It’s been called baroque, ambient, and psychedelic, but whatever it is, Thad Kopec’s style of songwriting cuts through the noise created by today’s two dimensional “indie folk” crowd. Immersing himself in a creative tradition of poetry and southern gothic literature, his lyrics build layers of imagery over complex orchestral arrangements and unique sonic collages that showcase a knack for songwriting talent and undeniably good aesthetic taste.

The Shadow & the Caster isn’t content to offer listeners anything other than total sonic immersion and its songs feel as unlimited and as expansive as the landscapes they often describe. In the literary vein of John Steinbeck or Flannery O’ Connor, much of the narrative and symbolic elements Kopec wields in his work center around the natural world and the descriptive nature of his language is undoubtedly born out of past experiences on a rural Florida farm.

In addition to the literary traditions the album keeps alive, it also displays a fondness for modern folk god influences like Fleet Foxes or Sufjan Stevens. He manages, however, to stay away from the caricatured second-generation style imitation that haunts indie folk today. Even Kopec’s voice feels entirely authentic with its relaxed disregard for being always perfectly pitched.

As a body of work, The Shadow & the Caster masterfully balances variety and elemental agreement. The songs all float down the same stream, and despite immediate twists and turns or sudden directional disorientation, every song comes out as a simple break in the current. All the water comes from the same source and goes to the same place.

Be sure to make it to Thad’s release show on Friday, May 12th at WELD Nashville and pick up a copy of the album. His live performances are magical.

-Andrew Strader

PONCÉ is a twin brother duo entirely unafraid to showcase an emotional intensity and sonic variety rarely reserved for indie rock. They harness dance rhythms and guitar/synth combinations in ways that remain largely unexplored in modern contexts. The songs sit comfortably within a pop orientation, freely crossing genre with harmony-driven melodies that bring both recent electro-rock favorites like Polica and Americana classics like Tom Petty to mind.

The twins’ debut effort serves as a bold, experimental work that showcases a variety of sonic influences while remaining true to the traditions from which the songs were born. Afterglow is a collection of tunes that work well in tandem, each one serving a functional purpose that situates the piece as a complete whole. The opening track “Surrender to the Night” harkens back to 80s style dance music, with tight, chorus-heavy guitar hooks and spacey synth pads, while other works like “Whoa Dakota” incorporate the alternative country/Americana tradition with breezy acoustic guitars and beds of rhodes organ.

This is a work that, aside from being impossible to ignore, situates PONCÉ as an outfit instrumental in Nashville’s indie rock scene. Pick up a copy of the album tomorrow and be sure not to miss twins’ next show at Little Harpeth Brewing on May 6th.

-Andrew Strader

Overwatcher is a big band of melodic post-hardcore screamers. They maintain the aggression and intensity you might find in a Nashville DIY garage or punk outfit, but tease the sonic palette with a number of feedback techniques you might find in a psychedelic or noise rock band. That being said, the short bursts of dissonance and noise don’t overstay there welcome in the songs. The crew of six knows how to serve a song, offering just enough melodic instrumentation to keep the essential structures intact. If you’re a fan of high energy post-hardcore, post-rock, noise rock, or screamo dispositions, be sure to check out their next performance at The End on May 3rd.

-Andrew Strader

Black Lips guitarist Ian Saint Pé released a solo album this month utilizing the kind of punk and garage influences that provided his parent band acclaim. Fixed Focus is twelve tracks of jangly, distorted guitars, driving rhythms, and a kind of belligerent vocal performance that instantly conjures indie rock talk-singers like Kurt Vile. The album offers a variety of song constructions, from the slower, melodic, 90s alt rock style of “As of Late” to the rapid and forceful punk aesthetic of “Spun and Spurn,” Saint Pé works within the sonic limitations of his own musical tradition to craft a collection of songs that pushes its boundaries.

-Andrew Strader 

Goodbye June’s newest single “Fear of Jesus” is a nostalgic reflection on childhood and the progression of identity. It’s a number that glides along at an easy pace, glistening guitars creating an entire atmosphere around its shuffle drums. The band being originally formed after the death of lead guitarist Tyler Baker’s brother, the song reminisces about the group’s early religious upbringing: “I used to fear Jesus back then, and Momma used to hold my hand / and now I just run” Landon Milbourn croons in the chorus, comparing potentially destructive new coping methods to old ones. The group’s forthcoming album, Magic Valley, is set to be their most passionate effort yet. Be sure to make it to their release show on May 5th at The Basement East.

-Andrew Strader

Fruit and Flowers is a female rock group that doesn’t fit neatly into one genre or one aesthetic. Their work incorporates sonic elements of psych, punk, and garage rock. Shimmery guitars reverberate over rapid punky percussion and fuzzy bass. Vocals are given a tasteful reverb and distortion that sits well with fans of lo-fi/diy slacker rock. Fruit and Flowers don’t want to occupy one sonic niche or space, they strive to exist in them all. No matter what kind of music fan you are, Fruit and Flowers has something to offer you. Be sure to catch their next show at Alphaville on April, 28th.

-Andrew Strader

Terribly Yours is an outfit from Brooklyn that creates charming indie synth pop to soothe the soul. Their latest single “A Love That Don’t Diminish” builds a shrine for human relationships, offering cultural commentary on the need to give loved ones room to grow. “We were young when we started out / With a lot of stuff to figure out / Don’t need no doctor don’t call the police / We’re all changing again” front man Sean Bones points out in the catchy chorus. Though the track feels sonically lighthearted, it forces self-reflection upon the listener. This is really the beauty of Terribly Yours. Their work strikes a pleasant balance between fun and thoughtful. Be sure to catch their next show at Alphaville on April, 20th.

-Andrew Strader

Sundaes offers a rendition of early oughts’ indie rock that proves a breath of fresh air for the broader independent music scene. The second new track “Smoke Signals” off their upcoming EP is no exception. Reminiscent of greats like The Strokes or The New Pornographers, it’s a guitar-heavy number with a driving rhythm and laid-back, meandering vocal melody that sticks to the brain. The new work impressively recycles the sonic traits of its influences while remaining fresh and relevant in its conceptual undertakings. Stay tuned for more details on their newest effort and upcoming shows.

-Andrew Strader

Julian Fulton’s new track from his forthcoming EP, ‘Battered Receptions,’ is an experimental call to arms for the marginalized in the face of an oppressive national administration. His fuzzy take on what might amount to revival rock serves as the perfect vehicle for much needed protest music in 2017. The track’s main goal is combatting apathy in the face of seemingly unstoppable forces. Its opening lines beg the question: “What’s the point in fighting when the writing’s already on the wall?”. An assertive answer appears in the chorus: “It’s not a trick, it’s not a script, it’s not TV / It’s your real life, open your eyes, they’re trying to keep you in the streets”. Fulton’s vocal delivery is angry and combative, emulating the reaction he’d like listeners to have. He wants you riled up, he wants you ready to fight, he wants you to care even when it seems like caring is useless. Julian Fulton has three shows in NJ coming up (listed here), the first one of the series will be at Asbury Park Music Foundation on April 19th. – Andrew Strader

Foul Tip is a two-piece drum and bass band that rests on a skillfully crafted synchronicity between drummer Ed Bornstein and bassist Adam Luksetich. Bornstein holds down strenuously tight beats while Luksetich leads the songs with fuzz covered bass. The duo’s lyrical sensibility parallels their punk oriented sonic leanings with peculiarly philosophical diatribes like the one on "Success" in which they criticize the modern penchant for stardom, popularity, and pedestalled self-image: "Don’t be obsessed with success / Chasing dreams you just can’t catch / Because you could play the game just right / You’d be losing sleep all night." The real gold in Foul Tip’s work is their ability to offer complex cultural commentary using sonic and lyrical simplicity. This is the essential aim of their 2016 album Forever Driftin’: to be conceptually complex and practically minimal. 

-Andrew Strader

The latest release from new wave garage outfit, Monograms, is heavy hot mess of distortion, expansive vocals, and tactful, driving percussion. The EP, ironically titled ‘Silencer,’ has already yielded two tracks. The first, “Sharp Teeth” (streaming) is a number that borders on ’90s grunge, while the second, “Ok Promises” offers a sound reminiscent of some post punk bands of the late ’80s, with guitar tones that sound like synths, extra percussion and random intervals of noise. Monograms is four-piece that refuses to stick to one sound or genre, pushing their own sonic envelope as a rule. Be sure to catch their next show at Alphaville on Wednesday, April 19th. – Andrew Strader

Hot Curl is a psychedelic surf rock outfit that nicely weaves together catchy, jangly guitars riffs in the style of bands like DIIV or Beach Fossils. They offer the kind of groovy instrumental template – round bass, two reverb soaked guitars, and tight, tom-heavy drums – that acts as sonic unit to be manipulated in a million different ways. In their debut EP ‘Beached,’ the band has a number of classic surfy formulae they tend to return to after forays into into the psychedelic unknown, and single "Walk Away" (streaming) perfectly examplifies that. The instruments work around a centered guitar hook, deviating into dissonance only to drive themselves home at just the right moments. Hot Curl will be performing at Alphaville tonight (April 17th). – Andrew Strader