These LITM Rock Picks lean into every facet of indie-rock – from artists like Motihari Brigade, Danni Nicholls, 37 Houses, and more!
1. Motihari Brigade – Fortunate Son
Motihari Brigade gives the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic, Fortunate Son, a new form with their cover: more hard rock, more palpable anger, heaviness, and, most importantly, saying what they believe in the tone they want to say it in. Both versions receive a lot of their personality from the vocal delivery: where the original is loose, raw, and conversational, Motihari Brigade chooses to go all-out confrontational. The message of class inequality that the song captures with such simple elegance still rings true all these decades later, and Motihari Brigade’s version, with all its jangling guitars and restless drums, stays true to it throughout. Listen here!
2. Danni Nicholls – The Wreckage
From its opening moments, you can tell that Danni Nicholls’ The Wreckage is going to be unpredictable and refreshing. Revolving around the idea of disorientation and confusion (“I didn’t see it coming / Now warning bells are wailing all around / I was going too fast, didn’t think to brake / Couldn’t decide which turn to take…”), the song questions identity, and how much of it is tied to the choices you make. With a warm, rich vocal delivery and instruments that are present enough to move the song forward, but not so much as to be overwhelming, this is a track you’ll find yourself coming back to!
3. 37 Houses – Strangers
Opening 37 Houses’ latest EP, the titular Strangers is intense and charged throughout; there’s never a dull moment through all the jangly electric guitars and relentless drumming, which wrap themselves around the vocals, creating the impression that they’re all part of a single, cohesive layer. With lyrics like “Dreaming just to feel something other than crazy, like it might save me / You’ve done your best under duress / I haven't given you time to change your mind / When it’s love, you figure out this stuff,” the song leans into alt-rock with some distortion and heavy delivery. A song that feels less like a studio recording and more like a distilled lived experience, this one is a must-listen!
4. Build For Tomorrow – Where We Belong
On Where We Belong, Build For Tomorrow is unapologetic about bringing 110% of their vibrancy, sound, and intensity. From its opening moments, muffled guitar riffs that soon explode into a bright, upbeat layer with lively drums sweep you along; there’s no time to breathe or protest before you get caught up in the energy (and you won’t want to, either!). A stand-out feature of the track is how seemingly effortlessly Build For Tomorrow balances a clean, polished sound with rawness and authenticity – the whole thing feels made to scream-sing along to at music festivals and concert venues. Check it out here!
5. David Omlor – The American Boys (The Ballad of Frank Gusenberg and the St Valentine’s Day Massacre)
David Omlor leans into upbeat Americana-noir on The American Boys (The Ballad of Frank Gusenberg and the St Valentine’s Day Massacre), with a sound that feels like it belongs to a different time – a time of intimate musical performances in speakeasies and smoky rooms. Referencing the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929, the song’s narrative is built with vivid imagery from the Chicago gang landscape of this time. Delivered with conviction, the vocals are powerful without needing to be loud, and as the guitars bring their own flourishes into the track, you can tell the song was built on authenticity and rawness rather than overt polish. Listen here!
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