holaOLA: 2016

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Just Rolled In: D.D Dumbo - "Walrus" and "Satan" [experimental pop / psychedelic / folk]

Oliver Hugh Perry, the Australian multi-instrumentalist behind D.D Dumbo, and what may be this year's most inventive and infectious music, is nothing short of a musical genius. He made his mark back in 2013 with some standout solo performances and a subsequent 2014 self-recorded eponymous EP, creating his own bizarre sonic world by mixing psychedelia, pop, and folk with the aid of a microphone, 12-string guitar, two drums, and a floor full of effects pedals.

This year he released what immediately became my favorite song of the year, "Satan"—a chaotic groove that chugs along at a menacing pace and, compared to his debut EP, really ups the ante in terms of instrument/effects experimentation and vocal force. And if "Satan" wasn't enough to secure D.D Dumbo's upcoming Utopia Defeated LP as my most anticipated album of the year, Perry releases another catchy single, "Walrus", employing the same dynamic vocal range, frenetic fret work, and innovative approach to percussion and looping as its predecessor. I can't wait to see what other gems the upcoming full-length holds.

D.D Dumbo's Utopia Defeated hits shelves October 7 on 4AD. Grab a copy here. Check out the two singles below, as well as the excellent music video for "Satan".

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Just Rolled In: Vesuvio Solo - "Don't Leave Me In The Dark" [soft rock / psychedelic / indie pop]

Montreal-based band Vesuvio Solo are following up their excellent 2014 debut, Favors, with the promising Don't Leave Me In The Dark LP on September 28 via Banko Gotiti. A few months back we got the first taste of the new album in the form of the sexy R&B synth jam "Mirror Held To The Flower", and now Vesuvio Solo have released the groovy title track, a psychedelic soft rock song that brings to mind artists like Ariel Pink, Ducktails, and Mac DeMarco.

Check out the two songs below and grab a copy of Don't Leave Me In The Dark here.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Just Rolled In: Local Natives - "Coins" [indie rock]

"Coins" is the latest cut from Local Natives' highly anticipated third album Sunlit Youth, hitting stores September 9 via Loma Vista Recordings. What starts out as a subtle bluesy track quickly unfolds into a lustrous, impassioned affair, replete with airy synths and velvety vocal harmonies, fitting in nicely alongside the arsenal of strong singles recently released in support of the new album.

Listen to all four singles below and preorder Sunlit Youth here.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Just Rolled In: Young Dreams - "Of The City" [psychedelic / orchestral pop / electronic / tropicalia]

Bergen, Norway's Young Dreams has just released new material for the first time since their excellent 2012 debut album Between Places in the form of the fully imagined psych-pop single "Of The City". With production chops recalling the sleek expansiveness of Tame Impala's Currents, this upbeat single stays true to the psychedelic leanings of their debut and sports one hell of a string arrangement and bongo-heavy percussion section.

As the story goes, Young Dreams began work on their sophomore effort immediately after releasing their debut, but after three years of work on this "requiem for God", it was scrapped because the producer/composer/singer-songwriter behind it all, Matias Tellez, feared the album was "blasphemous and too conceptual" for anyone to like. However, the new track "Of The City" is actually a reincarnation of one of the songs from that discarded album, and boy, are we lucky that it made it to see the light of day! It just makes me wonder what the rest of that album would've sounded like. Nevertheless, Young Dreams has finished a different album that will be released in 2017, and if this song is any evidence, it's going to be amazing.

"Of The City" sees an official release August 26 via Blanca Records but can be streamed now on SoundCloud.

Monday, July 18, 2016

Exclusive Premiere: Mother Meadow - "Pull Me Through" [indie folk / singer-songwriter]

I’m excited to introduce everyone to a very talented singer/songwriter, Mother Meadow, who was so kind as to choose holaOLA to exclusively debut her first single, “Pull Me Through”, which you can check out below in the form of a self-produced video, featuring first-hand road trip and hiking footage shot along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. The song is the first single off her debut Shorebirds EP, which was recorded last fall at The Glow Recording Studio in Athens, GA and will be available August 26.

The young woman behind Mother Meadow is Bradenton, Florida’s Sadie Frederick, who lists Alela Diane, Feist, Railroad Earth, JJ Grey & Mofro, Donna the Buffalo, and The Lemonheads as main influences. When asked about the meaning behind 'Mother Meadow', Frederick explained that it “came from observations of nature during a cross-country road trip last summer” and that “the beauty of wildflowers in meadows, as well as learning to take care of [herself] and be more ‘motherly’” naturally inspired her to embrace 'Mother Meadow' as her moniker.

That very same love and and appreciation for life and nature shines through on Mother Meadow’s debut single “Pull Me Through” and its accompanying video. Frederick’s saccharine vocals and reflective lyrics paired with the strummy guitars, wistful strings, and sunny keys of “Pull Me Through” help to establish Mother Meadow as a rejuvenating folk artist with the gift of capturing the beauty of life in her songwriting.

After listening to “Pull Me Through” below, do yourself a favor and head on over to Mother Meadow’s SoundCloud page to check out two more great songs off the Shorebirds EP. Make sure to follow her on Facebook too so you can get your hands on a copy of her EP in August and maybe catch a performance near you!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

holaTUBE: Brian Cook - "Playground Love" (Air cover) [indie folk / singer-songwriter / acoustic]

San Diego-via-Colorado singer-songwriter Brian Cook, who also records music as beardream, leads us slowly into the sunset in beautiful Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California with his dreamy, acoustic cover of Air's "Playground Love", which was co-written and sung by Thomas Mars (aka Gordon Tracks) of the French indie rock band Phoenix. Check out the video above, which was produced by holaOLA's Sean Lewis.

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Artist Making Waves: Whitney - "No Woman", "Golden Days", and "No Matter Where We Go" [indie rock / alt-country / soul]

About a year and a half ago, Chicago indie rock band Smith Westerns announced their breakup after penning three solid albums together. Since then, the band's frontman Cullen Omori has released a solo record on Sub Pop while guitarist Max Kakacek and drummer Julien Ehrlich (ex-Unknown Mortal Orchestra) have gone on to form the band Whitney, subsequently signing with Secretly Canadian.

Ehrlich and Kakacek share songwriting duties in Whitney, crafting warm, melancholic songs layered with jangly acoustic guitar, Kakacek's signature twangy guitar leads, triumphant horn sections, and topped with Ehrlich's soulful, unassuming falsetto. They recorded with a full band in California with Foxygen's Jonathan Rado, which makes sense seeing as both band's songs sound like they could have come from the late 60s.

Whitney will be on tour for the next couple months in support of their debut album Light Upon The Lake. Go out and catch a show and pick up a copy of their record when it hits shelves June 3rd. Check out the first two singles from the album that have been bringing Whitney lots of positive attention, "No Woman" and "Golden Days", plus their first demo, "No Matter Where We Go".

Monday, March 7, 2016

Swell Album: Mothers - When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired [indie rock / folk / experimental]

Mothers is an indie band from Athens, Georgia with one hell of a debut album and an unforgettable live performance to back it up. When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired came out a couple weeks ago and is currently my favorite release of 2016. Singer/guitarist Kristine Leschper's gorgeously fragile voice bears a striking resemblance to that of fellow indie folkstress Angel Olsen (whose last album wound up at #2 of our best of 2014 list), but Mothers makes a name for themselves by experimenting with richer instrumentation and more complex compositions.

What begins as a simple folk song with acoustic guitar and piano, the beautiful album opener "Too Small for Eyes" really takes off when it welcomes a sweeping string orchestra into the mix about halfway through. Mothers flips the script on the next couple of songs, "It Hurts Until It Doesn't" and "Copper Mines", introducing the listener to the more rock-driven sound that they do so well, with busy intertwining guitars and powerful percussion. Not unlike other bands drawing from multiple genres, on the rest of When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired Mothers balances these two different styles song to song before leading us to the epic 7-minute rollercoaster of a closer, "Hold Your Own Hand", which alternates between uptempo with downtempo, catapulting you into space one moment while channeling veteran post-rockers Explosions in the Sky, then abruptly cutting the power to let you slowly drift away with Leschper's voice as your only beacon. Instead of letting you coast to a smooth stop, Mothers caps their debut with a bang to remember, one final shot for the stars.

Stream When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired below and get your hands on a copy of the album here.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Just Rolled In: Idiot Glee - "Baby (I Could Be Your Bone)", "I Don't Feel Right", and "Evergreen Psycho" [psychedelic / synthpop / experimental]

Lexington, Kentucky's experimental pop artist James Friley has been making music under the name Idiot Glee since 2009. His newest release, a self-titled full-length out on the label he co-founded, Hop Hop Records, and produced by the composer of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, hit shelves a few weeks ago and he's currently on tour with his band to support it.

I had the pleasure of seeing them play at a DIY venue called The Smell in Los Angeles last weekend. Unfortunately, my prior knowledge of Friley's music was limited to his 2011 debut Paddywhack (a unique lo-fi pop album rightfully characterized as post-doo-wop), but seeing him perform live nearly five years after that release gave me a quick lesson on how his progression as an artist has taken his music in a new direction, a direction away from doo-wop and lo-fi and more toward 70s synthpop and psychedelia.

Idiot Glee's sound may be hard to put a finger on, seeing as there's nothing really out there right now that compares (maybe Islands or Adult Jazz?), but it's easy to say that his soulful croon, hypnotizing vocal harmonies, and dextrous piano and synth playing are the defining elements of his music. On Idiot Glee, Friley's influences (namely Brian Eno, John Cale, and Scott Walker) are evident and there's a noticeable improvement in production, which gives the record more of a full band sound than his previous releases. Needless to say, it's a fantastic album.

My top three picks from the album are "Baby (I Could Be Your Bone)", "I Don't Feel Right", and "Evergreen Pyscho". Stream them below to get a better idea of what Idiot Glee is all about and catch them on tour in a city near you! Stream and purchase the album here. It plays great on vinyl!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

holaOLA's 60 Favorite Albums of 2015 Spotify Playlist

Sunday, January 10, 2016

holaOLA's 60 Favorite Albums of 2015

The latter half of 2015 was very hectic for me, a time filled with cross-country and transatlantic relocating, working 72-hour weeks, spending months without WiFi, and my personal favorite, job hunting. Unfortunately, this resulted in less music discovery and fewer blog posts. But seeing as it's a new year, I like to tell myself that most of that is behind me and that 2016 will bring a little more stability in my life, and thus, more activity here on holaOLA Indie Music Blog.

Whatever the case may be, 2015 was a great year for music (much like 2014 and 2013) and compiling a list of my favorite albums is always the best way for me to recall all the music and artists that had a considerable impact on my life throughout the year. It's also not a bad way to introduce some great music to you all that you may have otherwise missed out on. On this end-of-the-year list, you will not find the "best" albums of the year, but rather a list of records that I personally fell in love with and couldn't stop listening to.

You can access holaOLA's 60 Favorite Albums of 2015 list by scrolling down or navigating the links below, but if you're in a hurry or have a limited internet connection, click here for the simple-and-to-the-point artwork-and-music-free list. Also be sure to check out holaOLA's Spotify playlist featuring music from the albums that made the cut.

Thanks a million for visiting holaOLA Indie Music Blog and please follow me on Facebook to be notified of future posts! May 2016 be a great year for music and for you!

-Sean

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