Halifax indie-rock duo Neon Dreams have released the radio ready track “Sick of Feeling Useless”. It’s a song for those who like a big anthem and a gang chorus.  The song found its a way on several Spotify playlists including New Music Friday Canada.  The Canadian alt-pop duo has made some headway in their own country landing on charts and raking up millions of streams. Give the track a listen especially if you’re fan of Twenty One Pilots or lovelytheband – and check out the video here.

Who else believes artists should stand on their own foundation rather than leeching off of other artists? How many celebrity collaborations do we need to see? I’m not souring on collaborations because I personally love some of them, especially if it’s birthed from true passion and an artistic motive. The pairing of Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello was fantastic and Sam Smith & Normani was quite good as well. Right now, I can’t even keep up with artist collaborations and the pairing of big names.
With Zoom now at the forefront, many of the collaborations are simply arranged  for “audience reach” and “eyeballs”. There is simply no synergy and connection between the artists. I’m not the only one who thinks celebrity pairing is overplayed, many industry insiders have noted that the specialness has been lost from the overabundance of artist collaborations.  When the pairing goes wrong, both artists are effected. I won’t mention names, but there are plenty of circumstances when collaborations did not benefit either artist. Let’s get back to art and play smart instead of competing for attention.

Check out Glass Self by Fat Heart. I think it’s a dream pop gem – it’s dreamy and atmospheric, a perfect track for self isolation. Fat Heart is the moniker of Jack Bzowski. He’s hails from London, UK and crafts melancholic songs. The track landed on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Indie (UK). The latest song comes off his debut EP ‘Everything Is’. Give it a stream, especially if you’re a fan of dreamy bedroom pop.

If you want to get lost in the indie space, give the track Growing Pains a stream by Fern. The is the debut track from the 15 year old singer songwriter who hails from Utah. While it can take years for artist to capture a sound that’s fitting, Fern quickly found her niche. Indie purists will love the minimal production of the electric guitar and vocal. Give the song a listen especially if you’re a fan of The Decemberists, Civil Wars, and Bon Iver.

Take a listen to Demons by Alara.  The track found it’s way on Spotify’s Fresh Finds. The NJ based singer songwriter grew up listening to ABBA and The Beatles before getting into Thom Yorke, Damien Rice, and Kevin Parker. Take a quick peek at this solo performance.