Happy Cat Jay’s Mood EP does exactly what the title suggests. Featuring 5 “genre bending” tracks, the creative work sends the listener on a sonic journey, building a hypnotic atmosphere. Mood EP boasts a diverse collection of songs.

Up Early unleashes the EP with a dreamy synth and sneaky percussion. The track takes inspiration from both trap and hiphop, building an immersive soundscape. The second track Liberty Bled begins with a transatlantic accent speculating about politics and people. Liberty Bled makes the listener wait for the drop, which once it arrives is satisfying.

Era of a Niche is the EP’s single, and it’s easy to see why with its immediately hypnotic effect. The track features vocals from Happy Cat Jay himself. My personal favourite though, is Love and Push, which takes the energy down a notch. It’s groovy, and easy listening but it still makes you move.It’s hard to sit still while listening to the EP on a whole. Groove with us on Facebook or Instagram.

Mili & Bertie are a British alt-pop duo whose music is sincere and innovative. They began releasing music with the beautiful 50s-esque ballad Lie With Me late last year, and have followed it up with their latest single Hey Lonely. It’s easy to hear that both songwriters bring skill and finesse to the project.

Hey Lonely begins with a charming guitar line and Mili’s sliding vocals. Bertie takes the second line, providing contrast with a mellow bass. The two voices compliment each other when they sing close harmony, evoking a feeling of unity. They balance the beauty of their laid back acoustic writing with interesting rhythms and use of percussion. The song builds to a catchy chorus, experimenting with moving metre and tempo.

Hey Lonely is a clever piece of writing that promises to rattle around in my brain for the next few months. Mili & Bertie are new to the scene, and worth listening out for— we will be! Listen with us on Instagram and Facebook.

UK singer-songwriter Lucy Charlotte hides secrets in her songs. Her latest single When The Tide Comes In is intriguing from the first bar. A guitar tremolos in a minor key over a shuffling beat, placing the listener comfortably in a meditative state. Lucy Charlotte’s clear voice paints a picture of “the moon’s pale light” and the sound of the waves. It feels like an old folktale, telling the story of a ghost and lost love.

The song brightens one minute in for a big chorus and the hook line “the day you were lost to the sea”. She continues with her poetic lyrics that feel riddled with warning before returning to the tremolo motif. It’s not your average modern song— it’s creative, and the lyrics are worth pausing for.

Charlotte’s controlled vocals, and an arrangement reminiscent of less complicated times make for easy listening. The song doesn’t stay there, though. It takes a heavier turn four minutes in, refreshing the ear with an epic choir and a foreboding electric guitar. It feels like we’ve been enjoying a smooth, but ominous sail that’s interrupted by a storm. It’s the perfect haunting soundtrack for 2020.

Without ever over singing, Charlotte achieves an immersive and impressive track. The rest of the Wheel of Fortune EP is set for a spring release, and we can’t wait to dim the lights for what is sure to be a sonic experience. Wait with us on Facebook and Instagram.

Runaway Strangers are experts at genre acrobatics. In the space of one song they can step from jazz, to rock, to pop and back. The London based five piece joined forces to release their first single Palmtree in November, and if you’re not curious about it then you’re wrong.

Before even pressing play, I was intrigued by the artwork. It features a mossy haired hipster enjoying a cigarette on a lawn chair, seemingly floating in the abyss. The tune cracks in with a stage theatre style piano line and raucous drumline. An electric guitar shreds a solo before the vocalist begins describing the aforementioned hipster. He has “palm tree hair” and “glasses too big for his head”.

A point of difference in the band is their use of two lead female singers. Their voices, while different from each other are complimentary. Both women perform with passion and impressive vocal control, reminiscent of Taco Joint. They are supported by an exemplary team of instrumentalists, boasting wicked drum fills and a sweet rhythm section.

The song stays fresh with a surprise bass solo three quarters of the way through. The bass is joined by what can only be described as a robot having a yarn, and then an epic vocal build. This innovative bridge gives the listener a break from the rhythm of the song, refreshing their ears for one final fireworks display of a chorus.

Catch this self proclaimed “emotional mess” on Facebook and Instagram.

Wondergeist are an amalgamation of culture and sound. The three piece pulls together the corners of the commonwealth for dream pop/ alternative rock masterpiece The Gulf.

Opening track Americana sets the foreboding atmosphere we all feeling during the pandemic with expertise. It builds slowly, driven by a rhythmic bass riff that pedals for the duration of the track. 

The second track Head in the Clouds demonstrates diversity, opening with an innovative rhythm section. The song rolls into a lighter timbre, lifting the weight of the previous track from your shoulders. In keeping with the sound of the album, Head in the Clouds is dreamy and hypnotic.

The vocalist is to be commended for his performance, which moves from nonchalant to distraught depending on the track. The use of sparse harmonies in the album allows them to have impact. The instrumentation is clever, creating enough diversity to make every song worth its time. 

Title track The Gulf starts with a goose bump inducing guitar riff. It’s unnerving and calming all at the same time, like relaxing in a smokey room. The mood is once again lifted by the shuffling By Your Side, which boasts a tasteful and skilled performance on the drums. 

The album concludes with The Leaving Song. It’s fuzzy, rich, and it moves. The song is a storm that passes, leaving you in awe that it happened. The refrain of “you can change your mind” echoes in your brain along with a final sustained chord. Experience the dreamy magic of Wondergeist on Facebook and Instagram.

Pop princess ASHY from Christchurch has released the bop you need to get you through your self isolation. Following her success on NZ’s X-Factor, the 21 year old is pushing for a well earned position on the charts. With a work ethic that can only be admired, we’re excited to see where she takes herself next.

Ego starts with a simple catchy trap riff. ASHY’s emotive vocals sing over the top of the verse as it builds to a drop in the chorus. The song is a well paced mid tempo track perfect for pre drinks or hustling. It’s well produced without being over complicated.

Ego is a clap back at a boy who hasn’t been faithful. It’s an anthem for anyone who’s felt cheapened by another person. ASHY thanks her friends for helping her see exactly who this piece of work is. You can hear in her voice that she’s over it, and that’s the attitude that makes the song so effective. Skype a mate, turn up your sub woofer and find her on Facebook or Instagram.

Magic is our favourite track from 3.3.3.’s debut album The Good Fight released earlier this year. Born and raised in the Midwest as the son of a preacher, Gabe Stroup of 3.3.3. started learning to play music by ear at a young age.  He draws upon a wide variety of inspiration ranging from artists such as Jeff Buckley, Deftones, Kendrick Lamar, Sevendust, and NIN. This broad range of influence can be felt in the diverse music he showcases through Magic and other tracks on The Good Fight.

Magic starts with a high energy drum beat and bass riff that sounds like Interpol has finally decided to play at a faster tempo. This immediately drops into a minor chord led verse that lets out the angst Gabe is conveying through this track. The song breaks up its relentless rock groove with occasional patches of swelling brass, higher falsetto vocals and hip-hop influenced beats which foreshadow a rap feature from Dub Flow which takes the track down a Nu-Metal path with heavier chugging guitars going into a highly emotive guitar solo.

Magic is a creative masterpiece full of flawless moments joining diverse genres and styles seamlessly. 

3.3.3. Is definitely an artist we’re going to be keeping an eye on!
Find 3.3.3. (Gabe Stroup) on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Bandcamp.

Close your eyes and imagine you’re at a spacebar built on an asteroid. Grab your noise cancelling headphones, turn up the volume and brace yourself for the meteor shower that is Necrophage by Cosmic Carpool. The second track on their latest LP “Midnight Sun”, it’s an instrumental, intergalactic trip from start to finish.

It starts with a simple bass riff, and introduces a spacey shuffle on the kit. With each bar Necrophage builds energy, introducing alien synths and retro keyboard lines. Each note is a deliberate part of the immersive composition.

I don’t make a habit of listening to instrumental music–I generally find that lyrics are what really pulls me into a song. I’d make an exception for Cosmic Carpool, though. Their song flys you to another planet without any needs for words to fuel the imagery. I’m writing this from an aeroplane, but I can’t wait to download the rest of “Midnight Sun” once I’m reuinited with wifi.

Catch a flight to another dimension on Instagram, Facebook or their website.

Future Pixels is an undiscovered enigma from South Gate, CA. Named after a Gorillaz lyric, the mysterious and psychedelic artist reveals no more than those two facts about himself online. Despite a low digital profile, he has released three impressive and innovative singles to date.

His most recent track Keep on (Bumping) belongs on the soundtrack for 2014 indie film Frank. Future Pixel’s progressive use of instruments is indicative of talent and understanding in the field of arrangement. Funky bass, keys and psychedelic guitar weave their way in and out of the soundscape, mingling with charmingly nonchalant vocals.

The sound opens up for a feel good chorus and a catchy hook that’ll rattle round in your head for a week after you hear it. Despite having no idea what the hook means, it’s been stuck in my head for the last five days, and I’m not mad about it. Keep on (Bumping) is a bop you should definitely take with you on your next roadtrip.

The Future Pixels  project is “soon expanding to become much more than what it presents itself to be”. We’re utterly perplexed by this statement, and can’t wait to find out what that means. Scratch your head and wait with us on Spotify.

Ana Lete is a Boise based artist whose music has a dreamy, otherworldly quality to it. She experiments with clash harmonies and busy guitar parts to create a sound that is quite unique. Lete is known for her ability to connect with her audiences, and attendees often find themselves teary-eyed by the end of her shows. She released her debut EP in 2016, and is preparing to release full length album Eternal Hibernation in 2020.

Lete’s latest single Footsteps begins with an ostinato guitar riff, and introduces a shuffling rhythm on the kit a few bars in. Her nonchalant vocals muse that it’s hard to fight the constant cloud of negative inside. The clean electric vibes for the duration of the song, sending the listener into a meditative state. This allows them to join Lete in her thoughts— I’ve spent too many days locked inside my brain.

It’s exciting to see the bass playing such a star role in an indie folk piece. It seems to tell a story all on its own, shifting through unorthodox melodies and dropping out at key moments. Overall the production and instrumentation is creative, and intriguing. Lete is certainly an act worth keeping tabs on, and you can do so on Instagram or Facebook.