Down Down – Screams From The Sun

Electro Rock, INDIE, Indie Rock, pop rock

Down Down from Screams From the Sun is one of the most fresh tracks we’ve reviewed at Kiwi’s Listen. Unable to be held back by the pandemic, they recorded this pop-rock banger in isolation. The duo blends “emo feels” and “80s Hollywood Blockbuster” into what we hear as a darker Twenty One Pilots. The soundscape is quite electronic and alt-pop reminiscent of groups such as Everything Everything and Linkin Park’s ‘A Thousand Suns’. However this group undeniably has the energy of 2000s emo rock groups driving it. A heavy distorted sliding synth unapologetically supports the chorus line “Down Down”, but really helps provide the key hook to the track making use of the empty space around it.

The Duo Mimi and Francis originally met in 2017 when busking, they paired their skills and spent a year writing and busking around London, getting established with venues and unsigned festivals. Screams From the Sun has successfully got themselves on Rolling Stone France and even played with Jared Leto during a performance outside the BBC Radio1 in 2018.

We’re excited to hear what new music comes from the dynamic duo! Make sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Spotify.

Die in Time – Las Ritas

Indie Rock

Born from a late night of drinking oneselves silly, Las Ritas take their name from the fabled lager of choice that evening, Budlight lime-a-ritas. Fittingly so, the group writes about drunken sadness, heartbreak and mania. Their sacred message is coupled with dancey vibes and wavy guitars reminiscent of a Mac Demarco track.

Their latest single Die in Time starts slow with dreamy guitars that build into a groove you can happily bop to with a bottle of cheap beer. The sound is strikingly similar to Kiwi favorites Daffodils who strike a similar sound with their music. Hopefully the two can create an international tour of New Zealand and California!

Die in Time is only one track of a stellar EP by the same name of groovy indie rock bops definitely worth tuning into! Check out Las Ritas on Instagram and Spotify.

with u- Marcus Felix

Indie Rock

Marcus Felix is the Whittier based son-of-an-80s-DJ who’s just released his debut single with u, and it is  g r o o v y. The use of lazy synth and nonchalant vocals evoke a feeling of sleepy nostalgia, which makes sense for a tune written about “day to day life” in high school. The tasteful use of kit drives the song, making it an easy roadtrip listen. Reminiscent of Mac Demarco, with u is well produced and its sound is fresh.

Felix’s lyrics are charmingly colloquial. Listening to his single is like sharing a beer in the back of a car while your mate tells you about his new girl. Overall the song is just as endearingly blazé as his social media presence, but that doesn’t stop us from eagerly anticipating his new track Out of Time to be released on February 7th. 

Keep an eye out for the new single on Spotify, instagram and twitter.