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Our season premiere Under The Radar indie and underground showcase commences with Prince Paolo trapped in a can due to COVID protocols, but we make do with our main man on the phone and as always rock out the best the week had to offer.
"The Drop with Danno" on GFN 광주영어방송 98.7FM in Gwangju & 93.7FM in Yeosu, Korea. An eclectic radio curation of all things musical spanning the spectrum every week. Broadcasting 8-10pm KST nightly.
UTR 09.28.2021 QUARANTINE TINGS
PART 1 SONGS
St. Vincent – Los Ageless
Akurei – idk why the light’s on
JW Francis – Only With You
Cuco – Under The Sun
THE CLOCKWORKS – THROW IT ALL AWAY
Broken Baby – Die! Die! Die!
PART 1 FACTS
St. Vincent – Los Ageless
- Happy birthday to the one & only St. Vincent aka Annie Clark who turns 39 today!
- Her latest in Daddy’s Home might be album of the year, she was just in a new mockumentary movie called The Nowhere Inn, everything she does is electric.
- Plus, I just saw her performing at The Hollywood Bowl over the weekend, as always…completely murdering everyone watching.
- Happy birthday to Annie Clarke may there be many, many more.
akurei – idk why the light’s on
- This is the latest from akurei courtesy of Mammal Sounds down in Australia.
- 2021 is setting up to be a big year for the artist, as he founded his own record label with friend Maxwell Byrne and has set himself the ambitious goal of releasing a trio of three track EP’s. (just make it an album!)
JW Francis – Only With You
- The wandering bearded man of the Applachian Mountains is out with this as of a couple of weeks ago, the latest single to his album.
- WANDERKID drops via Sunday Best Recordings this Friday, so do check.
- I wonder if he’s gonna head back to NYC or stay out in the countryside.
Cuco – Under The Sun
- This track dropped just over a week ago & arrives with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.
- “Under the Sun” is described a shape-shifting odyssey that fuses the Latin, psych and hip-hop influences that Cuco has showcased over the course of his career, though it is notably the first track where he has explored cumbia specifically.
THE CLOCKWORKS – THROW IT ALL AWAY
- The boys from the west of Ireland have been absolutely killing it since we had them on the show in January as guest artist selectors.
- We’re talking multiple features on different iterations of the BBC, major media & shows in their home country, AND they just rocked Riot Fest in Chicago the weekend before last as they embark on a US minitour. Amazing.
- This tune appears courtesy of Moon Man Music down in Australia, so big up to Bek on that one.
Broken Baby – Die! Die! Die!
- Our guest artist selectors for this week are Amber Bollinger & Alex Diezen.
- They are just out with their 2nd album Late Stage Optimism as of last Friday, which has a less bass & kick-oriented sound than previous and sounds more like Television and The Runaways had an illegitimate kid that just got discovered wandering the streets of LA & dumpster diving.
PART 2 SONGS
Sunshine Boysclub - Right Out The Window
Body Sync - Suenos Bravos (ft Daniela Andrade)
Golden Vessel & rei so la - Jersey City
Arnie Wrong - Oh My God
Slim & The Beast - Solution
Haley Johnsen - Goner
PART 2 FACTS
Sunshine Boysclub - Right Out The Window
- Sunshine Boysclub is the solo project of LA-based Sam Martin, best known for being the singer and songwriter indie-pop veterans Youngblood Hawke.
- “Right Out the Window” is his latest single taken from his recently released self-produced solo debut album “Hut on the Hill”.
- The title of the album is inspired by the literal hut on the hill near his house. It was abandoned and he cleaned it up and renovated, and it became his little studio where he created the album.
Body Sync - Suenos Bravos (ft Daniela Andrade)
- I was really happy to discover this song during my weekly search of cool indie tunes.
- Bodysync is the joint project of producers Ryan Hemsworth and Giraffage. Props to them for making such a strong electronic track.
- What really made me smile though was to see and hear Daniela Andrade on the vocals for this tune. She is a Canadian-Honduran singer that we’ve played on the show before. Her solo work always has a Latin vibe to it and it was really cool to see her branch out into the electronic world. I definitely want to hear more of this kind of stuff, I think this new direction sounds great!
Golden Vessel & rei so la - Jersey City
- Glad to have Golden Vessel back on the show. He teams up with fellow Aussie artist Rei So La for this new track and it is their debut release via bitbird.
- The two artists said that this track was written almost two years ago, before the pandemic, while the two were in Jersey City. They made the track but it didn’t really sound like a strictly Golden Vessel or Rei So La record so it kind of just sat there in the background until bitbird picked it up and decided to throw it on one of their compilations.
- In my humble opinon I think bitbird is quite a big deal so I guess delaying the release of this track ended up being a good thing.
Arnie Wrong - Oh My God
- Arnie Wrong is a Poland-born, now London-based songstress. She just released her new EP, Strange Love. The EP is out now so, go and check that out.
- Musically, I like this new single a lot. It’s a blend of trip hop, darkwave, and modern R&B. The quite heavy handed, and I’d say a bit crunchy, but in a very good way.
- Conceptually, the song is about falling head over heels in love with a complete stranger. It reminds me how I felt when I first met my wife. Shouts out to wifey.
Slim & The Beast – Solution
- Slim & The Beast are an indie pop trio with some really nice vocals. Their harmonies and blends are really on point in their new track.
- The trio is comprised of three singer/songwriters. Two of them are actually twin brothers Aaron and Samuel, and Aurelien rounds out the bunch.
- “Solution” is the final single from their soon to be released new EP. The EP is supposed to be out before the month is through but I haven’t seen any official dates set. Delayed or not, you definitely want to keep your eyes open for it. I think it’ll be really good.
Haley Johnsen – Goner
- Haley Johnsen is an artist from Portland, Oregon.
- She says that she wrote this song in a bathtub in a trailer in the middle of an existential crisis.
- At the time, she was about to turn 32 and she was feeling melancholic about the effect the pandemic had on her career.
- She was sure that 2020 was going to be a breakout year for her career but alas, she had to put all her plans on hold. She did use the time though to work on some new material so I guess there was some progress in that respect.
- Anyway, I thought the “sunny but sad” vibe to this song was a nice way to end off quarter two of tonight’s show.
PART 3 SONGS
Ada Lea - cant stop me from dying
Eugenia Post Meridiem – Willpower
AKA Lui - Good Company
She & Him - Holiday
Jess Chalker - Stupid Trick
CATBEAR - In The Night
PART 3 FACTS
Ada Lea – can't stop me from dying
- Ada Lea is the moniker of Montreal based artist Alexandra Levy. Just last week, she released an amazingly titled new album. The album is called “One Hand on the Steering Wheel, The Other Sewing a Garden”.
- The album is about growing up in the city of Montreal. It’s a mix of her own personal stories as well as some fictional stories as well but you probably won’t be able to tell what’s real and what’s not.
- “Can’t Stop Me From Dying” is the lead single and it is a dark and brooding track, which is exactly why I like it so much.
Eugenia Post Meridiem – Willpower
- Eugenia Post Meridiem is a quartet from Italy. The band formed in 2017. They released their debut album, “In Her Bones” about two years ago and now they are here with a new track.
- This track instantly caught my ear. It’s got an old school psychedelic vibe mixed in with a bit of trip-hop flavor.
- The vocals and instrumentation are great. I’m really looking forward to more releases; I think the band has a very interesting sound.
AKA Lui - Good Company
- AKA Lui is an artist from Australia and he is signed to Maison Kitsune.
- For this new track, he enlisted the help of Lazywax on the production end of things. AKA Lui says that now that he is working with Lazywax, he feels that his music is more in line with what he was always aiming in terms of music.
- He humbly states that the music is way better than he could have done by himself. He and Lazywax are currently working on AKA Lui’s debut EP, which is scheduled for release sometime next year.
She & Him – Holiday
- I might be breaking the rules a bit with this one as it is not really an indie tune. I just got back from a wonderful holiday so I was just really feeling this one when I heard it.
- The track is a cover of Madonna’s classic, “Holiday”.
- She & Him is a duo comprised of Zoe Deschanel, aka TV’s New Girl, and Monster’s of Folk;s M. Ward. The pair have announced that they will release a 10th anniversary edition of their festive album, ‘A Very She & Him Christmas” on November 12th via Merge.
Jess Chalker - Stupid Trick
- Jess Chalker is gearing up to release her debut full-length album next week on November 5th. The album is entitled “Hemispheres”.
- She is an Aussie artist who is currently based in London.
- She says that the song is about young love and the innocence of youth, right before you start to learn what love is really all about. It’s a solidly composed track and another great offering ahead of her highly anticipated debut album release.
CATBEAR - In The Night
- CATBEAR! The most terrifying or cutest moniker, depending on how you look at it, I guess.
- Anyway, CATBEAR is a duo from London. The duo is comprised of Zoe, who handles vocals, guitars, synths, and production, and Sarah, who also does vocals as well as the drums of the operation.
- The two specialize in nostalgic electronic alt pop. If this kind of thing is your jam, definitely check out their previous works. The duo definitely have a well-defined sound.
PART 4 SONGS
Freedom Fry - Be Your Man
Margot Polo - Can You Hear Me
SOFY - Strawberry Milkshake
Cindy Zhang - Plastic Love
Fuzzy Sun - Morning Light
Jess Jocelyn - Something Good
PART 4 FACTS
Freedom Fry - Be Your Man
- Our favorite French American duo from LA is back with a new track.
- Another great tune from the pair. This new one is very catchy, upbeat, and has got a really fun vibe to it.
- The track is about waking up and feeling good because you’ve got a crush on someone. Nothing too complicated in terms of concept, but musically, Freedom Fry continue to impress with great instrumentation and super-strong composition. They just make great tracks, what else is there to say?
Margot Polo - Can You Hear Me
- Margot Polo is the moniker of David Provenzano and he is an indie electro-pop artist from California. “Can You Hear Me?” is his very latest and it is his first release made entirely by himself.
- From the writing to the production and mixing, he did it all from his home studio during quarantine.
- Like many others, he had trouble with the quarantine times. Unlike others, he didn’t use the time to take up yoga or learn to make sourdough bread but instead he used the time to improve his music skills.
SOFY - Strawberry Milkshake
- SOFY is a new indie pop artist from London. “Strawberry Milkshake” is SOFY’s debut single and it is getting a lot of attention.
- The song is about following your gut and not overthinking things when it comes to relationships. She uses the metaphor of strawberry milkshakes and French fries.
- Some might turn their noses and scoff at the idea, but SOFY, I’m with you on this one, milkshakes and French fries just feels right and it’s best to not overthink it.
Cindy Zhang - Plastic Love
- We played that “Holiday” cover in part 3 and we have one more cover in the final stanza of the show. This time it is a cover of Japanese artist Mariya Takeuchi’s 1984 classic, “Plastic Love”.
- The cover is by San Francisco-based singer, Cindy Zhang. The original tune was more disco and R&B, while this cover leans more into the downtempo and bossa nova genres.
- Anyway, I think it is really smooth and easy on the ears. Most of the song is sung in Japanese, although there’s some English in the outro of the song. I can’t understand Japanese at all, but I can say that this song just sounds oh so good to my ears. Lovely tune!
Fuzzy Sun - Morning Light
- Fuzzy Sun is a four-piece indie band from Manchester. “Morning Light” is their very latest and it is taken from their forthcoming new EP, ‘Since the Dog Died”, which will drop in a couple of weeks.
- Band front man, Kyle Ross, says that this song is about feeling lost and at the same time losing part of yourself as you try to navigate yourself through this maze, we call life.
- This band has already gotten attention from industry gatekeepers in England and abroad. They are definitely a band to keep an eye on for sure.
Jess Jocelyn - Something Good
- Jess Jocelyn is the moniker of Jess Nyanda Moyle. She was born in Hong Kong to Filipino and Australian parents and raised in Northern Perth. Just recently, she was signed to Blue Grey Pink, so congrats Jess on that.
- “Something Good” is her follow up single to her debut, which was a track called “Another Little Thing to Hold”.
- That track, as well as this new one are great examples of super catchy folk-pop-rock songs. I can totally picture a crowd rocking out and singing along to this one at a festival or something like that.