BEST INDIE SONGS – WEEK 23

6/7/16

With the festival season in full swing, it feels like everyone who's anyone is releasing music at the moment. You think that'd make my job a lot easier, but you'd be wrong. Choosing 10 songs out of say, 1000 songs is no mean feat, but that's exactly what we pride ourselves on here at BitCandy – bringing you the best of the best. Of course I'm biased, but I'm not sure there's another music blog out there that can really say that. On that note, here are the Best Indie Songs of Week 32 from BØRNS, Ruby Empress, Albin Lee Meldau, Adam Jensen, Dropout and more.

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BØRNS – IT'S YOU (ZAYN COVER)

BØRNS has previously covered The Weeknd's “I Can't Feel My Face” and Lesley Gore's “It's My Party,” but the Michigan crooner and Taylor Swift favorite has outdone himself with this version of ZAYN's “iT's YoU.” Filmed in a stunning castle in France, the piano-driven chamber pop rendition of the Mind Of Mine cut is truly majestic, coming over more like an original than a cover. Not to mention that Gucci jacket is giving me life.

 

MODERN PLEASURE – YOUTH

Leeds five-piece Modern Pleasure purvey infectious, sun-kissed indie pop. Their debut single “Messina” has already clocked up over 18,000 plays on SoundCloud, and today, Scott Johnson, Giuseppe De Luca and company are back with “Youth.” It's a delightful thing, with tropical, reverb-drenched guitar licks and lyrics about taking “a drive down to the sea,” and very much makes me feel like a road trip is in order this summer. Who's in?!

 

RUBY EMPRESS – DELUCA

Introducing Ruby Empress, a four-piece from Gothenburg who get their groove on for their debut single “Deluca.” Released on Yunizon Records, the song is a carefree, easy-going slice of psychedelic pop that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Tame Impala's Currents. “'Deluca' was meant to be about a relationship,” says frontman Tom Serner. “In hindsight, it turned out as a song about struggling with the Scandinavian weather.”

 

ALBIN LEE MELDAU – LET ME GO

Last month, Gothenburg singer-songwriter Albin Lee Meldau gave us Lovers EP, one of the most impressive debuts of the year so far. For those of you who're yet to listen to the four-song collection, then prepare to be overwhelmed by opener “Let Me Go.” A pounding piano-based ballad with rousing, soulful vocals to match (think Paolo Nutini meets Antony Hegarty meets Nick Drake), this song is sure to leave you longing to hear more from Albin.

 

BILLIE MARTEN – MILK & HONEY

In April, Billie Marten unveiled “Milk & Honey,” an exquisitely tender, delicate folk ballad about greed, and today, she returns with the video. Directed by Rob Brandon and shot on 16mm, the whimsical visual sees the 17-year-old embracing everything Japanese, from meeting a samurai to practising martial arts, in a picturesque, blossom-filled botanical garden. “A little light heartedness in the whole scheme of things really,” says Marten.

 

ADAM JENSEN – RITUAL

Adam Jensen channels the pain of his traumatic past into the latest single to be unveiled from his upcoming debut EP. The Boston native, who used to make money collecting for a bookie and selling weed, pairs electronic and soul influences on “Ritual,” a bumper that manages to sound uplifting and anthemic despite the subject matter. “If I could cut these ties/Leave all these sins behind me/I'd be a better man,” sings Adam. “I need a new ritual!”

 

DROPOUT – MY MUSE

Since Dropout, erm, dropped their debut single “Slowly” this time last year, the duo have been unstoppable, garnering millions of plays on SoundCloud and support from the likes of Oliver Heldens, The Magician and Pete Tong. That success looks set to continue this summer with the release of “My Muse.” A future bass banger that builds to a headbanging drop, something tells me that this is going to feature in a lot of DJ sets this festival season.

 

LIV DAWSON – TAPESTRY

Liv Dawson may only be 17 years of age, but the Surrey chanteuse sounds like a music veteran on her debut single “Tapestry.” Bringing together R&B, soul and gospel influences, the teenager gives off some serious Beyoncé vibes on the piano-driven ballad, described by Liv as being about “that person in your life that makes a huge difference.” “As soon as I wrote it I fell in love,” adds Liv. “It was the sound and feel I'd been looking for in my music.”

 

TERROR JR – TRIPPIN (CURATOR BECA ARREDONDO)

Terror Jr, a self-described “project from the guys who created Kiiara (Felix Snow and David aka Campa) and a girl named Lisa,” got off to an enviable start in March when their debut single “3 Strikes” was chosen to soundtrack Kylie Jenner's lip gloss commercial. Three months on, and the trio are back this June with “Trippin.” A sparkling trap gem packed full of drink and drug euphemisms, expect this to be all over party mixtapes this summer.

 

SEVDALIZA – THE FORMULA

Sevdaliza has long been a visual artist, but the alluring Iranian singer-songwriter goes a step further today with the release of a 15-minute short film “The Formula.” Starring, co-directed and co-produced by Sevdaliza, the gripping, surreal and nightmarish visual “examines themes of death, love and happiness,” with three original songs, “The Formula,” “The Language Of Limbo” and “Mad Woman,” appearing throughout. Lemonade who?!

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Until next Monday, why not check out our Indie Pop, Chill and EDM tabs for more music? x

Photo” by Léa Dubedout is licensed under CC0 1.0 (cropped and resized).

About Jess Grant

When Jess Grant isn't writing on music, she can be found playing it – on her guitar, on her ukulele, and on her recently acquired mandolin. Playing it hideously, she ought to add. Jess also studies. She studies the English language, to be precise. Jess is currently on her way to a degree in the subject, and enjoys starting and never finishing novels, screenplays, and poetry in her spare time. She also likes dogs. Lots of dogs.