6. Zo – Never Meant
After a two year hiatus, Zo are back with a powerful indie rock tune. Backed with a heavy riff and vocals that are sung with immense fervour and controlled intonations, it’s a display of former NBC’s The Voice contestant Gina Zo’s talent. The band behind her are no slouch either, crafting an incredibly energetic and emotive soundscape to set the stage for Gina to showcase her wide vocal range with an a clear and soulful joy behind the performance.
Zo made their comeback to the stage just yesterday in Ardmore. With their latest addition ‘Never Meant’, it’s abundantly clear that Zo is making a strong foothold in the indie rock space, with tracks that deliver on vocal excellence as much as they do in guitar driven melodies.
5. Stellar – Daredevil
Stellar originally hails from Boston, Massachusetts, but moved to Los Angles early 2021. During the
Pandemic of 2020 Stellar established himself as an artist to watch out for with the release of his breakout
Pop single ‘Ashes’, which went viral on TikTok amassing over 1.7 millions videos created to the sound. Capturing on that virality, Stellar’s latest tracks follow a similar style of electropop and dance.
He’s got a massive following, an audience that’s captivated by the addictive melodies and infectious hooks he so effortlessly seems to spin up. On ‘Daredevil’, he leans into his style even more, exploring a dance anthem that sounds nostalgic to anyone who grew up on the dance music of the early 2010s. Perhaps Stellar’s popularity is a consequence of us being locked in, with his poppy and pulsating form of electro pop harkens to a time and moment where you can let yourself go and enjoy. His talent is undeniable, it’s only a matter of time till he’s able to break even further into the mainstream to dominate contemporary pop.
4. Old Man Soul Club – Around Our Table
If I had to find a single that could be almost entirely and accurately be described by just ‘wholesome’, “Around Our Table” fits that bill perfectly. Following up the successful release of album “Modern. Jimmy” and single release “Keeper Of Yesterday” which gained acclaim, airplay and plaudits, Old Man Soul Club’s latest release returns with an equally endearing and roots based folksy acoustic music.
It’s a much more minimal song, one that forgoes any semblance of the standard production style that prioritises a certain opulence in folk. Instead, Around Our Table sounds like what the name itself indicates — a homely and endearing track that’s bound to leave you just a little bit more cheery by its end. If you enjoy folk music that is grounded and honest, earnest and simple; Old Man Soul Club’s work is right up your alley.
3. Saint Djuni – All Of My Friends
‘All Of My Friends’ is unabashedly happy, the kind of tune that’s loaded with joy, enthusiasm, and a carefree energy that gets you in the best of moods. “Let it be your summer love song or the anthem to you and your friends. This tune definitely will give you the right mood to start any endeavour.” The Indie pop anthem progresses wonderfully, with a verse that gets you in the mood for a chorus that has you screaming from the top of your lungs. The dutch indie pop outfit are just a joy to listen to, filled with gleeful energy that has you dancing along.
Saint Djuni is the new music group created as a positive outlet by Clifford Goilo (Bakermat, Jeremy Renner & Bone Thugs N Harmony) & Rasmus Viberg (Lucas & Steve, Next To Neon, MOMENT). With a wealth of sadness and negativity surroud us in our day to day lives, artists like Saint Djuni exude a joy and enthusiasm that lets you feel a whole lot better about the mundane. Appreciate your friendships, and cherish your experiences.
2. AJ LA JOYA – Hallucinate
Another eclectic genre defying tune that anchors itself in electronic, AJA LA JOYA’s latest “Hallucinate” is a nigh psychedelic journey that is haunting and trance inducing. Drawing inspiration from a range of artists like Kendrick Lamar to Tracy Chapman, and Doja Cat to Stevie Wonder, AJ La Joya does what feels right for him – no matter the genre. He forges his own path based on the myriad of influences he grew up, a long and winding road that takes him down unique lanes that each have their own specialty.
“Hallucinate” is a much more sensuous dance focused piece. While it combines elements of rap and pop, at its core it is a synth dominant track that is meant to be blasted on the dance floor. You would want to hear this in a club, three shots down, and in the dimmest of lights.
1. BAYWUD – Silver & Gold
BAYWUD’s style is that of an old soul, bringing to the fore a summery rock feel that’s reminiscent of the timeless classics that originated in the 1970s. His latest track ‘Silver & Gold’, which features a harmonica section that really had me harken back to the music I grew up on, combines both the old with the new. BAYWUD’s voice and delivery is much more in line with the modern rock and country artists. But his instrumentation and song structure does feel almost heart-warmingly from a different era.
The song is about embracing yourself for who you are, in all your flaws and oddities as one. It’s about accepting all of our unique differences and ignoring or saying no to the hate that may come our way. In a sense, its modernity perhaps comes from its topicality, as the song was inspired by bullying BAYWUD saw on social media.
Just his third of five singles this year, BAYWUD’s work is a welcome addition to any fan of classic rock music. Go check it out now!