As temperatures cool off and you retreat to coffeehouses and libraries this November, feed your inner introvert with music from these four artists.
Wild Child
An indie pop band from Austin, Wild Child first formed when vocalists Kelsey Wilson and Alexander Beggins started writing songs together while touring with another band, The Migrant. After adding in four more members, the group released its first full-length, self-recorded album, Pillow Talk, in 2011. Their latest release, Fools, came out Oct. 2. The six-piece combines ukuleles, trumpets and keyboards to create a melting pot of folk, pop and relaxing vibes. The group tends to produce slow-moving melodies with simple lyrics, often singing about random objects such as pillows and coffee pots. Since its formation, Wild Child has performed at Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo and Firefly Music Festival.
Artists you might like: Hey Marseilles, Lord Huron, Milo Greene
Listen now: “Pillow Talk,” Wild Child
Family of the Year
With its slow-moving melodies and poignant lyrics, Family of the Year is fitting for moments of introspection. In their most popular hit, “Hero,” the group pairs soft guitar with the self-deprecating lyric: “I don’t want to be your hero. I don’t want to be a big man. I just want to fight with everyone else.” The indie rock group formed in 2009 in Los Angeles, spearheaded by brothers Joseph and Sebastian Keefe. The group released its first full-length album, Songbook, that same year. Family of the Year often combines dreamy rhythms with atmospherics that emit a beachy sound. The group has toured with a variety of performers, including Mumford & Sons, Walk the Moon and Grouplove. Their first headlining tour in 2013 sold out shows across the country.
Artists you might like: The Head and the Heart, Daughter, King Charles
Listen now: “Hero,” Family of the Year
Amen Dunes
Under the moniker Amen Dunes, Damon McMahon combines folk and psychedelic sounds in his music. McMahon, a Philadelphia native, began performing under this name in 2006, recording tracks by holing himself up in a cabin in the Catskills of New York to work. Amen Dunes combines dreamy atmospherics with somber-sounding vocals and repetitive guitar riffs, fitting for calm moments of self-reflection. After spending time in China, where he focused on an acoustic sound, McMahon released the Murder Dull Minds EP followed by the album Through Donkey Jaw in 2011 and Love in 2014. In 2012, McMahon spent time reworking Ethiopian pop songs, a project that culminated in the release of Ethio Covers 7”.
Artists you might like: Kurt Vile, Deerhunter, Atlas Sound
Listen now: “White Child,” Amen Dunes
Blind Pilot
Blind Pilot’s often-somber but catchy indie rock tunes are an introspection staple. The Portland-based six-piece started off their musical journey on wheels, touring from Washington to California on bicycles with hand-made bike trailers carrying their instruments, in 2008. The group released its debut album, 3 Rounds and a Sound, in 2008, and its second album, We Are the Tide, came out in 2011. The group often dabbles in melancholy melodies and lyrics, creating a relaxing, contemplative listening experience. Songs such as “Poor Boy,” “Things I Cannot Recall” and “The Bitter End” emit sorrowful yet peaceful tones. In “The Bitter End,” lead singer Israel Nebeker starts off the song with the lyric: “If ever you should die, I know I’ll shave my head. It’s not a morbid thought, I mean it out of love.”
Listen now: “Go On, Say It,” Blind Pilot
