Top Indie Albums Releasing in 2016

After what could go down as one of the best years ever for indie/alternative music in 2015, the coming months in 2016 don’t have the same sheer quantity – but that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of quality releases this year.

Several bands expected to release new music in 2016 have yet to officially announce projects, but there’s a lot of hints indicating they will.  With that in mind, many projects already announced are glimmering with excitement.  Here are several albums, some yet to be officially announced, that should provide plenty of head bobbing in 2016.

Holy Ghost – Modern Baseball

With unique writing and catchy instrumentation, Modern Baseball’s third album Holy Ghost should garner a lot of attention.

Coming off the success of 2014’s You’re Gonna Miss It All, Philadelphia rockers Modern Baseball are setting their sights even higher on their forthcoming album Holy Ghost.  Known for their quirky lyrics about understanding love and adulthood as a clueless college student, the band, often known as MoBo, is aiming to add a more mature feel to their music, as said by singer/guitarist Brendan Lukens in an interview with SPIN.

Back in October, MoBo dropped a surprise EP entitled, MOBO Presents: The Perfect Case EP Featuring Modern Baseball, which featured tracks with a sound just different enough to entice fans before the release of Holy Ghost. Tracks like “The Thrash Particle” – which depicts a hopeless narrator questioning the foundation of a relationship – do an excellent job at giving a glimpse into the band’s lyrical and instrumental progression as they enter their third full release.

The band may be changing things up and leaving behind the Facebook references that made them adored, but the change should be a welcome one.  Holy Ghost is set to release May 13th via Run for Cover Records.

The band released two tracks from Holy Ghost, entitled “Everyday” and “Apple Cider, I Don’t Mind.”

Check out the teaser video below.

REVIEW: Back On Top – The Front Bottoms

By combining true to life lyrics and catchy melodies, New Jersey natives The Front Bottoms have been redefining the rock/punk/folk/indie/pop scene since 2007.  From their raw, acoustic roots on early albums like “My Grandma vs. Pneumonia” and “I Hate My Friends”, TFB give listeners a brutally honest look at what it’s like to navigate friendship, love, and heartbreak.

They don’t take themselves too seriously, though.  On the song “More Than It Hurts You” (from an early unknown LP), lead singer Brian Sella contemplates leaving a party because “everybody here is tripping some new drug, except for me” and is quickly asked “WHY?!”.  The laughs continue on the track, “Au Revoir” from their 2013 album, “Talon of the Hawk”, where Sella explains what “Au Revoir” means to a now former lover, who responds by saying “Adios, I bet you think I don’t know what that means.”

The evolution of TFB has been amazing to watch.  Their self-titled album saw the addition of more instruments than expected from an average rock band, while “Talon” made the transition to a more classic style of rock music – but not without its own unique style.  On their latest album, “Back On Top”, the band strikes a perfect balance between the two.

With a solidified lineup of lead singer Brian Sella, drummer Mat Uychich, bassist and trumpeter Tom Warren, and multi-instrumentalist (keyboard and guitar) Ciaran O’Donnell, the quartet’s production quality has significantly improved.

Tom, Brian, Matt, and Ciaran have outdone themselves with their new album “Back On Top”.

Sella even acknowledges the band’s evolution in the album’s opening track “Motorcycle”.  “Most of us are older now, we should know wrong from right,” Sella exclaims.  The song has an upbeat tempo while giving a glimpse of the lyrical magic still to come.  There’s even an organ in the beginning, only furthering their willingness to do whatever they want and make it work.

Tracks like “Cough It Out” and “Historic Cemetery” channel the band’s acoustic roots – but strike a wonderful blend between their new upbeat tempo.  “Cough It Out” presents a narrator infatuated with someone else, which, naturally, comes with its problems.  “All the branches on the tree, that we marked our initials… I am delusional with love.”

Top Five Indie Albums Releasing in 2015

2014 saw the release of tons of great albums, but 2015 has even more in store for indie music fans.  After the success of Modern Baseball’s ‘You’re Gonna Miss It All’, Hozier’s self-titled debut album, Walk the Moon’s second album ‘Talking Is Hard’, and The Rural Alberta Advantage’s third album ‘Mended With Gold’ – to only name a few – indie fans had something to look forward to during seemingly every month of the year.  The same is true, even more-so, in 2015.  From indie pop to indie folk, listeners have a huge variety of music to listen to this year.  Let’s get to it, here are the top five indie albums releasing in 2015.

5. ‘Kindred’ – Passion Pit

The cover art for the release of ‘Lifted Up (1985)’.

Made famous for their heart-warming lyrics and crazy vocal effects, Passion Pit have established themselves as one of the top indie pop bands of the 2010s.  Lead singer Michael Angelakos has a knack for writing catchy tunes with deep meanings, and ‘Kindred’ looks to build upon previous success.  Earlier this week, the single versions of ‘Lifted Up (1985)‘ and ‘Where the Sky Hangs‘ released – and did not disappoint.  ‘Lifted Up (1985)’ has the catchy chorus to get listeners to sing along and subtlety beautiful verses to become the next ‘Take a Walk‘, while ‘Where the Sky Hangs’ changes things up by featuring Angelakos’ voice, for the most part, without added effects.  And really, how can a song not be great when it’s titled something so beautiful like ‘Where the Sky Hangs’.  ‘Kindred’ releases on April 21st, but fans will be singing along to ‘Lifted Up (1985)’ and ‘Where the Sky Hangs’ long before that day.