Lo-fi charm, jangly guitars and plenty of songs worth sitting with.
This week’s new music radar bounces between heartfelt indie, country rock, hazy pop, hip-hop and a few left turns that caught us completely off guard.
Here are the new releases currently making plenty of noise at Happy.
DAWK – ‘Wasting Away Here With You’
DAWK lures you in with a few seconds of lo-fi sweetness before opening into something far bigger.
Equal parts Wilco, Dominic Fike and psychedelic folk-rock, ‘Wasting Away Here With You’ is an adorable little gem and easily one of our favourite tracks of the day.
The Sourdough Starters – ‘Sit With Me’
Jangly guitars? Tick. Dry, poetic songwriting? Tick. ‘Sit With Me’ keeps things beautifully simple, with earnest vocals that recall the heartfelt charm of Daniel Johnston. There’s a lot to love here.
The Bypassers – ‘Delivered’
The Bypassers bottle everything great about Aussie garage rock on ‘Delivered’. Loud guitars, youthful energy and just enough rough edges make this another standout from their debut album Clementine.
Asher Iyer – ‘Don’t Wait For Me’
Brisbane’s Asher Iyer delivers a slick, beautifully produced hip-hop cut full of confidence and mood. Fresh off Australian Idol, the young rapper, songwriter and producer already sounds well beyond his years.
Emotional Park Vandals – ‘Until the River Runs Dry’
There’s something kinda thoughtful about Emotional Park Vandals. ‘Until the River Runs Dry’ blends droll humour with heartfelt indie rock, landing somewhere in Mountain Goats territory while carving out its own quietly emotional lane.
StoneWilde – ‘Hearts Align’
StoneWilde wear their influences proudly, blending alt-country grit with soaring heartland rock. Think Springsteen, Paul Kelly and The War On Drugs sharing a stage, with ‘Hearts Align’ delivering plenty of warmth and big open-road energy.
The Calabrians – ‘The Message’
A cover of Grandmaster Flash wasn’t on our bingo card, but The Calabrians absolutely pull it off. Stripping ‘The Message’ into a hard-rock bruiser proves just how timeless those lyrics really are, with Pip Pupillo’s vocals doing the rest.
Elsa Eva – ‘Eerie’
California’s Elsa Eva lands another slice of shimmering synth-pop with ‘Eerie’. Cinematic textures, catchy hooks and polished production make this one an easy addition to the playlist.
ARYIEL – ‘Spit’
ARYIEL arrives with powerhouse vocals and serious Destiny’s Child energy. ‘Spit’ is bold, emotional and packed with attitude, backed by experimental pop-R&B production that refuses to play it safe.
Department of Gloom – ‘Watch Me Bleed’
Department of Gloom lean hard into ’90s-inspired heavy rock, pairing gothic textures with chunky guitar riffs and massive hooks. ‘Watch Me Bleed’ doesn’t waste any time getting loud.
Kutlip – ‘Lost in the Fiction’
Kutlip leans further towards polished indie-pop than indie rock, but it’s the songwriting that sticks. ‘Lost in the Fiction’ captures that all-too-familiar feeling of getting lost inside a future that never quite arrived.
KATOS – ‘Christmas Pageant’
KATOS throws things back to the era when music videos were events. ‘Christmas Pageant’ is an unapologetically Aussie hip-hop Christmas track that’s as entertaining to watch as it is to listen to.
Chris Gordon – ‘Backroads’
Brisbane country artist Chris Gordon keeps things honest on ‘Backroads’. The storytelling is straight down the line, while the tape warmth and classic country feel give it plenty of character.
CJ Turner – ‘Lady Of The Night’
CJ Turner blends indie rock with classic country storytelling on ‘Lady Of The Night’. Slide guitar, lived-in vocals and a wild real-life backstory give this one plenty of charm.
Hi? – ‘Hiding From The Century’
Everyone needs a little psychedelic space-pop now and then. Brighton trio Hi? deliver exactly that on ‘Hiding From The Century’, mixing Cocteau Twins-style dreaminess with playful lo-fi experimentation.
New Indie Music: Happy’s Mixtape, updated every week. Emerging indie, rock and alt artists picked by Happy Mag. Chuck it a follow if you wanna seem cool to your friends.
