The Underground Forest - Vol 12

Welcome to The Underground Forest! This weeks edition features; 70s fairytale-like psychedelica; dreamy alt-90s pop; gentle lofi guitar and vocals that will transport you to the icy woods; Americana mixed with dreamy 60s influences; sunshine drenched euphoric pop; a kaleidoscopic soundscape that drifts over your ears like an organic lemon balm; early 2000s DIY electronic with a hint of shoegaze, and more. 

Featuring Love You Later, Theresa Gorella, Robert PM, Lyric Christian, Annelle Staal, Ivor Game,SAL,crushed, Buffalo Daughter and Cibo Matto.

By Eimear O SullivanMusicngear Editor

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Stereotype C - Buffalo Daughter, Cibo Matto

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Believe it or not, I didn’t watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer until 2022; where I was first introduced to Cibo Matto playing Sugar Water at The Bronze; a song which entranced me and many before me, immediately.  It popped up on my Release Radar that Japanese Band Buffalo Daughter had released a song with Cibo Matto called ‘Stereotype C; a previously unreleased track that will appear on Buffalo Daughter’s limited edition vinyl release of ‘I’ (due for release on the 10th of March 2023) This is a funkalicious, phantasmagoric journey for the ears and the imagination; the second half of the song veering into a fairytale- like 70s psychedelica. 

Connect with Cibo Matto
Spotify / Instagram 

Connect with Buffalo Daughter
Spotify / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter

 

Girl with Headphones - Love You Later

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This has a nice alt 90s vibe (specifically the vocal melody and instrumentation); polished off with some cool DIY flavorings. The chorus is dreamy; the verses beautifully nostalgic - I can imagine this playing over a driving sequence in an indie movie, passing by drive throughs and blockbusters.

On the track the artist says “‘Girl With Headphones is about feeling out of place, like you’re the only one living in your world. Things were feeling very dim at the beginning of this year and it made me think about how when I was kid I would feel like the main character in my own indie film, staring out the window of the passenger seat and romanticizing everything the world has to offer. There’s a true vulnerability and weight in this song as I pretty much admit I haven’t been feeling like myself lately. The song also comes with a sense of letting go and realizing maybe that’s what’s stopping me from being truly happy. ‘Girl With Headphones’ is about me, the main character, experiencing what it feels like to grow, let go, embrace the unknown, move on and return to myself. It’s a cathartic rollercoaster.”

Connect with Love You Later
Spotify / Instagram / Website / Twitter

 

Hands Off (My Crown) - Robert PM, Lyric Christian

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This flows over your ears like an organic lemon balm; it is hypnotic, soothing and thoroughly grounding. Rich soundscapes glimmer with kaleidoscopic sound effects; the mesmerizing vocals could be used as part of a transcendental meditation to bring you back to feeling like yourself again. On the song Lyric confides, "This song is all about how you make yourself feel—no one else. It’s a sexy soulful house track and whenever I listen to it I’m reminded of who I am—a badass, confident and beautiful woman who is in control of her own narrative."

Connect with Lyric Christian
Spotify / Instagram / Twitter

Connect with Robert PM
Spotify / Instagram / Twitter


House of Broken Mirrors - Theresa Gorella

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This is a gorgeous mix of 60s and Americana textures; cloaking you with its velour glamor. Beautiful strings soar in the chorus, underneath the silk like vocals; this song is drenched in character; that will transport you to another time and place. I can imagine this playing over a diner scene in a movie. Utterly divine. 

You can check out the music video here.

Connect with Theresa Gorella
Spotify / Instagram 

 

In The Woods - Ivor Game

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This draws you into the lush forestry of the woods; with its beautifully lofi guitar and vocals. The newest release from artist Ivor Game will lull you into the introspective state that nature can induce; transporting you to a quiet forest, where there is a hint of ice in the air. Wonderful. 

Connect with Ivor Game
Spotify / Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp


My Girl  - Annelle Staal

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This newest release from non-binary North Carolina based singer/songwriter and Twitch influencer Annelle Staal is a burst of pop flavored sunshine. Dreamy and euphoric, this will energize you and make you feel alive again, with its ecstatic quality and wonderful songwriting. 

On the song Annelle confides, "This song feels like a fresh take on nostalgic pop, and truly captures the joy and playfulness of a first-time queer relationship to me. Like a fresh start that makes you feel sentimental, I can't help but smile and dance when Iisten to this one--it's always felt special to me."  

Connect with Annelle Staal
Spotify / Instagram / Twitch

 

Red Wine - SAL

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The visuals of artist SAL are drenched in 70s style burgundy glamor (here for it); this characteristic being saturated into the fabric of the music. The lyrics are about facing a painful truth; the song is beautifully gentle, lulling you into a quiet introspective state ( this was in fact, written by candlelight). Red Wine could be from a vinyl you came across in a vintage store; and it is truly wonderful. 

Connect with SAL
Spotify / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter

 

milksugar - crushed

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This is a song that I became obsessed with immediately. It reminds me slightly of Sneaker Pimps, as it has an early 2000s underground DIY feel. It is sprinkled with some shoegaze influences; the lofiness of the instruments and the dreaminess of the vocals inducing a feeling of longing and nostalgia. 

Connect with crushed
Spotify / Instagram / Twitter


SPOTIFY PLAYLIST


Want to be featured in next month’s volume of The Underground Forest? Send your press release and links to <eimear.o.sullivan@musicngear.com>

About Eimear O Sullivan

Eimear Ann O Sullivan is a multi-genre music producer, audio engineer and vocalist. After receiving a Masters in Music Technology from the CIT Cork School of Music, she went on to operate as a producer under the name Blakkheart. Her releases have received critical acclaim from Ireland's biggest music publications, such as District Magazine and Nialler9, alongside receiving heavy commercial radio airplay. She currently works in Cork recording studio Flashpoint CC. Previous clients of hers include the likes of Comedy Central’s Dragony Aunt star Candy Warhol, rapper Darce and Outsider YP. (Photo credit @Fabian Boros)

Contact Eimear O Sullivan at eimear.o.sullivan@musicngear.com

About Music Spotlight

In this blog section we host new music releases, artist features and handpicked playlists by the Musicngear staff.

Interested in a music feature, writing a story as a guest or joining the Musicngear team as a Contributing Author? Contact us at info+blog@musicngear.com