that encourages you to be particular and patient with how you engage the world around you.
Mary Jane Dunphe – Stage of Love (Pop Wig)
At this point, ‘80s-influenced electro-pop will never go away, and Indie Inspection thinks that’s a very good thing. There’s something so eerily perfect about the marriage of stark, synth-driven music and glowering lyrics about the travails of modern life. Sure, people have always longed for ways to express the sadness of their immediate situation, but the advent of the electronic keyboard and associated drum machines gave them the edge their morose musings needed.
Thus, Mary Jane Dunphe stands proudly on the shoulders of her musical forebears. On her debut solo project, she offers up thrumming bass, shuddering synths, and aching soprano vocals with a deep range. Stage of Love buzzes with the necessary industrial guitar fury, while a clattering drum machine quickly fills the dance floor.
But instead of reaching for the familiar procession of emotional peaks in each song, Dunphe is much more interested in purpose and production. Her sensual lyrics reflect a powerful yearning without dipping over into hackneyed desperation. She broods with a welcome intensity, but she definitely doesn’t get soppy or maudlin. If you’re a fan of Bauhaus, Garbage, and Savages, you definitely need to hear “Opening of a Field,” “Always Gonna Be the Same,” “Starless Night,” and the title track.
Naked Lungs – Doomscroll (Self-Released)
BGM was founded by two guys who love noise rock. The genre sits at the curious intersection of hardcore, metal, and psych, and it remains central to the site’s ethos. I like to describe it as guitar-centric music that’s soaked in adrenaline, fueled by experimentation, and prone to creeping paranoia. It’s loud, abrasive, and in your face, but it also enjoys the catharsis your whole body feels when the album or show ends.
And if our founders wanted to claim a new band as mascots for the site, they would immediately choose Naked Lungs. This Irish quartet deals out thundering rock and gripping social commentary throughout its debut album, Doomscroll. Call it post-hardcore mixed with post-punk and emo. Or think of it as industrial mewithoutYou or early Thrice covering Tom Waits songs. Whatever. It rips.
The band gives you everything you might want from contemporary noise rock. The guitars are searing, seething, and screeching. The drums are huge and doomy. The bass is deep and sludgy. The vocals glower, intimidate, and caterwaul with the best of them. And the production for the entire package features outright terror in how it showcases the aural impact of each instrument without blown-out maximalism. Led by amazing songs such as “Second Song,” “River (Down),” “Relentless,” and “Pressure,” this album will easily be in my Top 50 for 2023.
Night Drive – Position II (Chicken Ranch Records)
The Indie Inspection appreciation of ‘80s electro-pop continues with this excellent Texas trio. Hailing from Austin, TX, Night Drive crafts a delectable ‘80s pastiche that’s fun, kinetic, and faithful to its stylistic roots. Position II is absolutely beholden to vintage MTV synth-pop, and the band’s name is almost too on-the-nose for the sort of mood their songs create in your soul. But you actually don’t mind, because the music rules.
It all starts with brisk rhythms that pulse with palpable, urgent energy. From there, the clean synths and groovy bass kick in, only to cede ground to the impeccable drum programming. And when the band introduces dreamy male vocals, you are instantly transported 30-40 years into the past.
Fans of Depeche Mode, Sisters of Mercy, Dead Can Dance, and other terrific dark wave bands will fall in love with tracks such as “Summerwaves,” “White Lights,” and “Cover Your Eyes.”
Slow Salvation – Here We Lie (Velvet Blue Music)
Slowcore has always been a hit-or-miss genre for me. To be sure, the best acts weave detailed compositions that completely capture your attention, demanding you head each and every nuance. However, the average bands of this style absolutely bore the shit out of me, usually because they never figured out how to make music where the sum is greater than the individual parts.
Thankfully, that’s exactly where Slow Salvation excels. This terrific two-piece has constructed an elegiac debut album perfect for rainy day weather and introverted moods. The eight songs of Here We Lie bleed delicate gloom and intricate melancholy without ever entering dour, woe-is-me territory.
Like many slowcore bands, everything begins and ends with the super-steady rhythm section. Without this understated metronome, you could never develop the graceful power in the rest of the music. The guitar work almost drowns in heavy effects – think copious amounts of delay, echo, tremolo, and flange – but Travis Trevisan finds a way to create gold from those molten ores. And with the eerie, floating vocals provided by Christina Hernandez, the group almost enters dream-pop territory at times. With standout cuts like “Decay,” “The Stars Are Blind,” and “North Park Drive,” this sublime blend of Low, Cocteau Twins, and first-generation Starflyer 59 hits nearly all of my buttons.
Thanks for stopping by to read The Indie Inspection for August 2023. Be sure to check out our archives for more of my recommendations.