little chief

When an indie artist decides to take on a song as famous as Marvin Gaye’s 1971 classic, the risk of falling flat is huge. Most covers end up sounding like cheap karaoke or try way too hard to re-invent the wheel. Cheryl Craigie dodges both traps on her latest release by stripping things back and …

London duo Ghost of Panama dropped their incredible debut album back in April, and it hasn’t really left my queue since it landed on my radar last week. Keith Welham and Cristabel Liu have this cool, late-80s post-punk energy going on, but the production feels firmly planted in the present day. What got me hooked …

If you miss the messy, fun energy of 2010s internet pop, Robbie Z’s four-track EP hits the exact right spot. Dropped right on his 24th birthday, this record takes heavy inspiration from early Tumblr culture and classic iPhone-era pop icons. He takes those bright synth sounds and updates them nicely for a fresh release in …

Kully Bath has a way of locking you straight into a mood. Her newest track, “It’s Time to Confess”, hits with an honest weight that sticks around long after the last note fades away. It is the third single off her upcoming Echoes EP, and it stands out as some of her best songwriting yet. …

New Jersey rocker Tony Lio brings a heavy alternative rock kick to his single “Imperfect”. Right from those opening chords, a real grit drives the track forward with a personality that feels refreshing on the indie scene. Lio linked back up with guitarist Zack Miranowic, who delivers a soaring guitar solo that gives the song …

Sam Palladio is back with a fresh single called “Burberry Jacket,” and it hits a cool, dark groove right away. Anchored around London’s historic Fleet Street with a subtle nod to Sweeney Todd, the track crafts an eerie, mysterious mood that instantly grabs your attention, and the rhythm section drives the whole thing forward with …

I put on “You Deserve Better Than Me” earlier, and it ended up sticking with me. Reetoxa is the project of Melbourne artist Jason McKee, and this track drops the heavy production to focus on a single awkward moment. “You Deserve Better Than Me” is my favorite of this week. The backstory is pretty relatable. …

Noella Rain has a really quiet way of getting your attention, and her single “The Tide” proves it. Recorded at Blue House Productions alongside producer Jeff Gruber, the track lands in a sweet spot where simple piano lines do all the heavy lifting. The song came together on a Steinway piano during studio downtime, and …

Kiey’s new single “phan thiet” landed on my radar last week, and it has been playing on loop ever since. The Ho Chi Minh City artist usually drops English tracks , so picking a simple Vietnamese name for this release felt like a refreshing shift. The track blends airy dream pop melodies with a smooth …

Cooper Mae has a knack for turning annoying dating situations into songs you want to play in your car with the windows rolled down. Her track “terms & conditions” hits a great sweet spot of witty pop lyrics and a clean rhythm that stays stuck in your head all afternoon. The chorus landed right away …

When a local album re-appears after years, I’m often skeptical. I’m glad I listened to Elysian Fields’ 1995 release, ‘Definition’, because it’s a solid collection of indie pop-rock. If you enjoy finding forgotten bands from the era, this is a fun listen. What is impressive is Kerri Murray’s powerful, expressive vocals, which hold the whole …

“Down The West Coast” is the kind of track that hits right when you need a summer breather. Olivier Cornu, the Lausanne-based mind behind Moon Construction Kit , really hit the sweet spot here. It feels like taking a calm, sunny drive along the ocean with the windows rolled all the way down. The song …

Prem Byrne’s new single hit my headphones this week, and it’s been stuck on repeat ever since. The track dives into that awkward wall you hit after the initial spark of a relationship fades and rather than blame the other person, Byrne turns the mirror on himself. He looks back at a past relationship to …

Tom Emlyn has delivered something genuinely refreshing with his sixth album, Passing Craze, out on Dirty Carrot Records. The Swansea singer-songwriter started these tracks as part of a university project with producer Evan Collett, and you can really feel that relaxed, hands-on energy across every song. The whole record has a warm, tactile charm that …

Moon and Aries drop another track that hits the spot, and “High Noon” shows off what makes this transatlantic project work so well. Jordana Moon sits in Canada while Tom Aries works out of Germany, yet their music feels as tightly knitted as two people sharing a studio desk. The arrangement sets up an easygoing …

A track landed on my radar last week by an artist named 4fro Nick, and it has been stuck in my head ever since. The track is called “Don’t Waste My Time (LA mix)”, and it hits with a level of raw, clear energy that feels really fresh right now. The groove blends classic indie …

I went in expecting a typical bedroom-studio rap single and ended up running it back twice before I even got to the write-up, Ray Gibbz did everything himself on this one, wrote it, produced it, built the beat, and you can hear that control in how tight the whole track sits. The song is about …

Okay, this one snuck up on me. “Personal Martyr” starts so quiet I almost skipped past it on my playlist, then that chorus comes in and I had to stop what I was doing. There’s a trance-y pulse running through the whole thing, but it’s got real strings and percussion under it too, so it …