It’s been said that having an inner monologue can help regulate your emotions, nurture self-awareness and build a healthy appreciation of the world and your place in it—all the signs of good living. But the question remains: are you really living if there’s no soundtrack to back things up?
Can you imagine what The Lord of the Rings film trilogy would be like without the expert touch of composer Howard Shore? Perish the thought.
The genre hardly matters. After all, music is art, and art is subjective. What does matter is how it makes you feel—how it inspires your daily living and pushes you to embrace creative self-expression in all the ways that are quintessentially you. That being said, there are quite a few genres out there that are floating across the technological ether. We wouldn’t blame you for not being able to keep up.
Avant-garde pop and progressive heavy metal. ‘90s hip-hop and 00’s pop-punk. Ambient, jazz, classical and everything in between. Even more niche subgenres like shoegaze and Midwest emo.
Each suite of monthly music sees new and returning artists delving into these disparate genres, and August was no exception. From top to bottom, the month was an indie music paradise. But what does ‘indie’ actually mean?
Granted, music genres have always been a difficult practice to pin down. In a digitally-driven world where everyone’s a critic, every subgenre becomes subsumed by its older, more storied cousins; every Reddit thread becomes inundated with opinionated gatekeeping that muddies the waters for all involved.
The term ‘indie’ used to stand for the independent record labels that championed the niche bands of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Now, for better and for worse, it’s simply a placeholder attachment used to refer to any given genre that isn’t quite its full-blown self—there’s indie rock, pop, folk and more. Thankfully, when it comes to new music in August, that’s a good thing, because the month’s sonic umbrella is blessedly wide.
We’ve got genre legends like NYC natives Interpol and experimental newcomers like Brit six-piece Man/Woman/Chainsaw; happy nostalgia a la South Korean singer-songwriter Meaningful Stone and sad melancholy courtesy of female folk star Phoebe Bridgers; even Silica Gel’s zany blend of artsy grunge and electronic psychedelia. Elsewhere, instrumental music comes tastefully packaged in the form of Japanese jazz-fusion band Jizue, hip-hop representation comes by way of one of Florida’s greatest exports—rapper Denzel Curry, teaming up once again with prolific producer Kenneth Blume—and alt-rock and pop-punk lovers can rejoice with Citizen’s newest take on the emo formula.
Read about all of this and more below, in the August edition of Vogue Singapore’s monthly music roundup.
1 / 8
This Mirror Weighs a Ton by Interpol
The newest album from the sharpest-dressed band—in New York City or elsewhere—makes a strong argument for Interpol’s continued inclusion in the pantheon of 21st century indie rock legends. However, while stalwart supporters have found silver linings in each cloud in their discography, there’s no denying the fact that their first two records—2002’s Turn on the Bright Lights and 2004’s Antics—are their strongest. Interpol are not alone, either, as many of their peers have faced the same thankless task of living up to the name their first records made for them—which makes it all the more pleasing to discover This Mirror Weighs a Ton feels like a true return to form. The production’s matured along with the band members, but the essence of the enchanting sound that put Interpol on the map is still wholly present—and clearer than it has been for over a decade.
Listen to This Mirror Weighs a Ton here.
2 / 8
II by Denzel Curry and Kenneth Blume
It’s been six long years since south Florida rapper Denzel Curry and prolific beatmaker Kenneth Blume (formerly known as Kenny Beats) released their debut EP, Unlocked. One thing is for sure: they’ve done a lot of growing up since. Granted, it’s not like their sound before wasn’t self-assured, but their newest collaboration is on a whole new level. Where Unlocked often came across as a series of catchy, if overall disjointed, vignettes, II feels much more like the complete package. The chip on Curry’s shoulder is still there—the Soundcloud rapper is probably incapable of not oozing swagger—and Blume’s ear for shaping sound is as capable as ever, but it’s all filtered through a dense matrix of playful, yet mature lyrics and catchy, yet tasteful production.
Listen to II here.
3 / 8
Halcyon Blues by Citizen
There’s a good chance Citizen are the most chameleonic pioneer of the fourth wave emo scene. Their peers—Tigers Jaw, Joyce Manor, Basement—are all incredibly accomplished, but their overall musical approach across the years has remained, for the most part, unchanged. Citizen, on the other hand, have toyed with experimentation to great success. Since their seminal 2013 debut album, Youth, the Ohio-based band has been surprisingly effective at shaping rock into their own image: an enrapturing blend of pop, shoegaze, grunge and even alt-rock of a more twee variety. All this comes together in electrifying fashion in Halcyon Blues, which is a strong signal that Mat Kerekes and company are nowhere near done with their efforts to tease new life out of the emo genre.
Listen to Halcyon Blues here.
4 / 8
To: Hana by Meaningful Stone
K-pop might be king in South Korea, but the country’s alternative music scene has been booming for a while now—and has been increasingly, deservingly, recognised around the world for its artists’ fresh spins on subgenres. For example, Parannoul helped flip shoegaze on its head with his 2021 debut, To See the Next Part of the Dream; even in Singapore, math rock wizards Dabda are set to perform in just a few days at this year’s edition of Baybeats. In similar fashion, the face behind Meaningful Stone, Kim Jimin, serves as a sterling example of an indie rocker carving out her own space in South Korea with an earnestness that’s impossible not to love. Case in point: ‘1+1=0’ is a recipe for pure, distilled comfort—ingredients include a sprinkle of Hatchie, a dash of Soccer Mommy and plenty of picture-perfect nostalgia, thanks in no small part to track feature Jay Som.
Listen to To: Hana here.
5 / 8
Ballad of You by Silica Gel
On the subject of South Korean music this month: indie rock extraordinnaire Silica Gel’s latest album is a timely reminder of the vast canvas of creativity musicians are painting on in the year 2026. Here, the South Korean four-pieces defies all expectations, and expertly exceeds whatever expectations might have lingered on the mind following a listen of their last album, 2023’s Power Andre 99. Where the latter sat comfortably in grunge rock territory, Ballad of You thrives in the lines between synth madness, distorted guitar riffs and full-blown jazz orchestration. Whether that’s a bassoon we hear on ‘Molecular Gastronomy’ or simply a feat of electronic production wizardry, it matters not—the breadth of Silica Gel’s arrangements beggars belief. ‘Manphasickzuck’ pairs high-pitched, woodwind-adjacent synth work with chunky psychedelic chords and edgy guitar licks; and ‘Metamorphosing’, unsurprisingly, takes listeners on a veritable sonic hero’s journey, from minimalist percussion to rousing choral work and back.
Listen to Ballad of You here.
6 / 8
Lost Weekend by Phoebe Bridgers
This is just getting ridiculous at this point—how does Phoebe Bridgers never miss? Few would argue with the statement that Bridgers is the most melancholic singer-songwriter of her generation, and her newest record—a staggering 16-track run—might just be her best work to-date. 2017’s A Stranger in the Alps cemented her chops, 2020’s Punisher catapulted her to world-wide fame (we dare you to not shed a tear when listening to ‘Kyoto’) and now, Lost Weekend sees Bridgers return in expected form. Within seconds of pressing play, opener ‘The Outside’, autotune and all, is simply mesmerising. The rest of the album follows closely with a rollercoaster of emotion: lead single ‘Lost Boys’ is all lilting vocals, plucky acoustic guitar riffs and winsome brass arrangements; the explosive production on ‘Bobby’ soars with equal parts hope and nostalgia; and the closing reprise of earlier track ‘Lost Weekend’ ends the whole affair in suitably sad, Bridgers fashion.
Listen to Lost Weekend here.
7 / 8
Orbis by Jizue
It’s ok to put aside the pop every now and then. Japan’s music industry contains multitudes, from ripping J-rock to thunderous shoegaze—and instrumental three-piece Jizue is no less deserving of your time and energy, boldly exploring the jazz-fusion space with a gusto. Their newest album is packed with sonic thrills, both funky and epic (think The Reign of Kindo, a la their 2008 masterpiece Rhythm, Chord & Melody). The tracks on Orbis feature the kind of glorious back and forth between piano and guitar that evoke the very best of jazz jam sessions. The keys arpeggiate with wild, yet intentional abandon; when the guitars aren’t holding the fort down with impeccable rhythm work, they echo refrains with stunning ease. Meanwhile, the drums and bass are fully locked into a world unto their own—syncopated, funky and frenetic.
Listen to Orbis here.
8 / 8
Cannonball by Man/Woman/Chainsaw
After hearing Cannonball, the lazy listener might think it straightforward to draw a comparison to a band like Black Country, New Road, and stop there. Against the backdrop of modern rock in the UK, both bands are quintessentially British, drinking from the same, varied creative well of acts like English Teacher, Dry Cleaning and Yard Act. Post-punk vibes, doled out with a hefty dose of the pop and the avant-garde. Man/Woman/Chainsaw’s approach, however, is wholly their own, and their impressive debut album warrants every ounce of praise it’s gotten in the media. Cannonball is a sweeping musical journey, conveying relatable themes with esoteric lyrics sung by a trifecta of vocalists—bassist Vera Leppänen and pianist Emmie-Mae Avery are accompanied by guitarist Billy Ward, who also happens to channel the best of Nick Cave with unerring accuracy. Grounding all this is a bedrock of rich instrumentation, full of inventive piano arrangements, reassuringly steadfast drum parts and soaring, soulful violin.
Listen to Cannonball here.
