Category: Indie Pop

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Plain Mister Smith Teams Up with Tyson Motsenbocker on Lush, Painterly “Lucian & Francis”

Vancouver-based Mark Jowett, the mastermind behind Plain Mister Smith is a Canadian indie scene veteran who has had stints in Moev and Cinderpop, as well as a stint playing cello with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra. 

With Plain Mister Smith, the enigmatic Canadian artist draws influence from an eclectic range of artists including The Beatles, Bryce Dessner, Matt Maltese, Led Zeppelin, The Zombies and 20th-century classical composers like Prokofiev, who subtly influences his string-driven arrangements. The result is a sound that seamlessly blends elements of indie pop, baroque folk and psychedelia. 

The Vancouver-based artist’s new album is slated for release this month and will feature the previously released Forever So-era Husky-like “Dream To Be Free” feat. Jordan Klassen and its latest single “Lucian & Francis.” Released late last month, “Lucian & Francis” feat. Tyson Motsenbocker continues a run of lush and dream-like indie folk.

Inspired by the works of painters Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon, who frequently depicted raw, realistic portrayals of the human body, “Lucian and Francis” is fittingly, a rather painterly track with each sonic layer adding texture, shading and depth to the piece, much like how the painters, who inspired the song would do with color. Interestingly, the lush new single also manages to evoke the colors of early spring after the bleakness of a long winter.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Rising Aussie Artist Tullara Shares a Lush, Feminist Anthem

Tullara is a Ramornie, Australia-born, Grafton, Australia-based indie pop and folk/roots rocker, whose 2017 debut EP, Better Hold On went on to win a Best EP Award at the 2017 Australian Roots Music Awards. Since then, the rising Aussie artist, who proudly adheres to a DIY ethos, which includes being self-managed, has amassed over 1,700,000 streams on Spotify.

She has opened for acclaimed and beloved Aussie acts like Xavier Rudd, The Waifs, Ocean Alley, Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey, Cold Chisel‘s Ian Moss, INXS‘ Andrew Farriss, The Dreggs, Jeff Lang, Troy Cassar-Daley and a lengthy list of others. She has also opened for international acts like Donavon Frankenreiter, Wallis Bird, The East Pointers and a list of others during their respective Australian tours. And adding to a growing profile, the rising Aussie artist has made a run of the global festival circuit, playing sets at Woodford Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, Goolaholla Festival, Artswell Festival, Robson Valley Music Festival, Cur LeCheile Festival, Umefolk, Floating Castle Festival and a growing list of others.

Building upon a growing national and international profile, Tullara will be releasing her highly anticipated full-length debut, Rebound this year. Recorded and produced in Vancouver, Rebound reportedly showcases a bold, genre-defying evolution of her sound that embraces modern pop and rock, while blending her introspective lyricism with catchy melodies and cutting, world-class, modern production.

Released earlier this year, the forthcoming album’s first single “I Don’t Believe in Giving Up” features looping, reverb-soaked electric banjo paired with lush electronics serving as a supple bed for the Aussie artist’s expressive delivery singing lyrics about self-value and self-determination. Drawing from Celtic folk and contemporary pop, the new single sonically brings rootsier Dido to mind while being a feminist anthem.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Pom Femme Shares Breezy and Effortlessly Cool “Sunny SIde Up”

Swedish duo Pom Femme is a collaborative project featuring two highly accomplished musicians and producers:

  • As a producer, Michelle Amkoff has worked with a lengthy list of Swedish artists. She also spent several years as a studio engineer for producer Patrik Berger.

  • Phillipa Magnusson is a singer/songwriter and creative mastermind behind the solo recording project Bluephox.

The origins of the duo’s newest project can be traced to their meeting through Magnusson’s work with Bluephox. This quickly developed into Pom Femme, which is rooted in their commonly shared musical influences and interests.

According to the duo, as being a bit of “vintage pop with a French touch.” They add, “It was as if together, we wanted to make music Levi’s 501s — the core that has held genres together for decades and can be styled with everything.”

The Swedish duo released their debut EP Telenovela last year. Building upon growing momentum surrounding the pair, the follow up to their debut EP “Sunny Side Up” is a self assured and breezy tune that seemingly draws from yé-yé, 60s British Invasion rock and late 1960s psychedelia while showcasing some remarkably effortless and catchy hooks. The result is a song that’s insouciantly decadent and timelessly cool.

The duo explain that the song is about choosing simplicity over complication, something they can believe can be extremely difficult in the never-ending stream of choices we’re presented with every day. “Would you like milk, A2 milk, hemp milk or half-and-half in your coffee,” the duo say. “A short-haired economist or a long-haired culture worker in the dating app? ‘Sunny Side Up’ is a tribute to the opposite: can’t we just have a bit of fun without unnecessary hassle and live life in its simplest, most banal form?” 

The duo’s full-length debut is slated for a September 2026 release.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Plain Mister Smith Teams Up with Jordan Klassen on Lush and Shimmering “Dream To Be Free”

Vancouver-based Mark Jowett, the mastermind behind Plain Mister Smith is a Canadian indie scene veteran who has had stints in Moev and Cinderpop, as well as a stint playing cello with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra.

With Plain Mister Smith, the enigmatic Canadian artist draws influence from an eclectic range of artists including The Beatles, Bryce Dessner, Matt Maltese, Led Zeppelin, The Zombies and 20th-century classical composers like Prokofiev, who subtly influences his string-driven arrangements. The result is a sound that seamlessly blends elements of indie pop, baroque folk and psychedelia.

The Vancouver-based artist’s new album is slated for an April release. “Dream To Be Free” feat. Jordan Klassen is a lush, gorgeous tune featuring twinkling keys, strummed guitar and the pair’s remarkably sonorous harmonies. While sonically reminding me a bit of Forever So-era Husky, the track as the Canadian artist explains is a reflection on a trip to Kyoto that took place during Daimonji, a festival where locals light giant bonfires to guide spirits back home.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Michael Berman Shares Giorgio Moroder-like “A Masquerade Called Life”

Michael Berman is a Moscow-born, Israeli-based poet, novelist, songwriter and musician. Berman’s creative career began in earnest back in 1998 when he started to get stories, poems and plays in his native Russian published in different newspapers, literary and humor magazines, as well as humor sites.

Between 2005 and 2006, Berman published two books Masquerade of Missing Jokes and a collection of poems, Poems on the Wall — both in his native Russian.

By 2010, Berman had shifted to music and over the course of the next two years, he wrote and recoded somewhere been 25-30 albums across different genres and styles, including instrumentals. electronic music and experiential music.

In 2020, Berman published two collections of English language stories Sad Eyes and Drunk Happiness, a collection of plays 8 plays and a collection of obscene poetry, which he has dubbed literary punk.

By 2023, Berman returned to music, this time dabbling in jazz, bossa nova and electronica.

The Russian-Israeli artist’s latest single “Masquerade Called Life” is a sleek, slickly produced, seamless synthesis of Europop, Quiet Storm R&B and sophisitipop that showcases Berman’s ability to craft an incredible catchy hook paired with a sultry female vocal. Dueling boy-girl vocals appear for the song’s hook. Channeling Giorgio Moroder, “Masquerade Called Life,” Berman’s new single strikes a balance between slick production and thoughtful craftsmanship, club friendliness and grown and sexy lounge friendliness.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Silverdeer Shares Lush and Yearning “Open Mouth”

Los Angeles-based duo Silverdeer — longtime friends Halsey Bousquet (vocals) and Nika Fazeli — have been centered by a long-held warm, flirty and playful kinetic energy that they first established with their first project saturn 17.

Formed back in 2019, saturn 17 quickly gained attention with their breakout single “could this be love,” which amassed over 10 million streams. But by 2024, the duo found themselves facing unexacting challenges. Bouts of writer’s block and an overwhelming urge to explore new sounds and genres led to a creative hiatus.

Both Fazeli and Bosquet recognized that they were undergoing a personal and artistic metamorphosis that ultimately required a new name for their project that matched it. Over the past couple of years as Silverdeer, the duo have established a sound that melds the spirit of 90s alternative rock with lush, dream pop textures.

The duo’s latest effort, the Casey Lagos-produced House of Devotion is slated for a March 20, 2026 release. The forthcoming EP will feature the previously released “Montauk” and “Drift.”

“Meeting Casey was like finding the missing puzzle piece,” the Los Angeles duo say. “We had been trying for so long to explain our vision to people, and it was so refreshing to find someone who immediately understood it and had the tools and the creativity to push us where we wanted to go. He is such a supportive and sweet person too, we feel so safe being vulnerable and creative with him.” 

“House of Devotion is inspired by the beach house in Eternal Sunshine — a place meant to feel safe and intimate, but one that starts collapsing the moment you step inside,” the duo explain. “It’s built from memories, desire, and the fragile structures two people create together, and it begins to fall apart under the emotional weight of devotion.” And fittingly, the EP’s material explores themes of love, connection, nostalgia and longing. “House of Devotion invites you to reflect on connection — how we relate to people who have entered and exited our lives.”

The EP’s third and latest single, “Open Mouth” is a dreamy mix of dream pop, shoegaze and trip hop, anchored around the duo’s penchant for remarkably catchy, razor sharp hooks — and a palpable sense of yearning and barely controlled desire that feels youthful and explosive.

“‘Open Mouth’ is our most addicting song on the EP,” the duo shares. “It exists as a celebration of sexuality, a snapshot of desire and almost-caught moments.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Ruthven Shares Dance floor Friendly “Kiss Goodnight”

Throughout his nearly decade-long career, South London-based producer, singer/songwriter and musician Sean Nelson, best known as Ruthven, emerged in 2017 as a co-founding member of The Paul Institute with A.K.Paul and Jai Paul, while Nelson was simultaneously as a firefighter with the London Fire Brigade.

Between emergency calls and equipment checks, the South London-based artist meticulously shaped the songs that would eventually comprise last year’s Rough & Ready, which was released to widespread praise across the UK and elsewhere. The response to the album lead to collaborations and opening slots with Sampha, Berwyn and Overmono, helping to further cement Nelson’s growing reputation as one of the UK’s most compelling, emerging voices.

Ruthven closes out 2025 with the recently released Precognition EP, an exploratory three-track EP that marks the beginning of a bold new chapter for the South London-based artist. Where Rough & Ready introduced an artist with a meticulous production style and a fiercely individual voice, Precognition EP captures Nelson writing much more instinctively, leaning deeply into the warmth and dynamism of live instrumentation, inspired by his recent live shows. “This small body of work feels like a good segue into the next era for me” Ruthven says. “I’m using a lot more live instrumentation and programming a little bit less.  Playing more guitar, more acoustic drums – all of which have formed a new sound for me. The fundamental DNA of my music is there, but there’s a new evolution. This is the first of it.” 

The EP sees Nelson moving freely between funk, disco and classic songwriting. And as you’ll hear on the hook-driven, disco funk-tinged “Kiss Goodnight,” Nelson has an unerring knack for crafting a catchy, dance floor friendly groove anchored around glistening synth arpeggios and a supple bass line paired with Nelson’s effortless yet heartfelt croon. If you’re a fellow old, this one will likely bring memories of Prince, Morris Day and The Time, Cherrelle and several others.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Saint Avangeline’s Lovingly Cinematic and Ethereal Cover of Madonna’s “Frozen”

Saint Avangeline is a rising Atlanta-based artist, who over the course of two albums and a collection of singles has crafted a body of work that’s deeply rooted in her personal journey with mental health struggles, domestic and growing up queer in the South, while offering an unabashedly honest exploration of inner turmoil, rage, hope and resilience.  “Most songs are like a diary for me,” the Atlanta-based artist explains. “Exploring my mental health struggles. Trauma, intense feelings. Like sucking the poison out.”

Over the course of the past few years, she has amassed a rabid fan base, while amassing almost 80 million streams on Spotify, 2.3 million monthly Spotify listeners and almost 5.5 billion streams on TikTok. 

Earlier this year, the rising Atlanta-based artist shared “Limerence,” a slow-burning track that seemingly nodded at a cinematic, fever-dream-like take on Stevie Nicks and Kate Bush.

Saint Avangeline closes out 2025 with a meditative, ethereal and lovingly faithful take on Madonna‘s 1998’s hit “Frozen,” which also serves a reminder of how spellbinding and remarkably cinematic the original song is. The Saint Avangeline “Frozen” cover is accompanied by a cinematic visual, shot in the Mojave Desert, much like the original, that lovingly draws from and nods at the original.

“A classic from a legend! I think this is one of Madonna’s most gorgeous pieces, and I wanted to pay tribute to her and her monumental impact on the music industry,” Saint Avangeline says. “She has influenced so many artists of this generation, including myself. I had no idea that she would revisit this album only a few weeks after I recorded this! We shot the video in May 2025 in the Mojave Desert in the same location Madonna shot her original music video back in 1998!”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: RXRXBBIT Shares Sultry “Sunk Cost”

RXRXBBIT is a mysterious and emerging singer/songwriter, producer and pop artist, who has been rather prolific over the past 18 month or so, releasing a handful of attention grabbing singles.

The emerging artist’s latest single “Sunk Cost” is a swaggering and sultry, dance floor bop anchored around a thumping, hyper pop-meets-alt pop production while featuring an unabashedly unhinged, unafraid and brutally honest narrator, who overshares yet makes it flirty and feminist.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Les Arca Shares Yearning “Passenger”

Les Arca is a Saudi-born producer, singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, who creates music with a global, cinematic lens. He describes his sound as blending alternative pop with atmospheric textures, while drawing inspiration from nostalgia, longing and internal conflict to shape someting that’s emotional, deeply visual and feels universal.

The Saudi-based artist’s debut single “Passenger” is a widescreen, nostalgia-inducing track featuring glistening and dreamy synths, swirling shoegazer-like textures serving as lush bed for Les Arca’s yearning, achingly sensitive delivery while showcasing his ability to craft enormous, rousingly anthemic hooks and choruses. “Passenger” evokes a sense of motion, the sort of restless, heartbroken and drifting energy of driving or riding through a city at night with your own thoughts, and no obvious destination.