Tag Archives: alternative

LISTEN: f1oater. Laments Ignoring the Red Flags on ‘Don’t Know Why’

Ever regret ignoring the red flags, even though they were there the entire time?

f1oater. explores that regret — and the associated feeling of frustration — on “Don’t Know Why,” a fire-powered pop punk single dedicated to those times when we’ve known better from the start (and then did it anyway).

“‘Don’t Know Why’ is the epitome of hindsight is 20/20, (and) being caught in the moment is a wonderful thing until you ignore warning signs flashing in your face,” said f1oater. frontwoman Laura Short. “It’s the expression of frustration of not listening to your inner intuition.”

If you’re looking for more, you won’t have to wait too long. “Don’t Know Why” is the first single from the band’s forthcoming album — and serves as the tip of a rather compelling iceberg.

“This single marks the beginning of the story we’re about to take you on,” Short said. “A tale of reaching towards the light and all that you encounter along the dark road of reawakening.”

Songs You Should Hear: What’s Happening from Coast to Coast?

This week, we’ve been hyper-focused on our homecoming to Bethlehem, PA, which TAKES PLACE TONIGHT AT STEELSTACKS!

OK, we’re just a little excited. Can you blame us?

Nonetheless, there’s still an entire musical world outside of our hometown at our fingertips, and we want to be sure we remain tapped in to all that is happening elsewhere. Fortunately, we did just re-launch a music blog, and the indie musicians of Earth have responded by giving us plenty of choice cuts to sink our teeth into.

Here are just a few of those selections. It’s time to HEAR WHAT YOU SHOULD!

Artist: Jon Worthy
Song: Things Are Looking Up
Genre: Alt-Pop
Why You Should Hear It: At first blush, it sounds like Worthy is flexing his pop muscles on “Things Are Looking Up.” Keep listening, however, and you’ll behold an artist painting from a multicolored palette. Cosmic keys and a steady-marching vocal cadence give this single the alternative edge you may expect from the likes of MGMT and Grouplove, while funk-infused guitars weave around a pulsing backbeat to give the listener a reason to dance.

As for the message? Worthy had this to say: “It’s a tough atmosphere to be an artist today, with constantly being able to compare yourself against other artists on social media. While it’s a good thing to measure yourself and what you’re doing compared to other people, it can be extremely overwhelming to see people potentially doing better than you, and doing things you wish you were doing. ,Things Are Looking Up, is about trying to cut off that negative energy and look on the bright side; dropping the bad emotions for positivity and reflecting on a difficult journey, but remaining hopeful for the future.

Artist: The MOTOR CONTROL
Song: Get Down!
Genre: Indie Rock
Why You Should Hear It: Have you ever wanted someone you can’t have? The Motor Control’s Eric Deneen has, and here, he captures the hopeless optimism of a man aiming to please the apathetic object of his affection.

Sonically, “Get Down” delivers a strong hook; Deneen’s vocals pack a reverb-kissed punch on top of an infectious groove that captivates from the opening bell. All in all, it’s a fun modern rock offering!

Artist: Ren Richards
Song: Myself With You
Genre: Indie Rock/Alternative
Why You Should Hear It: Built on a foundation of turn-of-the-Milliennium alternative sensibility, and made all the more enchanting with clever dashes of indie pop and Americana influence throughout, “Myself With You” appeals to listeners across a variety of tastes — and to anybody who finds themselves learning to love again.

Got something you think we should hear? What are you waiting for?! Shoot it our way, and you could be featured in an upcoming edition of Songs You Should Hear!

UMC20: Stacked with Fresh Tracks (July 18, 2023)

Apologies for the unexpected gap between UMC20 playlists last week. Ya boy has been on a retreat of sorts, shoring up a few things and gearing us up for the second half of 2023 and beyond.

All that means is that there was more to choose from for this week’s edition of UMC20! So, we’ve put together a quality compilation of some of the jams that have been making their way into our world of late.

Listen to UMC20

UMC20: The Best of May 2023

Hold it right there!

Did you know that you can support Underground Music Collective, any time of year? By making a tax-deductible donation to UMC via The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, you ensure that we can keep sharing songs and stories from independent creatives everywhere, for years to come. Click here to get started!

Anyway, onto the UMC20 Best of May…

Hear the Best of May

UMC20: It’s a Wild One! (May 9, 2023)

This week’s UMC20 playlist will take you through some unexpected turns!

The genres are plentiful. You want hip hop and R&B? There’s a big block of it, right at the beginning. Want experimental electronica? We got you, fam. Want hard rock and metalcore? You’ll find it within these 20 tracks!

Oh, and because we missed last week — sorry, we were busy launching an agency — we included not one, but two episodes of The Quinn Spinn as bonus tracks at the end!

Listen to UMC20

LISTEN: Greg in Good Company Makes Us Feel at ‘HOME’

Artwork: Lee Schneiderman

For years, we’ve had the opportunity to appreciate the work of Greg in Good Company, fronted by Los Angeles-based troubadour Greg Gilman.

They’re back for 2023 with “HOME,” a rollicking new single that explores mental illness from varying perspectives.

Hear the Single

PHOTOS: Joywave at The Basement East

For the past decade-plus, Joywave has been leaving a mark on the alternative rock world. Formed in Rochester, NY in 2010, the band broke through by featuring on Big Data’s 2014 hit, “Dangerous,” before releasing their full length debut, How Do You Feel Now?, the following year.

Fast forward to the present-day, and the band brought its Express Wash tour to The Basement East on Saturday night. The result was high-powered, visually engaging set that showcased the band’s versatility and love of sonic exploration.

See the photos

Songs You Should Hear: Lots of Soul and Self-Discovery

Hold it right there!

Did you know that you can support Underground Music Collective, any time of year? By making a tax-deductible donation to UMC via The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, you ensure that we can keep sharing songs and stories from independent creatives everywhere, for years to come. Click here to get started!

Anyway, onto this week’s Songs You Should Hear…

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