This Week’s LITM Rock Picks are all about that alternative, pop rock dimensions with artists like Death by Selfie, Duane Hoover, Y is Nature, and others.

This Week’s LITM Rock Picks are all about that alternative, pop rock dimensions with artists like Death by Selfie, Duane Hoover, Y is Nature, and others.

Death By Selfie - Vampire 

Death By Selfie crafts very interesting alt rock atmospheres. It casts an ambience, an energy, a story, and an emotion. In their latest release, ‘Vampire’, they blend rock with retro electronica, some alt pop and shadow disco elements. The synths have so much personality, so much character as they spread across the soundscape. The dark themes associated with vampires get to be so vivid and real. With vocals that are alluringly nonchalant, moody and even sensual, you keep investing more and more into the journey. And with experimental synth accents, trippy sonic scatters, and consistently fresh bass lines, they create a perfect alternative soundscape. 

Duane Hoover - Wayward Path 

Duane Hoover is right up there with bands like The Smiths and The Beatles. Melodic rock with tales that form instantaneously in the mind. That’s the way this artist flows. His latest is the Wayward Path album whose title track is a pleasing blend of the above mentioned bands. Riffs that are luminous and engaging combined with long vocal arrangement, narrative lyricism and a folksy vein running through it all. It all adds up to a contemplative flow, which is elevated with a meaningful musical ambience and nostalgic style. If you like the soft, fluid spirit of 70s folk rock and 90s melodic alt rock, then you’ll really enjoy the collaborative manifestation of them in this track. 

Y is Nature - Transition 

A new age alternative artist, Y is Nature is a refreshing act. The band creates intimate spheres of music that carry human experiences to new levels of feeling. Their latest release is the Evasion album, one that brings moments of fantastic dream pop, joyful ambience, and abstract musical mixtures to create a memorable music experience. ‘Transition’ is a single from this collection, a mellow pop rock interpretation that combines speckles of acoustics and riffs with plush synths, cinematic rhythms, presentational frames, all of it you can simply just lean back and feast your mind and ears on. 

Pillowprince - Babybird

The abstractions of the previous song is extraordinarily dilated in this next song, ‘Babybird’ by Pillowprince. The song has lifting trance vocals that dissipate and disperse into wisps of melody and synths. The ethereal undulations in the backdrop become gradually textured with riffs, harmonies, and oriental acoustics. As you flow into the vocal swirl, the echo of the soundscape, its melodrama; all of it lifting into a transcendental riff and guitar sequence. So immersive and powerful that you’ll end up with goose flesh all over your back and arms. 

trainboy - green tea 

Ending this week’s list is the indie rock of trainboy’s ‘green tea’. It is melodic, fresh, and the kind of song that makes you feel light and luminous. The artist’s buoyant vocals are contemplative, a stream of consciousness that grows into the instrumentals and expands across the soundscape. So much so that it becomes one scene, one an integral part of another. The riffs are gentle, the acoustics are alluring, the progression is gradual, and the vocals are vulnerable and intimate. That contemporary tinge of a 21st century artist, the brand of creativity is so readily apparent. And like a long noodle or a train journey across the country, the song feels like a part of you, something that is both inside and outside you. Listen Now! 

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LITM Pop Picks Suave and Laid-Back Tunes That Will Put You Into Ease Brought To You by Ordinary Child, Blue Augustine, MandyCan and More!

LITM Pop Picks super laid-back tunes that you can ease into the weekend with, featuring Ordinary Child, Blue Augustine, MandyCan, Lycio and Made of Sand.

1. Ordinary Child - Piece of Mind

   The song is Ordinary Child's Piece of Mind: a reflective and emotive odyssey through the confusion of finding peace. Its lyrics, and the bare, yet evocative production, ring out as a confession on a personal level, yet somehow also on a universal one.

   Lyrical at best, Piece of Mind is the struggle between chaos and calm as Ordinary Child writes a song that tastes like journal entries set to music. The phrases used in the song really make the song indicate a fight to find some sanity in a life that feels relentless.

   The performance is subtly powerful vocally, full of vulnerability with each note. This raw emotion evoked in the Ordinary Child performance would draw a listener into an internal space of being deeply personal. It then could create a true and effortless link.

   Beauty minimalist instrumentation in tender acoustic guitars with laid-back piano chords and soft ambient textures interweaving in soothing sounds, as if gentle crescendos and quiet pauses somehow mirror ebbs and flows of mental clarity to create meditative concepts.

   The Piece of Mind piece is affectionate, introspective, and lyrical-a petition to breathe for every listener as if Ordinary Child at their most honest and moving. And of course, I don’t think I can EVER stop obsessing over the cover image of the song!

2. Blue Augustine - Evolution of a Heart

Blue Augustine's Evolution of a Heart tracks this kind of poetic journey, one of growth, love, and sometimes the scars acquired along the way. The track is heavy with lush production as if speaking to every listener in terms that feel intimate yet universal.

Lyrically, Evolution of a Heart sounds like a tour de force at the hands of metaphors both from nature and through time to illustrate something of the messy, complex dynamics of emotional development. Lines that are so rich with beauty or pain, about resilience, tell such profound statements with such understated elegance-so simple, these lines are deep.

Vocally, Blue Augustine was passionate in every sense. The voice is gentle and texturally rich with this raw emotional depth; she swung without apparent effort from vulnerability to strength. That sort of delivery is it—it is conversational honesty that is, at times both very guarded and extremely impactful.

The instrumentation is an absolute beauty with sweet acoustic guitars, swelling strings, and ethereal synth layers blended in an indie-folk-ambient. It's all a reflection of the subtle development of the arrangement reflecting self-discovery and acceptance.

Evolution of a Heart is one of those unavoidable reflections of the emotional landscapes of life, testaments to Blue Augustine's mastery of translating personal truths into universal art.

3. MandyCan - Offline

MandyCan's Offline is a refreshing anthem for the digital age, reminding us all to unplug and reconnect with life's simpler pleasures. With laid-back vibes and clever commentary, the track has perfectly balanced introspection with a breezy, feel-good energy.

Sung by Alvina, Offline lyrics are a discovery of virtual connectivity and real-world disconnection. The lines are both witty and poignant, encapsulating the paradox of modern living. MandyCan's writing is sharp, full of humour and heart, and thus feels deeply relatable.

MandyCan is a vocal performance that can easily be engaging vocally. The warmth and authenticity of their voice make listeners want to pause and reflect while remaining light and playful. This gives the conversational tone that it is being held as a very honest chat with an old friend.

The production leans into indie-pop territory, with groovy basslines, shimmering synths, and a steady rhythm that feels like the soundtrack to a much-needed road trip. The bright instrumentation contrasts nicely with the contemplative lyrics for a dynamic listen.

Offline is a charming call to step away from screens and embrace the moment—a track that feels both timely and timeless.

4. Lycio - I Feel Like Being In Love

The song, I Feel Like Being In Love, by Lycio, is a heady cocktail of emotional fragility and sonic polish, a rollercoaster ride through the churning waters of falling in love. The artistry here is deeply personal but strangely universal.

The song's lyrics are the story of a tension between desire and self-protection. It’s both a celebration and a confession, beautifully balancing hope with hesitation.

Vocally, Lycio does have an excellent delivery. The rich soulfulness that this lead vocalist provides will, with tender whisper and soaring crescendos, create the overall raw, naked sound to its performance. With emotional weight held within every note, one could easily become stuck listening.

The production is the result of some electronic-alternative-influence, where the pulsating synths, intricately crafted beats, and deep soundscapes make for quite an ebb-and-flow portrayal of emotion; subtle layers in instrumentation add further depth and dimension to breathe life into the atmosphere.

I Feel Like Being In Love is just a really beautiful ode to vulnerability and connection, showing that Lycio can merge heartfelt storytelling with masterful production.

5. Made of Sand - Come Find Me

Made of Sand in its Come Find Me track builds a hauntingly beautiful ode to longing and self-discovery in ethereal tones and raw emotion. The track is an invitation to the listener for an intimate journey that comes across deeply personal yet absolutely relatable.

The lyricism of Come Find Me is an exploration of the search for connection and identity with poetic elegance. The lines are the ache of vulnerability that speaks of feeling unseen yet hopeful. The words are full of introspection and layers, full of newness in every listen.

The vocal is majestic—delicate and powerful, a fragile strength that matches perfectly with the reflective mood of the song. The singer's voice almost feels like it stretches out for a long emotional distance, making listeners closer with each word.

Instrumentally, the song is a lush mix of dream-pop and ambient influences, shimmering guitars, airy synths, and a subtle, steady rhythm that mirrors the ebb and flow of introspection. Production creates a really good sonic atmosphere like walking through a foggy dreamscape.

Come Find Me is a masterful exploration of yearning, where Made of Sand has the capability to create music that touches one's soul on a deep level.

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