TOP INDIE SONGS - WEEK 12
by Jess Grant
3/16/20
Now that Coachella is canceled – along with basically every social event ever – I have one Louis Vuitton face mask for sale, if any of y'all hypebeasts happen to be interested??? Okay, but seriously...it totally *sucks* what's happening around the world at the moment – for indie musicians (Buy merch! Stream music! Support your faves!) and beyond. But at least we finally have an excuse to do nothing but stay home and VIBE, right? Quarantine and Chill playlists at the ready, then, as it's time to check out this week's edition of We Are: The Guard's Top Indie Songs, featuring NoMBe, Girlpool, Deb Never & Kenny Beats, and more...!
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NOMBE – HEELS
This...is...EVERYTHING!!! NoMBe has been quietly releasing some of the most forward-thinking grooves over the last three years or so, but something tells me the German artist is about to burst onto the mainstream in a *big* way with the joyous “Heels.” With funky Prince guitars pairing with NoMBe's authentic, raw soul, “Heels” is pure pop effervescence.
GIRLPOOL – LIKE I'M WINNING IT
HOT DAMN! Girlpool are cranking up the heat and then some on their latest single “Like I'm Winning It.” The follow-up to 2019's What Chaos Is Imaginary is a sweaty banger about lust and the power moves that so often define the early days of a relationship, with Harmony Tividad and Avery Tucker officially *bringing it* over the horny, pulsating grooves.
DEB NEVER & KENNY BEATS – STONE COLD
Just when I thought Deb Never couldn't get any cooler...! Following on from the release of “Same,” Deb returns today with a song inspired by Stone Cold Steve Austin. Listen as she aligns the beer-guzzling pro-wrestler with toxic masculinity on the cut, with Deb doubling down on her swaggering insouciance over a nonchalant bassline courtesy of Kenny Beats.
THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE – THE LAST GOODBYE
CALLING ALL GOTHS!!! The Birthday Massacre are here to satisfy your obsession for everything melancholy on “The Last Goodbye.” Featured on the forthcoming Diamonds, it's a dazzling piece of synth-pop that sounds like it belongs on Jack Skellington's Spiral Hill, with frontwoman Chibi painting a darkly poetic picture with her shimmering vocal hues.
COACH & REF – INFINITY
Sporting tournaments are canceled all over the world, but fear not, as Coach & Ref are here to give you your tennis fix with the video for “iNFiNiTY!” Directed by Danin Jacquay and starring Lola Blanc, the clip sees the duo bringing their quirky pop grooves to the center court, with Coach & Ref coming accompanied by the kookiest cheerleaders in town!
YVES TUMOR – KEROSENE!
Did someone say...MORE PRINCE VIBES? If NoMBe's “Heels” has got you in the mood for everything Purple One, then you need to hear Yves Tumor's “Kerosene!” It's very much a spiritual continuation of the groovy gospel originally laid down by His Royal Badness, with funky guitars enveloping Yves as he trades aching, longing vocals with Diana Gordon.
WESTERMAN – THINK I'LL STAY
HE'S DONE IT AGAIN!!! Just a couple of months on from releasing one of my favorite songs of 2020 so far, Westerman returns today with another delight in the form of “Think I'll Stay.” It's an essay on the British act's battle with chronic pain, with the cut developing into a life-affirming charmer that showcases Westerman's Brian Wilson-esque ear for melodies.
LIZA ANNE – DESIRE
“I think I've kissed too many of my friends/To make a sober decision.” Erm, best opening line ever, much??? Liza Anne details her struggles with chaos and a life of excess on “Desire” – a charming chugger about self-sabotaging behaviors and the art of resisting temptation that I dedicate to anyone trying to find their heads in these most manic of times.
GINGER ROOT – KARAOKE
Having won us over late last year with “B4,” purveyor of so-called “aggressive elevator-soul” Ginger Root is doing it all over again today with “Karaoke!” It hears the California artist taking his lo-fi grooves up a level, with Hot Chip-like stutters leading to a cathartic explosion of a chorus that *totally* lends itself to the activity after which the song is named!
DENM (FEAT. JARED WATSON) – CALIFAS
*BEEP!* *BEEP!* Banger coming through! It's no secret we're big fans of DENM here at We Are: The Guard, but the California act has officially outdone himself with “Califas.” The song hears Slum Beach Denny teaming up with Jared Watson for a high-octane heater like no other, with Jared's low-slung rapped verses giving way to a complete ripper of a chorus.
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Jess Grant is a frustrated writer hailing from London, England. When she isn't tasked with disentangling her thoughts from her brain and putting them on paper, Jess can generally be found listening to The Beatles, or cooking vegetarian food.