Good indie music in Asia✨
Where Does “Thee” Come From? — The Journey of One Word Connecting Surabaya, Tokyo, and East Los Angeles For many Japanese listeners, “Thee” immediately brings to mind THEE MICHELLE GUN ELEPHANT. That band dominated Japan’s rock scene in the 1990s, and their name carried the word “Thee” — but where did it actually come from? […]
After years of writing about music, you develop an instinct. Tap play, wait a few seconds, and you know whether an album is merely good or whether it promises something genuinely rare. Of course, that instinct can be wrong in either direction. But with Gia Margaret’s new album 『Singing』, the verdict arrived the moment 「Everyone […]
A band from Brooklyn, New York has arrived with a strange and beautiful gift: music that makes you want to dance and cry at the same time. Nation of Language is a three-piece built around synthesizers, but carrying the raw warmth of punk and the clarity of pop. Since their 2020 debut, they have earned […]
Maria BC is an American singer-songwriter known for her delicate folk sound. Her third studio album 『Marathon』is her second release on Sacred Bones, an ambitious work built around the theme of “resistance and endurance.” The guitar Maria BC plays throughout this album moves between freshness and ethereal mystery, showing a remarkably wide range of expression. […]
DARKSIDE was formed in 2011 by Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington, who met at university. Their sound, traversing from psychedelia to house, has captivated many listeners with its originality that defies genre boundaries. In 2023, drummer Tlacael Esparza officially joined, and the band entered a new phase, releasing their first full album as a trio, […]
“Is wanting more a crime?” This question posed by Jordana in her self-titled latest EP ‘Jordanaland’ is directed at everyone who continues to perform “kindness” in the real world. Raised in a musical household where her father was an organist, she has captured listeners’ hearts with her highly transparent vocals since her 2019 debut. However, […]
In the stillness of the night, a hazy guitar tone begins to drift. It is sweet, yet carries an air of danger. As if inviting you into a realm you should not enter. This irresistibly precarious sensation is what makes Cigarettes After Sex so captivating. The new song “Anna Karenina” is a track that perfectly […]
San Francisco-based solo project by Melina Duterte, Jay Som. After a six-year hiatus, she releases her new album “BELONG.” If you listen to this work, you’ll immediately understand, but let me state it clearly: This is undoubtedly one of the greatest indie rock works representing the 2020s and beyond. During the hiatus, she pursued her […]
The moment carbonation bubbles rise, that instant when sweet candy dissolves. Who could have imagined that this familiar chemical reaction we all know would become the perfect metaphor for depicting the dangerous allure of love? MICHELLE’s “Mentos and Coke” is a track released in 2024 by the six-member indie-pop collective from New York, serving as […]
A snowfield of memories, accumulated deep over 25 years. Treading through this deep snow, footprints that should never have appeared emerged before us. Crushed, an indie-pop duo by Bre Morell of Temple Of Angels and Sean Duncan of Weekend. Their new song “oneshot” is a requiem dedicated to the solitary sniper, Sniper Wolf, who appeared […]