buzzkill • 2nd July 2021

REVIEW: “Too Many Times” from Salt Ashes brings pop-rock catharsis

Since 2013, Salt Ashes has been lurking in the shadows, waiting patiently to burst into the spotlight.

buzzkill • 23rd June 2021

REVIEW: Lizzie Loveless’s “Window” is romantic and unsettling

Good news for sad indie pop girls everywhere: Lizzie Loveless is here for you.

buzzkill • 10th June 2021

REVIEW: Caravella’s “Cigarettes in the Sunshine” kicks off your chill summer playlist

“Cigarettes in the Sunshine” is Caravella’s stab at the quintessential chill summer single. Woven around a gentler version of their signature groovy guitar sound, “Cigarettes” explores the friendship between the band and their previous drummer/producer.

buzzkill • 7th May 2021

REVIEW: Ella Rosa's cover of “Englishman in New York” is impressively elegant

If you’ve been looking for a jazzy cover of an 80s pop hit, look no further than Ella Rosa’s new version of Sting’s “Englishman in New York.”

buzzkill • 3rd May 2021

REVIEW: "Plebeian" by Treasure is a relaxing, contemplative experience

Treasure is both soulful and spacy, toeing a fine line between R&B, bedroom pop, and indie rock.

buzzkill • 22nd April 2021

REVIEW: London Grammar goes just a little bit baroque in "Californian Soil"

London Grammar’s third record, Californian Soil, kicks off with a cinematic high.

buzzkill • 31st March 2021

REVIEW: Foley’s 'Vacation' is fun, summer-y beginning to a promising career

Foley brands themselves as two best friends simply having a good time, but their new EP Vacation betrays this front more than they may have intended.

buzzkill • 15th March 2021

REVIEW: I Cannot Stop Listening to “Spinning” by No Rome, Charli XCX, and The 1975

I cannot stress enough that “Spinning” is my dream collaboration. The 1975 and Charli XCX are my favorite artists, full stop. If I had to guess, I probably listen to both at least five times per day. They’re the only artists that have topped my Spotify year end lists for the past six years.

buzzkill • 15th March 2021

REVIEW: A. G. Cook’s New Mixtape Dream Logic Features Some Solid Remixes and Serious Earworms

Thursday greeted us with the surprise unveiling of a new cover from PC Music founder A. G. Cook; a reworking of The Smashing Pumpkins’ “Today” in his signature glossy, brash hyperpop stylings. More exciting than this, though, was the coupled announcement of a surprise mixtape hitting Soundcloud the following day titled Dream Logic.

buzzkill • 1st March 2021

REVIEW: “Mercury” by Temples of Youth is a winter track to brood to

If you love dream pop, but have been looking for something a bit darker and grittier than the genre typically has to offer, Temples of Youth might be what you need. Carrying a subtle R.E.M. flavor with its jangly opening guitar line, “Mercury” starts off immediately catchy before diving into colder waters.

buzzkill • 22nd February 2021

REVIEW: "the way that it is." is Caravella's smoothest track yet

After my last review of Caravella for their single “internet bby,” I’ve gone back to the song on and off for a few weeks. It provides the kind of slick, easy listening that goes well with anything on your to-do list; cooking dinner, working from home, running an errand in your car. With this in mind, I was delighted to find that their next single “the way that it is.” is even smoother than what came before.

buzzkill • 19th February 2021

REVIEW: slowthai’s "TYRON" is the perfect follow-up to "Nothing Great About Britain"

It’s become a bit controversial to like slowthai - and he knows it.

buzzkill • 19th February 2021

REVIEW: Claud's "Super Monster" is the perfect record to cry to

The name Claud may not be familiar to you, but they’ve been hiding in the shadows for a while now, just waiting for the right moment to spring forward and break through to the indie pop world. As the first signee to Phoebe Bridgers’ new label Saddest Factory and a member of Clairo side-project Shelly, Claud has been floating around for a moment whether you realized it or not.

buzzkill • 11th February 2021

Remembering SOPHIE

I’m not sure how to start off a piece like this, but I’ll start with the obvious: SOPHIE changed everything.

Nixie • 27th January 2021

How I Discovered: Paramore

Paramore was one of those bands that hung around my peripheral musical vision for years, never really calling to me until the moment was right.

buzzkill • 25th January 2021

REVIEW: ELIO’s "Can You Hear Me Now?" Doesn’t Disappoint

ELIO first appeared on my radar as an inclusion on Charli XCX’s personally curated, frequently updated playlist “the motherfucking future,” where she had added “u and me, but mostly me,” one of ELIO’s first singles. Charli has since jumped onto ELIO’s team as a creative consultant; a big seal of approval for a new artist with well under 300,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

buzzkill • 22nd January 2021

REVIEW: “I Can’t Get Away,” the new single from konner, shows promise

There are hints of something great in “I Can’t Get Away,” the new single from 22-year-old Konner (normally stylized in all-lower-case, as is now customary for Gen Z indie pop artists). His chillest single yet, it rides on low-key verses that build into a lush, synth-backed chorus. On a positive note, it shows a Konner willing to move in and out of different pop sounds, migrating from the dance-y guitar pop of previous single “Your Place” to the more ambient tones present on this track.

buzzkill • 20th January 2021

REVIEW: “internet bby” by Caravella is smooth retro fun

If you go on Caravella’s Spotify page, you’ll see right away that they brand themselves as “indie/dream bedroom pop.” Being a relatively new band (only formed at the end of 2019), they still need to rely on these qualifiers to attract would-be listeners. That being said, it’s almost funny to see them labeled as such, given that the band advances past those categories so easily with their two streaming singles.

buzzkill • 16th December 2020

REVIEW: "Euphoric Sad Songs," the debut album from singer-songwriter RAYE

My introduction to RAYE was about as memorable as any burgeoning pop star could hope for. She featured on the opening track to Charli XCX’s underrated mixtape masterpiece Number 1 Angel in 2016. “Dreamer” is a standout song on a standout project in large part due to the sexy, confident vocals traded by Charli, RAYE, and rapper Starrah. Since then, RAYE has released a slew of singles and EPs, but no album. However, as of November 20th, that has changed.

buzzkill • 7th December 2020

REVIEW: LAUREL’s "Petrol Bloom" is a blur of neon bliss

Previously known as a bedroom-produced indie rocker, LAUREL has made quite the pivot with her new EP Petrol Bloom. Now that she’s been granted the resources provided by a successful first album, she’s put out a neon-tinged pop project that shows a whole new side to her persona.