Whatever brought you to this Indie Dojo was truly meant to be. Just hit play and you will see. K, maybe we’ll just skip the poetry and stick to what we do best. Finding all the good indie jams and putting them together into a lovely little playlist just for you, boo.
Music Ninja Radio is a weekly podcast recorded and broadcast live on San Francisco’s BFF.fm from 4-6PM PST every Friday.
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With the sun coming out in SF (and then quickly receding), this episode featured a mix of sunny, psychedelic indie rock, funky R&B, lyrical hip-hop and groovy house gems. Key releases from this show include Crumb’s ‘Jinx,’ ALASKALASKA’s ‘The Dots,’ and GoldLink’s ‘Diaspora.’ I also shout out BFF.fm’s Summer Sustainer fundraiser which just kicked off. Learn more and contribute to community radio here.
Back in February, I had the pleasure of bringing you a first listen to Thin Lear’s “Guesthouse.” Just a few months later, I’m back with another premiere from this endearing, up-and-coming, Queens-based artist.
A softer, more subtle offering than what we heard previously, “Your Family” is an openhearted take set to soft, acoustic fingerpicking and layers of strings and piano. It’s authentic, speaking clearly from an organic, soulful, and emotive space. When asked about the meaning behind it, Thin Lear had this to say:
The only way they eventually broke out of it was when they started to remember the foundational love their partner had given them. When they stopped thinking about the loss, and started thinking about what they had received and imparted in return, I could sense that person returning home again. Unfortunately, there’s this self-defeating mechanism in our brains that makes us think we deserve our grief. I watched this person climb out of that, and it was such a hard-earned victory.
We’ve now been introduced to a few tracks off of his upcoming debut album, Wooden Cave, which isn’t quite scheduled yet, but should be coming out at the end of summer. Until then, make sure to follow Thin Lear on Facebook, Spotify, and Twitter.
Apollo LTD are going to have a big summer. With a new album dropping today (Out of Body) and a tour alongside The New Respects going on right now until the end of the month, this Nashville indie pop duo is on the up and up. Their latest single “Misfits” is a summer soaked anthem that feels like a ray of sunshine. The song features Jordan Phillips’ and Adam Stark’s retro-smooth production, with electronic synths and falsetto vocals all coming together for a incredibly unforgettable hook. In the past their sound has been more pop leaning but this one is tons of fun thanks to it’s funky backbone. Vibe out to “Misfits” by Apollo LTD and add it to all those summertime playlists, you won’t regret it! Be sure to give the full LP a listen as well via this link.
The dog days of Summer are just around the corner, which brings with it a host of certifiably sunny synth and dance tunes for our sonic consumption… for better or for worse. And while the songs themselves are always aplenty this time of year, sorting through every impending Summer’s slew of quality entries can be another feat entirely. But when that consummate symbiosis of timing, production and feel coalesce so harmoniously through one song; it makes these endless hours of perusing absolutely worth it.
Enter Denver based dream-pop duo xOxford (pronounced “oxford”) and their syrupy-sweet yet deeply emotive debut single “Be Yours”. “Be Yours” rides a sticky topline synth, soulfully booming reverberations ensconced in delay, and an infectiously soothing analog bassline that has this one ear-worming its way through our house monitors like few before it.
After years toiling as solo artists, the pair -comprised of singer/songwriter Rhema Srihartiti who as as a vocalist has lent her voice to blog hits from the likes of Tim Legend & option4, and prolific Denver producer & DJ Eric Lake- seem to have finally landed on a project which provides the breathing room to truly express their artistic range and tastes. “I feel like coming from dance music, a lot of times we can take ourselves too seriously, xOxford is a really fun project. We take it seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously. Music can be super-powerful and super-political, but sometimes it’s important to just have fun and have songs to relate to and sing to.” From a couple that cites influences as obvious as New Order and LCD Soundsystem, to contemporary influences including Provoker, Black Marble and Eli Escobar; these are exciting words to a music writer’s ears.
xOxford will be polishing up more singles, and a planned EP as we head into the Summer, with their debut live show set for Denver’s Underground Music Showcase. Until then, stream “Be Yours” above and be on the lookout for plenty more from xOxford in the coming months.
