It’s January — the beginning of a new year. If you are a movie fan, then this is the best time for you. All of the good movies usually release in late December and early January to get the most Oscar buzz. However, if you are a music fan like me, this is the worst time of the year.
Generally, the best times to release records are in late spring and in early summer — this period coincides with the time where music festivals tend to happen. The biggest releases pile up around April to September. You will get everything during these periods: rock, electronic, punk, hip-hop, folk, country, etc. What are you supposed to do when you are a smaller, lesser-known artist? Simple, release music at the beginning of the year.
Let’s take a look at some smaller indie artists who have released records at the beginning of this year.
Boys Who Think — “Boys Who Think”
A tongue-and-cheek indie rock record, “Boys Who Think” mixes elements of popular modern psychedelic acts like Tame Impala, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, as well as indie mainstays like Mac DeMarco and Alex G. The result for this Canadian indie band is a playful album that does not overstay its welcome.
Some tracks, like “Blue Season” and “Fuzz,” sometimes border on jam-sessions. The band has a lot of chemistry together and since this is their first record, I am excited to see what they can do next.
Ginger Sod — “House”
Electronic releases early in the year often have the opposite problem than what other indie releases have: there are way too many of them. What makes the Falmouth-artist, Ginger Sod, special in this regard is their ability to mix a lot of different ideas and come out the other side clean.
A mix of electronic beats, downtempo trip-hop, sincere neo-soul and many other influences — Ginger Sod eases listeners into “House” with the dizzying and mystifying “The Fame,” a track that has an incredible sense of progression yet sturdy foundation. “House” does not stay in one place for long and always leaves you guessing.
The Entire Earth — “i’m not scared”
An emo album? One that is not afraid to bask in its influences and create original sounding music? In 2025? “Impossible,” you’d say. “No,” I’d say back, “It is more likely than you would think.” In all seriousness, The Entire Earth’s debut record, “i’m not scared” is emotionally vulnerable as it is cavalier — a far cry from its contemporaries. Standout tracks include: “i’m not scared,” “hollowing out” and “faster.”
Grant Pavol — “College”
Grant Pavol’s second EP, “College,” only features a few standout moments — about what you would expect from a four-track EP this short. However, what really caught me by surprise is how one element does not take the backseat. Pavol’s wonderfully subtle vocals, emotive songwriting and poignant guitar-work make this EP worth the listen alone.
What makes “College” unique is that all of these elements blended together create a truly once-in-a-blue-moon atmosphere that is sure to blow listeners away. This EP is not just one note either, there are mixtures of singer-songwriter, country, folk and blues as well.
Bellweather Labs — “The Long Journey Home For The Fabulous Cowboy”
A few albums down the line, I have never heard of Bellweather Labs — oh boy. This Chicago-based jazz and R&B act kind of threw me off at first. I originally thought it would be all instrumental, but then the vocals came in on “Frontier” and it was settled: western themed-jazz and R&B can work.
This is my favorite record on this list, particularly because it is so low-key. “Frontier,” “Carry The West” and “Dead and Gone” are my favorites.
