Released on January 12, 2018, Blue Madonna is the second popular album from BØRNS. The first single to promote the album was “Faded Heart,” released July 28, 2017. He announced the album via Instagram on December 4, 2017 with a pre-order for the vinyl for which only 1,500 copies were available. The album includes only one collaborative artist Lana Del Rey for the song “God Save Our Young Blood.” Before reviewing this album, I had not listened to the full album, so my favorites from Blue Madonna are the popular singles. “Faded Heart” is already, in my opinion, an instant classic. ”Faded Heart” does not get old no matter how many times you listen to it. The music video for it also includes the iconic

Vance Joy came out with a brand new album to end February 2018 right. In November, the Australian singer-songwriter announced Nation of Two and described it as a “perfectly self-contained couple…” The lead single “Lay It on Me” released in July 2017 was #18 on the Australian Singles Chart and has been certified platinum. Some of the rest of the album slowly found its way out before the full release on February 23, 2018. While listening to this album, I received very indie folk vibes, which is to expect from Vance Joy. Usually any Vance Joy song is the perfect music to fall asleep to or to chill with friends. Listening to this album was almost like listening to the story. If I

The forth studio album from Watsky x Infinity was released on August 19, 2016. The spoken word artist, rapper, and author George Watsky recorded this album at Seahorse Studios in Los Angeles, Grand St. Recording in Brooklyn, and Aqua Vibea in Hadley, Massachusetts. X Infinity, pronounced Times Infinity, had many collaborators including Josh Dun (Twenty One Pilots), Julia Nunes, and Danny McClain. Each song on the album almost has its own style and sound. When reviewing this album, I find relaxed songs and pure alternative music, but some of the songs are very hip-hop influenced. If you were looking for an album where every song sounds almost the same, this would not be the album for you. Every song is almost its own story

The second studio album from AJR The Click was released on June 9, 2017. This Indie Pop and Electropop album was another self-produced album by the band. The Click was created from the songs off the EP What Everyone’s Thinking and a few other singles. In 2015, “Call My Dad” the first promotional single was released. The third promotional and most popular single “Weak” came out in October of 2016. The song “Weak” was my first glimpse into The Click. Its meaningful lyrics and upbeat alternative sound had me hooked. It was not until the popularity of “Sober Up” until I discovered the full album. The entire album is worth a listen, but some specific songs that should be looked into are “The Good Part,” “Drama,” and “I’m

Carousel’s 2013 EP is an indie pop/rock record full of fantastic chill vibes throughout. Carousel consists of duo Jackson Phillips and Kevin Friedman, who are currently based in Oakland, CA. Some of my favorite tracks worth checking out on Palms include the songs, “Close Your Eyes,” “Another Day,” and “Wolf’s Awake.” You can purchase Carousel’s Palms on iTunes, as well as listen to the record on their Soundcloud and Spotify accounts. This album is perfect for anyone in the mood for listening to something much more laid back and filled with subtlety. Carousel – Palms Track List Not EnoughAnother DayClose Your EyesWolf’s AwakeBefore You Article written by: Raymond Kandal

Hellogoodbye’s sophomore record from 2010 is an indie rock adventure full of fantastic layering and catchy melodies, as well as plenty of variety to allow the record to continue feeling unique and exciting throughout. Probably most well-known for their songs “Here in My Arms” and “Baby it’s Fact,” Would it Kill You? manages to expand on the band’s sound, while at the same time being independently released and self-produced by the group’s lead singer and musician, Forrest Kline. Hellogoodbye’s Would it Kill You? earns the honor of being my longest and most listened to album since its release. Although I could easily recommend every song, some of my favorite tracks worth checking out include, “When We First Kissed,” “The Thoughts That Give Me the Creeps,”

Jet Black Alley Cat, an upcoming band from Nashville, Tennessee, has just recently released their debut full-length record simply entitled, Part One. I personally hope that this is only part one of many due to the extreme catchiness of their rock inspired music with a vintage twist. Some of my favorite tracks worth checking out include the songs, “Golden,” “Roxy,” and “Electric Raazors.” You can purchase Jet Black Alley Cat’s record on iTunes or their website at www.jetblackalleycat.com, as well as listen to the record on their Spotify and Soundcloud accounts. I would also highly recommend checking out their music videos on their YouTube channel, as the videos are highly professional and entertaining beyond the music itself. Jet Black Alley Cat - Part

Joe Brooks’ debut full-length record from 2010 is an acoustic-driven album that mixes uplifting lyrics, various instrument embellishments, and fantastic singing to enlighten and delight a variety of different listener types. Originally, from Southampton, England, Brooks continues to independently create music and tour internationally throughout the world with much success. Some of my favorite tracks worth checking out on Constellation Me include the songs, “Superman,” “Rules of Attraction,” and “Apple.” You can purchase Joe Brooks’ Constellation Me on iTunes and Amazon, as well as listen to the record on his Spotify account. I would also recommend checking out Joe Brooks’ music videos on YouTube, especially the music video for “Superman,” due to the fact that his videos are incredibly well done, and often add an extra

Nekokat’s 2015 EP is an upbeat indie rock record complete with a delicate mix of high energy and more subdued moments. Nekokat is one of today’s largely overlooked super groups consisting of The Ready Set’s Jordan Witzigreuter, The Summer Set’s Jess Bowen, and Weatherstar’s Cameron Walker. Some of my favorite tracks worth checking out on Communication II include the songs, “Best Year Ever,” “What I Said,” and “Cut My Teeth.” You can purchase Nekokat’s Communication II on iTunes, as well as listen to the record on their Soundcloud and Spotify accounts. Nekokat has also just released two new singles “Bella Goodbye” and “Haunted” this year, which are available to check out on all the platforms just mentioned as well. Nekokat – Communication II Track List Best Year

Panic! At the Disco’s full-length record from 2016 is an alternative-centered album that manages to fantastically blend various different genres, such as pop, rock, and even jazz into its eleven track runtime in order to hold interest the entire way through the record. Although a bit of a departure from the band’s widely recognized sound, the most impressive aspect of the record is the fact that not only is lead singer Brendan Urie the single remaining member here, but that Urie also played most of the instruments, wrote all of the songs, and co-produced the record, in addition to providing the vocals. Some of my favorite tracks worth checking out on Death of a Bachelor include the songs, “Golden Days,” “Death of a Bachelor,”