Underground Sounds with Chad Miller: October 2024
By Chad Miller - Summit FM Music Director
What's everyone been listening to out there? So much new music coming at us, so little time... However, these songs that might fly under the radar to most are what I've been diggin' these past few weeks!
Like what you hear? Please email me at chad@thesummit.fm and let me know what you think!
Blondshell "What's Fair"
Performing under the name Blondshell, independent musician Sabrina Teitelbaum has already been making waves in the world of indie music with the release of her self titled debut album a year ago in addition to her single "Docket" featuring Bully; a killer song that arrived earlier this spring. Something new from her now comes our way with this song that further establishes her as one of the great indie rock musicians today. She's certainly one of those artists who effortlessly pairs up heavy yet clever lyrical themes against catchy, jagged guitar alt-rock sounds that evoke '90s favorites like Liz Phair and others with ease. This song expertly delivers on that combination in the context of complex mother/daughter relationships and how to sort all that out. Hard topics can be uncomfortable, but they also can make for very interesting songwriting that looks inward at the same time. Be on the lookout for more from Blondshell as she plans to release her soon-to-be-finished second album next year via Partisan Records.
Bon Iver "S P E Y S I D E"
This project of Justin Vernon burst onto the scene memorably back in early 2008 with a debut album recorded in a remote hunting cabin in Eau Claire, Wisconsin while in complete isolation following a bad break up during the dead of winter all while amid a blizzard. The resulting work was a spare and beautiful folk music masterpiece of an album and a beloved critical favorite. Vernon expanded and built upon the sounds of that first album by growing more experimental with his sound at times while still being grounded and centered in an acoustic aesthetic to varying degrees. This new song though, from Bon Iver from the just released"Sable" EP out now on Jagjaguwar Records seemingly points to a back to basics return to those early days and sounds of the Bon Iver project which is quite intriguing. It's a song that almost comes off as an apology to loved ones he'd hurt in the past, but maybe that seems to be what's needed for this artist to move forward into a new creative chapter.
Bug Club "Lonsdale Slipons"
Fun, irreverent, and effortlessly silly songs are always the ones that put a smile on our collective faces, right? This one from Welsh upstart post-punk band Bug Club is all of that and then some -- evoking the loose and sharp humor found in songs from other similar recent newcomer bands like Wet Leg and Yard Act. But a song about a comfortable pair of fashionable shoes?! It's perfect and will guarantee to get a chuckle out of you as their effervescent charm grabs hold of you and won't let go. These are real shoes, too! A leader in British sportswear since 1960, these kinds of comfy footwear inspired this young band to goof off while being up to no good. Imagine if Tiny Tim were fronting The Buzzcocks. That's what you're getting here, with all kinds of songs on this album filled with cheeky one-liners and pop culture references that evoke punk rock charm. Their debut album, "On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System," is available now on Sub Pop Records and is well worth checking out.
Deep Sea Diver "Billboard Heart"
Quickly becoming a favorite song of mine ever since it dropped a month ago, Seattle-based band Deep Sea Diver returns with this very dynamic new track fresh off being signed to Sub Pop Records and boy does it ever hit hard. Stunning vocals and driving guitar rock are the highlight of this new one from the band led by lead singer Jessica Dobson, who puts forth the notion of "welcoming the future by letting go of it." Now, that is how you work through your demons! The band initially got some exposure while opening for Wilco back in the fall of 2019 as a truly independent and unsigned artist, and I caught them live in November of that year in Pittsburgh on that tour. Earlier this summer, they even got to open for Pearl Jam on the West Coast leg of their tour, offering them up to even larger audiences. Safe to say, I'm pretty excited for what's to come from their new album, which is planned to arrive early next year. I love this song!
Franz Ferdinand "Audacious"
One of the leaders in the resurgence of alternative rock in the mid-2000s, notably with their hit song "Take Me Out", it's almost hard to believe that this energetic Scottish band has been around for just over twenty years now! After releasing a greatest hits album two years ago, the band returns with a new song in advance of what will be their sixth album"The Human Fear" available January 10 on Domino Records. This song is very much in line with what we've come to expect from Franz Ferdinand. The usual sexy and suave dancefloor vibes are here in an over-the-top way; only they know how to provide us with this reliably enjoyable sound. Seeing these guys in a live setting is about the most fun you can have in going to a concert, and with this new album release in early 2025, let's just hope they give us that opportunity with tour dates in our area to catch them performing in their element!
The Dare "All Night"
There's so much going on in this song, you'd think this kind of slick-sounding electro-pop would be coming from a whole bunch of musicians, but no... The Dare is the brainchild and solo project of Los Angeles-born, and now Brookyln-based singer, musician, DJ, and producer Harrison Patrick Smith, who has almost singlehandedly brought quite a jolt to the music industry with his sound. Invoking nostalgia for electro-sounding club-ready music from the likes of New York City legends LCD Soundsystem and UK greats The Rapture, all of these sounds brought forth by The Dare have sort ofrevived that early 2010s "indie-sleaze" sound and look with his debut album "What's Wrong with New York?" available now on Republic Records. Quickly climbing the Billboard charts with this debut LP, this song leads the charge -- it's a full-fledged party, and you're most certainly invited! It's exactly what his recent sold-out tour dates instantly turned into each night, building all sorts of organic ground-level buzz along the way. The hype is real with this one, and the bottom line? It's just a super fun song to get caught up in!