Aaron Shover – Hatching Ghosts
Similar artists: Daniel Johnston, Syd Barrett, The Magnetic Fields
Genre: Lo-fi Rock, Garage Rock, Alternative Rock
Aaron Shover works hard to shake off the dreaded curse of simple genre categorization and format-first pop music.
The moment that AI-generated songs started trending online, many music critics got to shout out: “I knew it all along!” You see, everyone had a sneaking suspicion that an algorithm must’ve been responsible for the kinds of acts chosen by record companies and for the kinds of songs that they were making. And human intelligence cannot power this kind of wickedness all on its own.
But the biggest shock wasn’t the confirmation that these kinds of tactics existed. No, the most worrying surprise was just how quickly audiences took to this kind of rudimentary sonic aberrations.
With this in mind, hearing Aaron Shover’s “Hatching Ghosts” is almost like joining a revolutionary movement hiding out in the deep forests. This is brilliantly childlike and confused folk rock. It echoes rock outsiders like Daniel Johnston and Syd Barrett. And while the fight most certainly ain’t fair, it’s nice to hear Shover fighting it the old-fashioned way – through actual creativity.
Von Boyáge – Swim
Genre: Indie Folk, Indie Pop, Alt Pop
Von Boyáge creates a hybrid of pop and folk about finding reasons to give up yet deciding to fight on.
It’s impossible to properly estimate just how important music has been to the lives of people facing terrible hardships. Of course, in wars and revolutions, the folks involved chant in unison. Sure, when political events are held, the organizers insist on the speakers blasting John Lennon or Bob Marley.
But what about all the regular people going through the inevitable ups and downs of life? Just how many were saved or set on the right track by the power of a song? Maybe pop music is important after all.
Von Boyáge’s “Swim” is pop music written for people needing all the support that they can get. Yes, it disguises itself as a folk tune, but many artists to this nowadays. Still, it has soul, and certainly, the ability to create this kind of pop-friendly sound under a DYI capacity is impressive. Best of all, it may help someone down the line.
Von Boyáge’s “Swim” is pop music written for people needing all the support that they can get.
