Fantasy

Whethan

Fed up with artists who only have one sound and every song kinda feels all too similar? Us too. For some healthy variety, look no further than Whethan’s massive 15-track album, Fantasy. Just check out the impressive list of collaborators on this project … from STRFKR to RL Grime, The Wombats to Oliver Tree … each of these artists have incredible works of their own (we’ve featured many on Album Daily in the past!) but to have them all together on one album is nothing short of incredible. While it certainly is difficult to pinpoint a genre on this bad boy, Whethan is starting to key-in on a style of electronic produced music that highlights sounds from across the musical landscape most DJs and producers tend to avoid. It certainly has a fun pop feel, solid electronic production, and some notable indie + rock collaborators, so just for kicks I like to call it “IndiEDM.”

Bonus Content: At just 22 years old, this Chicago native has already become a recognizable name in electronic community and is only becoming more popular. Check out this article where Whethan breaks downs each track on the album and includes some awesome lyric videos and visualizers.

Introducing...

Aaron Frazer

Call it the happiest, go-lucky blues album you'll ever hear. Produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, Aaron Frazier's debut single album Introducing... transports you to a 1950's drive-in before McDonald's were on every street corner. Sway to Frazier's timeless, classic sound and enjoy this sweet sweet soul music. Pairs well with Remember The Titans and a full heart.

Who is Aaron Frazier? How do you get a solo album produced by Dan Auerbach? Frazier got his initial fame as the co-lead vocalist and drummer of Durand Jones & The Indications. If you enjoy this album, you should take a chance to go check out American Love Call and boogie the night away.

Dad's Old Tapes

North Downs

How about a quick little EP for the longest day of the week? Hopefully the North Downs can help you get through this huuuuuump day with their chill and relaxing electronic folky style indie-rock. It's difficult to tell exactly how these tracks were put together. There are distinct electronic elements as well as acoustic tones. What is clear, however, is that these 4 short songs are a melting pot of musical goodness. Check out this album if you're looking to put a little hip sway into those summertime burgers that are on the grill. It just so happens that the EP is the perfect listening length for cooking a burger medium rare. (Please do not take my cooking advice… but if you do… give me a bite.)

Who are the North Downs? Well, frankly, I have no idea. This is one elusive band! The most insight we could track down is from their Bandcamp page. It seems as though there may be some crossover with the electronic duo Maribou State. It's so cool to see a group take such a private approach to their music making. I've always thought that doing something (business, art, music, etc.) in an anonymous state and having it get recognition is the highest form of praise. Let the output speak for itself if you believe in it! Plus, people just love a little air of mystery.

For Abby

JAWNY

In many ways, “For Abby” is a classic album about the highs of love and the lows of heartbreak. The nostalgia hits hard from the start as JAWNY opens with a recording of him preaching “Baby I found my dad’s tape deck, I’m doing this the old fashion way … I made you a little mixtape. I’m not even a bad guy, I made you pasta one time!” ... and proceeds to beg his lost lover to call him back. Still, the first half of the project feels cheerful with JAWNY’s bedroom indie-pop style on full display and his hope of love, still very much alive. In contrast, the second half is more introspective, with more lo-fi vibes and stinging heartbreak metaphors. Overall, For Abby is packed with infectious indie-rock anthems sure to have you rocking out and reminiscing at the same time. 

Bonus Content: One of the wonderful things about this internet is just how quickly you can become famous, and for us music-lovers, it allows “relatively” unknown artists like JAWNY to get their big break. This time it was TikTok that blew up his most famous song “HoneyPie,” which has now been used in over 60,000 videos on the app and has been streamed over 130 million times on Spotify. This led to a huge deal with Interscope Records and even caught the attention of Doja Cat - the two even dated for a while but broke up during the pandemic. Read more about his viral rise to fame above!

Broken Bells

Broken Bells

There's something about a perfectly put together electronic indie rock style track that just makes it have mass appeal. Now, I'm not saying that this type of music is for everyone… but there's a good chance that if you like any one of those individual genres, you'll find something to appreciate and enjoy in an album made by the likes of Broken Bells. When you can have a talented guitarist strut their stuff on one track and a world-class producer let loose with their newly discovered synth on another track… what's not to love? That's exactly what you get on Broken Bells' debut album. It's just good music. Genre aside… it just sounds really good from cover to cover. Recognizable and clear lyrics overtop of pleasant melodies.

Bonus content: We've got a little carryover from last week's newsletter! Last week we featured the Danger Mouse album Lux Prima. Does anyone have any guesses who makes up 50% of Broken Bells? That's right, Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse. The Shins' guitarist James Mercer makes up the other 50% of the group. The two met at a music festival in Denmark and discovered that they were fans of each other's work and then a few years later… we got this album! Man, I wish I could meet those types of people at music festivals.

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