It’s time to look back to the amazing indie dance music we missed in April. Indie Discotheque has put together a fantastic collection of indie dance songs for you this month, so queue this up on your loudest speakers and let’s get that living room dance party going in full swing.
We bring you not just this Indie Dance chart, but the Disco/Funk and Synth charts as well. Take time to enjoy the sounds below, and feel free to explore the Spotify playlist if you want to dive into this music even more.
1. Sam Gellaitry – Duo
I’ll admit, I am most impressed with the compression application in the production of "Duo," which shouldn’t be the thing that attracts me to a song, but the way it’s executed is what makes the track. The vocal delivery is well done, with layering that meshes with the production wonderfully.
2. Royal Blood – Boilermaker
A bit too pop rock, much like what Muse was for rock in the late 00s, but there is room and space for bands like this. The amount of alternative grit in here is just right, and honestly, who doesn’t want more rock music in the pop spectrum? Royal Blood has the formula down right.
3. Karaboudjan – Seems Like
There is play and delay in the back and forth between the percussion and the guitar in this song. The vocal style is appropriate to the soundtrack. I appreciate the atmosphere created in the reverb, and how it is pulled forward and backward as appropriate across the composition.
4. Death From Above 1979 – Modern Guy
So glad these guys are back with this project. I’ve had a bit too much MSTRKRFT lately and that project has gone down a rabbit hole it needs to find its way out of. I think a bit of DFA1979 is getting them refocused into the realm they found their fame in. Check out the entire release.
5. Chai – Let’s Love!
I both love Chai and can’t stand Chai at the same time. I am conflicted with the sound. But what they do really is great, and hopefully the band is having as much fun performing these songs as it sounds like they do. Not everyone likes the vocal style, but it works, and the music they perform is addictive.
6. James – Beautiful Beaches
Yes, that James. I’m so excited the band continues to release music, and "Beautiful Beaches" finds some of that uplifting joy and danceability that we look for when reminiscing of the music they released 30+ years ago. They have really hit the sweet spot with this one. I want more.
7. Caveman – Helpless
I’ll admit I don’t know much about Cavemen but the arrangement of "Helpless" hits all the right triggers for me to get a full thumbs up on this month's indie dance chart. I like the synth embellishments, guitar accents, and overall composition and atmosphere of the piece.
8. Audio Book Club – Boots
From the dramatic vocal performance, to the layering and harmonization of the vocal, “Boots’ by Audio Book Club really gets the body moving. Of course the cowbell is the accent we need, but the guitar production is pretty tops, too. I do wish this one didn’t conclude with a fade-out, though.
9. Crystal Cities – The Unknown
Danceable indie dance is what this chart is for, and while there is a lot of exploration into "The Unknown" with this track, there is also a lot of familiarity with the arrangement and pacing of the song. I appreciate the piano use across the track, particularly when exposed in the break.
10. Low Island – What Do You Stand For
This is a track that pulls you in. The vocal style and overall instrumentation and arrangement pulls influence from bands like LCD Soundsystem, and that's an influence I wish more bands would take advantage of. But "What Do You Stand For" goes harder than that. Embrace.
11. Cannon – Light in the Fog
The bass is what I am here for. But the track also has that dark 90s alternative groove to it that not many bands do well. Cannon has figured it out with "Light in the Fog," and I’d love to hear more in this vein without a carbon copy. How’s that for a challenge? I’m keeping an ear open.
12. Actors – Like Suicide
Speaking of bands that have found their sound, Actors have been around and producing amazing music like this for so many years now. Reminiscent of bands like Editors, it’s been long overdue to lift Actors to the next level, and "Like Suicide" might be the song that does it.
13. Bantug – In My Feelings
There is a slamming, aggressive chord in the introduction of this short track that makes its way further throughout the song that I’d love to hear sampled and turned into an experimental electronic track. But that’s not all Bantug offers. The vocal performance is fantastic, with great layering. But the song ends way before I expect it to, and would love twice as much.
14. Week Neez – Jenny
Fast-paced, danceable, rock ‘n’ roll. That’s what Week Neez offers with "Jenny," much like what Death From Above 1979 had and has going on but this band presents in a slightly more accessible manner. And of course, nobody wants to see Jenny at the store with a douche named Paul.
15. The Tazers – Lonely Road
We’ve got grit and garage with The Tazers, but that’s not going to stop us from dancing to "Lonely Road." This track is smokin’ hot, and I’ve got this one turned up to 11 on repeat. Dig it.
I've got some playlists for you. We're going to do a bit of recap… here is a playlist with this month's tracks:
And here are the charts from February and March:
We have our cumulative Spotify playlist, too:
