This has been a year so far, hasn't it? Certainly one we'll remember. If there's one thing to treasure, it's the music that has been made. Artists have been busy with more time in the studio, and the Indie Discotheque SoundCloud feed has been full of amazing music to listen through.
I didn't mean to leave you without the latest indie and alternative dance tunes this summer, so I'll make it up – I not only have the music of September for you, I also have tracks from July and August. Check out the complete Summer 2020 playlist below.
You can check out our other monthly charts here, and we also have a Spotify playlist!
1. Hotel Garuda – Leave You
I always love a good upbeat love song, and Hotel Garuda has delivered this month, but I’m still debating about the line in the song about letting the coffee get cold. Who does that? And don’t tell me to just put it in the microwave.
2. Goth Babe – As She Dreams
The perfect track for dancing in a smoky, dark room. Griffin Washburn's voice is amazing; the transitions into falsetto are executed in a way that places emphasis on the emotional delivery. This is one of Goth Babe's greatest tracks to date.
3. Limon Limon – Hot Pink Tiger
Every song Limon Limon has released recently catches my ear. The production is fantastic, and the vocal expression really shines through. The lyrics themselves present as a collection of words, delivered in a way that creates an alternate reality.
4. Django Django – Spirals
When the bass guitar hits, you know Django Django has recorded another winner. Every element is placed and filtered. The layering and harmonization of the chorus is presented in a way that makes you want to listen on repeat.
5. Cloning – Past in Our Pockets
Australian pop rock is often the best pop rock. Cloning carries on this tradition with their new single, "Past in Our Pockets." The guitar solo in this track could very easily be four times longer than it is, but that just means I’ll have to see them live someday.
6. Winnetka Bowling League – Congratulations
It's a congratulations that's dripping with shade, but you can’t deny that feeling when it's there. Winnetka Bowling League has a vibe in this track that reminds me a lot of Empire of the Sun, featuring layered guitar and impressive range in the vocal.
7. The Maias – Constantine
The tempo is up there with "Constantine," a track that is chill enough in its vacation theme to consider using it in a set with tunes half its pace. The Maias are fresh out of the gate, with this their first single, and an Instagram with six poolside images from the same photo shoot.
8. Pompeya – Why
It’s the question we all ask – why? The examples provided in the song are those that encourage personal improvement and solitude. Pompeya brings these ideas to the dancefloor in a beautiful way, with layers of guitar and a sax solo to tie it all together in the end.
9. Chemical Club – Not This Time
Opening with the strumming of the guitar, Chemical Club provide a classic alternative dance vibe on "Not This Time." This is a song with simple layering and the addition of twinkling synth and a few "oooohs" in the background for added texture.
10. Cry Club – Nine of Swords
I’ll dance to this Cry Club track every chance I get. It’s a song with a message that has a powerful vocal and guitar grinding, the instrumentation reminiscent in some way of Jimmy Eat World – but the performance is next level. I’m hooked.
11. Cold War Kids – Ceiling Fan
I was just talking about ceiling fans tonight. I took a jar of coins to a machine a few years ago, and got a paper voucher for a home improvement store. I went there to exchange the paper for a gift card, but they wouldn’t do it. So I bought a ceiling fan and promptly returned it for store credit.
12. DD Walker – Like You
This song is so smooth, and I love the falsetto vocal. The part where DD Walker crashes his car and goes to jail was a bit surprising, but considering he also crashed a party and the surface was broken, a theme is sensed.
13. Pixey – Just Move
It’s like the 90s big beat sound meets The Ting Tings. Pixey really has something going on here, and I enjoy how the vocal meshes with this blend of otherwise classic sounds. Get into the groove and "Just Move" your feet to the beat!
14. Sneaks – Faith
This Sneaks song is a great follow up to the Pixey track, with a groovy bass track and a ton of cowbell, but the vocal performance is quirkier – reminiscent of New Young Pony Club. There is definitely a bit of New York disco going on in the vibe of this one.
15. Bronze Radio Return – Tell It To Me
Grand and epic in its introduction, the latest from Bronze Radio Return really wants you to open up and "Tell It to Me." The music fluctuates between a fast pace and half tempo. The brass arrangements add powerful texture to the song.
You didn't forget that I have music from the rest of summer for you, did you? Check it all out below:
